TheWeddingMarketingBlog.com

It’s official! We’re already into the holiday season.

That means networking, parties, celebrations, lavish hors d’oeurves, and booze.

When you’ve had too many cocktails or glasses of wine, you’re a boozer, a drunk, a lush…. take your pick.

Aside from all the platitudes, such as “Drink Responsibly” or “Don’t Drive Drunk,” how about “Don’t act like a fool, in public.”

It’s not even Thanksgiving, and I’ve seen more than one fool who couldn’t conjugate a sentence at a public networking business event. It’s annoying, bad manners, and IT’S BAD FOR BUSINESS.

Do you want to know what I really think?

Don’t be a buckethead?

By the way, if you don’t need this reminder, please pass it on to someone who does. And if they don’t get the memo, take away their keys and drive them home. And don’t take know for an answer.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

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written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: booze, don't drive drunk, drink responsibly, drunk, holiday celebrations, lush, networking

Thirty hours of time, for two hours of networking probably seems out of proportion to the untrained eye. Not to my eyes.

Tuesday, I’m driving to the Fairmont Hotel in Santa Monica, CA to attend the second of two launch parties in Southern California, hosted by WIPA (Wedding Industry Professionals Association). Monday’s event was at the Sheraton, San Diego.

If you haven’t heard about WIPA, you should read my post from last week.

Here’s the thing. The main focus of my business is weddings. Wedding marketing, precisely. The notion of a true nationwide association is important to the industry, and important to my business.

For me, joining is a no-brainer. Sending in a check is easy. I want to kick the tires. Meet the leaders. Feel the tone of the organization. Hear where it’s headed.

In the world of Amazon.com and YouTube, there is nothing quite like shaking hands, looking people in the eye, and listening to what they say. I feel strongly about that, so I’ll be driving to Santa Monica, attending the gathering, and hanging out, afterward.

Driving back to Las Vegas, Wednesday, is important, too. Because Wednesday night will be the Awards and Board Installation for the Las Vegas Chapter of NACE. If one were to attend only one NACE meeting, the entire year, this would be the one.

Online social networking has its place. Being face-to-face is even more important. And I’m in this industry for the long haul. What about you?

I’ll report to you about WIPA, in the next couple of days.

Stay tuned!

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

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written by Andy Ebon \\ tags: being there, in person, Las Vegas NACE, networking, online, social networking, WIPA

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