Barb Nelson – CEO
Barb Nelson is the Owner of the Fraser Valley local event planning company Events Plus Management Ltd. Barb has grown her company from a one-woman powerhouse show to the multi-city and multi-project company that stands today. EPM has branched out from large expos, festivals, one-off events, and anniversary celebrations, to include managing and programming Fraser Valley Continuing Education in Langley. Barb has grown her business and experience in the Event-Planning industry and has come to be known by many as not only an expert in her field, but also passionate, clever, personable, and a consummate leader.
Starting out as Office Administrator, Bookkeeper and Sales Coordinator for the family-run business Clay’s Nurseries (a division of Les Clay & Son Ltd.) for 9 years, Barb took her knowledge for the Horticultural and Nursery world in the Fraser Valley to the BC Landscape and Nursery Association, where she was their Events Coordinator and Assistant Show Manager for the CanWest Hort Show – Western Canada’s premier horticultural trade show – for 13 years. While working for the BCLNA, Barb continued to grow her knowledge and skills through workshops, trainings, and on-the-job learning, which eventually lead her to becoming an Event Planning Instructor and take her skills in administration, event planning, non-profit management, and artistic leadership and vision to the Semiahmoo Arts Society to be their Executive Director from October 2014 to February 2019.
On top of all of Barb’s professional success, in 2019, she and husband Jamie celebrated 40 years together now with three grown children, and growing number of grandchildren. Barb is a lover of nature, performing and visual arts, and keeps her staff and their projects in calm waters.
Contact Information:
E: barb@eventsplusmanagement.com
P: 604-328-0029
Kim Rosset – Fraser Valley Continuing Education General Manager
Bio Coming Soon!
Contact Information:
E: kim@fvcontinuinged.ca
P: 604-533-4227
Peggy Richardson – Marketing Manager
Peggy Richardson has a varied 25-plus year background centered around Information Technology. Her passion for tech as a true usable tool, applied to marketing and publishing, has steered her career in both the private sector and the BC Ministry of Attorney General, and across multiple associated law-enforcement agencies, as well as a variety of private sector projects. She has worked in the capacity of hands-on network designer and installer, project management, operations management, and media creator in both the US and Canada since the early 90’s. She is also a multi-published technical writer and editor, with over 30 manuals and eBooks to her credit. Peggy is an active volunteer for Lifeline and other support agencies for Seniors. She manages EPM’s marketing strategy, advertising and ensuring the company is aligned in ways that will expand its market reach across all our properties: Fraser Valley Continuing Education, the Fraser Valley Wedding Festival, the Westcoast Small Home Expo, and other managed projects. She lives partly in the Fraser Valley and partly on Gabriola Island, with her husband of 30+ years, their daughter, and their dog. She is an avid knitter, crafter, and reader.
Contact Information:
E: peggy@eventsplusmanagement.com
Karen DeJong-Ellery – Events & Sales coordinator
Karen has managed events of all sizes while working for a not-for-profit organization for 20+ years. From coordinating small committee meetings, to managing a large annual international trade show, success was always found in her calm leadership skills and attention to detail. She’s also played the role of Exhibitor, representing BC’s Horticulture Industry at several major US trade shows.
Contact Information:
E: karen@eventsplusmanagement.com
P: 604-202-6446
Jessica Anne Nelson – Events Assistant
Jessica Anne Nelson is an award-winning theatre director, creator, producer and Intimacy Choreographer who sets the bar for creating safe and imaginative spaces for artists to play and explore in her provocative productions. With a M.F.A. in Theatre Direction and B.A. Honours Theatre from the University of British Columbia, as well as a strong background in devised theatre and narrative based dramas, her theatre projects focus on exploring the range of human experiences even within the most negatively viewed characters, and how we enact gender in performance and in our daily lives. When not directing or creating her own work, Jessica has spent the last 10 years producing her own theatre productions and fundraisers, not to mention assisting Events Plus Management with their Expos and Events. From intimate gatherings to large multi-day Expos, Jessica has had a hand in creating and presenting live arts and corporate business events for most of her career. Jessica has created sponsorship proposal packages for outreach and sponsorship coordination, designed and scheduled marketing and promotions plans, successfully written grant applications for artists, programmed and coordinated live arts events, contracted artists, managed event finances and budgets, coordinated with professional associations, overseen volunteers and staff at events, and ensured that events ran smoothly, beautifully and proficiently according to the customer or artists needs and goals. Jessica is pleased to be the newest official member of the Events Plus Management team, and lives in Surrey with her husband, child, and their furbaby Oliver.
Contact Information:
E: jessica@eventsplusmanagement.com