HOW THEY DID IT The behind-the-scenes logistics of bringing a big name to town by Allan Lynch Justin Trudeau and a thalidomide survivor. Kelderman says, “We’re a very progressive and entrepreneurial organization. We dream big and then we make it happen.” The October 18 event was attended by 8,000 people. Thanks to a sponsor, 4,000 tickets were distributed to young people who otherwise couldn’t have afforded to attend. “This wasn’t a money-making event for us. It was a mission- based, have-an-impact event.” It was pulled together on rather short notice. NSCC learned in May that Obama would be available for October. Hosting a high-profile person like the former First Lady comes with a security aspect, which severely restricts what Kelderman can share. This was a fly-in-fly-out event for the former First Lady. It helps that Halifax is a two-hour flight from Washington. According to Darren Watt, event manager at Scotiabank Centre, where the event was held, they built on their previous experience with Barack Obama. “Secret service adds a whole other level to things, but this one was actually a lower engagement than required for Barack.” “I felt like I was sitting in my living room having a tea and a chat,” says Dianne Kelderman of hosting former First Lady Michelle Obama. “She’s very personable, inspirational and real and talks about things that are very personal to her: her book, her family, what her time in The White House was like. She had people on the edge of their seats the whole time.” Kelderman is president and CEO of the Nova Scotia Co-operative Council (NSCC), which hosted A Conversation with Michelle Obama to celebrate their 75th anniversary of “working with some of society’s more vulnerable people and youth at risk.” While a modestly sized organization, the NSCC has a history of hosting big names at their annual co-operative week event. Former President Barack Obama spoke at their 70th anniversary in 2019. Other speakers have included the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dr. Patch Adams, Peter Mansbridge, a pre-PM Watt says the NSCC hired an ex-RCMP officer who operates a security consultancy to communicate with and create a document identifying all needs of the Secret Service, RCMP, Halifax Police and facility security. “The building was in lockdown the morning of the show. Anyone entering the building had to go through metal detectors. You had to have a COVID test to be near her,” says Watt. The building was swept twice, first by an Explosives Disposal Unit, then by a police dog team. Anyone involved in the event had to have a security clearance. Doors opened at 4 p.m., entertainment began at 5 and the former First Lady took to the stage at 6. Like most events, casual adherence to punctuality was the main issue. “Opening an hour early doesn’t really help because it’s Nova Scotia and many people don’t start coming in until an event starts,” says Watt. “We find for almost any event, a lot of people show up 20-minutes before and scramble to get through lineups.” Nonetheless, Kelderman summed it up as a “seamless, elegant, world-class, fun event,” which filled her inbox with positive notes from the young people who attended. “Secret service adds a whole other level to things.” Where it happened: Scotiabank Centre Winter 2023 | Ignitemag.ca | 41
