Rennie Colelli has dedicated over thirty-five years overseeing more than 25,000 unique events and as the founder and President of bb blanc Inc., he excels in delivering experiences that reflect client’s vision, whether for weddings, corporate meetings, or charity galas.
With affiliations to organizations like Meeting Planners International (MPI) and the International Live Events Association (ILEA), bb blanc is not just a service provider but also a trusted partner in the Canadian event planning industry.
Let’s dive into Rennie’s insights on leading Canada’s top AV production studio.
Tell us about the inception of bb blanc and what inspired you to start this?
bb blanc started in 2008 after I sold a very similar business, which I had started in the mid-80s. My phone kept ringing for months with people asking for help so, it just got me thinking that at 39, I still had a lot of horsepower in me to keep going and start again.
The beauty with that is you get to start over knowing all the potholes to avoid and the right turns to make. We came up with a unique name that we thought would set our company apart in the industry. The BB is bigger and better, and the Blanc is white for fresh start, so it’s kind of nice.
As a proudly Canadian company, how has your national identity influenced the way bb blanc operates?
bb blanc services two markets – the corporate B2B market and the B2C market.
Being a fully Canadian company, we’re very heavily involved in our local community, supporting charities, and providing jobs for people in our area. The big thing is all our profits from our company are reinvested back into the country.
In an industry where the biggest players are dominated out of the U S., it’s nice to pick a very competent local company to service your events. We think that’s amazing, and right now, we have over 80 people on payroll.
How is your in-house broadcast studio changing the way events are produced?
Studio 41 started during Covid when people were locked down and couldn’t meet in person.
A lot of the clients are coming in to shoot product videos and demos, and a lot of them are coming in to do conferences and pushing out information to their teams, which they can very quickly and efficiently do using our studio. They’re saving on plane tickets, hotel accommodations, and it’s very efficient.
There are certain verticals that really enjoy it like people in pharma consumer products are loving the flexibility of the studio. They’re like, oh man, we wish we knew about this. It’s really sparked their interest that they can move a lot of events inside.
The beauty of the studio is you can have a high impact without being there in person.
What has been your most rewarding experience since founding bb blanc?
There’s been a lot, but I would say the biggest one for me is being the leader.
When I started, one of my goals was to build a full leadership team and a scalable business. And we’re super proud to say that currently, we have six directors, four of which have been with me over 15 years and a management team of 13 managers. So personally, to see these guys stepping up and basically running 90 percent of the day-to-day without me being fully involved is one of my biggest successes.
What advice would you give to someone looking to break into event design and production in 2024?
When you’re young, you don’t know what you want to end up as, but I strongly advise to get as much experience as possible. Pick a company or freelance and try to get the full experience from doing corporate, social events to planning and design. Get immersed into the industry.
The industry lends itself to certain types of people. We’re working at five and three in the morning, on Saturdays, Sundays, and it takes a certain person to like that lifestyle.
Set your standard as per the game do you want to play. You just want to work at this level, or do you want to be at the top of the game? Work for some of the big companies and see what’s involved in producing these spectacular events and don’t be afraid to work. The payback will come later, the experience counts for a lot.
Pragya Bisen – Contributing Writer
