Event Planning Bestie Show – Details, episodes & analysis

Episode 22 and the spotlight is on..corporate events. Specifically, the master of them in Dwayne Rutherford, award-winning and CEO of Debonair Corporate Events with over two decades of management expertise.

With a career spanning from community organizing to curating elite events for celebrities like Jamie Foxx and Denzel Washington, Dwayne has been on both sides of the corporate event planning fence.

In this episode we talk about creating a niche lane in the industry, what's on the horizon, incorporating AI and that one thing we all think when it comes to corporate events.

PS: We're doing a slight rebrand of the pod, learn why in the next episode. See you in 2 weeks! ;)

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Episode 21 and the spotlight is on an event that doesn't need any further spotlights: The Met Gala.

Held on the first Monday in May, this episode breaks down the event from it's humble $50 a ticket days, reviews the documentary First Monday in May and all the details about the event that you need to know before getting glammed up to watch the most famous red carpet event from your couch.  

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Episode twelve, the spotlight is on... my top 4 biggest event pet peeves. These are the things I am not-so-silently judging your event on, sometimes before I even walk in the door. And if I'm doing it, so are your actual and potential guests. 

From not knowing why, not having a budget , quoting Beyoncé, offering social media posts as exposure, and this new trend of not feeding people - here are some of the reasons why your event might not be selling and how to avoid biting off more you can chew.

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Episode eleven, the spotlight is on... the ball drop heard around the world!

If you haven't heard about the event (or lack thereof) that went viral last week, we're dropping this week's edition of the podcast early to catch you up on all the not-so-British tea.

You've heard of Fyre Fest. You've seen Willy Wonka gone wrong, next up in the event fail hall of fame is the (unlicensed and unofficial) Bridgerton Ball. 

I’ll be guiding you through the who the players are, the timeline with twists and turns, what guests were supposed to get and how this could all go from comically bad to legally worse for the event promoters. 

Sources:
BBC, Detroit Free Press, NY Times, Teen Vogue, Reddit & Twitter

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Episode ten, the spotlight is on... parents as event guests! 

We'll talk about what current and future event planner people need to think about parents when planning their events. 

From making sure your venue meets their specific needs, to broadening your views on who parents even are (breaking news, papas are parents too) and we clear the air on kids at weddings once and for all (or until the next situation goes viral on TikTok).

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Episode nine, the spotlight is on...more event stories that had gotten the people going in the last 30 days.

From the triumph of the Paris Olympics to film festival season to couples charging wedding guests an admission fee, events from great to small are definitely in full swing.

With about 95% of the venues used during the Paris Olympics in existence prior to the city’s winning bid to host the Games, it set a new standard for reduce, reuse and recycle. 

And what's up with this new trend of charging wedding guests admissions like it's a Beyonce concert? I am in total confusion and don't pull any punches with my feelings about it. 

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Episode eight, the spotlight is on...the event component that literally lasts a lifetime...photography!

We sat down with Samantha Clarke who left the world of law to pursue photography 15 years ago. Samantha's commitment to excellence and undeniable talent have earned her recognition as one of America's top photographers by BRIDES Magazine two years in a row. 

In this episode, we talk the questions you should ask before you hire a wedding/event photographer, why photoshop is a pet peeve (and not in the way you think), that AI is not the villain we thought it was, bras and unbaked cookies? 

We also finally get a professional's opinion about the #SepiaBride debacle once and for all. 

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Episode seven, the spotlight is on...one of the most important event components - the music!

We sit down with seasoned event, club and corporate event DJ Lissa Monet, a 6x award-winning female DJ based in Toronto with over 15+ years of rocking nightclubs and corporate events around the world. In 2016 she DJed Beyoncé's Formation World Tour VIP events in Toronto and Detroit. (Does this make me 2 degrees of separation from Beyoncé???)

She also co-founded LUXELIFE SOUND, an all-female DJ boutique agency where amazing female DJs are placed at exclusive private and corporate gigs across North America. She is also the creator of THAT SLOW JAM PARTY, Toronto's first-ever all-slow jam party.

We talk what clients AND guests should know, how DJing has changed since the days of hauling milk crates with vinyl records, pet peeves and what the alt title of the podcast might have been.

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Episode six, the spotlight is on...event stories that have gone viral on the internet!

From The Sepia Bride (the filter OG Instagram users used to love to hate/hate to love), to slave ships at weddings, we're covering stories that got the Reddits and comment section on TikTok going!

I even pull in an extra special guest to validate why parents don't need to break the bank on kids birthday parties. (Hint, he lives in my house rent free...literally) and the newest trend of no tech zones at weddings. 

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Episode five, the spotlight is on...virtual events. 

When the pandemic hit, the world was forced into virtual galas, summits and everything else in between. Now just four years later, and everyone officially 'zoomed out', we're chatting with Dionne Bishop, CEO & Event Strategist of Events By Dionne to see if they are staying in the rearview of history, why hybrid is here to stay (in our veteran opinions) and why virtual events aren't easier and cheaper to produce. 

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