We're so happy you're here!
We’d like to personally welcome you to the team. It’s an exciting time for The Commons and as we continue to grow, we strive to remain as adaptable, motivated and responsive to our new employees as we are to our clients.
We pride ourselves on being client-focused and forward-thinking and we’re continuously transforming the way we operate to improve our ability to innovate, expand, and make our clients’ lives better.
We want you to know that, as part of our team, you are our most important relationship. We could not accomplish what we do every day without our staff and our goal is to create an environment where our team looks forward to coming to work and is proud to contribute to The Commons’ vision.
What can you expect from us?
You can expect us to be open to new ideas, receptive to your needs and willing to tailor your focus and duties to embrace your skills and interests. You can also expect to have a lot of fun and work in a supportive, vibrant environment.
What do we expect from you?
We want our team to genuinely care about providing quality service and an exceptional experience. Our expectation is for everyone to pitch in, no matter their job description, and help their team members to learn and grow.
What will it be like?
We won’t lie - working with us can be tough; there is a lot to do and it’s deliberately challenging. We value learning and would see it as a failure if we provided a work environment where our staff could just coast through the day. Part of your job is to be challenged, and to challenge others, with the intention of learning and growing both personally and professionally.
We are proud of where we are today and are excited about where we’re headed. We’re glad to have you on board!
About this Handbook
This handbook offers an introduction to our company, our values, plus the nitty gritty of the onboarding process.
It was written by people who have been where you are now. They hope this information helps you to easily transition onto our team and answer some of your (probably many!) questions. The Commons is growing and changing quickly, so details and policies may change over time but until then we’ve included EVERYTHING plus the kitchen sink with the hope that it’s easy to understand and will spark excitement and curiosity about your imminent journey with us. We’d rather be guilty of over-communicating than put you in a position of saying “I didn’t know!”
Please read The Following information before your first day and come prepared with questions!
ABOUT YOU
You survived a rigorous interview process which was designed to determine your compatibility with our culture and values and we think you'll be a great fit!
We hire people who are stronger and better than ourselves. You can bet that you are on this team because we saw something in you that we believe is missing in us and we are thrilled to see where your skill set takes us.
What gets us most excited? Discovering an individual’s sweet spot – that special skill and/or attitude that each person has - and providing them the space to cultivate it in ways that make the team and the individual flourish.
In the beginning
how it all starts
YOUR FIRST FEW DAYS
We suggest you focus more on learning and less on jumping in to specific tasks. Your first couple of weeks will move you from understanding the macro – our vision, our policies, the way we work, to the micro – being trained on the specifics of your role. You’ll sit down one-on-one with each team member to learn about their roles and participate in different activities. It will be a whirlwind but we promise to check in regularly and won’t send you to fend for yourself until you are ready!
TRIAL PERIOD
We have a 90-day trial period for you and us. We will get to know you, see how you fit in and assess your skills and willingness to carry out the responsibilities of your position. It’s also important for you to become familiar with how we operate and figure out if this job is a good fit for you.
And, if it turns out we’re not a match, we can part company as friends!
The Nitty Gritty
We want to give you all the details! If you have questions about compensation, sick days/holidays, dress code or ANYTHING else - check this employee handbook out!
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What we are known for
meet | play
WE BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF CREATING MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCES THAT GROW GENUINE CONNECTIONS.
OUR PASSION
We are dedicated to curating a community passionate about bringing ideas to life - whether it be an entrepreneurial idea or an amazing event - and we approach this with a flair for exceptional customer service and a mantra to do it all in style - live in style, work in style, create in style.
OUR FOCUS
Our focus remains steady on cultivating a unique Culture that reflects our values and passions. Culture cannot be duplicated or imitated and, although the physical space and the amenities are what attract our clients initially, it is their experience that make them want to stay – whether an event client, a vendor or a venue, we want everyone we touch to have the same level of experience. By developing a culture that resonates with us it in turn attracts the clients that thrive in our space. This results in a community that is exceptional, enjoyable and supportive.
BALANCE
There are a lot of companies that support clients in growing their business, their dreams and their events, but very few who focus on living well as you do it. As entrepreneurs, we know how easily your life can get out of balance as you focus single-mindedly on the business you are cultivating.
Our mission is to not only do business better but to do it while embracing an unrivalled lifestyle at work that is mindful of balance, inspiration and learning.
The Commons started because we wanted to solve a problem - namely the loneliness and isolation experienced while working on your own. For years, we built a community of over 130 like-minded entrepreneurs on a similar journey; however, although they are passionate about what they do, there is a common feeling of being over-worked and over-stressed, leaving little time for anything or anyone else in their lives.
Now, as an experience focused events business – we look to solve the same problem in a different way. Bringing people together, gathering with intention and doing it all in style!
We intend to build a lifestyle at work that incorporates the seven areas of a well-balanced life:
Learning/Professional Development
Health (physical and mental)
Passion and Creativity
Wealth
Social Connection
Giving Back
Adventure
What do we do?
We support venues to bring their spaces to life through driving event bookings and venue specific marketing services. Our collection of incredible venues currently includes the iconic Ramsay Design Centre (formerly The Commons), Contemporary Calgary, the historic GRAND theatre and PARK by Sidewalk Citizen (plus more!)
Supporting venues, vendors and event clients through our expertise and industry knowledge, we design, host and execute events of all sizes, weaving together incredible themes to inspire guests and enliven experiences.
weddings and special occasions
themed experiences
Corporate Events
Social Events
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Who we are
our team
A small but mighty team.
we are passionate about bringing historic and iconic Calgary venues to life through curated design and inspiring events.
Siblings, Zach and Erynn Lyster are the co-owners of The Commons. Their team consists of inspiring event professionals, marketing experts, design whizzes and a collection of preferred vendors to creatively design and coordinate events in a variety of unique venues. Both Zach and Erynn were named as one of Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 under 40 in 2016.
Zach
Business development
Erynn
Creative director
Catherine
Admin & Logistics
YOU!
EVENT COORDINATOR
Shannon
Event Sales
Hannah
Integrator
Lindsay
Venue Operations & Event Logisitcs
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our why
what is it all about?
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How we work
Events | experience I Design
COMPANY STRUCTURE
WE VALUE ACCOUNTABILITY OVER HIERARCHY
We do have a typical org chart but we value accountability over hierarchy and see our company as a circle with many pieces making up the pie.
We have a traditional org chart – Erynn, in fact, may have gotten obsessed with it! – and we do have clear lines of communications and direct reports. However, we use a circle as a general model to represent how we actually work.
During your employment with us you will be involved in all aspects of the business and may serve in many different roles such as leader, teammate, ideas person.
ACCOUNTABILITY + COMMUNICATION
We all wear multiple hats and believe versatility is a superpower.
We’re working to update this chart with YOU in mind :)
EVENTS
Our events range in style and celebration - but the process is all the same! Below is the basic flow of an event.
Venue Relations
We work with a collection of venue - there are 4 levels of venues.
Want to explore the other levels of venue? Check out the pitch deck we send to prospective venue clients to learn more!
Vendor Management
Every event, every venue. We need vendors! From florists, to cleaners, from decor, to photographers - we want to connect our event clients with the best!
We don’t have a chart for this… YET!
Can you tell we love process charts?!
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What happens next?
TRAINING I Work Flow
Next steps - TRAINING
We COllaborate to streamline processes, answer questions and Grow our knowledge
Onboarding
Emails, Asana, Slack - oh my!
Event Temple, AllSeated, templates and checklists… get ready!
Event operations
From inquiries, venue tours, client communication, scheduling vendors and staff - there is a lot of preparations
Vendor and Venue relations - where we are going!
Admin
Invoices, contracts, spreadsheets and even MORE checklists.
Month end and tracking
Review Meetings SET
To review the past quarter’s growth, goals and learnings
To identify what has been going well and what can be improved successfully sell and execute more events
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What we can do together
Great Expectations
The next part of the story is yours!
What are you hoping to gain from the next few months?
What are your goals and aspirations? How can we help? Where will you take us?