More Blog Love for engage!08

The "blog love" for engage!08 continues!! It is so fun to see the photos from the different perspectives of the attendees!  Be sure to visit the blogs below - lots and lots of photos included from the event!!!  Thanks for documenting this and sharing these images Darice and Donna!!!! 

Darice Michelle {Jacksonville, FL}

Donna von Bruening's FULL recap {Savannah, GA}

And attendees, in case you missed it in Darice's post - she took pictures of almost everyone with Preston as he signed your book - so be sure to email her {see her email in her post} to have her send you yours!!!!

We did it!! Engage!08 a success!!

WOW! We are blown away by the past two days!  We are wrapping up loose ends and saying final goodbyes to old friends and new and will blog all about it very soon I promise.  In the meantime, we have to share this AMAZING blog post from the incredible Savannah-based photographer Donna Von Bruening:

Education is a big part of my commitment to my profession. I invest time and money attending conferences and workshops to expand my business and my photography skills. I'll be point blank honest with you. I usually, no almost 99% of the time, walk away thinking I wasted money or trying to pull a few nuggets (which there always are some nuggets) away to rationalize the $2,000-$3,000 dollars I just spent. Don't get me wrong --it isn't that I am so wonderful that I know everything --it's just that I have been in business 10 years and so many conferences are geared toward newbies. Much of the time the information is basic and I could teach the class (which I have done). 

God, that sounds awful. But it is the truth. When I go to a conference I am looking to be inspired and take my business to the next level. I want to be moved. I want to walk away a better person and photographer than I was when I showed up. Some of my photographer friends tell me my expectations are too high. I tend to disagree. If I am paying you $2000 for 2 days, nevermind taking time away from my famly and business, -you best have me rave about you from morning to night.

So, Engage '08, was the best money I have spent EVER (perhaps the Hasselblad Wedding Institute rival it) in TEN years. Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce put on one heck of a business conference. I am moved, inspired and have met so many new friends...I cannot wait to tell you all about it. It was worth every penny and the 3 days away from home and business.

I am dying to tell you all about it --but I have got to get on the road home. I will blog the images and and the dish later today. I just needed to fill in my wedding colleagues who are dying to hear. DVB 

We are humbled by this and the response from so many other industry friends who joined us for this special event. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts Donna. I promise to blog LOTS more as soon as the dust settles...!

SOLD OUT!

It is official!  The first engage!08 luxury wedding symposium has SOLD OUT!!  Thank you to all who will be joining us --   we are busy putting together all of the final details to produce a high-impact event.  We cannot wait to see old friends and make new ones - and the anticipation and excitement is at an all time high.

For those of you who are not able to join us - based on the overwhelming response and interest in this premier event we are sure there will be more - so stay tuned!

Cheers!  Rebecca + Kathryn

Latest Update!

We cannot believe that so far there are attendees coming to engage!08 from 5 countries and 17 states!!  Everyone is so excited about meeting each other and sharing in a day filled with education, inspiration, ideas, networking and more.

We will be sending out one final email blast tomorrow with a 'last call' for registrations in case there are still some out there who have not yet committed to the event.

If you are one of those or know someone who is, please do not delay as there are only a limited number of spots still available.

You can register on the 'register' section of engage08.com, call us at 407.566.2298 or email engage@engagingconcepts.com with any questions.

Looking forward to an amazing and 'engaging' day!!

We've Been Blogged!

It is always exciting when others blog about you!  We were so happy that in the past week, engage!08 has been blogged about not one, not two but THREE times!

Preston Bailey blogged about it:

"I know many of my blog readers are in the wedding industry or thinking about getting into it, if you are definitely check out the site below.

I believe it is the first of its kind, a business to business consulting for the wedding industry on a global scale. They say it best so I am going to steal their quote:"

“Quite simply – no one understands the "ins and outs" of this lucrative but constantly changing and super competitive market better than we do.”

Which is absolutely the truth; just take a look at who the founder is! Rebecca Grinnals! That woman is a genius!

Rebecca has set up her first B2B conference which I am thrilled to be a part of along with Rebecca and other experts. Check out the details on engage08.

Hope to see you there. I guarantee it will be worth your time.

I am really so impressed by Rebecca and her goldmine of knowledge and willingness to share to with others, where was she when I first started!"

Liene Stevens blogged and so did Harmony Walton!

Thanks to all for sharing with your blog audiences...we cannot wait for June 3rd to arrive!!!

Speaker Update:

We are so thrilled that the incredible Marcy Blum will be joining us for engage!08 -- she is a wedding planning guru, an industry legend and someone who has taught us SO much over the years.  Few are on the pulse of the *hottest* trends and as 'in the know' and connected as Marcy -- we are honored that she will be joining us to share some of her wisdom and perspective on this quirky industry we all love on June 3rd!

Friday update for engage!08

The excitement continues to grow!  So many of you have told us in your on words that the concept for engage! is "Exactly what I have been looking for!" 

We have added wedding professionals from Dallas, Virginia, St. Augustine, Vero Beach, Jacksonville, Delray Beach and more! The mix of attendees is what is really great - where else do so many DIFFERENT types of related professionals from all over get to come together in a boutique-style setting to interact and focus for a day on their personal and professional growth?!  

The other night Kathryn and I had the chance to catch up with the fab Susan Moynihan, editor in chief of Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Magazine.  She is planning to join us for the entire day and we can't wait for her session!  She brings such a unique perspective to the business of destination weddings and will share her insights on shifts in the market, what her readers [your brides!] are really looking for and and asking along with how to get noticed and stand out in a sea of editorial/Real wedding pitches. 

Questionnaire: We really want to target the content for YOU.  We have developed a short questionnaire to send out to confirmed attendees to understand the most important and relevant topics and takeaways from your perspective.  Look for this early next week and thank you in advance for taking a few minutes to share your thoughts so that we can ensure a customized program for those joining us!

Event Size: Many have asked just what "intimate" means...which is totally valid! As this is the first of its kind, we are learning as we go what the response is.  Judging from the past 2 weeks - pretty positive!!  We want to create a balance of intimacy and at the same time allow for a good cross-section of professionals to promote quality networking.  That being said - we can say it will be less than 100...which compared to the many professional industry events and conferences we have attended - is a nice number to accomplish what we set out to do! Please feel free to contact us directly with specific questions - we are happy to answer anything or share more details with you.

Room: So many are traveling in to join us.  A reminder to book your rooms as soon as possible at Celebration Hotel as they are limited!  Special rates are $169.00 per night.  Call 1-888-499-3800 or email info@celebrationhotel.com to reserve.

Getting Together: In keeping with the super-fun group that is coming together, a few attendees have expressed interest in planning an informal 'pre-event' Happy Hour the night of June 2nd in Celebration.  A great way to get to know some of the other professionals coming on for the event and to get to explore our little 'town!'  We will share more details closer in but if this is of interest to you - make flight arrangements accordingly!

That's it for now - keep checking back often for the latest and greatest on how engage!08 is coming together!!!! We can't wait to meet everyone in person!

Quick Update:: Response

We are so, so excited with the response to engage!08 so far!  In just a week and a half - the *buzz* is amazing!! 

So far, we have confirmed attendees coming from: NY, Miami, Grand Cayman, St. Kitts, the Bahamas, Seattle, Chicago, Maine, Arizona, LA, Savannah, Orlando, Nashville, Atlanta, Tampa and of course, all over Central Florida!!

Even more interesting is the range of industry professionals who will be there including Ritz-Carlton and other luxury hotel executives, high end wedding cake designers, "Get Married" television executives, a number of celebrity wedding planners, top wedding photojournalists and videojournalists whose work appears regularly in In-Style and Grace Ormond, award-winning catering companies, the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and wedding publishing execs...to name just a few!!! 

It is far reaching and will make for an interesting mix of wedding 'insiders' all coming with a unique point-of-view but for the same reason:: furthering their knowledge of marketing to the wedding industry and taking their businesses to the next level!

Thank you to all who have embraced engage!08 so far -- we are thrilled that you will be joining us...look for more updates next week!

New Speaker Added: Harmony Walton, Editorial Director of Get Married TV & The Bridal Bar

One more amazing speaker has been added to the roster for engage!08: Harmony Walton; recently named editorial director of "Get Married" on Lifetime and the founder of The Bridal Bar in LA and San Diego!! 

I am so thrilled that Harmony has agreed to join us.  She brings the perspective of a unique and very *hot* business model in The Bridal Bar, a roster of [major!!!] celebrity wedding experience and a fully-integrated media presence with Get Married.  

Her popular blog was recently featured in USA Today as one of a very few elite wedding blogs hand-selected by the editorial team at Martha Stewart Living to be added to their new vertical ad network.

As if that was not enough, she is also on the editorial team at the gorgeous Your Wedding Day Magazine which has recently gone national.

So glad that you are joining us Harmony!!

Response...

A quick update on the response so far for engage!08.  Quite simply, we are overwhelmed with the interest from the industry!!  We are thrilled to already have attendees coming from New York, LA, Savannah, Grand Cayman, Maine, Miami, Nashville, St. Kitts, Atlanta, Seattle, Arizona and of course all over Central Florida! And that is in less than a week since our official announcement.

The other interesting point to note is that the type of wedding professionals planning to join us is quite varied and represents many different perspectives in the industry including:  a number of 5- star, 5-diamond luxury resorts and hotels, high-end wedding planning professionals, award-winning photojournalists, wedding cake designers, catering professionals, magazine publishers, television producers, sales + marketing executives and public relations professionals!

Not only do we have an all-star lineup of amazing speakers, but the attendees themselves are the tops in their fields and will bring wonderful insights, ideas and experiences to add to the dynamic.

Thank you to all who have embraced this 'engaging concept' - and told us that it is "exactly what you have been looking for..." and it "promises to be a really fun and enlightening day with the speakers you have lined up..." and "sign me up - this program looks fantastic!" to "Oh WOW!  How uber-fabulous!!!". Keep the notes and calls coming - we love to hear your feedback!!

A reminder, space is limited in order to maintain an intimate setting, so if you'd like to be a part of this industry first  - make sure to register soon!

Registering Update

Thank you to the many wedding industry professionals who have embraced the concept of engage!08 and signed up already!  So exciting - it is shaping up to be an amazing day!

A few quick updates to the registration process:

• You can now register directly from the engage08.com website from a newly created  register section. 

• Of course, you can always call us at 407.566.2298 or email at engage@engagingconcepts.com with ANY questions or if you simply prefer to register that way.

• You will then receive a confirmation email and under separate cover an invoice for $899.00 [per attendee] from PayPal.  Note: Be sure to check your spam box as sometimes PayPal invoices end up there.

• You may pay using Visa, Mastercard, Amex or Check.  

• Checks may be sent to: PO 470236, Celebration, FL 34747

• Your payment confirms your participation.

• If you are traveling in for the conference, you should reserve your hotel room as soon as possible as there are only a limited number of rooms in the block.  The special engage!08 room rate at the Celebration Hotel is $169.  Call 1-888-499-3800 to reserve.  More information on this 'delightfully charming' boutique hotel is available on their website www.celebrationhotel.com.

• We will be sending you a brief questionnaire in the coming weeks to allow us to customize the program and content to your unique business - so be on the lookout!

Again, if you have any questions do not hesitate to contact us!!

It's Official!!! {Or, a Solution for the Square Pegs...}

Background on engage!08 {warning::long but worth it I promise!!!}:

After many, many years of dreaming, planning, researching and just plain talking [incessantly!] about this concept - we are finally doing it and taking the plunge! The official 'emma-powered' email blast has gone out and so there is no turning back -- engage!08 is here!

We are thrilled to finally make this happen. Why? Quite simply - in my 17+ years in the wedding industry there has never been anything like engage!. Never. And I have tried - with some better experiences than others - I have tried, mostly in vain, to attend wedding events and shows and conferences over the years to make them 'work' for me. But it always seems as if I am trying to put a square peg in a round hole!

Either the events are really focused for the consumer and I am there to try and network, learn about new trends and generally educate myself but in reality taking up valuable time and attention that should be spent on the real target - the bride. Or, they are related 'industry events' for catering or event or photography professionals with a [very] minor focus on marketing to the wedding industry as a whole. Some are targeted to the wedding professional but are too broad in scope and focus on the novice or mass-market professional. Or they are hospitality or travel sales and marketing conferences - and don't even get me started on those...weddings are truly the 'black sheep' of that group....sigh!

I have tried it all - and so have many, many other amazing and talented and successful wedding professionals looking to educate themselves on the tricky art of marketing, selling and servicing the wedding industry. I have met countless other luxury wedding professionals in all aspects of the business who are dying to learn more, meet more and do more with 'like colleagues' who are focused on the high-end weddings in this crazy, fun, "glamorous" field that we have all chosen.

One of the focuses of this first engage! event will be to help wedding professionals have their 'passion meet profit.' Because if there is one thing that this industry has no shortage of - it is PASSION! Passion at every level. And the profit part - well I know that as creative professionals at our core - we could all use a bit of focus on that...*wink!*

I want to celebrate that passion and really help the best get even better! The power of collaborating, sharing ideas and partnering together is priceless.

I am honored and beyond thrilled that my long-time friends and industry legends, Preston Bailey and Marcy Blum have graciously agreed to come down to Celebration to be a part of this first engage! - words cannot even express how excited I am about that. The president of Preston Bailey Designs and one of the most brilliant minds in wedding marketing and brand building today, Sean Low, will also be on hand which is very cool.

Over the years, whenever we are together, we discuss our businesses and the industry as a whole endlessly. I always come away from these exchanges re-energized, motivated, inspired and renewed - thinking about things in a whole new way. I want to try and capture the essence of some of those conversations and share the insights from them with others.

Special guest speaker Simon T. Bailey - a former Disney colleague of mine and now international best selling author of "Release Your Brilliance" published by Harper-Collins - will lead an inspiring and motivating session guaranteed to examine your potential, insight, genius, innovation, and ideas – just waiting to be released. Truly transformational!

Susan Moynihan, editor-in-chief of "Destination Weddings & Honeymoons" magazine [and former Travel Editor of Modern Bride!] is on board bringing invaluable insight into the mind of today's destination wedding bride and also sharing some insider tips on getting the attention of editors in this overcrowded environment!

And 'new' cyber-friends who I personally am really excited about meeting in person, Liene Stevens of BlueOrchidDesigns and new blog TheSmartPlanner and Christine Boulton of ThinkLikeaBride.com will be joining us as well for what is sure to be a lively and highly informative panel discussion on leveraging new media and blogging to build your wedding business!

And of course - if you know me, read my Blog or have ever heard me speak...you are aware that I am NEVER at a loss for words regarding the business of the wedding industry. It has been my passion and my life for almost 18 years and I have SO MUCH to share - the hardest part for me is going to be decide what topics get covered and what concepts are included!! No easy feat for sure!

Wow - it is going to be an amazing, energizing and impactful day. And it will be special because it will be the first of its kind - so those of you who can take the [precious] time to join us will not be sorry.

Kathryn Arce [who is going to make this all happen!!!] and I invite you to call 407.566.2298 or email us at engage@engagingconcepts.com with any and all questions. One of the best aspects of engage!08 is going to be how intimate it is - how up close and personal, how interactive and how customized the messages and topics are going to be for YOU - the participant. That being said - space is limited by design - so if you are thinking about signing up - don't delay!!

Looking forward to an 'engaging' day together and to the square peg FINALLY fitting in the square hole!!!

Rebecca

"Something to talk about..."

engage!08 will bring together the unique business perspectives of some of the brightest minds in weddings today: Preston Bailey, Marcy Blum, Susan Moynihan and Rebecca Grinnals. Each will share their unique perspectives on building a global wedding brand, the dramatically changing bride of today, maximizing your marketing and the challenges and rewards of the luxury wedding clientele...and so much more!

Up close, candid and as never seen before - this is an unprecedented opportunity to understand the secrets behind their success, key learnings along the way and how they have built their wedding businesses into ever-evolving and growing brands! They will take your questions and inspire you with their stories.

Prepare to Release Your Brilliance!

I am beyond thrilled to announce that the amazing Simon T. Bailey, author of best-selling book "Release Your Brilliance" will be joining this first engage!

Wow.  Simon is just an incredible speaker and travels the WORLD inspiring business leaders, entrepreneurs, CEO's, other motivational speakers, hotel sales and marketing professionals and so many others on how to release their personal and professional brilliance.  He and I have a long history and were colleagues at Disney for many years and it has been incredible to watch his phenomenal rise to success over the past few years!  It is an honor indeed that he will be sharing some of these profound insights with us at engage!08.

Participants will be getting a signed copy of his latest book, published by Harper-Collins and I promise - you will leave more brilliant than you came!!!

Read MUCH more about Simon at his website here.

Sign up for some advance inspiration - his weekly "Brilliant Carat" e-newsletter here.

Prepare to be inspired to live your most brilliant life!!

Blogging + New Media Discussion

This symposium just would not be complete without a dedicated session to the opportunities and challenges facing wedding professionals with new media.  I am delighted that wedding 'new media innovators' Liene Stevens of BlueOrchidDesigns and TheSmartPlanner blogs and Christine Boulton of 'must read' industry site ThinkLikeaBride.com have agreed to join us!

They will each be bringing unique perspectives and insights to the discussion which will enlighten and get everyone thinking about the latest and greatest ways to approach the dramatically evolving way in which our brides consume media, research and make decisions!!

An Overview

Introducing an unprecedented opportunity for luxury wedding industry professionals:

engage!08

• engage your business

• engage your brand

• engage your clients

• engage yourself

What: A high impact wedding business symposium designed to take you and your company to the next level. An intimate networking opportunity to learn the secrets behind the stunning business successes of some of the wedding industry's most celebrated innovators.

Details: A rare and priceless opportunity to gain priceless business perspective and insights from world-renowned superstar wedding designer Preston Bailey, celebrity wedding planner and media darling Marcy Blum and leading wedding industry marketing expert Rebecca Grinnals.

Join some of the industry's best known experts for candid conversation on the business of building and growing your wedding brand. Highlights include:

• Secrets to their success
• Building a global wedding brand
• Diversifying your business
• Targeting [and managing!] the affluent bride and groom
• Insights into the mindset of millennial matrimony
• Blogging and leveraging new media for wedding business
• Turning your passion into profit
• 'Romancing' the destination bride

Real, honest, inspirational and interactive including an "Inside the {Wedding} Studio" style Q+A session with Preston and Marcy!

Plus:

Special guest speaker Simon T. Bailey - internationally reknowned author of "Release Your Brilliance" will lead an inspiring and motivating session guaranteed to examine your potential, insight, genius, innovation, and ideas - just waiting to be released. Truly transformational!

"Destination Weddings & Honeymoons" Magazine editor-in-chief Susan Moynihan will talk about trends in the market as well as insider tips on what gets editor's attention.

A Blogging and New Media Panel discussion with Christine Boulton of ThinkLikeaBride.com and Liene Stevens of BlueOrchidDesigns & TheSmartPlanner.com

Who will attend: Professionals targeting the luxury wedding industry who are looking to maximize the return from their marketing/PR and sales efforts with a special focus on expanding destination weddings business and embracing new media.

Including: Wedding planning and design professionals, travel industry professionals and executives, destination wedding photojournalists, hotel sales & marketing executives, public relations professionals, catering and event executives, creative professionals, floral/design professionals, invitation designers, wedding internet entrepreneurs and anyone targeting the high-end, luxury bride.

When: Tuesday, June 3rd from 9am until 5:00pm

Where: The Celebration Hotel in Celebration, Florida [part of the Kessler Collection]

Fees: $899 per person for full-day symposium session including breakfast and lunch

*Space is limited by design and demand is high - so secure your position as soon as possible!

Travel: Limited number of special rate rooms offered at $169 plus tax and resort fee based on availability.

Visit: The engage!08 website for all the details and to reserve your spot. 

This unique networking opportunity is not to be missed!

Where:: Celebration, FL

We chose to host this first engage! symposium right here in our {very appropriately!} named hometown, Celebration Florida!

It is only fitting for many reasons that we kick-off this initiative here. The most obvious being it is home and where Engaging Concepts is based. Also, the 'delightfully charming' Celebration Hotel was our very first official client back in 2001! Plus, we wanted to share it with you. It is an intimate setting to host this first event - and that was really important to us.

You can read more about Celebration on the 'official site' and see the hotel here. A limited number of rooms have been reserved for engage!08 at the special rate of $169 plus tax and resort fee. Call 407-566-6000 to book and mention the engage!08 event for the special rate.

Introducing engage!08: a high impact wedding business symposium

Click on the image to view the entire email announcement on myemma.com!