by Guest Blogger, Carolyne Allen, WPICC of Simply Fabulous
Who knew that a trade show targeted at Meeting Managers would be so valuable for Wedding Planners? I certainly didn't when I registered. The only reason I registered for IncentiveWorks is because I have been working as a Meeting Planner for the past few years (weddings is a new direction for me).
So, early on the morning of Tuesday, August 18th I went to my first workshop at IncentiveWorks. Great workshop, but I was still wondering if I should even be there. Then… I saw 2 familiar faces walking ahead of me. It was Danielle & Tracey!
I was so excited to see them; I forgot their names for a moment! But, I am so glad I spoke to them because I left our conversation feeling very encouraged and pumped to visit the rest of the event. They let me know I was definitely in the right place and it would be great for developing my business. So, I'm going to share some highlights with all of you.
First, I must mention an amazing keynote speaker – Simon Sinek – who spoke on Tuesday morning. Session topic – “Start with Why?” As I walked into the auditorium, I wondered, “Why What?” I left thinking, “Oh Wow!” Here's the gist of his presentation. We need to find out why we do what we do – right from our core – in order to then figure out how we do it, and what exactly we will do (our “product” so to speak). So, in context relevant to us, why have we chosen to work in the wedding industry as planners, decorators, etc.? Why do we put so much time, energy and love into our careers? If you really sit and take a moment to think about it, the answer isn't really that easy. So, there's your homework…why? If you'd like more information on Simon and his message, visit www.startwithwhy.com
The second day of Education sessions another amazing keynote speaker – Gary Vaynerchuk - brought down the house with his hilarious and down-to-earth presentation about the way Social Media has changed the way we must market ourselves.
Dà©cor Trends: We are seeing a lot of leopard print accents; purples, reds, mixing metallics; the roaring twenties, the 50's, pinups, boudoir photo shoots (great for bachelorette parties); lots of bling! Designing Trendz was showcasing their new mini pancake maker!
Destinations: Many resorts and tourism boards were present, which provided great contacts for Destination Wedding Planners including several WPIC friends and Partners such as:
Gina Tsirmpas, from Sandals
Debbie Cotton-Burinski from Air Canada Vacations
Steve Koth from SuperClubs Breezes
and Juan Carlos Calderon of Palace Resorts (here w/ Danielle & Tracey)
Venues: There were several great venues from all over Canada at the trade show, who were really excited to find out that there were also Wedding Planners in the crowd. Some venues in Toronto that stood out to me are:
The Fifth (formerly Easy on the Fifth) in downtown Toronto. With its rooftop terrace, and several different private rooms, you can get really creative using the space.
Bram & Bluma Appel Salon – who would ever think of going to the Toronto Reference Library for an event? They recently (in the last few years) opened a great event space that is definitely worth checking out.
Berkley Church – what a cool venue, that allows you to byob. And, for small events of about 10 guests there is a tree house that overlooks Taddle Creek.
As of now, I'm just compiling a list of all the venues I really liked, with contact names. The three I've listed are not even the tip of the iceberg! It may take a few weeks to finish, but I'll be happy to share it with anyone interested.
So, if you have not been to IncentiveWorks I strongly recommend checking it out next year. It's great not only for building relationships with vendors, but the workshops are very much worth your while.
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