Welcome to The Club!

Last Thursday, I attended Best Events Live, which was a networking reception and educational panel discussion. It was held at NYIT's Auditorium on Broadway, and started off with hors d'oeuvres and a cocktail hour, which allowed for mingling and networking. Networking is networking is networking, so I really won't get into that. My favorite part was the panel discussion. But first, let me give you the specifics.

The discussion was focused around the theme of "Trends & Tips: What's Up, What's Now", and the three panelists were Amy Kule, Group VP of Special Events, Macy's; Molly McCooey, Director or Event Marketing, J. Crew; and Sara Shenasky, Promotion & Event Director, The Wall Street Journal.

Here are some interesting tidbits that I took from the discussion:

• Social media is still a matter of debate: Interestingly, Amy and Molly weren't big fans of social media. Molly admitted to being a bit slow on Twitter but said that it "is great for outreach because J. Crew is about a lifestyle and not just clothes." Amy wasn't "sold" on Twitter or Facebook herself, and didn't feel that there were any measurable results to prove that it works in acquiring or retaining customers.
• I found this to be surprising, because social media is the big thing right now. On the other hand, I also agreed with their viewpoints. I often feel like most companies are a part of the Twitter movement just because everyone else is. When I look at companies (and people) who tweet every few minutes, I often wonder what purpose those tweets serve, and whether it's doing them more harm than good. Honestly, when I see back-to-back tweets on my timeline, they get the same reaction as when I'm bombarded by annoying television commercials: they get ignored. To me, tweets have to be relevant--and that's the only way that they can be successful. Sending out a bunch at a time doesn't mean anything to me.

• It's all about who you know: Connections are everything. Whether times are tough or you just need a favor, you often have to rely on the relationships you've made in the past. It's very important to make and keep connections, because these relationships can take you very far. You never know who you may meet through a common acquaintance, and you never know when their expertise may come in handy.

• Never underestimate the power of events: Sometimes an event has more of an effect on people's choices than advertising. Today's event planners are creating smarter, more targeted events and are doing more with less. As an event planner, you must learn to adjust with the times, make do with what resources you have, and still create an amazing event.

• "We're not saving lives": While planning events is very serious business, and requires a lot of hard work, it is still something fun! You must enjoy doing it, and remember that it's about creativity!

What I enjoyed the most about the discussion panel was that I was surrounded by experienced event professionals, who were willing to talk and share. I felt like I was part of some secret underground club, and I loved it! I had access to wonderful people, who could provide great insight into the event planning world. But, it also got me thinking about other newbie event planners out there. Did they know about events like this? If not, how could they find such events? After all, I only knew about it because I attended the Best Events Expo in March.

So, what's today's lesson? You've got to get out there! Event planning is a very hard industry to break into, and there's no one way to go about it. My best advice to you (and to myself) is to get involved, and stay involved. RSVP'ing and attending one event can put you on a mailing list to stay informed about other events, and it continues from there. It's no secret. The opportunities are out there, you've just got to look for them.