Monday, September 29, 2008

Girl Interrupted!!!



OK! I keep saying that I am not going to take on any more events until after December 13th, but for some reason I continue to be deranged! I just finished completing the Casino Party so my focus should only be on school right now- but not!!! That does not seem like enough to keep me busy at this time.

I realize that I can be a little neurotic at times. I really think that I function best when I have too many things on my plate. I currently have an event that is scheduled for April 2009. Believe it or not, the planning is almost complete. Well I have been recently contacted about doing wedding coordinating the day of for a couple in November ( I said "yes") and a Halloween party for a Navy command (I said "yes" again). No, I do not have a problem saying no to people, but I do have a problem passing up the opportunity to do something that I love!

My family and school are keeping me on my toes enough. Trust, I should be studying for an exam instead of writing this right now. But that aspect of my life can seem so mundane at times. I think that I get a thrill at seeing how far I can push myself physically, mentally, and creatively. Crazy??? yes!!!

I have made a vow (that I will keep) that I will decline any new events that are scheduled prior to December 15th! It will be hard, but I will keep my invisible straight jacket on!!!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Casino Party- Happy Birthday DJ!!!






This weekend we celebrated the birthday of Robert "DJ" Brown. It was a surprise birthday party with an Outdoor Casino theme. Everything went well in spite of the 96 degree weather and annoying mosquitos. Spraying barely helped and I have the battle marks to prove it, lol!


Although we had the Roulette, BlackJack, and Poker tables on hand, it seems that the game of choice for the night was Dominoes. I didn't mind as long as the guest of honor and his guests enjoyed themselves.


Please take a moment to visit the website to view more pictures from the event.








Thursday, September 4, 2008

The Great Networker!



Most people ask me what is the most important aspect of the event planning business. I always reply "It is the same as with any business- Networking!"

It is true that most of my business comes from referrals, but those referrals are in large part due to business relationships that I have formed over the years. Word of mouth is truly indeed the best form of advertisement and nothing helps more when that "advertiser" has a lasting relationship with you! Businesses feel comfortable working with other businesses that they have developed working relationships with. They know that it is mutually rewarding and beneficial to the livelihood of the company.

I personally find that it is easier to work with those that I have worked with in the past. You know how they operate, what to expect of their service, and you often develop a "program" of how the services are executed together. This is not to say that you only use the same vendor for every event and business deal. I have multiple vendors within a specific category (i.e. caterers, florist, publishers) because not all are a perfect match for every event.

Networking for me is really about helping others. You are not only helping other businesses, but also helping clients by introducing them to people and/or ideas that they may have not been exposed to. It is really biblical. If you bless others, you will in turn be blessed!