This is the Transcript of the #WeddingMarket Live at the Catersource and Event Solutions Conference & Tradeshow on March 13, 2016 with celebrity wedding planner Sasha Souza, consultant and trainer Meryl Snow and Afeisha James-Kipps the CEO and Co-Founder of Wedspire. The answers were made on Twitter so responses will appear different.
Sponsored by Wedspire and Smart Crowdz
Special Guests:
Afeisha James-Kipps, CEO and Co-Founder of Wedspire
Afeisha James-Kipps is the CEO and Co-Founder of Wedspire, a one-stop-shop wedding platform changing the way brides and grooms plan for their big day. Boasting a stellar career as an Events Manager for local and international events, she excelled in her role as Arts & Entertainment Chair of Caribana, the largest Caribbean festival in North America. It was during her time as Events Director for an International hotelier managing various functions (including weddings) that she caught the wedding planning bug, creating a natural leap into her latest innovative venture, Wedspire.
www.wedspire.com
Merly Snow, Trainer and Consultant
Meryl Snow has been a mainstay in the special events & catering industry for the last twenty-eight years as co-
founder of Feastivities Events, along with its subsidiaries
OffShoots Decor and Philadelphia’s Picnic Company.
Her philosophies have proved successful for not only her
own business, but also many other companies, trade organizations, and universities have benefited from her training and advice. As a Senior Consultant for Catersource, the largest trade organization for caterers in the world, Meryl has worked throughout the US. Her particular areas of focus are sales and marketing, as well as in design and branding. She provides consulting, coaching, and training services for a wide range of clients.
www.merlysnow.com
Sasha Souza, Sasha Souza Events 
She was a featured event planner on the Style Network TV show “Whose Wedding is it Anyway???” Sasha and her work are also frequently featured on television programming including CBS “Early Show”, ABC’s “Primetime” wedding series special, “Inside Edition”, “Eye on LA”, and “In Wine Country”, “Get Married” and upcoming on “Marcel’s Quantum Kitchen” for SyFy, among other shows.
Sasha Souza was also a featured celebrity speaker at the Conde Nast Bridal Group’s Wedding March series part of the March on Madison series as well as a regular speaker at The Special Event Show Conferences and Event Solutions Conference and Tradeshow. She is an active keynote speaker for events across the country. Her speaking engagements have taken her all across the United States, Mexico, Canada, Trinidad, Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, Anguilla and to Tokyo, Japan to educate her peers & couples about the hottest trends in wedding & event design.
Q1: Can you explain what #CSES2016 is all about?
Answer Sasha Souza: #CSES2016 is about getting education, growing your business on a global scale and networking with the best. I’ve met people at CSES in the past that are not only dear friends but the best vendors you could ever wish for.
Answer Meryl Snow: 4 pillars of the catersource; education, events, networking and the tradeshow.
Event Overview:
Now in its 24th year, Catersource and Event Solutions Conference & Tradeshow is the world’s premier event of the year for catering and events professionals, welcoming thousands of attendees from around the globe. Attendees will learn new ideas and insights from over 100 educational sessions and spend time networking with their peers in an exciting, high energy, creative environment. Attendees will leave this show with tangible business ideas and long-lasting professional connections.
Attendance/Exhibitor Numbers: CSES annually draws attendees of all levels from the catering and events industries, including owners, CEOs, planners, general managers, directors, producers, marketers, chefs, culinary professionals and hospitality leaders. The 2016 event is tracking positively with more than 6500 attendees expected to attend and more than 400 exhibitors showing the latest innovations.
Ignite. Inspire. Interact.: The 2016 theme runs throughout all aspects of the show. Conference speakers and optional events have been chosen and designed specifically to ignite your passion for your company, inspire your thoughts and ideas, and cause you to interact in new and better ways with potential clients—and your peers.
Wedding Stage: From sales and marketing techniques, to menu and presentation ideas, to an in-depth analysis of what the client really wants, the Wedding & Celebrations Stage covers a broad range of topics to help you succeed in the wedding and social event markets.
Q2: What are the top wedding trends that you are seeing or making this year?
Answer Sasha Souza: Top trends in wedding… anything that is different than what they have seen. As creative & unique as they can be. We have a wedding coming up that’s black linen, bright flowers and an owl doing the ring delivery. Obscure & personal.
Answer Meryl Snow: 6 years ago we started Chef Bars, they continue to be extremely popular. They have evolved into Chef Carts and Hawker boxes.
Q3: What catering trends are you seeing for weddings?
Answer Sasha Souza: Don’t follow trends, use client desires through a design questionnaire. We want it to be not on trend but trendy in a year.
Answer Meryl Snow: Long gone is the boring buffet staple, Chicken is back with a vengeance – but say goodbye to a simple grilled or sautéed preparation. Chicken served in various styles such as sous vide, covered in crackling, a roulade stuffed with black pudding or shredded a la pulled pork are all increasing in popularity – and deliciousness.
Pork belly is a huge trend in the culinary world, and this flavorful, sumptuously fatty cut is a huge hit amongst hosts this season. Prepared in a French style with white wine and thyme, or with a sticky, anise flavored Chinese marinade, pork belly’s crispy skin is ambrosia for meat eaters.
Bacon no longer reigning supreme. The early part of the 21st century will long be remembered for its voracious bacon mania. While we can’t deny that bacon is delicious, you’re less likely to see ‘bacon aioli dipped bacon bombs covered in a bacon reduction’ this season.
Bacon may be on the way out, but other smoked foods are on the way in. Whether a lightly smoked ling cod served with clams and a smoked dashi broth, or a tea smoked duck breast, unique and interesting methods of smoking meat, fish and vegetables are on the rise.
Q4: How are you creating content for @Instagram & @Pinterest?
Answer Sasha Souza: You have 9 seconds to capture attention. beautiful image, perfection in one picture. Instagram, yes but not so much Pinterest.
Q5: How do you handle #socialmedia on a weekly basis?
Answer Sasha Souza: You have a voice. I do all Social Media myself because my voice is important. Nobody should do your social media for you. Brides hire based on personality. No personality, no job. Also, paying more for service if they like you.
Answer Meryl Snow: Social media daily postings event pros we have tons of content.
Answer Afeisha James-Kipps: Use your social channels in an authentic way to represent your brand.
Q6: How do you handle that first meeting with the couple to see if it’s the right fit?
Answer Sasha Souza: I don’t turn away clients – I work with all clients who want to hire us to design their event. I do initial phone call, if we connect they want to hire us, we’re all in to do their wedding.
Answer Meryl Snow: Qualifying the client is essential before meeting or prop. I sent out a survey to 474 event pros around the country qualifying and closing were their weekest skill set.
Q7: How do you handle creating a proposal with pricing?
Answer Sasha Souza: we don’t send out costs for the event until we are hired. we charge a flat rate plus a design fee. We line item all the costs so clients can see it and see where their money is going for design.
Answer Meryl Snow: That’s a tough one. Intellectual property is hard to prove. If they don’t like your price they may give your prop to another company with your designs for a lower price.
Q8: How do you handle objections over pricing?
Answer Meryl Snow: You will only have objections in pricing when the client can’t see the value or benefit of using you or your company. If they don’t see a difference they will choose on price.
Q9: What are the top factors in closing the sale?
Answer Meryl Snow: Closing is a process and starts at the initial contact. 82% of event pros do not ask for the sale.
Q10: What is @Wedspire ?
Answer Afeisha James-Kipps: Wedspire is an online curated marketplace for all your wedding planning needs. Couples get ideas, receive personalized matches to wedding pros, and shop for their big day in one spot!
Q11: Who can use @Wedspire?
Answer Afeisha James-Kipps: Wedspire is free and open to anyone to join our community. From brides & grooms, to the wedding party & loved ones, to lovers of all things weddings, anyone can join! Of course, we are a double-sided business model, where vendors from the US & Canada can join, create their storefronts & listings, and use our store manager tools, free of charge!
Q12: Where can they find more information on @Wedspire ?
Answer Afeisha James-Kipps: Visit us at: wedspire.com, follow us on Twitter @Wedspire for all of our promos & updates about our upcoming exciting relaunch, and come stop by our booth #2800 to check out a preview of our new vendor tools coming soon!
Q13: What are the best ways to gain online sales?
Answer Afeisha James-Kipps: Online wedding marketplaces is one of the effective ways, as it enables a vendor’s brand to connect with a niche target audience, especially tech savvy millenials with diverse needs, ultimately widening your reach.
Q14: What are some of the key dietary preferences requested by couples?
Answer Meryl Snow: We have the usual gluten, vegan & vegetarian requests for individual guests. Farm to Table is still popular.
Q15: What are the best ways to stay up with unique wedding menu preferences?
Answer Meryl Snow: Eat out! Some caterers may not agree but I feel that the restaurants are driving menu preferences.
Q16: What are the best ways to communicate to Millennials?
Answer Afeisha James-Kipps: By having your brand part of online communities where couples will start their discovery, while offering visual inspiration of your brand which creates an opportunity for an organic dialogue in an non-intrusive way (e.g. ads…not cool).
Q17: How do you stay creative?
Answer Sasha Souza: I stay creative by not spending time on Pinterest trying to be somebody I’m not.
Answer Meryl Snow: Once you come up with something unique people start looking at you as a trend setter.
To stay ahead of the trends is an ongoing process and reinventing the wheel over & over. Surround yourself with creative people and brainstorm.
Q18: How important is it to join and attend networking events?
Answer Sasha Souza: Neworking is life. Referrals & relationships are what build you up and sustainable.
Answer Meryl Snow: Very important. It’s all about relationships- people want to work with people they like.
Q19: What do you want wedding pros & brides to take away from #WeddingMarket Live ?
Answer Meryl Snow: For pros, we got into this business because of a passion. This is a different skill set than running a business. Learn how to run a business.
Question from #WeddingMarket
@asweetstart How do the panelists feel about displaying pricing on their websites?
Answer Sasha Souza: I think it can drive away business. You can’t explain your value. Nothing substitutes a voice to voice. Social Media isn’t a sales tool, it’s to get you the initial inquiry.
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