Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Announcing engage!09 :: the encore - a luxury wedding business intensive

{click on image to enlarge and actually read!}

Based on the incredible feedback we have received over the past year from attendees and speakers alike from all 3 previous engage events, we have created something a bit different and unique. We are offering what has been a resounding: "more, more, more" of some of the highest rated aspects of the first events.

I like to say we were at the 30,000 foot level for our previous programs and this 'encore' event will now 'land the plane.' It will focus on the key takeaways from past events :: personal development & business development blended with the 'inspired networking' that engage has come to be known for. That is why we are carefully terming it "a luxury wedding business intensive."

We are busy at work 'behind the scenes' planning for an over-the-top, A-list speaker packed engage!10 event very late next spring and will announce dates, location and details in the months to come but the demand for us to ::

1. bring an event to the West Coast before then

and

2. to take a deeper dive into some of the pressing and important issues facing your businesses today in an intimate but inspiring setting - alongside the best of the best like-minded wedding industry peers has inspired us to create this special encore opportunity.

The programs will feature more in-depth and highly interactive sessions with engage-alums myself, Sean Low and Simon T. Bailey along with a candid and refreshing luncheon discussion with eventiste {and now wedding blogging diva} Marcy Blum.

In addition, we also cannot wait to share with you the incredible talent of Todd-Avery Lenahan of ABA Las Vegas...the brilliant design mind behind the WYNN Resorts interiors and many, many other inspired places around the globe! A long-time friend of Kathryn and mine, he is sure to wow and inspire with a totally unique perspective of the business of design. We are thrilled and honored that he has agreed to join us!

Of course, many other fabulous & engaging surprises are in store. The official website will launch on 8.07.09 with official registration opening 8.14.09 at 9am est so stay tuned to Twitter and this blog for all the details! In order to keep this intensive event intimate and impactful, we are limiting to only 100 attendees.

Hope to see many of old friends & new in Vegas in a few short months!!!

Friday, July 10, 2009

engage!09 :: something blue in Grand Cayman - Our View


Where to even BEGIN? Honestly, the latest engage! event in Grand Cayman
[ engage!09 :: something blue ] was such an amazing success because of every single person who came together to speak, attend, partner and well, 'engage!!!'

This wedding industry that we are so privileged to be part of continues to awe and inspire on every level. We had {175} awesome wedding professionals join us from 27 states and 9 countries representing all aspects of the luxury wedding industry.

There were wedding designers, stylists, planners, photographers,travel industry executives, jewelers, artists, invitation designers, authors, editors, fashion directors, advertising and PR executives, television producers {& stars!}, 5-star resorts, online media experts, wedding cake designers and list goes on and on! The *magic* was that everyone came together with open minds and open hearts to connect with each other in meaningful ways -- to inspire each other, and, as more than one person said to me - to learn about themselves.

We are all so connected by this incredible industry and while social media has allowed many of us to get to know each other in an unprecedented fashion in the past few years through blogs, twitter, facebook and more - NOTHING can take the place of connecting and 'engaging' in person. Nothing.

There are so many moments to share - I have no idea where to begin!! So, think I will link to just some of the amazing 'round-up' blog posts from many of the attendees so you can hear directly from those that experienced the event. See the bottom of the post for links to many of them!!!

Here is the link to the fun slideshow recap that Donna von Bruening {a 3-time 'engagee'} put together for us just days after our return ::


I also put together a sort of behind-the-scenes view and commentary of the event on Facebook and have included a public link to that gallery here ::


For now - from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank every one of the amazing speakers, partners and attendees who believed in us and came together to make this event what it was...something very special and meaningful on many levels. Powerful, actually.

Most especially I want to thank my Kathryn. For positively every. single. thing. She is...brilliant. None of this would have happened without her. I am forever grateful and so honored to work beside her.

Much, much more to follow!!!

xoxoxo, Rebecca

:: Just a sampling of Post-engage!09 Blog Posts ::























News Article: The Cayman Compass