Including representation of different races, ethnicities, and cultural groups should be an important part of any conference design. However, there are other ways to design an inclusive event environment and overall guest experience by considering the following attendee needs:

As conference organizers across the country engage in the challenge of finding a venue for their events, I have noticed a few areas that get missed in the contract review.

To be clear, finding the right venue and vetting contracts should be done with a skilled professional but if you are looking for a quick jump start here are three things to consider:

As the 2022 event season is in full swing and we dust off our project plan templates, I am reminded that part of the reason why event planning is such an exciting career is that in every interaction your skills are developed, refined, and elevated. 

Yes, hospitality programs may be helpful and event/meeting planning certifications for some are impressive. However, if you are in this industry for over 20 years like I have been, then perhaps you share my belief that there is no replacement for “on the job” events management experience. As we continue to navigate 2022 events and you are inevitably stretched by getting back into the swing of things, here are three things to be mindful of: 

Over my events industry career, I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with event teams intimately. We would talk about their kids and dreams for the future; and we laugh because the onsite climate of events can be stressful, clients are not always gracious, and we have all experienced the moment where a self-appointed VIP thinks their emergency should be your only priority, and every problem is your problem to solve even if you did not create it.

Personally, I have walked into a ballroom before an event was set to start and been asked to reset it within 30 minutes, and I’ve cringed when banquet staff were cussed out over something that was insignificant. If I am being completely honest, in my youth, while I never yelled or cursed out loud at someone, I was not always graceful or diplomatic; I have learned that maintaining your cool is a skill which is powered by joy and requires practice. If you want to keep your cool onsite, here are a few things you need to do:

As I reflect on the past two years, I remember vividly a sense within the events industry that we needed each other more than ever. Led by a series of coalitions, informal networks, and more, together we navigated our shared anxiety, insights into loans, unemployment, contingency plans, and hopes for the future. It was humbling; a time where vulnerability and authenticity were at its prime because “looking good” when none of us were truly good was no longer the way we wanted to be. I believe we operated in a genuine spirit of togetherness and it was beautiful to witness.

But then something happened; our industry came back thanks largely to the social/wedding market–corporate was much more cautious–and just like that those new connections turned into opportunities to refer work out, make sure someone could pay their rent or staff that month, and get back into the way we once were, albeit a bit more unified. Buzz phrases like “community over collaboration” were used and we strived to operate in that way but, as the requests came in and the stress got higher, many of us forgot about our colleagues because we could barely keep ourselves sane. Since the pandemic hit our industry, we have worked triply hard and emotionally we are still recovering.

Over the past couple of years, I have heard one theme pretty consistently: that women do not support other women. When you dig deeper it usually sounds like this: mature women do not support younger women. Unfortunately, I know this to be true; about 20 years ago I was in a position to help a younger professional and I didn’t because I had not done the work of my inner healing and as a result I was awful to her–which I apologized for years later after lots of therapy, prayer, and honest moments with some trusted friends.

This message is to the people who are hurting and find yourselves unwilling to support or celebrate talented people within your profession. Here are three questions I invite you to explore:

For some SOW means scope of work which is critical in business contracts. I've come on to remind you to not work out of scope and I'm speaking from real life experience. Let me explain. Stick with me.

I've been in this career for 20+ years and yet last year I worked way out of scope. I justified this action because I told myself it's after the pandemic so I need to do what I must which was just worry talking. Here's what really happens when you work out of scope.

During the month of October, we executed 11 events, as well as ghost writing projects happening behind the scenes. Here are my top lessons from that time.

1. Repeat after me. Delegation is my friend. Yes, that part. Let me be clear if your doing everything you'll excel at very little so trust your team, delegate, and be available for questions. If your micromanaging and feeling tired, let me help you our stop doing that and delegate to people's strengths.

Admittedly, I am a fan of pre-recorded virtual events because it allows my team and I to ensure that the product is seamless, but if you decide to do pre-record, here are the basic questions I believe your event producer should be able to walk you through:

1. What story will the event tell? Recently, we produced an event for a healthcare organization whose key messages were to: a) discuss the vaccine, b) demonstrate unity, and c) convey hope in a post pandemic era. They had three stories to tell and all of them were equally important. Your event producer should be able to talk about ways that adult learners can receive information visually, auditorily, passively, and through direct scripting to ensure that your event is both informative and engaging.

I am a believer in intentional multi-tasking, which is why it was difficult for me—a woman who owns an event planning company, coordinator of hundreds, almost thousands of special affairs—to admit this one simple truth: You cannot be a bride and a coordinator at the same time.

I know what you are thinking: I’m organized, have an all-star vendor team, it’s a small ceremony with not too many details, I don’t want to have another expense (or, in my case, I should be able to do it all because I have multiple event certifications)… but this still does not change the fact that you cannot be a bride and a coordinator at the same time. Which is why I have decided to share the things I am looking forward to on my wedding day now that the details are not my responsibility. Here are the top five things that having my work wife/colleague be my day-of coordinator allows me to do

Admittedly, I am biased. My wedding tasting experience at the Conrad DC left our stomachs full and minds conflicted with so many options to choose from that it took us two weeks to make our final choices since having everything was obviously not an option. As you get ready to consider your culinary experience, there are three expectations I believe every couple should have:

1. Your culinary professional should be invested in your wedding vision – I know that Renae fully understands who we are as a mature, multi-cultural couple. Our tasting reflected my fiancée’s penchant for vintage French wines and, even though foie gras was not on the menu, Chef Joshua Murray exceeded our expectations with his interpretation of this delight which brings me to two learnings:

Despite my best efforts, I have never quite gotten a handle on my hair or makeup without a lot of assistance. Typically, my daily routine consists of Chapstick, quality lotion, and taking extra time in the shower if I am feeling like I want to dress up. Which is why the thought of wedding hair and makeup felt overwhelming. I am fortunate that my hairstylist Alisa Brown and I have been figuring out my hair for over a year and my makeup artist Jocelyn (Jossy) Chia has the patience of Job.

Early on it was clear that our intimate affair would not have one detail that may shock you: invitations. Our guest list consists of family that we talk with daily, and we did not feel attached to an invitation keepsake like I know many other couples do.

Yet, I also knew that I wanted an understated but elegant experience, including what I call the art of the hand: calligraphy.

I believe that every great love story has a soundtrack from Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, Love Jones, and even Waiting to Exhale. Great movies use song to accentuate a story, which is why I think everyone should incorporate live music into planning an intimate wedding.

Here is my question to you: What is the sound of your love?

During our private engagement, I knew that I had to begin researching vendors because the social event marketplace is working more so than the corporate market. In our search of our vendors, we decided on businesses we believe would honor our privacy, celebrate our culture, and demonstrate excellence. Thanks to my years in the business, I knew some of the vendors from the onset but one of the hardest searches was in floral and design. As you begin your search, a search that is much more nuisance in a pandemic here are a few tips.

Early in my life I was that girl with the infamous life plan notebook. In this notebook, my entire life was perfectly detailed. Graduate with honors by 21, marry my Morris Chestnut or Leon look-alike by 30, and have my first of three children by 35. When I reached 21, I considered myself well on my way because I graduated with honors from Howard University and was headed to an Ivy league graduate education. But, then, 30 hit and I was single; at 35, I was in a relationship that, looking back, I knew wasn’t right but in my desperation I held on to it. In my late 30s, I came to terms with the fact that three children would not be possible in traditional ways due to my infertility; and, then, finally, at 40, I threw out my notebook, thought time to shift my mindset on the perfect life, and began living the life that was unfolding before my eyes.

Earlier this year something happened that I know every business professional has experienced. Simply put, I did not close the deal and win a piece of highly desirable business. Perhaps it was the stress of the larger events in my neighborhood since I live just 10 minutes from the nation’s capital, but before I went deep into the why-is-this-happening-to-me mindset, I knew I needed a different way to view this setback.

From my perspective, you should not wait for 2021 to reveal itself as a better year, because I fear you will be disappointed; in reality, every year will have highs and lows. However, what you can do is prepare yourself for experiencing “better” right now, with these three practices:

Being humbled is a tremendous opportunity to change the direction of your life.

For some, it is the moment when you realize that you haven’t been your authentic self; aren’t the only person with a particular skill set; understand the meaning of friends vs. associates; regret not being kinder to people along the way; or feel a bit unsettled because prior to being humbled you believed the narrative that you were invincible.

I have been humbled in numerous private and public ways and found three consistent uncomfortable outcomes: people in my life (you know the ones that said they would never disappear) left swiftly; external validation dissipated; and I almost always had to start over. And while those things were difficult and, frankly, at times, gut-wrenching, there were also three positive outcomes from being humbled which I believe are critical to one’s success:

Reflections by Samentha Moore, Event Planner, LaJoy Plans

Being a mama is a contact sport that requires a type of endurance that can’t be beat. Being a single, business-owning mama is a tightrope, that on many days, I feel that I’m failing. There is always a litany of tasks to juggle, and our brains thinking about a million things in a millisecond! From PTA meetings, to signing contracts, and everything in between, somehow dinner makes it on the table at the same time kung-fu practice is ending and agenda notebooks are being signed. Mom guilt is real, living in a world where everyone and everything can be tugging at you and requiring your utmost attention tandemly, it is easy to feel that you could have gone a little harder or focused just a bit better at any given task. As my little girl grows into her own self the more I realize the best thing that I can do is give her a view of who I am—not just as a mother, but as a woman.