Conference Team

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  Deborah Connors, MPE

  Leader of the Pack

  President, Well-Advised Consulting Inc.

  A Markerville, Alberta girl, Deb spent the 60′s growing up on the farm. The 70′s were spent lifeguarding, going to discos and listening to David Gates. In the 80′s, Deb attended U of A (with big hair) and then UBC (with Birkenstocks). The 90′s were productive, founding both Well-Advised Consulting and the Health Work & Wellness™ Conference. In the past decade, Deb’s life has continued to evolve in positive ways through travelling, becoming a mom to a step-daughter and a daughter, and advocating with a passion for healthier workplaces. And true to seeking all things in balance, Deb also married and moved from Port Moody to Vancouver Island. In many ways, Deb has come full circle from the Markerville farm girl, once again planting her own seeds and watching new things grow as she writes her next life chapter. Her mom and dad are still on the farm.

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  Muneerah Kassam, MHA

  Action Hero

  Partner, Kassam Management Group Inc.

  Muneerah has been involved with the Health Work & Wellness™ Conference since its inception in 1997. She oversees programming, sponsorship and exhibits and is an integral member of the Conference Team. Muneerah holds a Masters in Health Administration from the University of B.C. Muneerah has been working with the health and healthcare sectors for over 15 years, where she has been providing healthy business solutions in the areas of health human resources, work force strategies, and workplace health & wellness . She thoroughly enjoys being a mom of two children and discovering the joys of life through their eyes.

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  Chris Freimond, ABC, MBA

  The Wordsmith

  President, Chris Freimond Public Relations Inc.

  Chris manages marketing and communications for the Health Work & Wellness™ Conference. Before establishing his own company in 2006, he was General Manager and Vice President in British Columbia for Hill & Knowlton, a global public relations firm. He has worked in corporate communications and marketing for 14 years. Previously, he was a journalist in Southern Africa for 20 years covering business and politics. He specializes in helping organizations integrate business objectives with communications programs to ensure clear and consistent messaging targeted at specific audience groups.

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  Sarah Lane

  Owner, SEL Conference Services
  Marketing Right-Hand

  Prior to moving to Nanaimo and launching SEL Conference Services, Sarah worked with a premier Destination Management Company in Victoria, British Columbia. She gained extensive knowledge through being involved in, and executing a gamut of events, including: multi-day conferences, unique grand openings and gala events, a large scale cruise ship re-fit, multiple tour & activity coordinations, client familiarity trips to Vancouver Island, international industry trade shows and tailored-to-fit themed evenings. She is a creative, warm individual with high energy levels, strong organizational flare and a meticulous eye for detail. Through extensive overseas travel, she has gained invaluable experience in foreign business practices and has an aptitude for language.

PRIME

Vancouver-based PRIME is one of Canada’s leading conference management companies and is responsible for the planning and logistics of the Health Work & Wellness™ Conference. PRIME’S team includes world-class meeting and event planners whose skills blend together the intricate details of a conference of this size with precision, balance and finesse to create a great event. Members of PRIME have been a part of the Health Work & Wellness™ Team since it’s inception in 1997. The primary members of our team include:

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  Jonathan Buchwald, BA

  Gandalf

  President, PRIME

  Jonathan is the founder and president of PRIME, one of Canada’s leading meeting planning companies. He began his meeting management career in 1986 and has worked in virtually every aspect of this niche market. He relocated to Vancouver in 1991. His greatest strength is providing consultative, strategic advice to clients to help them develop conference, meeting and incentive travel programs. Today PRIME services large corporate and government clients from its offices in Vancouver and has won many awards for its work. Jonathan has worked with the Health Work & Wellness™ Conference since its inception in 1997 and has discovered a new work-life balance in the past couple of years by helping to raise a young family at home!

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  Karen Hopkinson, FLMI

  Keeper of the Gates!

  Senior Project Manager, PRIME

  With over 25 years of planning meetings, Karen brings a wealth of experience to the team. Prior to joining PRIME, Karen worked in the insurance market providing conference and incentive programs involving from 15 to 500 people. Many events were specifically designed to showcase “out of the box” and “new to the industry” speakers and destinations. As Senior Project Manager and a newly designated Certified Meeting Professional, Karen bring to the Leadership Team a positive, optimistic and “let’s go gang” type of approach, all of which provides a fun, healthy and positive conference environment for the delegates as well as the Leadership Team!

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  Dal Palmer, BBA, CMP

  Bean Counter

  Account Manager, PRIME

  Dal holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with a joint major in Communications from Simon Fraser University, and has also earned her Certified Meeting Professional designation. Prior to joining PRIME, she planned events for both CIBC and BC Lottery Corporation. Now an Account Manager with PRIME, she has managed a wide variety of meetings and incentives all over the world. Dal loves to travel, and is often sent on business to warm locales where she can indulge her passion for fresh pineapple. Dal is happily married to a professional limbo dancer and enjoys being Mom to two hilarious kids.

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  Trine Wildhagen

  Logistics Queen

  Project Coordinator, PRIME

  Trine has been with PRIME since early 2006, starting on Reception, rapidly advancing to Project Coordination and is currently maturing into a leadership role as Project Manager. Trine’s design flair is legendary, regularly producing both stunning print pieces and event décor. Her knack for details is readily complemented by her foresight, composure and sensational customer service. Trine has brought these talents and more over the years to a variety of programs including conferences, tradeshows and incentives. Her most recent project, managing an 18-day Olympic hospitality program, has a proven to be a once in a lifetime experience and will certainly be a milestone in her career.

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  Sabrina Gauthier

  Registration Guru and Info Queen

  Project Coordinator, PRIME

  English/French, functional Spanish

  Sabrina joined PRIME in July of 2009, after a year spent living in London, England. Prior to her travels abroad, she explored many facets of the Tourism industry. She has worked as a flight attendant for a regional airline based in Québec as well as sailed the world onboard Celebrity Cruises. Sabrina has spent the last 10 years working all over the globe giving her the chance to interact with a diverse variety of individuals and therefore obtain experience in a wide variety of disciplines.

  Since joining the PRIME team, Sabrina has delivered exceptional programs and registration support in both English and French. Her diverse range of work has included corporate conferences, incentives and government programs. Her work ethic and outstanding level of personalized customer service makes her a welcome addition to the HWW Conference Team.