Thursday, October 15, 2009

Sensational!

Sensational is the first word that comes to mind when I think about Engage! 09 the encore. From the swag bags to the closing event, no detail was overlooked. Being in the same room with so many extraordinary wedding professionals was truly a delight.
I feel immensely blessed to be given such a wonderful opportunity not once but twice. Last year I attended Engage! 08 the encore and thought it could not possibly be enhanced; but much to my surprise, the lovely and talented team at engaging concepts pulled it off yet again.

I can’t say enough about all the guest presenters, they were exceptional! After the initial welcome, we had the pleasure of listening to Cathy Smith, VP of Sales & Marketing for The Knot. Cathy spoke of the continued growing trend in luxury destination weddings. Her insight was unique and luminous. She really knows and understands the wedding industry as a whole.






There were many exciting moments throughout Engage! 09 the encore, but one of my favorites and recurring moment is always when Simon T. Bailey presents. In one word, BRILLIANT! That pretty much sums up his being, he was put on this earth to motivate, inspire and enhance our lives. I hope he is attending Engage! 2010.

Lunch was presented by the Las Vegas convention and visitors authority and was as select and thought out as the entire event. No element ignored.

The plating of each individual course was gorgeous and equally delicious.











The afternoon continued with “musings from marcy” Marcy Blum and me in the same room? ASTONISHING!!! I never imagined this was possible. She is so talented. You would think that someone in the likes of Marcy would be incredibly arrogant; I mean with all the celebrity clients and event planning that she does. Much to my amazement she is unbelievably funny and down to earth. She shared her insight with all the participants and really gave us her genuine opinion and outlook about designing and planning in our industry today. “PR is BS” this is a direct quote, probably not what some of us wanted to hear, but certainly something to think about. After all she has been in this industry a long time and is doing very well. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE HER!!!!


Soon after Marcy was finished presenting, Sean Low came on the scene, “the business of being creative” things got a bit intense after he, Marcy and Sylvia disagreed about one particular topic. The topic? Design fees, to charge or not to charge? What a loaded question however it inspired many different opinions among the attendees which included Michelle Rago another spectacular being in the event industry. It goes without saying that everyone chimed in. What a great debate!



We paused for a quick break of Wine & Cheese, bathroom and cell phones. The wonderful surprises continue as I come back to the room for what is yet another grand presentation. Jennifer Schreiber, VP of Sales & Marketing and Jon Webb, Co-Founder/President of jt wines present an innovative idea in the wine industry. Jt wines offers highly customized blends and creative brand positioning to enhance your wedding and or social celebration.
What could be better? What a fun idea with a creative edge. Express who you are as a couple with your own label and customized blend. ENTERTAINING AND ENJOYABLE!

As I gather my thoughts for the last presentation of the day, I am astounded as each attendee is given their own private label, meritage blend, especially produced for Engage! 09 the encore. The branding continues with a special label made to match the colors and theme of the entire event. Pay close attention to the back of the bottle as it has a special significance as well. A unique way to tell your story.





The closer, Todd-Avery Lenahan, definitely last but not least. This gentleman has an amazing eye for detail and is quite the visionary. He truly designs from the heart. Appropriately he spoke regarding “the art & business of design”

Engage! 09 the encore was a true celebration of the best and most adored wedding professionals in the industry today. It was all about the details…

I have much more to tell about my evening at BLUSH nightclub, but will save those delights for next week’s post. As well as posting many more pictures of the details that did not go unnoticed. Stay tuned for more charming and amusing details as Randy and Sylvia dance the night away.









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