In February 2008, I spoke at The Wedding Conference in Toronto, Canada, hosted by WPIC (Wedding Planners Institute of Canada). WPIC is sanctioned by the Canadian government to provide certification for wedding planners.

The event producers, Danielle Andrews Sunkel and Tracey Manailescu, had discovered me through this blog, via a Google Search. Imagine that!

Since then, we’ve stayed in regular communication, and reconnected each other, in person, at Wedding MBA. Imagine my excitement when they asked me to be the opening speaker at their Wedding Conference at the Beaches Resort in Turks & Caicos.

The conference in Turks & Caicos was combination of inspiration – business – fam trip for about 100 wedding planners, almost all from Canada. WPIC has partnered with Beaches – Sandals to inform, train, and certify wedding planners about its resorts and how to effectively serve brides and grooms. The goal is to help planners understand the culture of the various Caribbean destinations, special features of Beaches – Sandals resorts, and generally create a climate for wedding planners to facilitate destination wedding business for its resorts.

The Success Formula was straight forward:

• Bring planners to a Beaches Resort, and immerse them in that experience.
• Program three days of seminars (8:00am – 1:30pm), including one day of Beaches-specific training. Leaving plenty of open time to simply enjoy the resort, on one’s own time.
• Fill the rest of the seminar time with solid, first tier speakers to inspire, motive and inform attendees.
• Offer a couple of group activities, to build camaraderie.
• Punctuate the conference with a closing gala dinner, showcased by all the appropriate recognition, fun and prizes.

Gina Tsirmpas

The key collaborator and champion for WPIC is Gina Tsirmpas, National Business Development & Promotions Manager, Unique Vacations Canada Inc.. In simple terms, Gina is responsible for business development of Beaches and Sandals Resorts in Canada.

From the untrained eye, it felt as though every staff member at Beaches – Turks & Caicos wanted not only to please every guest and conference attendee, but also felt a particular need to do a good job for Gina. A conference/fam trip  is a catalyst for bringing destination weddings to the resort, and its sister properties. That’s the business reality; however, it was clear that the desire to serve and succeed went light years beyond that.

Not one staff member would let you pass without asking if you were enjoying your day. If there was a maintenance issue at your room, it was attended to, with rocket speed. All needs during the conference sessions were attended to with complete professionalism.

COMMENT: I often refer to the importance of making the right donation (one that benefits both you, and the recipient organization). This conference, is not a donation, but a promotional event. Yet, there are great similarities in the Win-Win formula.

The Wedding Conference was a success on all counts. The major ones are these.

• Attendees received value, in terms of information, education, face-to-face time at the resort, and wedding industry camaraderie.
• The resort received value by educating wedding planners who are likely to book destination weddings, and even more likely to direct those bookings to one or more of the Beaches Resorts.
• Guest Speakers enjoyed speaking to a highly focused audience, interested in soaking up the information and inspiration.
• WPIC continued to enhance its standing as THE organization for wedding planner education in Canada, and a leading resource for training and education on destination weddings.

A Question For You: What are you doing (or should you be doing) in your market to better inform, train, excite and empower wedding industry peers to drive leads, bookings, and sales to you? The greatest element of the Wedding Conference was better educating the planners about what the Beaches resorts have to offer.

• Do the wedding professionals in  your market really know the range of your services?
• Do they know what makes your company better or different.

Danielle, Gina, & Tracey at the final night gala

Holding an open house, sending holiday cards, or taking a colleague to lunch are all good public relations and business development tools.

If you developed a program for educating you referral contacts about your services, from the standpoint of how it would benefit them (and their companies), first, and the customer, too, what would be the result?

Developing and maintaining one good referral contact, may generate 10-20 pieces of business in a year. Earning the trust of one bride can often feel like finding a needle in haystacks.

Danielle, Tracey and Gina are great examples to emulate. More important than the companies they represent, it’s the values and execution they carry out that count. As if often said, we do business with people we like and trust.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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In the last two weeks, I’ve logged about 15,000 frequent flier miles in disparate destinations, such as: Wichita, Indianapolis, and the Beaches Resort in Turks & Caicos.

Over the next few days, I’ll be doing a follow up on some of the great experiences and interactions I’ve enjoyed along the way.

Today, I’m wrestling with Delta Airlines. Delta managed to lose my garment bag on a direct flight from Atlanta to Las Vegas. That aside, please expect a variety of updates, soon.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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Monday, November 16th – Beaches Resort, Turks & Caicos: Wedding planners, attending the Wedding Conference, were treated to an advance look at some of the inspirations and images from Sasha Souza’s upcoming book, Signature Sasha.

As a member of Modern Bride Magazines Top 25 Trendsetters, Sasha Souza is one of the premiere event designers and a top innovator in the wedding industry. She is one of only a handful of wedding designers who have been named a Master Bridal Consultant, the highest designation given by the Association of Bridal Consultants and she currently serves on the Modern Bride advisory panel.

Souza is the recipient of numerous awards including the Special Events Magazine Gala Award winner for Best Dining Tabletop Design, Event Solutions Magazine Designer of the Year and three ISES Westie Awards.

Souza is releasing her wedding design book Signature Sasha: Magnificent Weddings by Design (Beaufort Books) in January 2010. Signature Sasha: Magnificent Weddings by Design is a stunning, hard cover wedding design book featuring beautiful photography of all aspects of wedding design including never before seen Sasha Souza Events real weddings.

Attendees were entranced, not just by the images, but by the big-picture-view presented by Souza.

No photos are posted from the presentation, as they cannot be shared, prior to the January book release. Her book is now available, for pre-order, from Amazon.com

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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Simon Daykin

Monday, November 16, 2009: Turks & Caicos – The opening presenter, today at The Wedding Conference, was Simon Daykin, Firefly Occasions.

Simon sports the title of ‘Atmospheric Designer’ because, he does not simply ‘“do decor.”

He took attendees the roller coaster presentation of stunning wedding settings. Based in Calgary, Simon often spoke of ‘leveraging’ one’s investment in props, knowledge, and other wedding acoutrement.

Calgary, a smaller market, in Western Canada, doesn’t have the depth of local resources that a metro area, such as Toronto has. Consequently, Simon has invested in many items that he can rent out for different settings. Renting specialty linens, from a distance, can have its challenges, but when the event requires that, he gets it done.

Simon’s work won an Canadian Wedding Industry Award for Best Decor (2008). A stunning setting, ‘never-seen-before,’ utilizing 10′ birch trunks and Manzanita branches, adoring the trees. The tree trunks were uplighted, dotted the rows of seats for the ceremony seating. The resulting effect was both subtle and stunning.

He clearly communicated the importance of what he humorously called, “The Holy Crap Factor” when it comes to design. Clients and guest should be surprised and stunned by work that is fresh, creative not obviously derivative.

'Atmospheric Wedding Design' by Simon Daykin

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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Sunday, November 15, 2010 – Beaches Resort, Turks & Caicos: Ciara Daykin is the self-titled Rock Star Wedding Planner. The title, is now reality. Her Calgary-based company serves many of the highest profile and opulent wedding events.

Daykin spoke, effortlessly, about her transition from the corporate world to selling real estate, all the time, building her fledgling wedding business.

Her career exit from real estate, became reality, as she focused, absolutely, on the important mindset of seeing herself as full time, highly paid, professional wedding planner.

Attendees at the Wedding Conference presented a whole range experience from beginners to seasons veterans.

She cited Napoleon Hill’s classic book, Think and Grow Rich, and its discussion of fear: What people fear most, and how fear often holds one back. The essence of conquering fear is that changing your mindset can move you past ‘a sticking point’ in your career.

One of the key strategies offered is to surround yourself with people who are positive and represent those who you envision as your peers. And if you do so, it will elevate both your outlook and your business.

Finding your flavor (of bride): Using an ‘ice cream flavor’ metaphor, Ciara spoke, extensively on understanding what kind of bride is a ‘good fit’ for you, and targeting her, specifically.

Authenticity was another important element of her presentation. Being authentic, in person and in all communications, is key to connecting with your target client.

All in all, an inspiring and thoughtful presentation, giving attendees added fuel to the entrepreneurial fires.

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

PS: I’m attending The Wedding Planners Conference at Beaches, in Turks and Caicos. I had the privilege of giving the Keynote Address, this morning, and will be blogging about the conference throughout.

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Andy Ebon has been asked to speak at an upcoming wedding industry conference in the Caribbean at the Beaches Resort in Turks & Caicos. Here is an update from the conference producers.

==========

ROOMS ARE RUNNING OUT!!!
If you are planning to attend this The Wedding Professionals Conference in Turks & Caicos, its time to book. Those who have registered but not paid, this means you too! We will not hold rooms without payment.

There are only 15 rooms left at the Conference rate of $400 per person for 5 day/4 nights Luxury Included (includes: 6-star accomodations, all food, all drinks, all entertainment, watersports, etc). Once they are gone the Conference will be closed for Registration.

ANNOUNCING THE FABULOUS KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
The amazing, award-winning, highly-published Wedding Planner, Sasha Souza, will be our Keynote Speaker. You’ve seen her work in numerous issues of Grace Ormonde, Modern Bride, Brides, The Knot, Bride & Bloom, BH&G Simply Creative Weddings (exclusive!), on television and everywhere else! Her much-anticipated book “Signature Sasha” will be out on shelves in January 2010!

Don’t miss out!
Danielle & Tracey
Conference Producers

====

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Authority

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Mock up of the coming book

On the heels of his highly successful chapter contribution, Blogging Your Way To Business Success, in the Power of the Platform: Speakers on Success, Andy Ebon has been asked to participate in the sequel.

The Las Vegas Convention Speakers Bureau, publisher of the Power of the Platform series, has tabbed Andy to write a chapter for the Power of the Platform: Speakers on Purpose. Andy’s chapter title is: Building A Focused Social Media Strategy.

The chapter breaks down a total social media strategy, including: Blogging, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

Power of the Platform: Speakers on Purpose is scheduled to be released in 4th quarter 2009.

Joe Fabitz
Contributing Writer
The Wedding Marketing Blog

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In business, it’s difficult not to get caught up in the numbers: Sales, dollars, bookings, inquiries, appointments. In blogging, one measures success by the impact of the blog on its readers.

Blogging impact can be measured in a number of ways:

• Site visitors
• Comments (quality and quantity)
• # of screens views on each visit
• Diverse geography of visitors
• Time spent viewing the blog
• Source of activity (referrers, links, message boards, etc.,)
• Inquiries for speaking or consulting
• Awareness/Comments when speaking to people at meetings/conferences

With all that said, I’m proud to announce that this morning, The Wedding Marketing Blog surpassed 10,000 visitors for the month of June. I probably should have waited until the end of the month for a final total, but this was too exciting.

Besides the soaring number of visits, it’s exciting to see improvement in all areas, especially comments and questions from readers… like you.

As The Wedding Marketing Blog continues to grow in activity, there are a number of features, benefits and goals that will roll out during the second half of 2009.

They will include

• International coverage in many English speaking countries (already begun)
• Public speaking calendar (under development)
• Directory of Wedding Trade Association and Networking Organizations
• Industry Conferences, Meetings, and Seminars
• Directory of Wedding Business Resources, Advertising and Exhibiting Opportunities

I’ll stop there, because it will take quite a bit of effort to launch all of that. Your suggestions and ideas are always welcome. I do my best to read every inquiry, comment, and email.

Each post and reader are important to me. I’m conscious of the fact that different people are interested in different issues. I will continue to give my best effort to provide valuable and stimulating content to you.

With my deepest appreciation for your readership!

Andy Ebon
The Wedding Marketing Blog

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International Wedding Marketing Coverage

Sunday, June 14, 2009 – Las Vegas, NV:

Wedding Marketing Authority, Andy Ebon, announced today that The Wedding Marketing Blog is enhancing its discussion of wedding marketing to include many English-speaking countries around the world.

The Wedding Marketing Blog will add international announcements and news coverage of associations, meetings and conference, fam trips, wedding trade shows, wedding media and networking opportunities,

Andy Ebon commented “With the proliferation of Destination Weddings and the ease of internet communications, there is much one can learn from our contemporaries in all corners of the world. This is true of culture, wedding traditions, as well wedding marketing and business operations.

By expanding the world view of The Wedding Marketing Blog, we hope to shine a light on the great work wedding professionals are performing in many English-speaking countries.”

The initial group of countries receiving coverage, outside the United States, will include:

• Australia
• Canada
• Caribbean and Virgin Islands
• India
• Ireland
• New Zealand
• Philippines
• South Africa
• United Kingdom

Companies, organizations and associations with specific news should submit press releases to andyebon [at] weddingmarketing.net

Joe Fabitz
The Wedding Marketing Blog

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