A week from today, I am scheduled to be a keynote speaker at Event Solutions’ 2012 Idea Factory in Las Vegas. If you’ve never attended, you have no idea what you’re missing; it’s such a fun and informative event. I had the great privilege of speaking last year, too, and I was surprised and delighted to walk into a packed room. The audience made me feel like a rock star; it was amazing!
I’m thrilled that I’ve been asked to come back. This year I’ll be speaking about something especially important to me: How to Make Money in the Event Industry. I’ve already started writing my speech, but I’ve realized something is missing — I need more of you, my readers, in my talk.
If you feel comfortable, please share your success story with me in the comments of this post. I would be so appreciative. Tell me how you make money in our industry. (The more details the better!) I’d love to share your story and name with my audience next Monday.
Thank you, dear readers!
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George Bernard Shaw once said: “You see things and say, ‘Why?’ But I dream things that never were and say, ‘Why not?’” That quote embodies how Preston Bailey approaches every event.
Financially rich I am not...Emotionally? Absolutely!!
February 20, 2012
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY?
Casey Fatchett
February 20, 2012
I have made more money by taking the pressure off my clients, both in booking and on the day of their weddings. Let me know if you would like details!
Andrea Langer
February 20, 2012
You can only make money if you really LOVE what you do and are not afraid to step out of your box!
I was born and raised in a very small village in Germany. Right after finishing school I got into wedding photography, it was not planned but I got the chance and grabbed it. After 3 successful years in Germany I felt like I want to do more and moved to Switzerland to start all over again with the goal to be more successful than in Germany, work harder and have more fun than ever in my life & career. It went super well and then again after 3 years I moved on to NYC, the city I always wanted to live at.
You must be flexible, always listen to what your heart say, be kind & grateful, be the best you can be, never give up, work hard & grab the chances when they open up to you!!
Money only comes if you really love what you do as your clients will feel your that. There is nothing more important than that!
XX
Anonymous
February 20, 2012
It’s funny how one ends up in the event business. I for one came by it by my own mistake. 23 years. At that time I was dating the guy I grew up, who all my life I had distinctly despised. He was turning out to be a fabulous man and after 2 years of dating…and with us being deeply in love…we decided to elope. It must been from me watching soap opera’s that I just knew “eloping” was going to be oh so romantic. First mistake!
While the story surrounding our elopement is hilarious I’m going to stick the finer points so that in the end…you understand the how’s and why’s of how I became a wedding officiant. First let me declare that the ceremony itself fell far short of my expectations. In simple terms the wedding officiant performed, what I lovingly refer to as…an 8 second ceremony said in Swahili! For no sooner did he start to speak that BAMB! it was over. In fact…it was over so fast that I did not believe he had performed the ceremony. So as a deer looks when caught in the headlights of a car…I motioned to him to hold on just one second as I looked into my beloved eyes and mouthed…”did he just say we were married?”. With that my husband shrugged his shoulders and responded with a…”uh…I don’t know”. Quickly I turned to meet the officiant’s eyes glaring at me and I said…”excuse me…did you just pronounce us?”. He responded as a judge with a gavel in his hand.would with…”NEXXXXXT” ! We walked out stunned.
Out of Manhattan City Hall, Into the bright sunshine we trod, with me circling my husband, who at that point…I wasn’t sure was my husband…with me repeating…”are you sure we’re married?”…And with each time I asked that redundant question…I was met with the equally redundant answer of…” I don’t know…I guess we are…he said we were”.
Finally as we walked the avenues towards our next destination, which would be a fanciful dinner with champagne of course…I relented my exhaustive inquiry and decided to enjoy the rest of the day…trusting that the man sitting across from me what now, indeed, my husband!
6 weeks later, nestled in our apartment (in a restored colonial that sits’ on the banks of the Mystic River), in quaint little Noank, CT, a manila envelope arrives in the mail. On it is my name along with a NYC postal stamp indicating it’s origins. . My immediate response was…”darn it…I got a ticket from the NYCPD”. (in one of the funnier parts of this story…the NYCPD was a hilarious big part of us getting married).. With that I tore open the over sized envelope to find a beautiful elaborate marriage certificate from NYC that declared that Kip (yes, said husband) and I were indeed married on June 21, 1989!
I was thrilled…I floated in air as I exclaimed to my “yeahhhh…we’re married!!!”. And at that point…it clicked in my mind…that no one should ever have to get married and feel that way I did. So I resolved that at some future point when life could afford me the time…I would marry those in love and make their day the best it can and should be.
10 years and 4 children later I did just that. I threw my hat into the ring of our local political system and vied to become a Justice of the Peace. You have to be voted in, by law, here in CT. 3 months later I was sworn in.
To this day what started out as one simple wedding has morphed into a lifetime devotion on my part…my wedding ministry. Couples who want to get married and have their celebration extra special hire me. And I am very proud to share that for the last 6 years, in a row… I have been Voted #1 Wedding Officiant in CT.
I believe if you firmly love what you’re doing it’s going to show. And while the lowly wedding officiant makes the least amount of money out of all the wedding vendors , I know I have gotten the lions share of couples because of my dedication. Word does get around. And I always tell me couples to Google anyone, including me, when considering hirering someone for their special day. That way you’ll find out the GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY!
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My own personal success is largely due to the fact that I treat my customers with the utmost respect. I am available to them 24/7 and I hugely appreciate them putting their trust in me and giving me their business!
I give my customers/clients/couples the wedding EVERYONE deserves, Whether it’s an intimate ceremony with just the two of them or a extravaganza to the 10th degree, everyone deserves to be married by someone who actually cares about them and their experience. And I do just that!
I respond to any and all the questions in a timely fashion.
I create personal ceremonies based on a questionnaire that I create.
I let them have final say over what they want to say during their ceremony, for after all…it is THEIR day…not mine!
I am accommodating of all their wishes.
I encourage them to call me ON ANYTHING having to do with their wedding day as I also am an event planner and know everyone in the business and am more than happy to relive any anxieties that may occur during the process of planning.
Basically I go above and beyond the expectations. I am not your everyday lowly wedding officiant!
And by the way…let me just give a shout out to those smart couples who hire their wedding officiant FIRST! Here’s the bottom line…if at the end of all your extravagant planning and you’ve haven’t bothered looking for the perfect wedding officiant to kick off your day with…at the end of the day…you can have your flowers and not be married. You can have your $250 pp wedding and not be married, You can have your music…and not be married. You can have your $5000. photographer and not be married. If you have all those people and not me…all you really have at the end of the day is a really expensive PARTY…and you won’t be married!!!
The wedding officiant is the very first person to set the tone of your big day. Don’t you want to have your friends and family walking away from your ceremony psyched at what a great ceremony it was? Don’t you want them talking about how much fun your officiant actually made your wedding? Don’t you want to hear how beautiful your ceremony was ??? I do. And I do!
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For more information please feel free to call me I may be reached at 860-536-8808.
Marie Tyler Wiley CTJP :)
February 20, 2012
Down below (#3) that anonymous “sharing” is by me…Marie Tyler Wiley, CT JP …the woman who loves what does and does what she loves!
!!!
Miriam-NEMM Design
February 20, 2012
The key is the value you add to the service…everybody can provide the service but you should offer something more or different and create a relationship beyond the professional one because at the end you may not be making money on a specif c event but the money will come from future referrals.
Kristi Richardson
February 20, 2012
Preston,
What a great topic and the so called, “million dollar” question. I would love to say that my bottom line was huge, but it’s not. I am in this business (over 10 years now) to share my passion with my clients and make a living, not a killing. I can say that I have started to make more “real” bottom-line money by doing the following:
1.) Taking the time to understand how long I spend on every order from inquiry to delivery.
2.) With this understanding I stop offering items that didn’t make me any money by the time I factored in these costs. Those small orders you have talked about in the past.
3.) I re-priced my pre-made designs accordingly and created larger packages to encourage larger sales.
4.) I have partnered up with a few other professionals to create offerings that benefit us all and provide more value to the end client.
5.) I have stopped spending endless hours preparing quotes without being paid. I still am happy to provide a general range of prices, but detailed quotes require a fee.
6.) I have started creating larger price point items that in turn provide a bigger return.
7.) I am still looking to offer more design services (which I have slowly started to roll out) as I think there is such great value for clients to have their events properly designed from the beginning.
I can attest that since I implemented my pricing change last fall my average sale has more than doubled and this year is shaping up to be phenomenal. Thank you for all your insight. I am a dedicated fan you’re your work and your blog (which has given me the confidence to take the above listed actions.)
Best wishes for your upcoming speech in Las Vegas.
Kristi Richardson
BloomedToLast.com
Sara Barnhill
February 20, 2012
Preston!!! ahhh!! I am so excited well mainly its an awesome convention & what better place to be in!!! LAS VEGAS!!!:) I started my event planning company 2 years ago…not really know what I was really getting myself into!! Not sure if it was for me…but I have found my calling that is for sure:)
Making money- I cant exactly say I have broke even quite yet- but that day is coming!!:)
How to make money? Is a great question! My husband works in sales and has helped me the most with the closing part with my clients!!
He always says to be ABC!!!! I am like what?! Always Be Closing!! No matter where you are:) SO having that said- I just the other day was at lunch with a former client and was sitting next to a girl who just got engaged and was talking about her big day and how she wasn’t sure where to start and what to do??!! quietly after I left- I left her one of my cards – I was so honest and sweet with her- I was like I didn’t mean to over hear your conversation- but congrats on your engagement- I am an event planner in the area – give me a call – lets talk about your wedding! You know what I made her feel at ease- she gave me a call & now I am planning her Spring 2013 wedding:)
That really how to make money in the business- its when you least expect it!! Like my husband always says Always Be Closing
Another way to make money is this industry- is define who you are and go for those clients!! Stunning & Brilliant Events, LLC is my company name. So you can probably see what clients I like:)
My dad who has been a martial art teacher for over 40 years now – always taught me the 7 P’s:)
Proper,Prior,Practice, Prevents, Pitiful, Poor, Performance- this is very true for a wedding:)
I have learned A LOT these first two years- I know I have a LONG way to go!
Preston your an inspiration to ME & well I PLAN to be an inspiration to other one day:)
XOXO!!
Sara Barnhill
Lara Goldman
February 20, 2012
You make money in this business by being trust worthy. Does your client trust your advice? Do they believe that you are getting them the best value (not price) for their dollar? I make money because my clients want to do what i want them to do. Meaning, they know they want to go snorkeling, but which company is up to me. I know which will take the best possible care of them.
By taking the best possible care of your clients, you mitigate damages before they occur. You have a great team doing “their thing” and they do it well. If they do their thing well, i do my thing well, the client is ALWAYS going to be happy.
Very simply put: Happy Clients + Happy Vendors = Happy, Profitable Me
vitthal
February 20, 2012
Hello Preston, could u pls share ur experiences working in India as designer, how it was different frm working in other countries?
Sylvia Wiltshire Agaba
February 20, 2012
I have made money by being extremely reliable, hard working and approachable to my clients. I am a Ugandan and live in Kampala. Here event decorations is a very fast growing industry, with all sorts of vendors. I have built my name now for 10 years, it’s a process it has it’s ups and downs but all facts withstanding bottom line you must have a passion for what you do to succeed. Don’t be shaken by competition as we all have different tastes and ideas. Always be focused. Stand firm as you execute your task enjoy it. I love decorating. I must confess I appreciate your inspiration Preston to me and the thought of your standards and level of work just keeps my ideas flowing. Please visit my facebk account on http://www.facebook.com/pages/wedding-Niceties-Uganda and toss me a line.
Mihcelle Mello
February 21, 2012
Thanks for your expert advice. You have assisted in sparking my creative side. I’m working on a Black, White and Gold theme for a friend’s wedding. I will send pics in the making and completed. Thanks Again Michelle Mello
YOUR NAME
February 21, 2012
I am new in the business and i thank you ALL for sharing, I know that so far what has made me money is my attitude and by being quick to respond to my clients.
Christina from Baldassarre Events
February 22, 2012
We have two aspects that we are always looking to achieve: high quality and happiness. We sell happiness to our clients and we do that with happy employees. Every action we take is measured on the happiness of the people involved and I only approve a job well done if the client’s expectations have been exceeded and it is the perfect day. Whether you want to call it a slogan, strategy, or mission – the point is that everything is aligned and working towards the same goal.