WIPA Newsaletter - November 2008

The greatest joy of life is to accomplish. It is the getting, not the having. It is the giving not the keeping.

-Frederick Banting
Submitted by Paula Laskelle

Our Orange County Launch
By Pauline Parry

patrick audience

The OC Launch was an absolute success! Guests enjoyed a wonderful atmosphere and great networking opportunities at the fabulous showroom of Wildflower Linen. WIPA was able to make a splash on the scene and has already begun to see a surge in support from Orange County wedding professionals.

WIPA Founding Sponsors

Platinum

Elaine Bell Catering Company - Napa

The Special Event 2009 (Penton Media)

Gold

Good Gracious! Events - Los Angeles
La Tavola Fine Linen Rentals - Napa
Napa Valley Linens - East Bay
Paula LeDuc Fine Catering - Emeryville
The Carneros Inn - Napa
Wildflower Linen - Southern California

Bronze

ASC Event Services - Houston, TX
Baker Party Rentals - Costa Mesa
Branch Out Floral & Event Design - San Francisco
Cachet Wedding Designs - Los Alamitos
Champagne Taste Weddings - San Clemente
Denon & Doyle - Pleasant Hill
Elysium Productions - Irvine
Entertainment at Large - San Diego
Entertainment Solutions West - San Diego
Events by Design - San Diego
Events of Distinction - San Francisco
Geoff White Photography - Redwood City
Jewell Entertainment - San Diego
Melons Catering - South San Francisco
Murphy's Creativity Software - El Cajon
Nancy Liu Chin Designs - San Francisco
Special Event Business Advisors - San Clemente
Studio 7 Photography - Alamo
Sylvia's Photography - San Francisco
The Vintage Estate - Yountville
Vianett Bridal - Yountville
Wedgewood Wedding & Banquet Centers - California

WIPA NEWS:
Joint Meeting in San Francisco

Join us for a "Magical Tea" at the Intercontinental Mark Hopkins Hotel.

Join WIPA (Wedding Industry Professionals Association), the ACPWC (Association of Certified Professional Wedding Consultants) and NACE (National Association of Catering Executives) for networking while enjoying tantalizing hors d'oeuvers, a great view of San Francisco and holiday libations.

What a great way to end 2008!

Click here for more information

Previous Events

WIPA Make-Up

Young Song Martin, Wildflower Linen

Sophia Kim, St. Regis Hotel
WIPA Make-Up
Molly Kruger, Chef Molly's Culinary Artistry
Keith Laverty, KJL Events

Dario Puig, Craig's Extraordinary Catering
Young Song Martin, Wildflower Linen
Molly Kruger, Chef Molly's Culinary Artistry
Steven Rogers, Global Web Strategies, Inc
Sean Luus, Global Web Strategies, Inc
WIPA 107
Vanessa Rockafellow, Cachet Wedding Designs
Elizabeth Fleming, Calligrafitti

Mike Mann, Four Quick Clicks
Reverend Clint Hufft
Elizabeth Fleming, Calligrafitti
Dario Puig, Craig's Extraordinary Catering

Paula Laskelle, Champagne Taste Weddings
Rick Rosen, Rosen and Associates Photography
Marianne Besseling, Nature's Beauty
Ja'nice Beckham, Alpha & Omega Wedding Services
Lynda Arnold, Alpha & Omega Wedding Services

MaryAnn Reilly, Wildflower Linen
Pauline Parry, Good Gracious! Events
Paula Laskelle, Champagne Taste Weddings
Joyce Scardina Becker, Events of Distinction
Patrick McMichael, Denon & Doyle

Photos by Lights, Camera, Reaction

UPCOMING EVENTS

11/17/08, San Diego Launch Event at the San Diego Sheraton

11/18/08, Los Angeles Launch Event at the Santa Monica Fairmont

1/27 to 1/ 30/2009, WIPA is Partnered with TSE 2009 in San Diego

President's Message

Dear Wedding Industry Professionals,

The marathon campaign for the White House ended on Tuesday with voters electing our 44th President of the United States. While the Presidential campaign took an excruciating 21 months to complete, the generous Founding Sponsors, Formation Support Team Members and Founding Members of WIPA have spearheaded a highly successful campaign to launch the first national non-profit wedding association in just the past 9 months. But there is one important belief that supporters of President-Elect Obama and supporters of WIPA both share - now is the time for change!

In the summer of 2007, one of my student interns handed me a book, "One Perfect Day - The Selling of the American Wedding" by Rebecca Mead. I'm not advocating that you go out and buy this book - one sold copy is more than enough, and I am happy to share my copy with you. Suffice it to say that Ms. Mead has painted a very unflattering picture of the wedding industry, and while many of her negative "findings" can easily be disputed and refuted, the fact remains that her book has not helped the perception of wedding professionals in the public eye.

So yes, it is time for change! It is time for premiere professionals of the wedding industry to unite and set the standards for the industry in order to ensure quality and consistency when working together. It is time to create an academic "body of knowledge" for the industry and develop a certification program that gives credibility to those who successfully complete this program. We are not an industry that created "Bridezillas" or transformed weddings into "machines for making money," as Ms. Mead's suggests. But we do need to advance the wedding industry to be well respected among the consumer, the media and each other.

With Thanksgiving Day rapidly approaching and the theme of change floating through the air like autumn leaves, I can't help but think about the story of the first Thanksgiving. I am very thankful for our Founding Sponsors, who have given us the means to build our "Mayflower" so that WIPA's "Pilgrims" could begin their voyage to find a "New World" of weddings. I am also very thankful for our Board of Directors and Committee Members, who have worked tirelessly to establish our new "colony" of wedding industry professionals. And during this 9-month journey, our "Plymouth Rock" has been Sharon Jansen, our WIPA Advisor, who has steadily guided us through the rough waters of forming a new non-profit association.

Our voyage has just begun, but with the spirit of change to inspire us, we come to the table with tremendous gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving and Viva WIPA!

Joyce Scardina Becker, CMP
WIPA Founding Sponsor and President 2008-2009
Events of Distinction

Recession Proof Your Business: How to Ride Out the Turbulence

By Sharon Jansen, Special Event Business Advisors

In a business cycle, a recession traditionally follows a peak in economic growth. Then a recovery, or expansion, slowly emerges before it peaks again. A recession is a temporary situation. Just like a vast ocean, it undulates. Periodic waves are characterized by crests and troughs. How successfully your business rises out of the "trough" depends on the strategies you effectively put into place to navigate the wavelength. It will crest again!

The last two recessions (1990-1991 and 2001-2002) both lasted 8 months, which is comparatively short in duration. The average interval of an entire cycle - from trough to trough - is about five years, with the typical expansion phase being about four times as long as the recession segment.

In a calm sea, running a business is about managing capital. In a recessionary storm, it's about managing cash. Business is still out there to be lured, but you may have to do some deep sea fishing in treacherous waters to catch it. Stock your lifeboat with some of these strategies:

·    Adjust your attitude. Go on an expedition to achieve. While others are looking at the problems, if you search for opportunities you'll not only get through a bad economy, you'll prosper.
·    Revisit your vision statement. Look beyond the trouble to focus on where you were headed before the turmoil. If you can see your destination, you'll get there.
·    Don't sever the ad budget; you'll never have a better chance to gain an edge on the competition and increase market share.
·    A good economy calls for specialization; a weak economy calls for diversification. Diversify into other geographic markets or establish the new division you've been thinking about.
·    If you're small, look at opportunity. Emerging businesses have an advantage over large corporations; they can provide more personalized attention and adapt better to change because they have less inertia.
·    Create a marketing plan to protect your customer base. Survey their needs.
·    Really get to know your customers and help them. Give them business-building ideas or sales leads. Learn about any unmet needs. Now is the time for value added services.
·    Put those customer endorsements to work in a testimonial ad promotion. When people are watching their budgets, reliability and quality count a lot.
·    If you don't have one, institute an electronic newsletter or blog. If you have one, keep it updated.
·    Utilize free & low cost promotions like co-op advertising, press releases and relationship building at association meetings.
·    Pamper your best, most profitable customers. New customers are not usually entering a market in a recession. Focus on people who already know you or you've dealt with before.
·    Tie sales incentives to new OR increased sales. Selling deeper to an existing customer is just as important as a new client.
·    Stimulate add-on or incremental sales to increase the size of smaller orders.
·    Create alliances with associated businesses and competitors. There's strength in numbers. Teams are much more productive than an individual.
·    Identify and concentrate on profitable areas of your business and prune low performers.
·    Check your product/service mix to make sure you're giving the most bang for the buck.
·    Do a break-even or ROI analysis on equipment expenditures before purchasing. If it doesn't pay for itself in an acceptable period, it may not be worth it.
·    Sell assets. If needed, you can always replace them at someone else's going-out-of-business sale. You may also find you don't need all that you had.
·    Persevere to find new sources of capital and defer expenditures where possible.
·    Look at your debt. Can it be restructured at a lower percentage?
·    When is the last time you reviewed utility bills, insurance, rent, bank fees, or taxes?
·    Avoid unnecessary expenses where possible. Can you cut back on office supplies, travel, long distance, ISPs, etc.?
·    Can you consolidate purchases, or combine purchases with other companies, to get lower costs?
·    Simplify your business structure. In maintenance mode you don't need empty square footage for growth. Sublease it or move into less expensive offices.
·    Tighten your credit policies. Don't risk tying up your cash on B customers.
·    Stay on top of aging accounts receivable and resolve disputes quickly to keep cash flowing.
·    Track cash flow. You want the flexibility to seize market share from flailing competitors.
·    Know the profit margin for every product and service you offer. Review your pricing strategy.
·    Keep inventory lean. It's like cash sitting on shelves, going nowhere.
·    Sharpen your negotiating skills to benefit from deals that can be made.
·    Search for ways to do the same work with fewer people. Find equipment that can replace manual processes at a lesser cost.
·    Look to your staff to become more competitive. Mobilize your people to find ways to increase sales or cut costs.
·    Intensify your soft-skills training. Attitude, goals, creativity, presentation and selling skills are essential now. It's time for coaching, support and leadership by example.
·    Set up an advisory board for your company and ask your most talented clients and associates to take an honored seat.
·    Get a different perspective. Invest in your professional development or continued education.
·    Start or join a Mastermind Group to brainstorm tactics and share ideas.
·    Watch trends so you can jump on them first and demonstrate your leadership.
·    Check out new trade and community associations. A different environment will stimulate your right brain.
·    Rejuvenate yourself. Attend a conference or trade show and encourage others in the industry.
·    Enroll in B2B social networking communities like LinkedIn, Ryze, Bluehouse or APSense.
·    Be positive: "Whether you think you can - or you can't - you're right."

Sharon Jansen is a Founding Sponsor & Advisor to WIPA www.SpecialEventBusinessAdvisors.com

Join us for the San Diego / Los Angeles Launch Events

By Patrick McMichael

The Wedding Industry Professionals Association - WIPA, invites you to learn about the benefits of joining this dynamic new association
WIPA Make-Up

Monday, November 17th
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina
1380 Harbor Island Drive
San Diego, CA 92101

Click here to register for the San Diego Event

Tuesday, November 18th WIPA Make-Up
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Fairmont Mirarmar Hotel & Bungalows
101 Wilshire Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Click here to Register for the Los Angeles Event

Enjoy Libations, Edible Art and Clever Conversation
at a Savvy Gathering of California's Best.

Industry News
By Patrick McMichael

The Special Event is the world's largest tradeshow and WIPA Make-Up conference for professionals who produce events (weddings, parties, corporate events, celebrations). Successful event planners must keep up with the latest trends, techniques and products and use their creativity to produce stunning and unique events throughout the year. The Special Event has become a complete resource for event professionals...offering event products and services of over 300 vendors on the exhibit hall floor, a comprehensive education program with over 110 event courses in 8 tracks, and 6 showcasing events that allow attendees to see working models of a world class events.

Click here for more information

Spotlight on WIPA Founding Members
By Carolyn Garcia

We would like to welcome and thank our newest Founding Members and highlight what makes them "Wedding Industry Professionals!"

Molly Kruger - Chef Molly's Culinary Artistry
·    Chef Molly's Culinary Artistry is a full service event catering company with personalized service and all the resources you will need for your events. Her team of dedicated and creative professionals has earned the trust of a diverse set of clients, and gained a reputation for unique, quality design, excellent food and meticulous attention to detail. CMCA's culinary and management teams have designed and produced events ranging from elegant and intimate gatherings to Gala events with over 3000 attendees.

Patricia Gibbons - Patricia Gibbons Floral Designs
·   For 26 years, Patricia has provided floral design services for weddings and events, with an emphasis on Quality, Service and Reliability. Her Designs are based on her clients style and artistic approach to each event. She has lectured, written articles, and participated in Bouquets to Art for 17 years.

Tracey Kumer-Moore - Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge
·   Tracey Kumer-Moore is "Your Las Vegas Wedding Concierge;" a boutique planning firm specializing in weddings and social celebrations. She offers personalized and customized planning, design, and wedding day direction services, to help you celebrate your love and your style...with style!

Ron Hobbs - My Event Book
·   My Event Book is the newest and best concept in online marketing fro Reception Venues and Industry Vendors, while providing Event Planners the search tool they've dreamed of. MEB shows date availability of the venues while listing only "Preferred Vendors" of those facilities and other vendors. A linking of such vendors creates an online networking of the Event Industry. Registration is not required to use the MEB site.

Reverend Clint Hufft - Officiant
·   Reverend Hufft is a Warm, Caring, Non-Denominational Minister. The couple is "hands - on" in the creation of their ceremony. Every detail is discussed. Reverend Hufft's only goal is to help the couple experience a perfect wedding ceremony. He was the Officiant for "Trista & Ryan's Wedding" on ABC TV.