Heart of the Industry: Remembering Debbie Meyers

City: Julie Daneloff and Ken Christopherson. Contributors: Ruth Moit, Steve Kemble, Andrea Michaels, Colleen Zane Dudin

“I’m at peace with my life,” she closed her eyes and left.

As always, legendary entertainment mogul Debbie Meyers CSEP, CTEP passed away earlier this year, taking her final bow with grace and honor.

Here she made a profound impact on the global events industry. Her vastness is boundless, as is her heart, so in the season of giving, we can’t think of anyone better to highlight, because Debbie Meyers Reflecting the spirit of generosity throughout the year.

Those who knew and loved her have countless stories to share. We’ve compiled a few here so you too can get a glimpse of the woman behind the scenes. She was able to “work miracles” not only in her own career, but in the lives of everyone she met.

Debbie is a consummate volunteer, always generous with her time and expertise to the industry, her colleagues and those in need. From her local ILEA chapter to the International Board, SEARCH Foundation and TSE Advisory Board, she has a strong commitment to giving back to the community. Her dedication extends beyond the events industry as she is also active in entertainment associations and plays an important role in the church community.

Debbie has visited the Great White North many times, including one in 2012 to Toronto to speak to the ILEA Toronto Chapter on “How to Submit Award-Winning Work,” a topic she is qualified to discuss as the recipient of numerous honors within the industry. Although Debbie is originally from Texas, she is passionate about building relationships and supporting the growth of event professionals across Canada, always offering her expertise to elevate our industry.

Some of the most important points include:

“Be generous to your colleagues and pay it forward.” Debbie immediately accepted the invitation to speak and became the first speaker of the season to simply ask, “How can I help?” Such enthusiasm and Generosity is very rare.

“Be a master communicator and use humor whenever possible. Photos from the conference capture attendees laughing. Debbie’s intelligence is unparalleled and she knows how to connect with her audience through humor.

“If you want to win an award for your work, support others so they can win too.” Debbie is true to her word.

This is evidenced by her numerous supports as others enter event awards. Debbie’s lessons are truly endless.

My most sincere and heartfelt condolences to Debbie’s entire family, biological and otherwise, for this great loss. There is no doubt that she will always live in our hearts.

To keep Debbie’s legacy alive, we invite you to contribute your stories, memories and photos.

simply use this form Your memories will be added to this page as they are received. thank you wHope you enjoy these memories of her dearest friends.

Debbie Meyers Memory Page

Steve Kemble

The world is a better place because of Debbie Meyers. Her life was filled with happiness, artistic expression, and of course, a love of music.

Debbie’s boldness and bravery touched us all. She has demonstrated remarkable resilience, not only in overcoming challenges but also in her ability to inspire and support others. She taught us courage, curiosity, and the importance of embracing life. Debbie’s presence may no longer be with us, but her legacy of adventurous spirit will forever light our paths. Personally, she taught me how to transform challenges into inspiring lessons of hope and determination. Her life lessons are truly remarkable and I will always cherish them.

Ruth E.Moit

Deb and I met on the TSE Advisory Board when we were judging entries for the Special Events Gala Awards – we were both 29 or so at the time and still held the award. We hit it off immediately and from that moment on, we were sisters and friends. Quiet generosity is second nature to Deb, but I don’t measure it with gifts (there are those, too), but when she gives so generously to me. Whether it was a long conversation over coffee (or whatever), a late night phone call, or just sitting quietly next to me, she made me feel like I was someone important in that moment. I think she did that to all the people she loved – she cherished us. She encouraged, guided, motivated, teased, and even made me angry at times, but Deb loved hard, hurt hard, and forgive hard. She’s 100% committed and genuine – and that’s exactly what I like about someone. So, my story about Deb’s generosity is about the most expensive gift she could have given me or anyone in which she invested herself. You just can’t find anyone willing to reach out to people like she does. I can think of nothing I would rather do now than spend a few more moments with her—and I know she would extend those hours to me if she were here. Such was her generous soul.

Colleen Zane Dudin

Debbie has been a strong supporter of the SEARCH Foundation since its inception in 1997. She works tirelessly as a SEARCH board member and remains a cheerleader, fundraiser and ambassador for the foundation.

Back in 2007, when the SEARCH Foundation was looking for an administrator, Debbie suggested that I take a job. She started me on the path to this amazing foundation that has become a true love of my heart. Debbie embodies the spirit of SEARCH and we are forever grateful to her.

Andrea Michaels

There is only one; there is always only one. Debbie Meyers was a unique person, smart, sassy, ​​and often out of character in the most kind and loving ways. She has a big personality and an even bigger heart. She cares about her friends and everyone is a potential friend. I know Deb through her friendships with others and through business, and consider her a friend and confidante. She was a savvy businesswoman and a creative person, but her truest strength and trait was her devotion to those she cared about, and she cared about everyone.

We have a lot in common, whether it’s our career choices or our issues with men and health, not to mention the things that come with owning your own business…you know, like customers and employees. A great memory is when she was in charge of the Steve Kemble Leadership Award and Luncheon, I was the recipient that year, except it was supposed to be a surprise. My son Jon and my friend John Daley were responsible for making sure I attended that luncheon and not letting me know why. For some reason I have always refused to go because I have other things to do. Finally, Jon gave up and told me, but insisted that I act surprised. Maybe I might have given it away by dressing up for lunch, but I tried my best to look shocked, and I think I succeeded. Sorry Deb, it’s not surprising, I never told you. I am honored to receive this award that you have bestowed upon me. So everyone reading this now knows my secret…shh…I know she can hear you.

Deb knew I had cancer and I knew she had cancer. Initially we could sympathize, until her attitude changed and I realized I would never understand what she faced on a daily basis. She’s brave; she’s a fighter, and she’s too young to be defeated by a ruthless opponent.

We all love her despite flaws and all…don’t we all have those flaws? We will remember her as a humanitarian, a leader, and a force to be reckoned with. There will never be another one and we will miss her.

Ken Christopherson

In 2007, I stayed in the hospital for nearly a year. I slowly died while they tried to figure out what was wrong with me. My company is hosting a large corporate milestone event. Our event producer Hanan is extremely talented and smart, however, she has never produced an event of this size or level. Debbie (who is from Texas) came completely uninvited and took Hanan (who traveled all the way to Calgary) under her wing and mentored her, mentored her and supported the rest of the team for a year. To this day, I laugh out loud when I think about the first day a client meets Debbie. The photo below shows Hanan and Debbie accepting the award for World’s Best Corporate Event. This is their moment and I’m so proud of these two and what they’ve accomplished together is tremendous.