Be inspired by new trends in the

Weddings today represent a $40 billion part of the national economy and a solid part of event revenue. 94 percent of caterers and event planners do weddings, so we’ve created a Wedding Track to help you navigate the complex but profitable world of weddings.

From sales and marketing techniques, to menu and presentation ideas, to in-depth analysis of what the bride really wants, the Wedding Track will cover a broad range of topics to help you succeed.

Produced in conjunction with Event Solutions and with supporting partner the Wedding Industry Professionals Association (WIPA), this track offers valuable information to increase your market share in weddings.

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SUNDAY

Noon – 1:15pm
   
Weddings Through the Decades
Hillary Harris, Executive Director of Special Events, Warner Bros. Entertainment Group, Burbank, CA

Does what happened in 1960 matter to how you design a wedding today? You bet it does! Come along for the ride as Hillary Harris takes you on a lively journey of weddings throughout the decades and how they were shaped by popular culture of the time. You’ll not only see where today’s trends began, but you will leave with an understanding of, and a deeper connection to, the wonderful world of being a wedding professional. You will learn:
•    Where wedding design has been, and where it is headed
•    How popular culture affects weddings and how that relates to what you do
•    A broad view of this industry and a deeper connection to it that will give you the edge you need to set yourself apart
 

1:30pm – 2:45pm
   
Cultural Infusion:  How to Create Unique Wedding Designs With Ideas from the Global Diaspora
Therese Cole-Hubbs, Creative Designer & CEO, Electric Karma International, Houston, TX

Cultures around the globe offer a bevy of ideas that can be incorporated into the design of your client's events.  In this session, learn how with a little “cultural infusion” you can create  memorable experiences for your clients that are unlike anything they have ever seen or imagined. You will learn:
•    Current cultural design trends in weddings
•    Cost-effective ways to integrate cultural influences
•    How to incorporate cultural influences other than décor into your wedding planning and design
•    How to market cultural designing to potential clients
 

4:30pm – 5:45pm

Bridezilla Revisited: Dealing Tactfully With Difficult Brides and Clients
J.P. Reynolds, JPR Weddings, Sherman Oaks, CA 

Even the best of brides can have Bridezilla episodes and so can their grooms. Parents mean well but can drive you to distraction. Add on vendors who drop the ball and you can lose your sanity weeks before a wedding—unless you know the tricks for communicating in smart, healthy ways. Through interactive discussion, this practical skills-building workshop demonstrates how to deal constructively with brides, grooms, parents and vendors when their behavior is unpleasant and difficult. J.P. Reynolds illustrates tips and tricks with stories from his own 20 years of experience dealing with wedding couples and their families in his role as a wedding officiate. You will learn:
•    How to develop strategies for preventing your buttons from being pressed when dealing with such behaviors as verbal attacks,
      complaining and emotional manipulation
•    Tips for maintaining self-esteem when dealing with abusive people
•    How to listen so as to get heard
•    Why difficult people are difficult
•    The four worst words to say to a difficult person

 

MONDAY

7:30am – 8:45am    

The Luxury Bride Demystified
Wendy Dahl, Wedding Coordinator, Business Strategist, Chic Productions, Huntington Beach, CA

Wedding businesses around the world are in pursuit of that coveted luxury bride, but do they really know her?  Today’s luxury market has become more complex with the changing economy and a global marketplace, creating many levels of luxury brides.  Knowing your target bride and targeting your messaging can make all the difference in your success.  This session will demystify all of the sides to the luxury bride and help you book more brides that are right for your business. You will learn:

•    How to differentiate the four types of luxury brides and target the right one for your service or product
•    How each type of luxury bride makes her buying decisions
•    How messaging speaks differently to each luxury bride
•    How to align your company with the correct luxury bride to increase your revenues
 

9:00am – 10:30am    

Trend Setters, Trend Hoppers and Trend Watchers
Sharon Dexmier, President, Napa Valley Linens, Emeryville, CA

When it comes to trends, we’re usually only as good as the information that’s out there. Are you tired of mason jars, tangerine tango and burlap runners? Sharon Dexmier has spent many years looking at fabrics and listening to “experts” on colors and textiles. In this session, she’ll share with you what she’s learned in her quest for the origin of trends and pull back the curtain on “The Great Oz. This session will explore where trends originate, how they migrate and why we happily adopt them. You will learn:

•    Where trends come from
•    Who are the big influencers
•    Who decides color trends, where they get their ideas and how long a color lasts in the market
•    What’s the next big thing in color
•    What it takes to become a trendsetter
 

10:45am – Noon    

Setting Your Table to Better Serve Same Sex Couples
Kathryn Hamm, President, GayWeddings.com, Arlington, VA

Same-sex couples have long held commitment ceremonies – in many cases, some are as big as traditional weddings – even when they haven’t had access to marriage licenses. With the opportunity for legal protections now in play in so many states (and more to come), more gay and lesbian couples than ever are getting engaged and tying the knot. Do you want to learn more about gay weddings? Are you interested in working with same-sex couples or already serving them? And, if a gay or lesbian couple does call on you, are you prepared to serve them knowledgeably and professionally? You will learn:

•    How the ever-shifting legal landscape impacts your business
•    Who the LGBT client is
•    How to evaluate and strengthen your marketing efforts
 

2:15pm – 3:30pm    

Attraction Marketing: How to Double Your Wedding Business in 12 Months
Chris Evans, Bridal Business Consultant, Evans Sales Solutions, LLC, Moorpark, CA

Many of us spend far too much energy to convince the bride to ‘buy’ when it is much easier to motivate the bride to call you, resulting in a sale. This session will introduce you to a unique step-by-step process that can easily be followed to move your sales forward. You will learn:

• How to stop chasing the bride and have them chase you
• Steps to generate business for your bridal business
• Techniques for effective presentations
• Closes to use in your sales skills
• How to use technology to streamline the marketing process
 

5:15pm – 6:15pm    
“Altared” Marketing for Wedding Professionals: Custom Tailoring Your Campaign
Moderator : Liese Gardner, Mecca Communications
Panelists: Kylie Carlson, Rhonda Couchigian, Youngsong Martin, Eddie Zaratsian

An online Pinterest contest based on the Hunger Games, a fashion show with linen as the star, an annual Mad Hatter-style tea party. These are all marketing campaigns that are custom tailored for a specific market with different goals and return on intention. Each speaker has repeated these campaigns at least twice, and will share their insight into how they altered the campaigns, tweaking them to be even more successful. Get information on how to partner with media and vendors to make unique marketing campaigns worth the time and effort they take. You will learn:

•    How to formulate a campaign based on something special you do, the message you want to impart or specific sales goals or markets
•    First hand information on what worked and what didn’t and how each of these speakers has altered their campaigns for the better
•    How to use different forms of media for invitations, spreading the word, getting publicity and reaching your target audience
•    What marketing campaigns really cost in terms of time and money, and how to get the most bang for your buck

 

TUESDAY

8:00am – 9:00am    

Way Beyond Wedding Food: Irresistible New Menu and Presentation Concepts
Dan Hoch, Senior Event Producer, Feastivities Events, Philadelphia, PA

Today’s brides and grooms want wow factor and seek out the most creative menus. To satisfy this demand, look beyond hors d’oeuvre and entrée presentations. Develop new, easy and fun culinary concepts and explore the many opportunities throughout a wedding event where they can be introduced. You will learn:
•    What easy to create and sell food items are in demand
•    How to develop signature items and take your event to the next level
•    Effective timing and delivery methods to make you the start of the show
•    How budget brides can get in on the act
•    The ins and outs of marketing new concepts to build referrals
 

9:15am – 10:30am    

Stylizing Unique Weddings for Every Bride
Robin Selden, Executive Chef and Managing Partner; and Jeffrey Selden, Managing Partner, Marcia Selden Catering & Event Planning, Stamford, CT

These wedding industry experts know how to stylize any wedding to fit the needs, desires, interests and budgets of today’s bridal couples. Robin and Jeffrey believe that unique and stylized menus create successful wedding experiences. See what is trending now with brides with these creative and successful concepts for a presentation that will astonish you! You will learn:

•    Culinary trends, presentations and menu style
•    The latest in specialty cocktails
•    Service touches that add panache to the simplest to the most elaborate wedding
•    What’s hot, reinvented and classic
•    Walking the walk and talking the talk
•    How to sell out-of-the-box and must-have wedding ideas to build the bill
 

10:45am – Noon    

Conversations That Close: Create a Signature Sales Conversation That Makes Brides Buy
Wendy Dahl, Wedding Coordinator, Business Strategist, Chic Productions, Huntington Beach, CA

What if you had a crafted sales conversation that had brides asking to book you before the end of your first meeting?  How different would your business be if you knew what to say to brides that urged them to buy quickly?  Today’s bride no longer responds to sales tactics that worked in the past.  Additionally, different techniques should be used for brides at different price points; the trick is knowing what to say and when to say it in the conversation. If you use traditional sales methods or are a serial soft-seller, a signature sales conversation will help you close the deal with confidence.  You will learn:

•    Conversation techniques that sell your product or service without being “salesy”
•    How to craft a signature sales conversation that gets brides to buy
•    How to identify gaps in your current conversation that leave money on the table
•    How to leverage conversation techniques to use in marketing materials and social media

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