how to take your business to the next level

As a longtime fan, student, and advisory board member of The Wedding and Event Institute, it is such a thrill to share this incredible opportunity for wedding professionals with you here today! The Refine Workshop is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that adds not just a single tool, but an entire tool belt to your business and will give you what you need to take your business to the next level.

WHAT IS IT:

The REFINE Workshop is a degree level program combining both formal online training with an intensive hands-on workshop and is the first of its kind to offer both aspects. The program is designed for aspiring and novice wedding planners who want tangible tools and solid takeaways to improve and grow their businesses.

Designed for wedding planners with less than five years in the industry seeking to start or restart their businesses correctly, Director of Wedding Education Alison Howard, leads the hands-on workshop providing attendees with all the tools, templates, and procedures that she personally developed and uses in her own wedding planning company, Alison Howard Events.

In addition to the workshop there is also an online component, which has been developed over a number of years by the course specialists at the Wedding and Event Institute and has been given the formal ISES tick of approval. This segment can be completed either before or after attending the workshop.

WHO WILL BE THERE:

Guest speakers include Christopher Confero an inspired lighting, graphic and floral designer, deemed by The Knot founder Carley Roney as the “talk of the south,” with more to be announced over the next week.

WHEN IS IT:

Two more dates for 2014:

Dallas – 29-30 September 2014
New York – 15-16 October 2014

WHAT WILL BE COVERED:

Workshop Component

Day 1 – Sales and Marketing

– Identifying Your Target Market
– The Power of Branding
– Selling Your Services
– Using Social Media
– The Pricing Point
– Using Video within Your Marketing
– Blogging as a Marketing Tool
– Selling to Millennials
– Building Effective Networks

Day 2 – Working With Clients

– The Alison Howard Wedding Planning Process
– The Client Experience
– Understanding Your Client
– Responding to Inquiries
– Email Tips & Strategies
– Life/Work Balance
– Conducting Consultations
– Coordinating a Wedding Rehearsal

Online Component

– Trend-Spotting and Setting your Wedding Business Apart
– The Secret of Successful Styled Shoots
– Harnessing Inspiration & Using Story Boards
– The Psychology of Color in Weddings
– Branding Your Wedding Business
– The Business of Blogging
– Setting Up A Social Media Strategy in the Wedding Industry
– Getting Published and Maximizing PR
– Pricing Your Services
– The Mindset of Selling to Wedding Clients