Mindy Weiss, founder of Mindy Weiss Party Consultants, shares how she adds a personal touch to corporate events and helps brands stand out in their industry.
How does your approach differ when planning a corporate event versus a personal celebration?
When I’m planning a corporate event, I try to make it more personal than expected so that the guests feel a sense of surprise and wonder. I want all my corporate events to feel warm and inviting and not what might be expected when you think of something corporate.
I work really hard to represent the company being showcased while also leaving guests with a great experience. I approach it similarly to how I plan social events. Just because it’s for a business doesn’t mean the event has to feel business-like to be successful. The warmer the gathering feels, the more relaxed people are, and the more they will remember it.
How has your experience working with high-profile clients improved your event planning skills?
Working with high-profile clients is very similar to working with all other types of clients. They want a great experience and wonderful memories, and they want to feel like they don’t have to stress about planning anything. In those ways, they are just like other clients. One difference that does come up is how little free time they have for meetings and back-and-forth. This has taught me to be extremely concise and get as much done as I can with a smaller amount of time. That means prep and organization are key. I need to be laser-focused to accomplish all of our goals in a meeting.
What are some of the biggest trends you’re seeing in corporate event planning right now? How do these trends reflect the current needs of brands and businesses?
Right now, corporate brands are very interested in providing a unique and memorable guest experience. They want their events to be talked about. They want guests to leave with information in addition to memories. It’s not about sitting and taking notes. There’s a way to present a corporate event that is still a learning experience while simultaneously being fun and interesting. The goal is to keep guests engaged by surprising them with a new and different approach.
Brands and businesses need to be memorable. Presenting their brand, logo, message, and objectives in a more modern way really gets attention. The trend is less in the guests’ faces but it stands out even more. We take an artful approach to this. Art and creativity are a big part of branding today and thus a big part of a party, too. Whether that’s a name made out of lights or a name hidden within the props, it’s something to be talked about. Think 3D messages — nothing is flat anymore. We use lighting and unique materials to make a big impact. Sometimes we’ll sneak the brand name into the table that guests are eating on or embroider the logo into a napkin. Gone are the days of the popup posters in the foyer. Now we focus on more interesting ways to remember what you’re celebrating.
What’s one of the most challenging corporate events you’ve ever planned, and what did you learn from that experience that you apply to future projects?
We produced a corporate event for DICK’S Sporting Goods, and we needed to really put the name out there. They wanted it to be whimsical and unexpected, so I proposed that we hang all their boxes from the ceiling like they were flying off of a computer. It opened their eyes to so many other possibilities. I learned that using the things that actually exist in the company’s day-to-day — like branded shipping boxes or the company’s products, presented in inventive and different ways — helps guests remember the experience, and thus, the brand. Guests recognize the item but they’ve never seen it in that capacity before, so it gets talked about.
Given your success, what advice would you give to event planners who are just starting out?
You have to have patience. It took me 10 years to get noticed and break through. Success doesn’t happen overnight. Have patience, love what you do, and have fun. If you don’t love it, you won’t be up for the challenge.
The best part about this job is that it’s ever-changing — each event is a new client, a new color, a new idea. We don’t get stuck repeating our jobs every day, and that’s exciting to always be creating, but it takes time. Enjoy the process. Have kindness, focus on your ability to listen, and realize that this is our client’s event, this is their dream. They’ve hired us to add to their dream, not take it away. Always remember that. Sometimes I don’t love the idea, but I always love when the client gets what they want…even if I put my spin on it.
