WIPA
Wedding Industry Professionals Association (WIPA)
WIPA was launched in July 2008 under the leadership of Joyce Scardina Becker as the Founding President in California. WIPA is a non-profit national association that is run by its esteemed members and represents a multitude of wedding disciplines. We understand what it takes to produce a wedding since we represent the multitude of wedding disciplines: cake designers, caterers, DJ's, florists, entertainment companies, hoteliers, invitation companies, musicians, officiants, photographers, rental companies, wedding planners, venues, videographers and many more! It is our goal to advance and enhance the professional growth to our members through education, as well as raising the bar for ethics and professional conduct in the wedding industry. WIPA is in the ground breaking stage of developing Chapter Formations throughout the USA.
Want more from WIPA? Check out these great WIPA sponsored sessions at the 2013 Idea Factory.
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
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
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
How To Make The Most Of Pinterest
Brit Bertino, Director, Simply Weddings, Las Vegas, NV
Pinterest has quickly become one of social media’s fastest growing networks. Are you taking advantage of everything that it has to offer? Entrepreneurs might find it difficult to resist tapping into the social media site’s audience of potential customers. Pinterest primary users are younger women interested in fashion, wedding and home design. This is a perfect platform for wedding designers and professionals whose focus is to capture their audience with photos. You will learn:
• How to make the most of your Pinterest account
• Three strategies for using Pinterest
• How to go beyond simply posting pictures on to your account
• Make Pinterest work for your business
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
Trend Setters, Trend Hoppers and Trend Watchers
Sharon Dexmier, President, Napa Valley Linens, Concord, 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
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