Over the past 20 years, Laurie has played a pivotal role in the creation and development of a variety of regional performing arts events and has helped bring Atlantic Canadian arts to international acclaim. She currently holds the position of Executive Director with the Atlantic Presenters Association (APA), a touring network of performing arts presenters from across Atlantic Canada. APA produces Contact East, an annual showcasing event that takes place in April.

Contact East is a four-day showcase and professional development conference complete with approximately 30 artist performances, showcase and pitch sessions. Contact East 2025 takes place from April 2-4 in Saint John, NB.