As a new “formal” event planner and stationary designer this resonates with me on so many levels. I have spent countless upon countless hours, days, months, etc researching every aspect of my business well before I begun my business. And you know what? I still have questions and I’m still learning something new every day. I love that! I love that I have worked hard to find the answers and put in the time to learn and hone my craft but I do find times where I wished I had a mentor. I wish that I could bounce ideas or questions off of someone experienced in the industry. Most seasoned planners don’t want to answer your questions or feel threaten. If they had to learn the hard way, so do you. I do believe that there is a fine line between asking for everything so you don’t have to do the work yourself and asking for a little guidance or feedback on something. Don’t get me wrong, I do have a group of colleagues that I can rely on when I have a question here or there, but having a mentor that wants to see me succeed and not concerned about “the competition”, would have been wonderful.
This is why I love Preston Bailey! Here he gives us his thoughts on mentoring and now the workshop that he offers to other planners in the industry. Did I say I love Preston Bailey yet?
Please visit his site for more details on his workshop, which I hope one day to attend.
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As written by Preston Bailey……..
I asked my good friend and great planner, Marcy Blum, to join me in the effort. We wanted to create a learning environment that would be intimate and interactive. A workshop that offered one on one lessons not just on designing events, but the nuts and bolts of the business and the different pieces involved in producing the final product.
Here’s a summary of the differences:
- Designers: We do exactly that…we design anything and everything that has to do with visual decor: flowers, table cloths, staging, room decor, lighting, food presentation, theatrical design, table settings, etc. This, of course, is the main job I do in my company (in addition to being a kick-ass sales man).
- Production: After a job is completely designed, presented to and approved by our clients, then comes the most challenging part: producing the visual design into the real world in an effective, timely and cost-conscious manner. The production process is always a ”work in progress.” As my company grows and we do jobs in America and all over the word, this becomes more difficult yet exciting.
- Planning: Years ago when I first started, I tried planning myself. One day, after making 10 phone calls to organize one meeting, I realized how challenging and time consuming this job is. In my opinion, most clients do not have the slightest idea of the time, patience and detail that goes into to a planner’s job (and folks you’re not just a planner because you call yourself one–you need the experience to back up the claim). Planners do not have a specific product like flowers or dresses. What they sell is mostly their amazing organizational skills, their experience in getting the job done and wearing many, many different hats.
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