Sensix Communications et Événements inc.

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Introducing the Man of the Moment - Michael Caplan
Canadian Event Perspective Magazine, Summer 2001
Profile

They say that individual greatness is something you are born with and it just takes time for it to eventually reveal itself. If that's true, then right now, nestled in amongst the culture and character of the city, there's a man in Montréal whose time has arrived.

I'm talking about the President and CEO of Sensix Communications & Events Inc., Michael Caplan, who, this past March, was honoured at the 4th Annual Canadian Event Industry Awards Gala in Toronto with the coveted award for Producer of the Year. In addition, he picked up a few more awards while he was there, including Best Opening Event, Outstanding Logistical Achievement, Best Entertainment Event for a Corporation (shared with BC Event Management), Best Media Event (shared with Pyramide Relation Publique Inc.) and Most Outstanding Event over $300,000 (also shared with BC Event Management).

Growing up in Montréal, it was his love for music and a need to earn dollars that propelled Michael to start a DJ company with friend Ian Cooney that they called "Good Vibrations". Ian already had most of the equipment, so Michael bought a set of turntables, BSR's with magnetic cartridges, for $110. They auditioned for a sweet sixteen party in his parent's basement and booked it for $45! They were fifteen at the time. After that night they went on to play with "Good Vibrations" until, as all adolescents do, they grew out of it.

With a B.Sc. in psychology, Michael parlayed his experience with playing music into a party planning service that offered new design ideas. Over time, he was introduced to the convention market and expanded his client list to larger companies. Eventually he became known as a professional event producer.

Michael tells me that his greatest challenge in the industry is the need to constantly come up with new ideas and that it's a continuous race to stay on top of his game. Apparently, his clients feel he's doing just fine as noted by Grant Snider, Vice President of JPdL Destination Management in Montréal, who believes "If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then Michael is greatly envied within the industry. No sooner does he produce an original concept, than it is copied by his peers."

Powerful words to live up to, but for Michael, who feels inspiration can strike from anywhere, it's the challenge that keeps him fascinated and the more ever changing the industry becomes, the greater a gift he sees his career. He says he still gets shivers when he hears the music from "voices", a show he produced for Microsoft's global Summit in 1996. "We gripped that audience of 3500 people from 87 countries and inflated them with emotion. Imagine this black tie mass of humanity dancing on the tables.

Ironically, the whole show nearly came undone when Bill Gates, while standing at the podium, decided to change the scenario without asking or telling anyone. We zigged pretty fast, with a cast of over a hundred musicians, singers and dancers, and pulled it off, but to this day, whenever I think of challenges, that event will always come to mind.

The first thing you notice about Michael upon meeting him, is that he doesn't look old enough to have been doing this for twenty-two years. The second is that he still has the enthusiasm of a child and the fresh approach that comes with that state of mind. Unlike many in the world of live entertainment, Michael's ego has remained intact. His team at Sensix says that he's the first one to admit that it's a team effort that gets the job done and that no one ever gets there alone. When I asked what he wanted the world to know about Michael Caplan, he said "that I still answer my own phone".

He went on to tell me how amazed he is at how many good creative minds have poured into the event industry in the past few years and he is really proud to find so many Canadians becoming omnipresent across both sides of the border due to original thinking.

It's that kind of original thinking which keeps Sensix moving fast forward into the future of events. Some of their latest professional accomplishments have included the logistics and organization of the Montréal Anti Merger Rally (with only seven days notice), the masterful production of the World Congress On Electricity, and the creation of dozens of fascinating theme events using Michael's signature prop - MEGAPROJECTION™. On a more personal level, Michael reaps spiritual satisfaction from the support he lends to his community. From his continued leadership with camp B'nai Brith to his involvement with Montréal's Federation Combined Jewish Appeal, Michael gives back to the community and the culture in his hometown.

As for future plans for Sensix, it looks like we'll see more of the same. Eventually they plan to be producing more shows throughout North America, with growth coming in specific US markets. Michael would love to have more time to concentrate on design & storytelling to create a new event category of event experience. His passionate goals continue to encompass everything sensory. As he grows and develops in his craft, so does his fascination with creating magical, yet surreal environments. He calls it integrated sensory communication - surroundscapes in which guests will walk into a "Holodeck" for complete immersion in a new environment. Through this quest for immersable realities, Michael still remains grounded in the notion that the essential element of any fabulous event, no matter how creative and technically advanced, will remain the story. The world's most spectacular special f/x will never substitute for a great story that produces a visceral reaction in the audience. He will always believe in the value of face-to-face encounters, like the kind he shares with Wendy, his wife of 22 years and his three teenage sons around the dinner table at the end of another fascinating day. Yes, I'd say in the big scheme of things, this man of the moment may very well, almost, have it all.

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