About
Our Mission
Our mission is to educate event planners on the dynamic landscape of event contracts, equip you with the knowledge and insights needed to negotiate balanced event contracts.
Heather Reid
CEO & Founder, Planner Protect™ Inc.
Heather Reid, with three decades of experience, founded Innovative Conferences & Communications, specializing in events and conferences. In 2013, she launched Planner Protect™ Inc. focusing on balanced event contract negotiations. As a paralegal studies graduate, Heather is recognized as an expert in contract negotiations, with contributions to industry publications and speaking engagements at top events.
She’s a respected member of CanSPEP, PCMA, and MPI, earning accolades such as induction into the Canadian Meetings & Events Expo Hall of Fame – Innovator Category in 2017 and the Smart Woman In Meetings Award for Innovation in 2017. Additionally, she received the Heidi Wilker Award of Excellence in Mentorship in 2021 and the Joy Fox Award for Innovation in 2022. In 2024, Heather received the Smart Women in Meetings Award for Entrepreneurship.
Planner Protect™ Inc. is proud to consult and collaborate with Joan Eisenstodt of Eisenstodt Associates, LLC on the development of the CECP™ Certification.
Joan Eisenstodt
EISENSTODT ASSOCIATES, LLC
An Ohio native, Joan Eisenstodt founded Eisenstodt Associates, LLC, a Washington, DC-based meeting consulting and training company in 1981. Joan is considered to be one of the hospitality industry’s most knowledgeable, inclusive, and ethical practitioners. Joan, who believes contracts form the critical foundation for meetings and events, has immersed herself in knowledge of industry best risk mitigation practices. Her work for clients as a fee-based consultant includes serving as an industry expert witness in disputes, sometimes testifying for hotels, sometimes for groups. For her work, she was inducted into the Events Industry Council Hall of Leaders, the industry’s highest honor, and been honored by multiple hospitality and meetings industry associations for her contributions to education.