Scott is the President of Palmer Audio Inc. located in Cambridge Ontario and has been since its inception in 1980.

Scott’s primary area of expertise is the technical design and implementation of large special events. His experiences include; Technical Director of World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, that hosted over 500,000 visitors to Toronto, as the Public Safety Planner & Manager for the Rolling Stones SARS Concert in Toronto in 2003 with 500,000 attendees.

In 2008 Scott took on the role of Director of Operations for the Inaugural Pemberton Festival and more recently became the Senior Site Director & Public Safety Planner of the 2014 & 2015 Squamish Valley Music Festivals.

Scott’s more recent interesting events were mounting the Opening Ceremonies on the One Young World Conference on Parliament Hill in September of 2016 and again working on Parliament Hill in 2017 Scott provided Technical consulting and execution of the Canada 150 Skating Rink.

Scott has numerous ongoing projects such as the RBC Ottawa Bluesfest, CityFolk Festival and numerous motorsport events across North America where he acts as Production Manager / Technical Director.

Scott’s experience in Production Management, worker and public safety planning provides him with a well-balanced view of all aspects of the special events industry.

Kerrie Blizard is the Director, Public Safety and Environment with the Calgary Stampede. The Calgary Stampede is most famous for its community festival in July where it welcomes approximately 1.4 million guests over 10 days, but Stampede Park is a busy place all year hosting hundreds of third-party events including conventions, consumer shows, corporate and private events as well as agriculture and youth events.

With more than 25 years’ experience in tourism, hospitality and live events, Kerrie has had the opportunity to work in several roles including event management, guest experience, food and beverage, crowd, queue and traffic management and sustainability. It is this breadth of experience that has allowed her the opportunity to be a part of many high-profile events including Royal visits, government summits, conventions, and festivals. Her passion resides with events that engage the public and bring people together in celebration safely. Kerrie is committed to elevating safety practices and resources within the event industry and has recently joined the Event Safety Alliance Canada as a board member where she can continue to make a difference in this area.

Jason Gordon completed his studies in Civil Engineering Technology at St. Lawrence College in 1998. With 25 years of experience in Occupational Safety Jason has developed confidence in interpreting and implementing Health and Safety Legislation as well as developing and implementing Health & Safety Management Systems. From 2004 to 2014, Jason worked as an Inspector and Inspectorate Peer Trainer for the Ministry of Labour, where he received the prestigious GEM award for developing a provincial enforcement initiative.

In 2011, after investigating a serious incident in the Event Sector, Jason became a leader in promoting Safety in the Event Sector. During this time, Jason recognized that he could better serve the industry as a consultant, and, in 2014, he followed that dream. Today, as a Founder of ESP – The Event Safety Professionals Company, Jason continues to focus on fostering a safe work environment for all his clients and is proud to have an increased focus on growing Safety Culture in the Event Sector. Jason is proud to be a member of the Board of directors for the Event Safety Alliance Canada.

In his spare time, Jason enjoys spending time with (and BBQ’ing for) his family & Dogs as well as taking adventures on his motorcycle and ATV.

Dan is an experienced leader with over 20 years of experience across public health systems, event safety, and disaster risk reduction. As the Director of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Resilience team at BC Emergency Health Services, he leads initiatives focused on mitigating health system impacts, coordinating disaster response activities, and planning medical services for mass gathering events across British Columbia.

Dan holds a Master of Arts Degree in Disaster and Emergency Management and a Professional Diploma in Risk and Safety Management for Crowds and Events. He blends his academic knowledge with operational experience by integrating evidence-based practices to drive positive and meaningful change.

Recognized for his contributions to public safety through awards like the Chief Ambulance Officer’s Commendation and membership in the Order of St. John, Dan is dedicated to advancing event safety in his role on the Event Safety Alliance Canada board of directors.

He acknowledges that he works on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) Nations, and lives on the lands of the Katzie and Kwantlen Nations.

Kelly Duquette is a Métis artist and Senior Associate in Dentons Ottawa’s Real Estate group, practicing in municipal, land use planning, and development law. She advises clients on planning approvals, development disputes, expropriation matters, and the interpretation of municipal by-laws. Kelly is an active member of the Ontario Bar Association, the County of Carleton Law Association, and the Ontario Expropriation Association. 

Beyond her legal work, Kelly has experience working and consulting with numerous Indigenous and non-Indigenous government bodies and organizations, having served three terms as a Youth Representative on the Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council. Deeply passionate about the arts, Kelly is actively engaged in Ottawa’s fine arts and festival scenes. Her legal background and appreciation for creativity and community informs her perspective on event planning and risk management.

Aaron is a nationally respected leader in security and crowd safety management, bringing over three decades of combined public and private sector experience from his work with the Correctional Service of Canada and at over 1,200 live events. His event portfolio includes some of the country’s most significant and complex operations, including the 2007 FIFA U20 World Cup, 2010 Winter Olympics, 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, 2018 G7 Finance and Development Ministers and Central Bank Governors meetings, BMO Marathon – Vancouver, Canada Day - Vancouver, 2024 Grey Cup Festival, Live Nation festivals and stadium concerts in western Canada, comedy festivals, and various other special events.

He currently serves as Senior Manager, Safety & Security – Vancouver for the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup; a role he accepted after taking leave from his position as Senior Director of Special Projects & Training with Guardteck Security Co.

As a long-standing advocate for creating safer event spaces, Aaron brings a deep commitment to collaboration, education, and evidence-based practice. He has worked extensively with multidisciplinary teams to improve site design, operational planning, incident and emergency response and recovery across the live-events sector. As a recognized educator and speaker, he has presented at several major industry conferences, helping strengthen safety literacy and shared learning.

Aaron is dedicated to advancing safety standards, fostering local, regional and national collaboration, and helping shape a more resilient, informed, and proactive event safety culture.

With more than 35 years of experience in managing special events within governmental, cultural, and protocol institutions, Jean-François Blais has distinguished himself through his professionalism, rigor, and mobilizing leadership.

As Production Manager at the Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum, he oversees the planning, logistics, and production of more than 500 events each year, ranging from galas and state banquets to festivals, official ceremonies, and large-scale diplomatic events. He is also responsible for the operational management of two theatres with 230 and 500 seats, respectively.

Recognized for his expertise in coordinating multidisciplinary teams and managing complex projects, he ensures the success of major events within deadlines, budgets, and quality standards, while maintaining the brand image of the Canadian Museum of History and demonstrating sensitivity to cultural diversity. His areas of expertise include technical direction, logistics, staff supervision, contract management, and public relations.

Throughout his career, Jean-François has contributed to the success of major events such as the inauguration of the Canadian War Museum, official visits by Queen Elizabeth II, as well as numerous festivals and cultural partnerships (Bluesfest, Festibière, RedBull Flugtag, Canada Day, Casino Fireworks, etc.).

A graduate in Business Administration from the Université du Québec à Hull, he has pursued several specialized training programs in project management, supervision, risk management, and human resources, and has participated in numerous international conferences (IFEA, USITT, The Special Events).

Recipient of several professional awards, including the CEIA Award (2008), the Ottawa Tourism Partnership Award (2007), and a Merit Award for the visit of President George W. Bush (2005), Jean-François Blais will retire in January 2026 after more than 30 years of service with the Canadian Museum of History.

Andrew is the Manager of Production Services at Exhibition Place, Canada's premier destination for conventions, exhibitions, events, and entertainment, providing oversight and management of the production services division and technical labour requirements for over 1700 events every year. With his passion for organizational growth and strategic planning, Andrew supports the organization with the development of specific procedures, systems, and reasonable practices with an emphasis on event and site specific health & safety. 

Working across Canada with over 20 years of experience in the live events industry, Andrew has held various technical and managerial positions that all lead back to event health and safety. Taking on additional roles as a health and safety representative and human resources administrator, Andrew is a leader in prioritizing health and safety standards and practices in the workplace.

A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Andrew started his career in technical theatre production primarily working on musicals, plays and operas before transitioning to managing all types of events and entertainment. His knowledge has been enhanced through experiences working indoors & outdoors in ‘found’ event spaces that required additional risk assessments and preparation for crowd management, emergency planning, and weather elements. He strives to educate and lead individuals and organizations in health and safety compliance and reasonable practices, as well as to be at the forefront of growth to the live events industry.

Kevin is Odyssey Medical’s Executive Director of Event Operations nationally – call-sign Ops Kilo. Kevin is the ‘go-to’ Ops Man. His tenure with Odyssey goes back to the beginning. Kevin’s passions are in the tactical and operational event delivery. He is committed to crew, patients, and customer positive outcomes. 

“Working at Odyssey is a natural culmination of everything that I love to do – working with people, working outside and being the centre of chaos.” Kevin has extensive experience in risk management, emergency communication and event operations. Kevin’s experience spans from remote wilderness expeditions to large scale urban sporting events and multi-day, 24/7 music festivals. He has led event medical programs for many large obstacle course events. Building on a background in insurance and education, he is committed to evidence based decision-making and systems development.

Camille Mc Innis is the co-founder of Cygnus Stratégies, a Montréal-based consulting firm and technology solutions provider that supports organizations in strengthening their security posture, crisis management, and business continuity. She assists her clients with the implementation of emergency plans, the optimization of operations, and the long-term development of their resilience.

Camille spent nearly ten years in the federal public service, notably at the National Film Board of Canada, where she supported senior leadership in managing major incidents and implementing security and business continuity programs. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Security and Police Studies and a master’s degree in Business Law from the Université de Montréal, and is currently pursuing legal studies to better align security practices, regulatory frameworks, and risk management.

She is also the host of the Cold Wash podcast, which features post-incident debriefs with crisis management professionals. This platform allows her to highlight lessons learned, showcase security-related professions, and raise awareness of security issues among listeners. Bilingual, engaged, and strongly solutions oriented, Camille hopes to contribute to the Board of Directors of Event Safety Alliance Canada by amplifying its mission in Québec and across the Canadian French community, and by bringing both a strategic and operational perspective to event safety.

With a career spanning over three decades Paul is widely regarded as one of Canada’s premiere producers of major festivals, concerts, and celebrity events.
After starting out as a technical director for live events and festivals in Vancouver, he went on to manage production on numerous worldwide concert tours by Sarah McLachlan, Avril Lavigne, Dido, Prince, INXS, and many others. He is a founding partner of Vancouver based BRANDLIVE Management Group, where he led creation and delivery of the critically acclaimed Squamish Valley Music Festival from 2010-15.  

In 2012, he oversaw the creation and delivery of “Voices in the Park”; the first major ticketed concert event in Stanley Park which helped raise over $1 million for the Sarah McLachlan School of Music and laid the foundation for the multi-stage SKOOKUM festival that he produced there in 2018. Paul is the ongoing Executive Producer on the Honda Celebration of Light and leads all licensing and public safety / contingency planning for the event which draws 1.2m attendees annually.

He is a former board member of kids up front, and a member of the performing arts standing committee for Actsafe.

Cindy Sypher, M.Eng., P.Eng. is the President of Sypher & Associates Field Engineering Ltd. She is licensed to practice engineering in the provinces of Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. She has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Waterloo.

Her consulting interests include: temporary structures, mechanical and structural design, fire and life safety, emergency preparedness, rigging, general public safety initiatives, amusement rides, risk management, machine guarding, and playground design and inspection. She has consulted to major fairs, parks and event promoters.

She is currently the Chair of the Technical Standards and Safety Authority’s (TSSA) Amusement Devices Industry Advisory Council and is the Vice-Chair of ASTM F24.80 Harmonization Sub-Committee. Ms. Sypher is a member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) North American Safety Committee. She is a member of the board of directors for the Event Safety Alliance Canada. She is the former vice chair of the CSA Z267 Amusement Rides Harmonization Technical Sub-Committee. She has developed and presented curriculum for the programs at the TSSA’s NAARSO Safety Seminar, AIMS, IAAPA and other industry associations. She has been a guest speaker at the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University and Humber College, Toronto, Canada.

Ms. Sypher also has 18 years experience in the nuclear industry. She has participated in standards development on the CSA N289 series of standards for seismic design and qualification of CANDU nuclear power plants. She is a former member of the board of directors for the Organization of CANDU Industries.

Ms. Sypher has been consulted to render opinions for amusement devices litigation as well as on general mechanical and structural engineering issues. Ms. Sypher is a member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, ASTM International, the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials, Amusement Industry Manufacturers and Suppliers International, Event Safety Alliance (Canada and the US) and the Canadian and International Associations of Fairs and Exhibitions.

Tina Allmark
2024-2025: Board Secretary
2021-2024: Director

Shannon Inniss
Founding Member
2024-2025: Director
2021-2024: Board Secretary

Chris Kerr
Founding Member
2021-2024: Board Vice Chair

Tony Potestio
2021-2025: Director

Jourdan Rosell
2021-2023: Director

Janet Sellery
Founding Member
2021-2024: Board Chair