The Kamloops Luxury Bridal Fair has become the premier bridal event in the city while providing an ongoing platform for student success.

Among success stories is Havovie Suraliwalla, former coordinator and Bachelor of Tourism Management alumna ’13, who has been named to this year’s Top 20 in Their Twenties by the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).

“It is a huge honour to be given this award but I couldn’t have done it without my experience at TRU,” said Suraliwalla. “The Bridal Fair is near and dear to my heart—it was the first big event that I ever planned and I honestly don’t know if my career path would have gone in the same direction without it. Seeing that event come together was an epiphany moment.”

The award is given to outstanding young professionals in the meetings industry that are leaving their mark on the field and paving the way for future generations.

Suraliwalla, a conference coordinator for Sea Courses Cruises in Vancouver, BC, was a student volunteer with the Bridal Fair in 2008. In 2009, she took the lead with assistance from the TRU PCMA club and helped morph the event into what it is today.

“Bridal Fair catapulted my personal career path and lead me to get involved in other events on campus,” she said. “Gerard Hayes, former director of Ancillary Services put his faith in us as students and provided a hands-on learning experience that is only available at a school like TRU.”

The annual event continues to foster student success, this year hiring a student marketing coordinator, volunteer coordinator and fashion show coordinator.

“We’ve hired student coordinators from the Bachelor of Tourism Management program and the School of Business and Economics, with the PCMA club making up the majority of our volunteers,” said Brielle Hwalstad, TRU Conference Centre events and catering coordinator.

The 2016 Luxury Bridal Fair takes place Saturday, Jan. 31, 2016 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Campus Activity Centre.

More Information