“Engage” is more than a quote from Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Starship Enterprise (Patrick Stewart), or a wedding term devoted to the process of becoming engaged; in this instance, it is a networking event by invitation only, conveniently located at the Ritz Carlton in the Grand Cayman Islands for 2011.
This nomadic event was produced by Kathryn Arce and Rebecca Grinnals, whose 20 years shared experience in the wedding and honeymoon industry, made this event unique bursting with the extensive knowledge this team has learned over the years. Kathryn and Rebecca began as Wedding Event Managers for Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings, whose branding strategies has built Disney into a nearly $100 million dollar per year business. Combined, these two logistic mavericks, form Engaging Concepts, and create a magnetic team that attracts the wedding industry’s key personalities.
This symposium, my first, (I was often referred to as a virgin engager) was unlike any other I’ve attended before. Sure, it had its share of motivational speakers, array of events and signed books, but what I found really amazing was how intimate this conference actually was.
Capping this seminar at 250 attendees made me feel more engaged. Each day had designed, among the activities, time for networking, which typically is not inherent in my DNA, but at this event, seemed to come naturally by the third day and final night gala.
This forum, a backdrop primarily for planners, designers, photographers and a scattering of unique companies (Kelly Kiefer 303-956-1376 who celebrates life through high art by creating unique art pieces celebrating distinctive occasions, and Julianne Smith www.thegartergirl.com The Garter Girl that designs one-of-a-kind garters) encourages relationships among peers.
One of the highpoints of the symposium was the dine-arounds, where guest speakers randomly entertained attendees at intimate dinners for nearly one-on-one interaction as well as a three hour Catamaran Cruise that led us to the middle of the ocean on a giant sandbar. The journey was as intriguing as the destination and an activity of swimming with stingrays made for a memorable experience.
After attending this symposium, I’d have to say that I am looking forward to attending the next conference this time in Las Vegas. I implore you to add this conference to your scheduled portfolio of symposiums as it encourages you to develop engaging partnerships with fellow colleagues on a personal level, creating partnerships that are quintessential in building your event empire.
Here’s a link to the Engage 2012 Website: http://engage12.com/
To inspire you further, here’s a few of the industry celebrities that attended the conference this year:
Randy Fenoli of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress
David Behm, Event Designer
Bryan Rafanelli, Event Designer
Carley Roney, Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of The Knot
Darcy Miller, Senior Vice President and Wedding Editorial Director of Martha Stewart
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