TheWeddingMarketingBlog.com

My friends who work at wedding venues are losing jobs at an alarming rate. Their job tenure appears to have no relation to their departure.

In some cases the person with the most experience (and highest paycheck) is let go in a ‘cost-cutting move.’ In other situations, a job is eliminated, due lack of event activity, and one or more people absorb the work until ‘business picks up.’ In yet other cases, business close down altogether.

Here’s the thing: If you slave away as an event or catering manager for a wedding venue, it’s easy to never leave the premises. Bad idea.

It’s always important to attend industry networking events at other properties. There are two good reasons. First, see what cool things other venues are doing. Second, meet other industry people and develop personal relationships.

Today’s competitor may be your next employer, should you get laid off. Also, vendors do business in many places. They could be the source of your next job opening.

Vendors like to brag about their relationships with ‘big name businesses.’ They name drop an event at the Four Seasons or the Ritz Carlton.

The fact is, too often, vendors don’t have a relationship with ‘the venue,’ they have a relationship with ‘one person at the venue.’

So the question becomes: If that venue contact is transferred or laid off, how solid is the relationship, in real terms?

Relationship building means more than attending industry organization meetings. It means becoming familiar with everyone in a department. It means having friendly relationships with competitors.

There is nothing more sad than seeing a member of organization who has been MIA for a year, suddenly show up after he or she has been laid off. It’s a little late, at that point.

Networking should not be situational or calendar-based. It should be part of everyone’s personal and business marketing plan.

The value of real interpersonal business relationships is priceless.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Network

Technorati Tags: AFWPI, laid off, layoffs, NACE, networking, Relationship Marketing, unemployed, wedding economy, wedding industry, WIPA

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written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: AFWPI, laid off, layoffs, NACE, networking, Relationship Marketing, unemployed, wedding economy, wedding industry, WIPA

Source: Mobile Beat Magazine - Ryan Burger

Toronto, Ontario - November 12, 2008 - The Canadian Online Disc Jockey Association Inc., (CODJA) Canada’s largest professional disc jockey association, announced today that the association has changed its corporate name and has become The Canadian Professional Disc Jockey Association Inc. (CPDJA).

An amendment to change the association’s corporate name was filed with the government in September 2008 by the association’s corporate attorney and has now been approved. The association remains a not-for-profit association. The new name change will be reflected immediately in almost all communications with the membership. Website and logo updates will be over the coming weeks. This is the first time that the over 1,000 member association has changed its name since it was founded in 2000.

It was also announced that the association will restructure its management team for 2009. The current Board of Directors will be expanded to five directors and the operating Board of Management to ten managing department heads effective January 1, 2009. The plan also calls for a new Executive Board for 2009 including a new President. In the interim Dennis Hampson will remain in the position of President and CEO until January 2009 with Dina Deveau newly appointed as the Vice President.

“Our expanding membership over the past few years and the growth of our consumer profile necessitated this change to clarify exactly what this association is about in specific terms” stated CPDJA President and CEO Dennis E. Hampson. “We represent professional DJ members in over 250 locations across Canada and it was time to move past the perception by the consumer that we were merely an online association”.

About CPDJA:
The Canadian Professional Disc Jockey Association Inc. (CPDJA) has grown into the largest Professional Disc Jockey Association in Canada. Their Mission is to promote professionalism in the disc jockey service industry through information, education, training and support for our membership. The CPDJA strives to maintain the highest standards of service to consumers in the areas of planning, organizing and coordinating the use of the services of our professional membership. Through the Association’s website www.cpdja.ca consumers may search for a disc jockey by location and other criteria. The CPDJA provides many benefits to it’s members such as assistance with obtaining licensing and insurance for their services, and allowing members to list their entertainment specialties such as language, culture and music specialties on the association website www.cpdja.ca in order to help consumers find the right DJ for their occasion

Technorati Tags: associations, business identity, canada, disc jockey association

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written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: associations, business identity, canada, disc jockey association

This may come as a shock to you, but people don’t know what you do. More precisely, very few people you deal with know everything that you do (and don’t do).

What they know about you is a function of the context in which they’ve seen your work.

For example, the average age of a bride is about 27. Typically, if you provide service for class reunions, she’ll be having her 10th, when she’s 28. Does she know you service reunions?

If the bride is working, then she may be a contact for a company party. You simply can’t assume she knows either of these capabilities of your company. Brides are focused on weddings; their wedding… period.

The same thing goes for venue contacts. If they’ve seen you at their property for one kind of event, don’t assume that there is either the knowledge, or the curiosity, to understand the range of your capabilities and skills. At larger properties, the catering manager may not even be at the event. The event is turned over to the banquet manager. Even at smaller venues, the catering manager may depart once the meal is served. (OK, catering managers, maybe you need ask the question…)

These days many DJ services also provide videography or photography or both. Lighting too. Particularly if you have added these services over time, there is likely to be a knowledge gap about your company.

This is not limited to companies that provide services at an event. Bakers, florists, and the like, provide product and services for a plethora of celebrations. You are unlikely to be referred if people don’t know those possibilities.

Limitations are important too. Some companies specialize in Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and Schools. Others don’t do them, at all.

The goal should be clear: Clients, contacts, and peers should all have broader awareness of what products and services you provide, what you specialize in, and what you don’t do.

To the extent that you can accomplish that single goal, the flow of referrals will increase to a tidal wave.

Put that down as your first New Year’s Resolution. Better yet, get to work on it, now.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

Technorati Tags: products and services, referrals, Relationship Marketing, what you do, your specialty

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written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: products and services, referrals, Relationship Marketing, what you do, your specialty