October ushers in an extended season of gathering for many of us. From neighborhood trick-or-treat festivities, family Thanksgiving meals to large holiday galas… this time of year offers so many opportunities to gather in groups.
Have you made plans for how you will gather safely this season?
In this issue, I’ll share with you what I’ve learned from experience over these last (almost) two years and I can’t wait to share details on some of the great events I’ve planned for wonderful hosts.
Don’t Drop Your Guard! Stay Safe with these Common Sense Guidelines
As we start out this holiday season it’s a good idea to think well in advance how you want to feed the people who gather to celebrate with you.
One of the safest options is a professionally prepared meal served in your home or business.
While there are plenty of caterers and restaurants preparing food for takeout, not so many will have plans or the staff to serve a catered meal on a holiday. And if they do, they may not have the capacity for what will surely be increased demand.
This means part of your planning needs to include taking delivery of the food early, making space for food storage and then prepping and reheating it for the big event.
Of course, food storage and food prep would be on the menu if you were preparing your own food. Imagine spending more of that time with your guests, family, and friends.
Even with restrictions lifting, many are still concerned about safety. If this is a concern, you can always plan an outdoor event or meal. This is especially helpful if you are bringing multiple families or a large group of employees or clients together. It’s a great way to provide enough space for everyone and it’s easy to find fun outdoor activities to entertain the whole family.
Another option is to arrange multiple dining setups spread out indoors to allow for social distancing. You can even go with a hybrid of the two which is a great idea for adding even more space to allow for social distancing.
Along with safe dining, it’s a great idea to have a fresh supply of masks for those who still feel vulnerable.
However you choose to celebrate, we hope you have a joyful gathering filled with good food and plenty of catching up with the people who are important to you – whether it’s family or business associates.
It was an Honor to be Part of the Girlfriends Weekend Celebration Team
The Girl Friends®, Incorporated is one of the oldest and most highly respected social organizations of African American women in the United States. Their new chapter 48 reached out to Aurice Guyton Events to help them plan their celebration weekend for their members to be held September 3-5 of this year.
The responsibilities we were tasked with included:
- Event website creation and maintenance through event day
- Eventbrite registration-setup and monitor
- Vendor management including the photographer, florist, movers/haulers, caterers, and the band
- Managed insurance requirements for hotel from vendors
- Monitored room block to ensure rooms didn’t fall short of reserved
One of the highlights was seeing the logo flower wall take shape. I contracted my regular fabricator to design the logo that was installed on the flower wall.
The fourth annual Stocks and Stilettos Summit in Las Vegas, NV at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel
This is the second Stocks and Stilettos Summit that Aurice Guyton Events has organized. This year’s event was held from September 30 – Oct 2 and it was an event to remember.
The Waldorf Astoria in Las Vegas is a stunning venue for a powerful, yet elegant event.
For this event, The AGE team was tasked with:
- Procuring SWAG for swag bags
- Over the years, I have developed relationships with Public Relations Firms and Marketing companies. These firms are constantly looking for events and organizations to partner with to promote their clients’ brands with either sponsorship or in-kind donations. I was able to acquire high quality gift items from 6 companies to include in the SWAG bags given to each attendee.
- Managing speakers
- When planning conferences and workshops, speaker logistics is often an afterthought. It is important to understand and manage the needs of the speakers including their travel schedules, audio visual requirements, payment of honorariums or fees, and all other tasks required to facilitate the speaker’s presence at your event. Our team handled all of the details required to make this a pleasant experience for the speakers
- Acquiring signage and banners
- Visibility is key for the success of any event. Our team made sure there is proper signage within the venue and worked with the printer to ensure the clients needs were met
- Securing and Managing vendors including the photographer, videographer, printer for signage and banners, and the entertainment (saxophonists)
- Managing vendors can add so many tasks to your list that the overwhelm will set in quickly. Our team managed contracts, payments, arrival times, printing, and requirements from the venue
