La Boum, Event Planners A few years ago, Josée Dufresne was organizing unforgettable birthday parties for her two young children and receiving a host of compliments after each one. What was at the time simply a pleasure for her as a mother ended up turning into an actualcompany. Today, Josée and her partner Nadine Landry manage large-scale events. From children’s birthdays at Guzzo Cinemas to corporate events, not to mentionweddings, their business, La Boum, is on a roll.

“Every time I would organize one of my children’s birthdays, parents would come and see me to ask if I could plan their child’s party! So the idea came to me of launching a turnkey business specializing in this type of event”, explains Josée Dufresne. Along with Nadine Landry, a longtime friend and seasoned businesswoman, she founded La Boum. But shortly after, her plans changed after a meeting with Vincent Guzzo, owner of Guzzo Cinemas. He asked her to organize themed children’s parties in his entertainment rooms and the young entrepreneur accepted the offer. The huge contract soon had her organizing over a hundred parties every week.

Expanding their service offer

However, once the formula was well established, Josée and Nadine were no longer needed on-site. They really wanted to plan other events especially corporate ones. “We wanted to get started, but with the market being very competitive, we didn’t know where to begin.” Once again, the stars aligned and the portfolio management company Allard & Allard Associés gave the two friends their first mandate.” We had to plan an evening for 400 people, with circus artists, a caterer and DJ. The pressure was on”, remembers the entrepreneur. But the team successfully pulled it off and came out of the experience with renewed confidence and a certainty that they belonged in the industry.

After the show aired, my website exploded!

A boost from Mitsou

Some time after that, Mitsou, an acquaintance of Josée’s, asked her to decorate the restaurant hosting her spouse Iohann Martin’s birthday. Everyone loved Josée’s work, and Mitsou decided to talk about it on her radio show and even on her blog. “After the show aired and Mitsou’s comment went up on her blog, my website exploded!” remembers an amused Josée.

Large-scale corporate events

Today, La Boum has an excellent reputation among large businesses and Quebec celebrities. More recently, designer Andy Thê-Anh called on their services for his wedding. The prestigious leadership organization YPO also hired the company for a year for assistance in planning their speaking engagements. “We’ve just learned that our contract was renewed for another year”, says Josée with delight. The company also provides services to small and medium businesses and can adapt to any budget. From venue and catering choices to lighting setup and DJ selection, La Boum handles everything. DzAll you have to do is enjoy your evening,dz concludes the young woman.

www.laboum.ca

Text: Diane Stehle