Special Event Professionals - What's Your Passion?

Every great salesperson in the special events industry,

whether new or seasoned, has passion!

Passion for the industry

Passion for the event

Passion for the outcome

Passion for creating unforgettable experiences!

What drives your passion?

Post it here

Engage!09 - A Wedding Event!

In June, I was fortunate enough to attend Engage!09, Something Blue, an educational industry wedding event. Wow, what a line-up! Speakers included Preston Bailey, Darcy Miller from Martha Stewart Weddings, Simon T. Bailey, Marcy Blum, Sylvia Weinstock. . . the list goes on and on! As I always look to take away as much as I can from opportunities such as these, I did learn quite a few fun, creative and clever things that I will share with you in my newsletter and blog. Take a look at a few photos. . . the beautiful place setting, me with Sylvia, the famous cake lady, Preston Bailey speaking to the group (wow, that man has energy!), me and Simon T. Bailey, an incredible speaker, and a great idea on how they served lunch - the 2 smaller plates with salad and dessert, served on a large square charger along with the entree. Great idea when you are on a time crunch for meetings!

Have a great week!
Lynne

Feeling the Pressure

Being at the mid-way point of the year causes a lot of reflection on year-to-date financials, market positioning, and forecasting. Remember the definition of insanity? "Doing the same things over and over and expecting different results"? It's a good time to think about this. The special events/hospitality industry is still feeling a major squeeze on our business. No doubt, things are tight. Now is the time for action and being a little more creative.

A good start is to evaluate your first half of the year and plan on 3-5 things that you will change or do differently for the second half. Think about marketing, positioning, prospecting, etc. Try something new! It certainly cannot hurt and it just might create some breakthrough in the way you think about your business. Here's something you can try - participate in my Webinar next week on June 17 at 11am PST on "Maximizing the 2009 Holiday Season". Register on the website at www.beverlyclarktraining.com in the "learning center" tab. It's a positive step in the right direction for your business!

Lynne

Staying Motivated

I've been talking with lots of friends in the industry these days, about their mental frame of mind when business is slow in our industry. It's so funny, everyone has something different they do in order to stay "up" and motivated about their work. I've always said that the most successful people in our industry are those that really have a passion for this crazy business because if you don't, you could never put up with it! But, for those of us that live for it, we love it! When times are tough, it is usually our relationships that get us through, and this is no different. We commiserate, we laugh, we brainstorm, we collaborate. We tell stories about funny events, hysterical brides, ideas we thought would never work but did. We read "thank you" notes from happy clients, we take the opportunity to do some educational activities that we never get to do when times are crazy busy. You have to admit, we have THE BEST stories in this industry! So, let's hear them! Let's make each other laugh a little and remind each other why we stay in the special events industry through the good, the bad and the ugly times! Click on "post comments" below and start telling your stories. . .

Lynne

Wedding Season Upon Us

It's the end of May, half way through the year, and we've officially kicked off "wedding season". It's the time of year where statistically, most of the wedding will take place worldwide. What fun! Yes, I know, "fun" means different things to different people, and in this industry this type of "fun" can only mean one thing - more work! But afterall, isn't that a good thing? It's what we have all been waiting for - it's what we're passionate about, right? RIGHT! Like I always say, you have to LOVE this business to be in it. The most successful people are the ones who truly love what they do.

The other fun thing about this time of year is watching all of the "trend" information become reality (or not!) What colors DID end up being hot this year? Was the look rustic and natural or ultra luxe? Well, so far, we have seen what most of us have predicted - rich colors, deep plums, navy, caramel, wine, paired with metallics such as platinum, copper and gold. As for the "look", just as brides have many different tastes, so have our weddings so far. The outdoor, rustic, tented events (or in barns, meadows, wineries) have arrived as we anticipated, along with smaller, intimate, posh events that dazzle with touches of bling.

What have you seen so far that you want to share? Let me know!

Lynne

Catching Up

Hi everyone,

Well time in 2009 seems to be flying by and all of a sudden here we are in April. Wow! The beginning of the year has been exciting for Beverly Clark Training. In February, I flew to San Antonio to speak at the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists Conference. Wow, it was great - an amazing niche industry within our wedding industry. For more info on them and to find a wedding gown specialist in your area, visit their website at www.weddinggownspecialists.com.

Right from San Antonio, I flew straight to Atlanta to speak at the American Rental Association National Conference. It was HUGE! Great time, great people. . . and, we were surprised with snow in Atlanta! To check out their website, go to www.ararental.org

One of the most exciting things this year, though, is the new webinar series. We launched the first one on February 25th, with over 1,200 people registered from all over the world! All 50 states were represented and many different countries. What a response! We were overwhelmed with enthusiasm. Our second webinar is coming up next week, on April 22nd at 11am PST/2pm EST. The topic will be "Building the Perfect Marketing Plan". Every segment of our industry can benefit from this one hour webinar. You can register in the "Learning Center" on the website at www.beverlyclarktraining.com. I'm really excited about this one! Hope you all can join me!

Lynne

Kickin' Off 2009

Well, what better way to kick off a new year than to start a blog! You asked for it, you got it! I do love the "personal" feel that a blog allows you to have with your readers - it's more like a conversation with a friend. So let's get some good "dialogue" going this year!

The beginning of the year has been a whirlwind (as this industry usually is). As well as being the busiest wedding booking season of the year, with brides in a frenzy trying to secure all the perfect venues and vendors for the big day, I've been on the road with some great engagements. I traveled to Dallas to conduct a training session for ClubCorp, and while I was there, was invited to the grand re-opening of Tower Club (private business club) in downtown Dallas. What a magnificent event. The guests list read like a "who's who" in Dallas - what fun to mingle with all the movers and shakers! The revitalization of the Arts District in Dallas is on fire! The culinary team at the Tower Club totally outdid themselves with a very chic menu, served throughout the club at trendy-themed stations. Here were some of my favorites. . .

• The sesame tempura rock shrimp & edamame with sweet chili sauce, soba noodle salad with hot & sweet vinaigrette, carrots, snow peas, cucumber, cilantro & toasted cashews I found at an asian station;
• On a twist of a south of the border station, the gulf shrimp & lump crab campechana with plantain chips (made at the station), mini maine lobster tacos with chipotle aioli, mango pineapple salsa & cabbage (yum!) and chile ancho braised lamb shank tostadas with lime crème fraiche, radish & cotija
• At the "new americana" station, the american bison & wagyu sliders with cabernet onions, white cheddar & watercress were amazing, along with black truffle & parmigiano reggiano pommes frites (fried at the station) with smoked tomato ketchup & black truffle mayo
• Also loved the roasted beets with tangerine infused e.v.o.o., italian parsley & walnuts!

Kudos to Executive Chef Bruce Ross and his team! I also must mention the champagne station in the ladies' restroom - every event should have at least one thing that everyone will "buzz" about long after the event is over - this was it! (I understand that there was a scotch station in the men's room!)

The following week, I was back on the West Coast and spoke at a NACE, Ventura Chapter meeting. What a great group of people! We had a lively two-hour workshop, followed by their monthly networking event. Fabulous! The very next day, Charis Han (Regional Sales Director for Beverly Clark Enterprises) and I attended The Special Event in San Diego. So many fun things to talk about! I will be featuring some of my favorites over the next few weeks in my newsletter and in the blog, but I will mention one of my favorites now. Not only do I love their name, but the product was visually beautiful and tasted amazing. . . ready? It's called "Bedazzle My BonBons", and they have chocolate bonbons and lollipops that are coated in a beautiful, edible glitter! BedazzleMyBonBons.com

That's it for the "inaugural" posting! Keep in touch - oh, and if you haven't already, take a look at the new Beverly Clark Training website and the re-launch of the new, online Wedding Professional Certification course. It's an affordable "must-do" for every catering professional this year! BeverlyClarkTraining.com

Lynne