This is the Transcript of the #WeddingMarket Chat in Vegas on September 18, 2014.
This special #weddingmarket chat was with Andy Ebon, Steven Dziedzic, Angela Proffitt and Jerri Woolworth. The answers were made on Twitter so responses will appear different. This event was sponsored by The Mirage, MyEventVoice.com and Adam Frazier Photography. See more photos of the event here .
Join Our Wedding Market Chats For Wedding Professionals Every Wednesday at 10:00PST, 1:00EST, and 6:00GMT (UK time) with the #WeddingMarket Hashmark On Twitter. Learn something new to help your business grow every week. The chats are hosted by Wedding Market editor Julie Albaugh (@juliealbaugh).
Special Guests:
Andy Ebon, AndyEbon.com
Based in Las Vegas since 2003, Andy Ebon is public speaker, blogger, author and consultant to the wedding and special events industry. He appears at local, regional, and national conferences under his brand, Wedding University ®. and publishes TheWeddingMarketingBlog.com.
Steven Dziedzic, TheKnot.com
Steven is a New York-based entrepreneur and the current Product Lead for The Knot, the world’s leading wedding marketplace for couples and wedding professionals. At The Knot, Steven launched The Knot iPhone app, the Apple App Store’s #1 wedding app, and is currently heading The Knot’s marketplace product development for mobile and web
Angela Proffitt, Angela Proffitt LLC
Angela Proffitt is a celebrity wedding planner, entrepreneur, and productivity coach with more than 10 years of experience in the wedding and event industry. Angela is the owner and lead designer for Vivid Experiences, a full-service event and wedding planning company. With the help of her team, Angela’s work has been featured in more than 100 publications, including People magazine, Us Weekly, Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine, and Style Me Pretty. In 2012, she was recognized as one of the best wedding and event planners by Nashville Scene’s “Best of Nashville.”
Jerri Woolworth, www. JerriWoolworth.com
She has designed and produced corporate events such as grand openings, national media press conferences, product launches, and corporate board meetings. She has produced top-tier red carpet events for the Country Music Associations annual CMA awards, designing pre & post parties for hundreds of celebrity guests, national media, and the country’s most recognized record labels. She has worked with the most discerning of clients and was selected to organize events for two United States Presidents, working closely with the secret service.
www.JerriWoolworth.com
How did you get involved with the Wedding Industry?
Steven: The Knot acquired my mobile company Hoppit (a personal search engine for local businesses #perfectfit!). Now the whole Hoppit team is at The Knot building wedding apps for mobile couples.
Q1: What makes weddings or destination weddings in Vegas unique?
Jerri: #Vegas is the only city that brings together the diversity of wedding traditions from all over the US.
Andy: The assortment of venues and attractions runs the widest range of style and size, available anywhere. A wedding couple can have their wedding on the strip, in a country club, at venues in the newly refreshed downtown, in a single pod for about 25 guests or on the new High Roller observation wheel.
Angela: Vegas is a large city with so many creative resources and provides a variety of unlimited experiences.
Q2: How many weddings take place annually in Vegas?
Jerri: 2000 couples weekly, 120,000 yearly in chapel and conventional weddings combined.
Andy: The total number of licenses, issued annually, is currently tracking at about 80,000+. That includes everything from the smallest drive-through chapel wedding to huh-style weddings at strip hotels for 500-plus guests.
Angela: I heard there is over 100,000 weddings in Vegas.
Q3: What are some unique wedding venues in Vegas?
Jerri: Endless, Lou Ruvo Center by famed Architect Frank Gehry. Twisted steal building, fabulous inside. Private Estates, Red Rock Canyon, Mob Museum, Ferrari dealership space and endless unique venues.
Andy: The Smith Center – Las Vegas’ new Performing Arts Center – (I can tell a quick story about its inception and use for public events and private events, such as weddings).
Angela: You won’t find the best spots online; hiring a planner that has experience is the way to find unique.
Q4: What wedding trends have you seen this year?
Jerri: Black-Tie’s Back, Rich colors becoming the central color instead of just a “pop”, Chandeliers everywhere. Flowers are loose and flowing, Customizing to the couple is the expectation & Lighting in King.
Andy: More effective use of smart lighting as part of the total decor of weddings and special events, complementing floral design and prop elements.
Angela: Elaborate head tables in the center of the party. Example from a wedding I planned using the Signature Collection @Wedding_Decor. Clients engaging guests in social media to collect pictures and memories.
Q5: What types of activities can wedding guests experience in #Vegas?
Jerri: Vegas has the best of everything & variety beyond compare including the finest Chefs in the world. Cirqu du Soleil(s), helicopter over Grand Canyon, incredible nightlife and shopping and endless entertainment. Of course, people can’t visit Vegas without going to one of their incredible casinos. Las Vegas is a gambling city at the end of the day, so people should really try and make time to visit a casino. Beforehand, some people like to get some practice in by using online casinos. People could always look into this kiss918 livemobile download if they wanted to. That should prepare wedding guests for the Vegas casino experience.
Andy: Ziplines, downtown and connecting the two towers at the Rio Hotel. The High Roller, The Mob Museum.
Q6: What is the prime booking season for destination weddings in Vegas?
Jerri: In the fall and spring, after Christmas and after New Years Eve. Summer is typically slow in Vegas.
Q7: How are you using social media for your Biz on a daily & weekly basis?
Angela: All accounts are linked together to be the most productive; my expert @MyEventVoice . Keeps me consistent and active while engaging clients www.myeventvoice.com . @MyEventVoice is dedicated to making sure content is relevant to your business.
Jerri: To connect with brides and vendors, share my brand and passion and give helpful tips to brides.
Andy: Blogging is primary… Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, secondary.
Steven: We share photos & articles on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter to inspire, de-stress, talk to and help our couples. Facebook is all about conversation and sharing. Post content with a higher chance of starting conversation and/or shares. Instagram is all about discovery and social. Post your coolest photos make them discoverable with hashtags and be social. If the Instagram includes a Bride and her party, be sure to copy the Bride on the photo. Twitter is all about conversation. Post interesting and fun content and don’t be bashful about reaching out to Brides. In all social media, use the channel as an outlet to show more of your personality. You control the message.
Q8: How do you manage social media without wasting time?
Jerri: Always remain positive, no on-line drama PERIOD, stay focused on brand, passion and purpose.
Angela: Hiring a professional expert to develop a strategy has been a wonderful investment @MyEventVoice .
Q9: Are you still finding way to use Facebook effectively?
Angela: Facebook is a valuable tool for business; simply post relative content that clients want to read. @MyEventVoice, provides analytics so I know how to target my messages to get results. It’s nice that I don’t have to worry about the changes; my social expert does that @MyEventVoice .
Steven: The Knot still gets tons of couples engaging via Facebook. One cool thing we’re doing on FB is Wedding Wednesdays, where we talk to couples directly for an hour from 1-2pm.
Jerri: Yes! It’s a great way to also update followers on other social media you have and stay connected.
Andy: Yes, BUT… the average number of friends or followers who will receive your update or message on their news feed is fewer than 6%. I buy greater distribution by boosting or promoting specific posts. My secret weapon is PRIVATE MESSAGING.
Q10: How are brides using Pinterest to plan their wedding day?
Steven: Couples go through two distinct phases in their engagement journey: first inspiration, then planning (down to biz). Pinterest is used specifically during the wedding inspiration phase to organize ideas on themes, styles and colors.
Jerri: To share their favorite things but our rule is NEVER copy. It’s a starting place for personal preference.
Andy: By making massive collections of their ‘favorite things’. Best use is to have ‘Secret boards with their planner, maid of honor, mom.
Angela: It can provide visuals and guidance on the look and feel they would like to achieve. Be careful though; brides often don’t understand the cost associated with these visuals.
Q11: What are some ways that you are using Instragram to attract brides?
Steven: Instagram is much more social than @Pinterest. The only way to win is to use hash tags effectively. If you post on Instagram, make sure to hashtag your location (#lasvegas) to target users more effectively. If you post on Instagram, make sure to hashtag the style (#vintage) and always #wedding & #weddingplanning.
Jerri: Shame on me I haven’t jumped on the instragram bus but soon, very soon!
Angela: By posting new design pics often, staying consistent, and looking for trends, not just what I like. Instagram doesn’t generate many leads per say, as much as a LinkedIn. Most of my clients are business professionals, so consistency is very important for my audience. Knowing your audience and clients is so important to target market.
Q12: How are brides using apps for planning their wedding?
Steven: Brides use apps for literally everything. Brides use apps to get inspired, organize ideas, find & contact Vendors, keep on task, manage guest lists & budgets. Brides especially like using apps to talk directly to local wedding pros.
Jerri: There are so many; WedPic’s is great! Brides see their wedding through the eyes of their guests.
Andy: WeddingWire has several planning APPS, that help brides find their vendors, and organize the entire process of planning. There are many other national and local planning apps to keep the bride organized.
Angela: There are apps to provide organization to ideas, but there is no app that can replace the experience and value of a planner with well established relationships. @stevendziedzic brides go thru phases with apps; for vendors catching them in the right phase.
Q13: What do you want wedding pros & brides to take away from the #WeddingMarket Chat ?
Steven: Wedding pros should leave here with a mobile-first lens. Constantly be thinking how you can better serve mobile couples. Brides should leave here with less stress, knowing that these wedding pros will move mountains to help you.
Jerri: This business is multifaceted X 10. We need give and receive helpful tips and share best practices freely.
Andy: Don’t go it alone. There are hundreds of decisions to be made. It is the talent of a great wedding planner/designer to maximize the creative options, oversee the event, and keep bride and wedding pros from making the BIG MISTAKES. Just a few mistakes can trump the other brilliant decisions.
Angela: The importance of how valuable time can be, use professional services. Take advantage of Technology and Social Marketing to grow your business. So you can focus on what you do best; happy clients = referrals. @JerriWoolworth Love the take away; is to help one another and choose your vendors wisely!
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