Maximize Your Brand: Agenda Update

Monday, October 19, 2009
8:00-9:00 am Registration/Breakfast
9:00-9:15 am Symposium Opening/Welcome
9:15-10:00 am Workshop I: Ross Knight "Passion+Creativity=The KNIGHT Experience"
10:00-10:45 am Workshop II: Harmony Walton "Brand Strategy: Vision, Messaging & Leveraging"
10:45-11:00 am Break
11:00-11:45 am Workshop III: Alan Berg
11:45-12:45 pm Networking Luncheon
12:45-2:45 pm Keynote: Natalie Bradley "How To Attract All The Brides You Need For Your Wedding Business"
2:45-3:00 pm Break
3:00-3:45 pm Workshop IV: Chris Duggan
3:45-4:45 pm Trends 2010 Panel
4:45-5:00 pm Closing Remarks/Presentations
6:00-8:00 pm Networking Cocktail Party
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
8:00-9:00 am Continental Breakfast
9:00-9:15 am Symposium Opening/Welcome
9:15-10:00 am Workshop I: Xochitl Gonzalez
10:00-10:45 am Workshop II: Stephanie Hunt
10:45-11:00 am Break
11:00-11:45 am Workshop III: Katie Martin "Easy Steps to Make Your Wedding Business Eco-Friendly and Attract Green Brides!"
11:45-12:45 pm Networking Luncheon
12:45-2:45 pm Keynote: Linnyette Richardson-Hall "Hustle & Flow - How to Stay on Top & In The Game"
2:45-3:00 pm Break
3:00-3:45 pm Workshop IV: B. Coveney Smith "The Emerging Gay & Lesbian Wedding Market"
3:45-4:45 pm Media Panel Discussion*
4:45-5:00 pm Closing Remarks/Presentations

*Media Panel to include editors from the industry's top online and print magazines discussing "How do I get editorial coverage in online/print magazines and blogs? What kinds of images have a better chance of getting chosen?"
Stacie Francome, GetMarried.com
Alan Berg, The Knot
Jennifer S. Lazarus, Bridal Guide
Bridgette Bartlett, Essence.com

Networking Cocktail Party

Join us at the Maximize Your Brand networking cocktail party. Here's your chance to network with our dazzling lineup of guest speakers and panelists. Introduce yourself, make a real connection or even spark a new business idea!

Monday, October 19, 2009
6:00pm - 8:00pm

The Ravel Hotel
8-08 Queens Plaza South
Long Island City, NY 11101

Registered symposium attendees are free!
Non-registered guests: $25

For tickets, click here.Can't wait to see you there!

Symposium Agenda

We are so excited to announce the Maximize Your Brand Symposium agenda. I think you'll agree we've assembled a stellar lineup of presenters and panelists whose insights will guide you to creating and improving your business and brand. Karina and I have been overwhelmed by the response we've received and can't wait to see everyone in a few weeks! A few seats are still available, be sure to reserve your spot here.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Registration/ Continental Breakfast 8:00 – 9:00am

Symposium Opening/Welcome 9:00 – 9:15am

Workshop I 9:15 – 10:00 am
Ross Oscar Knight

Workshop II 10:00 – 10:45 am
Harmony Walton

Break 10:45 – 11:00 am

Workshop III 11:00 – 11:45 am
Alan Berg

Networking Luncheon 11:45 – 12:45 pm

Keynote Speaker 12:45 – 2:45 pm
Natalie Bradley

Break 2:45 – 3:00 pm

Workshop IV 3:00 – 3:45 pm
Christopher Duggan

Trends 2010 Panel 3:45 – 4:45 pm

Closing Remarks/Presentations 4:45 - 5:00 pm

Networking Cocktail Party 6:00 – 8:00 pm


Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Continental Breakfast 8:00 – 9:00am

Symposium Opening/Welcome 9:00 – 9:15am

Workshop I 9:15 – 10:00am
Xochitl Gonzalez

Workshop II 10:00 – 10:45am
Stephanie Hunt

Break 10:45 – 11:00am

Workshop III 11:00 – 11:45am
Katie Martin

Networking Luncheon 11:45 – 12:45pm

Keynote Speaker 12:45 – 2:45pm
Linnyette Richardson-Hall

Break 2:45 – 3:00pm

Workshop IV 3:00 – 3:45pm
Bernadette Coveney Smith

Break 3:45 – 4:00pm

Media Panel Discussion 4:00 – 5:00pm
Get Married
The Knot
Essence
Bridal Guide

Closing Remarks/Presentations 5:00 - 5:15pm

Speaker Update: Break-out Sessions with Katie Martin

Trying to get a grasp on the eco-friendly trend for your specific business? Sign-up for a specific break-out session with Katie Martin after she speaks on Tuesday, October 20th to get one-on-one advice on how to green your business today. For a $250 consulting fee, you will receive a 30-minute private session with Katie Martin with a follow-up call up to one month after the meeting! Only 3 spots available! Email Katie directly about setting up your break-out session: katie**at**eleganceandsimplicity**dot**com

Speaker Update: Media Panel

Hey! Have you registered for MYB09 yet? If not, hurry - seats are selling out quickly!

You have already heard all the reasons why you should attend and received updates on the superstar speaker line-up we have confirmed BUT have you heard about our media panel?

MYB 09 Media Panel to include editors from the industry's top online and print magazines:

Stacie Francome, GetMarried.com
Alan Berg, The Knot
Bridgette Bartlett, Essence.com
Jennifer S. Lazarus, Bridal Guide



*The topic will be posted shortly but is the following: "How do I get editorial coverage in online/print magazines and blogs? What kinds of images have a better chance of getting chosen?"

For more details go to: http://www.maximizeyourbrand.com/

To register go to: http://maximizeyourband2009.eventbrite.com

Speaker Spotlight: 5 Questions with Ross Oscar Knight

Today we are featuring the divinely talented Ross Oscar Knight. To say is Ross is a photographer is an understatement. He is truly gifted at finding just the right light, time and angle to capture life's special moments. His work takes him all over the globe but we managed to pin him down for a quick chat. Enjoy!

What inspires you, what challenges you and what have you learned from your experiences to date?
One day I visited with an elderly family member. It was about 6 years ago. She told me stories about my great grandfather that I had never heard. I learned about his ambitions as a small business owner and the struggles he had during the Civil Rights Movement. That one day I felt so blessed to be in his lineage. My great grandfather (Buster) was an amazing man that made extreme sacrifices for his family. I walk in the footsteps of the giants of my past. This one conversation enlightened my view of the sacrifices needed to succeed in my own business. I want to make my ancestors proud and I hope to be an inspiration to future generations of my own family. From my experiences to date I have learned that where there is a challenge there is an opportunity for growth and further definition of what God has in store for your life. One must act once given divine direction.

If you had to start your business over today, what would you do differently and why?
I would have taken a managerial accounting course before the start of my business or at least during the first year. If you understand your profit/loss and define goals, it makes investment decisions much easier. Also, all of the paperwork and tax information required to keep a small business functioning properly is serious work. I am a firm believer in hiring people to help me when I have a knowledge deficiency but I also believe that one must be able to understand the big picture and take over if an employee/contractor drops the ball.

If there is one tip that you can pass on to other vendors, what would it be?
Buying the latest and greatest technology is not the solution to all business problems (neither is expensive advertising). If it is not implemented seamlessly you just end up with more concerns. Define a concrete and repeatable process that can expose issues before they explode.

What is one change you have successfully implanted within your business that has allowed you to better navigate the current recession?
I identified and then concentrated on promoting our most profitable product lines to increase revenue and at the same time cut operating costs. I found that building true meaningful relationships with loyal clients and vendors has helped to generate successful leads and bookings of these product lines.

How do you see the industry evolving over the next few years?
Photographers are becoming more business savvy. Even amateurs are focused on residual income from licensing prints to creating innovative products for the industry. This growth will continue to present challenges for professional photographers. I see the wedding photography industry becoming more saturated with new photographers that focus on inexpensive “shoot and burn” packages. These part-time wedding photographers do not have the burden of overhead costs because they still have primary jobs that pay the bills. Professional photographers will have to prove their worth through more than just exceptional images. My commitment to building community keeps me grounded with purpose and not consumed with all of the hype.

Speaker Spotlight: Xochitl Gonzalez

Today we are chatting with the innovative Xochitl Gonzalez of Always A Bridesmaid. Xochitl has become one of New York's most sought-after planners for clients seeking inter-faith/inter-cultural weddings. We are so looking forward to her presentation and how to better serve this growing market.


What inspires you, what challenges you, and what have you learned from your experiences to date?
Strong personalities inspire me! Color inspires me and difficult spaces inspire me. That's more than one thing, I suppose. I love when couples come to me and want to do something outside the norm or bold with their color palette or something reflective of their cultures with the menu. I guess I'm really inspired by couples who are excited to have their day be very reflective of who they are. I am inspired by weddings with strong point of view, because I'm able to adopt that perspective and run with it. I love bold colors because those events seem to come alive and more than anything, I'm inspired by difficult or unusual spaces. I just wrapped up a wedding on Ellis Island and the process of transforming the space from a historic museum to a reception venue in 45 minutes had me revved up for months!

Challenges for me are usually less logistic and stylistic, and more about people. I think difficult parent-client relationships challenge me, because there are a few chefs in the kitchen, and it's important to make them all feel that they have a voice in the process, especially if the bills are being split. Plus, the truth is, I don't know all the back story, so it's still a constant challenge to fit my way, in my temporary role, into my clients' families and relationships.

I've learned so much since we started this business six years ago, I don't even know where to begin. I think my greatest lesson is to practice the golden rule and build great relationships. It helps your clients and it helps you. Some planners like a more pit-bull approach, but our style is really much more team based and it's created a sense of real camaradarie at our events that I think the clients really notice. There is a seamlessness because vendors want to do their very best because they ENJOY working with you.

If you had to start your business over today what would you do differently and why?
Ultimately, we learned so much from our errors, I don't know how things could have played out differenty. However, I would probably have spent a lot less money on advertising, valued our service more, and I would have had a better contract that better protected my business. In the beginning we were afraid of intimidating brides with very thorough contracts, but over time, experience has taught us to add certai clauses that initially we were afraid of putting in. Finally, I would have hired differently. We squandered a lot of money on bad staff while we got on "hands on" HR experience! Wekarina've learned a LOT about management.

What is one change you have successfully implanted within your business that has allowed you to better navigate through the current recession?
We've done a couple of things that I feel have helped us. The first step was dramatic cost cutting and evaluation of what things cost us more than they offered in return. We re-structured our staffing and packages to enable us to take on more "smaller" clients without exhausting ourselves and we diversified our service offerings to make our luxury service seem a little more attainable.

How do you see the industry evolving over the next few years?
I think that over the next few years, we're going to see wedding consultants become more ubiquitous , but I think the profession is going to split more rigidly into planners/ event designers and consultants/ event coordinators. By that I mean that there will be a more rigid luxury market, while there will be a burgeoning market for mid-market and even "budget" brides seeking partial service and DOC. I think that Wedding Planners/ Consultants are turning into the realators and contractors of the wedding industry. Would you buy a house or do major renovation without one? Some people, maybe, but not everyone. I Venues and vendors are starting to see the value and ease of working with qualified planners and I think brides and grooms are starting to see a good planner and a DOC as a bit of insurance on their investment. That said, I think that the industry needs an industry standard, because for young consultants and DOCs starting out, the hurdle to overcome poor performance by bad, "wanna be's" for lack of a better term, is very difficult.

Speaker Update: Alan Berg of The Knot & Xochitl Gonzalez of Always A Bridesmaid

We are so pleased with the response to Maximize Your Brand! It is shaping up to be an incredible two days. We have just added Alan Berg, VP of Local Strategic Solutions and Director of The Knot Market Intelligence. Alan will be presenting the results of The Knot's "Real Wedding Study" where they polled 18,000 brides. It is sure to be filled with invaluable information you can take back to your businesses. Wedding coach and event designer extraordinaire Xochitl Gonzalez of Always A Bridesmaid will be joining us as well. Tickets are selling quickly, be sure to take advantage of our special Early Bird Registration pricing $225 before it ends on Sunday, September 20th! We have a few more surprises up our sleeves, so stay tuned for updates!

Speaker Spotlight: 5 Questions with Bernadette Coveney Smith

Groundbreaking planner Bernadette Coveney Smith of It's About Time Events and author of upcoming book Gay Wedding Confidential: Adventures and Advice from America's #1 Gay Wedding Planner is the focus of today's speaker spotlight. She is a great example of how to capitalize and expand on a niche market. Looking forward to her discussion at Maximize Your Brand. Enjoy!

What inspires you, what challenges you, and what have you learned from your experiences to date?
I am inspired by my clients who tell me stories of discrimination, heterosexism and hate, or share their fears of that with me. I have seen much of it myself and it’s my mission to make the wedding industry fully inclusive, with no assumptions about the gender of the engaged couple – and that is also what challenges me.

I am also inspired by the stories I hear from my clients – stories of what it’s like being gay in their hometown, how their families have responded to their engagement (which is usually different than how families respond to the relationship),and how they are reinterpreting what a wedding looks and feels like.

In the past five years, I have learned a lot: I have seen gay wedding trends evolve into traditions. I have seen the hearts and minds of families change before my teary eyes during a gay wedding ceremony; and I’ve seen how much the wedding and hospitality industry still has to learn about the unique challenges and needs of gay and lesbian couples.

If you had to start your business over today what would you do differently and why?
I would have charged more for my services from the get-go and seen the value in offering more design services.

If there is one tip that you can pass onto other vendors, what would it be?
Change the language in your contract and marketing materials from “Bride and Groom” to wedding couple, engaged couple or something else that is non-gender specific.

What is one change you have successfully implanted within your business that has allowed you to better navigate through the current recession?
Going from accepting PayPal only occasionally to signing up for PayPal virtual terminal and widely promoting my acceptance of credit cards. It closes the sale much more quickly!

How do you see the industry evolving over the next few years?
This may be wishful thinking but I think wedding budgets are going to spike again and an increasing number of couples will see the value of planners – especially with some of the terrific planners across the country who are changing the perception of the industry, people that I look up to and respect.

Speaker Update: Harmony Walton of The Bridal Bar

Good afternoon! We have added the incredibly talented Harmony Walton of The Bridal Bar to our speaker lineup for Maximize Your Brand! We are honored to have Harmony and can't wait to see what she has in store for our attendees. You don't want to miss this opportunity to learn from a true wedding industry insider! Register for your tickets here. Seating is limited to 80.

Speaker Spotlight: 5 Questions with Linnyette Richardson-Hall

Leading up to the symposium, we will spotlight each of our presenters so you can learn a bit more about these talented professionals. Today we are featuring the fabulous Linnyette Richardson-Hall of Premiere Event Management. You may know her from her appearances on "Whose Wedding Is It Anyway" to her various national speaking engagements. Ms. Richardson-Hall is a truly gifted artist and we are so fortunate to feature her at Maximize Your Brand in October. I've had an insider's sneak peek at her presentation and it is not to be missed!

What inspires you, what challenges you and what have you learned from your
experiences to date?
I am inspired by truly creative people and surroundings - I find that inspiration comes from the most unlikely sources. Something as simple as the textured grain in a piece of leather, or the way a grouping of trees blends together will get my mind going and off to the races. That kind of “thinking” is vital in this business as well as any other creative outlet. You are only as good as your last event...so you might as well reinvent the wheel each time! I am challenged by people and organizations who have the “lemmings off the cliff” mentality. You know - “we’ve always done it this way because so-and-so does”, yada, yada. Please - ring the bell and get off that bus! The reason we have so many wedding “factories” is this very sentiment..but my theory is simple. “When you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always gotten”. In other words - defy mediocracy and step away from the “box”. After 16 years (17 this coming March) in the business of planning weddings and events, one of the most important things that I’ve learned is that you’ve got to be a “soul survivor” if you want to stay in this game. Your heart, your being, your essence has got to be passionate about this field or else you won’t last.......

If you had to start your business over today, what would you do differently and why?
If I had to start it over today - I wouldn’t do anything differently - and here’s why: Way back when, technology was just starting to really explode for small businesses and enterprises - the Internet was ramping up slowly, but surely. Resources that are available now were not during that time period. Wedding planners were starting to come into vogue - but nowhere near the level of saturation our market has now. With these factors in place - I had to learn and actively participate in the building of and growth of my startup. I had to do the hard work, pound the pavement, make face-to-face contact with vendors, companies and individuals who could and would hire me to work with them. In short, I had to make myself “present” for anything I needed to happen. I couldn’t hide behind a technological “veil”...I had to show up. That is the one factor which I feel is missing today. Technology is used to “mask” or “elaborate” versus the notion of making human contact. In business - to be truly successful, what you know is great. WHO you know is better.

If there is one tip that you can pass on to other vendors, what would it be?
Oh - this is simple. Follow the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” If more people, especially in this industry, would understand and adhere to that mantra - we’d be a lot better off!

What is once change you have successfully implanted within your business that has allowed you to better navigate the current recession?

I didn’t lower my prices - I raised them. I’m not a fan of “slash & burn” or “discount pricing”. When you do that - it’s gonna be dang skippy hard for you to recover your business footing and reputation once the current economic crisis has dissolved. And contrary to all of the naysayers out there - it will pass. I preach this constantly - if you discount your services, were they worth the amount you were charging in the first place? Your cost of doing business - is your cost of doing business. Nothing changes - you still have a mortgage/landlord to pay, you still have marketing/advertising bills, you still have supplier invoices, you still have staffing & payroll, you still have a car note & insurance.....so why would you reduce your recognizable revenue stream? If you think you’ll get more business because you’ve cut your fees in ½ or 25% - whatever, you are halfway correct. Yes - your phone and email may indeed “blow up”, but it’s not going to be the kind of business or client you may want. People who select a vendor by price alone aren’t
generally looking for quality or value - they just want something cheap. And they will suck every ounce of patience, good will and professionalism out of you.
Here’s the “dish” - once things turn around, and consumer spending/confidence have returned to more “normal” levels...you are going to have a difficult time bringing your pricing back to “prerecession” rates. People are going to remember that you only charged $500 a little while ago and you’re going to have to “justify” why that same service is now $2000. Yeah - that’s not a conversation I feel like having...neither should you.

How do you see the industry evolving over the next few years?

Because I believe the market is truly over saturated - I think we’ll see a “correction” in the wedding & special events industry. Everyone and his mother is now a wedding planner, designer, photographer, videographer, florist...the list goes on. Many of these newer entrants to the game are former brides/grooms, friends, etc. who thought putting together their shindig was “super fabulous” and now they are confident they can do it for everyone else. This level of novice and hobbyist makes it tough for the true-blue professionals, however, we have something they don’t - experience and knowledge of our craft. That learning curve is amazingly important in the grand scheme of it all. Our abilities allow us to drop on a dime and put out fires quickly when stuff happens...and not stand there looking like deer caught in the proverbial “headlights”........

Maximize Your Brand NYC: The Details

We are so happy to announce the new details of Maximize Your Brand taking place in New York October 19-20th, 2009 at the Ravel Hotel. This highly impactful symposium will feature the wedding and special events industry's best and brightest. Our new and expanded stellar lineup include:

• Celebrity event planner and featured star of Whose Wedding Is It Anyway Linnyette Richardson-Hall of Premiere Event Management
• Natalie Bradley, bride attraction expert
• International lifestyle photojournalist Ross Oscar Knight
• Owner of world renowned Elegance & Simplicity, Katie Martin
• America's #1 Gay Wedding Planner Bernadette Coveney Smith of It's About Time Events
• Wedding Technista Stephanie Hunt of iMatrimony, Inc
• Legal eagle and chic planner Karina Garden Jimenez of Something Blue NY

And that's not all! We have more surprises, experts and guests speakers expected to come onboard over the next few days so stay tuned for further additions!

Maximize Your Brand will shed light on best practices for staying on top of the industry in spite of the economy and will offer incredible networking opportunities with other vendors and planners. Early Bird Registration is open now and ends September 20th. Get your tickets early as seating limited to 80 attendees to ensure an intimate and personalized experience.

We've Packed Our Bags & Are Headed To The Big Apple!

Due to high demand, we are very excited to announce we're relocating the symposium to New York City. The new dates are October 19-20, 2009. Stay tuned for further updates!