I just got to Washington, DC for a destination wedding I have there but I had to take some time before I head over to my tent installation to write a bit about the Engage!10 Wedding Symposium I just attended. I have attended this conference six times which is produced by Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce of Engaging Concepts with the help of Trisha Hay. It seems odd to call it a conference because I do go to many industry conferences and events throughout the year both to speak and attend. This was more of a Magical Experience than a conference or symposium. This year I was a speaker for the second time and I was so excited to share the stage with Donna Von Breuning, Harmony Walton and Liene Stevens at the Opening General Session.
Engage!10 was the most magical four days of my year; learning and having some fun with the BEST of the wedding industry. To name a few; Mindy Weiss, Darcy Miller, Todd Fiscus, Marcy Blum, Sylvia Weinstock, David Beam and Bryan Rafanelli (yes, the Brian Rafenelli who just planned Chelsea Clintons wedding). These along with a wonderful list of wedding industry professionals and speakers (so many amazing people, too many to list so check them out at that link) attended this event at The Breakers in West Palm Beach. We were inspired, challenged, rejuvenated and just down right jaw dropping amazed at this event and The Breakers property. Yes, I have been in the wedding business for nine years now but by no means do I know everything. I am always learning and growing and changing the way I do business. To be in an environment where we were all able to share our successes and our challenges (no, I don’t believe in failures, they are just challenges and those challenges make us better professionals and people) was the most inspiring thing to me.
Engage 10 {Day One} from Cloud Nine Creative on Vimeo.
and
Engage ’10 {Day 2 + 3} from Cloud Nine Creative on Vimeo.
The videos produced on site by Brian Patterson of Cloud Nine Creative is a wonderful view into the days we all spent together and the excellence and inspiration that ensued. As you can see, we were also guests at some of the most fabulous events. I was sitting at the Gala Celebration the last night with some wedding industry professionals from Chicago and I turned to my friend Lisa Bascomb and I said, I feel like a guest at one of the weddings I have planned. It felt so nice to sit, have a nice dinner with friends and celebrate all of our hard work from the wedding season. To sit and share laughs at the end of the conference was just so magical.
When people ask me what inspires me, the first thing that comes to my mind is The Engage Business Symposium and what I learn there.
I am going to place some words that Cindy Novotny shared with us in large print on my office wall next week and they are:
Observe
Think
Change
Dare
Banish
Try
Question
Grow
Do
Enjoy
And to take a risk, challenge myself, and take 1 hour a week to just think.
Check back on the blog in the next week as I share the amazing images that were shared with us by some of the best photographers in the country.
