By Loren Maisels

Ten years in business isn’t an anniversary that comes easily. It’s a milestone you ACHIEVE through consistency, resilience, and thousands of small decisions that quietly shape the bigger picture.

When I first started LOMA Agency in 2016, I didn’t know with certainty what was ahead, but I did know I wanted to build a boutique agency that would deliver great work and create an environment where a team could thrive and have fun!

What I could not foresee at the time was how much the event industry would evolve over the years to come. With the speed of acceleration into a digital world, the world of events doesn’t pause, and neither do client expectations. Now, more than ever, the pace of delivery and the level of excellence required to stay top of mind are critical to maintain a place in this arena.

Every lesson came from various experiences: learning, failing, struggling, winning, and being in rooms with people that cared about authentic partnership, not just transactional relationships. These experiences shaped how I built LOMA and how our team will continue to grow.

If you’re building something, leading a team, or experiencing growth and/or growing pains, these 10 lessons are a summary of what I’ve learned in a decade as an entrepreneur in this industry.

1) Reputation is the real growth engine

When you build work you’re proud of and treat people well, the business compounds. Being primarily referral-driven taught me that reputation isn’t “branding”—it’s outcomes + relationships + consistency. 

2) Values aren’t lip service; they’re an operating system

I learned that values only matter when they show up in decision-making: how we communicate, how we handle pressure, how we support clients, and how we lead our team. “Lead with heart, create with care” isn’t a tagline—it’s the foundation.   

3) The goal isn’t attendance—it’s advocacy

Filling big rooms can be a vanity metric. The better benchmark is whether people leave with trust, clarity, and a desire to champion your brand, product, service or mission—advocacy trumps attendance.  

4) Great events are equal parts meaning and mechanics

“Memory makers, chaos coordinators” proves to be true over and over with every project: the magic comes from emotional resonance and flawless execution. You can’t choose one. You need both the story and the spreadsheets. 

5) The details matter because the details carry the experience

I’ve learned to obsess (kindly) over the small things—ensuring a linen is steamed, a sign is straight, an aisle is wide enough, the swag is produced in the right brand colours, and even how a message lands in different inboxes—because those micro-details shape trust in the macro work. 

6) Scale requires process, not heroics

As the team grows and programs get more complex, “working harder” stops being the answer. You need timelines, documentation, shared tools, and repeatable ways of working so the team can win consistently.  

7) Operations is a growth strategy

HR, finance, IT, and administrative roles aren’t background functions—they’re what make delivering exceptional client work sustainable. Building an operational backbone (and empowering leaders to own it) protects culture and performance. 

8) Risk management is part of professionalism

Insurance, compliance, and careful planning aren’t “extras”—they’re the guardrails that let creativity thrive. Doing things the right way protects clients, the team, and the business in the long term. Having the right team of advisors in your corner makes all the difference.

9) You can teach skill, but you can’t teach someone to care

Skills can be developed. Processes can be learned. Experience comes with time. But care? That’s intrinsic. Self-driven pride in the end result and the desire to contribute to a team that supports each other is either there or it isn’t, and it’s the most important quality to nurture to fuel future success.

10) Celebrate milestones with intention

Milestones are not just parties; they’re part of the story. Recognizing the people who have been on the journey and part of the success sets the tone for the next chapter through connection, nostalgia, and a celebratory energy that helps maintain momentum and a growth mindset.

A decade in, what I know for sure is this: the work will keep evolving, and so will we. 

I’ve learned that running an event agency is about so much more than just delivering strategic creative experiences. It’s about building trust, helping great people find their best selves, creating structure and systems, managing risk, and caring deeply about the smallest details while still holding space for a bigger vision. Our agency is where leadership, creativity, and impact come together, shaping not just the work, but how the work is experienced.

I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has been a part of the LOMA Agency journey so far—your trust, support, and belief in us have shaped every step. Cheers to the next 10!

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