Local promotions company 519 Events and Promotions has received a grant from the Chatham-Kent Small Business Centre.
The local firm completed the Starter Company Plus program and is receiving a grant for $3,500. Having just celebrated their first year in business, 519 Events and Promotions is starting to gear up for a busy season of public and corporate events.
“I had been planning and organizing events for a little over five years and I decided last January that it was time for me to start my own business,” said Moréna McDonald, owner 519 Events and Promotions, in a media release. “A big part of my plan is to help create more opportunities for people to do things in Chatham-Kent and also help feature local artists and makers in a market-style setting.”
Since launching in 2018, McDonald and her team have worked in conjunction with BIAs, the Dresden Sidestreets Youth Centre, and other organizations to co-ordinate three major community events including Etsy: Made in Canada, the Downtown Dresden Christmas Night Market, and the Downtown Dresden Summer Night Market. Each event has had attendance of more than 6,000 people, with the Downtown Dresden Summer Market having in excess of 9,000 in attendance.
“We are focused on building top-quality events so that people from across the province know they will be attending something special,” said McDonald. “We also invest in promoting and marketing the events, which is why we have had people from Windsor, Sarnia, and even the GTA come down to check them out.”
519 Events and Promotions has also arranged several smaller activities including Trivia Nights. In addition, they have also worked with businesses and enterprises to host private corporate events.
“We have had a remarkable year and owe much of our success to the support of the Small Business Centre. Everything from the development of our business plan, to the training, to the ongoing assistance provided by the team in Economic Development has been amazing,” said McDonald.
“Moréna embodies the spirit of being an entrepreneur and is one of the most active people I know in the community,” said Rosemarie Montgomery, Business Consultant with the Small Business Centre. “She has been dedicated to not only having a business that is successful in the short-term, but also doing the planning and strategic thinking that will help her to have a business that is successful for years to come.”
As part of McDonald’s mission to help the community, 519 Events and Promotions has also provided a number of free seminars on topics such as How to Sell on Etsy and Social Media for Small Business. These events have been showcased at the John D. Bradley Convention Centre in Chatham and also in the Lifestyles Tent at the 2018 International Plowing Match.
“I want to do everything I can to share the joy of being your own boss,” said McDonald. “If I can help inspire someone to take the plunge and get into business through either being a vendor at one of my events, or attending a seminar, then my business has been a success.”
For more information about 519 Events and Promotions, including a list of current and past events, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/519eventspromo.
