Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Aspire to Plan Workshop!

As some of you know, along with a few friends and colleagues in the industry, I have been working on developing an intensive 2-day workshop for aspiring wedding planners to take place this fall.

We'll I'm happy to announce, we are all set for...

“Aspire to Plan – A Business Building Workshop for Aspiring Planners”

A two day, intensive workshop designed for aspiring wedding planners who are just starting out or who are struggling to find tangible, solid answers on how to build their wedding planning business.

The workshop will be a high level blueprint on how to successfully build a wedding planning business. It will give aspiring planners an insider’s view on what steps to take as they “Aspire to Plan!”

The Dates:
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 6-7, 2009; from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm each day

The Place:
Hotel Valley Ho
6850 E. Main Street
Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Right in the heart of old town Scottsdale, Hotel Valley Ho is one of Scottsdale's coolest spots! Stylish and hip, the hotel recently went through an expansive and meticulously groomed renovation.

Room rates for attendees coming from out of town are being offered at $149 per night and there are a multitude of modern yet "retro chic" amenities to satisfy your every need!

The Speakers:

Liene Stevens - CEO and Founder of Splendid Communications and Blue Orchid Designs
Saundra Hadley - Sales Coach/Event Engineer and Owner of planning...forever events
Emily Edwards - Owner and Lead Consultant of Your Heart's Desire
Amy Garza - Owner of Amy's Floral Design
Heather Crabtree - Co-Owner and Event Producer of Outstanding Occasions
Wendy Robinson - Founder of Aspire to Plan and Owner of Sacred Moment Weddings

Why this workshop?

As an experienced accounting and finance professional, I have learned the value of systems and processes for building a business. And while there are many educational mediums available for aspiring wedding planners today, there aren't many that are instructional, up to date and hands on. There are also many good organizations and associations for aspiring planners to join, but not everyone can benefit from those types of traditional outlets.

Some of what you will take away from this workshop:

-An easy blueprint on how to create your marketing and business plans!
-Notes and instructions on how to setup a simple spreadsheet to track your sales and expenses!
(Your accountant will LOVE you and your taxes will be a breeze!)
-Creative floral and tablescaping tips and ideas!
-Lovely pictures for your portfolio with full rights to use in your marketing and on your website!

Here is an overview of what will be covered in the workshop:

Day 1:

Defining the various titles of a Wedding Planner; Consultant, Coordinator
How to determine if wedding planning is really the career for you
The importance of creating a business plan and marketing plan
The importance of developing an administrative/bookkeeping system
Ways to market your business using social media
Getting and Closing the Sale

Day 2:

Working with clients
Working with vendors
Building your timeline
Gaining credibility in the early stages of your business
Wedding Design and Style - (This portion of the workshop will be a hands on activity, including floral design and tablescaping!)

Registration:
Please visit our registration site to register and find out more information. Once payment has been made, each attendee will be sent a registration form that must be sent in prior to the workshop. This form will give some insight into where you are with your business and will help us to tailor some of the workshop content.

The cost of the workshop is $395 before September 12, 2009. After that the cost will go up to $495.

Registration will close on Monday, September 28, 2009. Each day will include a continental breakfast, lunch and snacks.

Note: Class size will be limited to 18 participants and is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For questions, email us, and we'll be happy to answer them for you!!

Hope to see you there!

Until then...

Aspire to Plan!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi - I am already in the event planning business and am expanding into wedding planning. I am familiar with working with clients and vendors, creating timelines, etc. As an experienced event planner, what will I gain from this workshop? Do you have a one day rate?

Unknown said...

Hello Anonymous,

Although this workshop is geared toward the beginner planner, there will be information shared on how to niche yourself and market your services to a wedding couple. As you may know, corporate and other social events are quite different from the emotionally packed wedding event.

There will also be information shared on how to market your business using social media...something that is almost necessary in today's market for today's bride, who is using the internet to plan her wedding more and more.

And finally, there will be a fabulous Day Two activity where each participant will gain knowledge on how to design and style a wedding. Everyone will create their own tablescape!

An added bonus - each participant will be given professional photos of their work so they can be added to their portfolio. A great asset to anyone starting out as a wedding planner!

We hope you'll join us!

Unknown said...

Oh yes...one more thing...we are not offering a one day rate at this time. As we get closer to the workshop, it may be something we consider.

Thanks so much for your question! :)

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