I got my wings!

One of the most joyful things I get out of my work is repeat clients, coordinating your life celebrations, no matter the occasion. I have had the true pleasure of meeting and working with this bride on her wedding and privileged to share in planning her bridal shower, bridal luncheon, and rehearsal dinner as well.

 

I had a moment where this truly wonderful woman, had her father/daughter dance to the same song my father and I danced to, 10 years earlier, almost to the day. Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong. I wasn’t sad, mind you, I was completely overjoyed with the weight and beauty of that moment, for my client, for my memories with my father and for my brides new life as Mrs. Dodd.

 

So, instead of turning into a puddle right there, I took this moment to take a walk outside and around the event space, being sure things were going smooth behind the scenes. When I went outside I saw the 4 year old, ring bearer, named Solomon and his mother. I went to see how they were enjoying themselves, when suddenly bees swarmed from underneath were Sol was playing. He was completely freaked out, as he had been stung by 6 bees.

 

I ran to see if I could find someone with any tobacco. I found a lady who was smoking and asked her for a couple cigarettes to put on the little boys stings. Quickly, I ran back to Sol, his mom and dad and made a paste out of the tobacco adding a little water to it. It seemed that just in applying this to the stings the tears slowed a bit, hopefully relieving him of any pain.

 

Sol’s mom sent me a pair of wings, I had complemented Sol’s red ones at the rehearsal dinner. She sent me orange ones, perfect! And once again the universe is telling me I am in the right place at the right time, able to help with a trick I learned from my dad. He had done the same to me when I was a kid. Sweet, I earned my wings!

 

Getting A Handle, On Your Handle

I have learned the in’s and out’s of Facebook through research, trial, and error. In having mentored my friends and clients on the ways of social media for some time now, I realized I may be able to offer a fresh perspective. Here are a few tips that stand out that I would like to share with my social media clients and Eventrepreneurs alike. https://www.facebook.com/groups/eventrepreneurs/

Firstly, knowledge is power. To identify your audience and post relevant content you must first understand page insights and do research accordingly. When you notice a spike in your insights you must look to see what you posted each time. I believe simply in paying the necessary time to understand your audience you too will improve your reach. Take the time to review this insights guide: http://ads.ak.facebook.com/ads/FacebookAds/Page_Insights_Guide.pdf

In the last months a lot of my new fans are coming by way of Pinterest. http://pinterest.com/jparkevents/ The growth of Pinterest is pretty amazing and the usefulness of this tool is well worth exploring in a post all it’s own. Just to be clear, the beauty and success of this website is due to the sites ability to maintain each pins content and original source, so when we share our pins we need to link them properly. By adding a Pinterest Tab to my Facebook page I have been able to see my followers become fans. Here is a link showing how to add the tab: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX7KmfIQCRA&feature=youtube_gdata_player&fb_source=message

Be sure your posts have succinct content. Be brief, and to the point, with no wasted words; using 200 characters or less. Give your audience useful content that adds value to their day. If you are posting status updates of more than 200 characters, surely you can spend a bit more time and make it a proper blog post instead.

Give your Facebook fans exclusive information. Posting real time images or content of events we are organizing is one great way to engage our audience. First peek albums and other exclusive content will also help grow your reach.

Be consistent and post with regularity. This allows for you to engage with the same people and keep your product or service forefront in their minds. I often compare Facebook with fishing. You put various content out there and wait to see who bites. If you, post again immediately, without allowing your audience to engage, you may as well save your post altogether. This is a great article on Social Reputation: http://www.taskrabbit.com/blog/community/the-role-and-future-of-social-reputation/

We are a visual people so it’s no surprise photos & videos continue to rank highest in interest. I would recommend you take pictures & video with both your business and audience in mind, posting them when you need content. I highly endorse Instagram for photo sharing. It is a fun way to edit images giving them a nice cohesive look without taking away from the professional images you will hopefully also be receiving.

Ask Questions and engage fans. Asking for your fans opinion is a great way to bring them into the discussion. We love feeling like we have aided in the successes of our peers and the businesses that we support. Take advantage of the {ask questions} feature and pose real questions that will help in better identifying your audience.

The biggest tip I can offer is be patient and positive. Realize that when you sort it all out, it will likely change. Be open to learning new ways to be creative with the ways you engage your fans. Have a consistent message and offer content based on these 3 things; Is it timely? Is it valuable? Is it positive? Happy posting!

Engagement Party Turned Surprise Wedding

Hard to believe it has been a whole year as of April 10 since my friends, Devon & Nalicia got married. I was hired by Nalicia to coordinate a dessert table for her intimate backyard engagement party, little did I know that my friends had planned to marry that night the whole time! I am not sure anyone who attended the party, knew it would become the sweetest surprise wedding we would witness for a long time, if ever.

Everyone was completely touched by the truly romantic nature of the surprise, an hour into the party, Nalicia came out in her wedding dress, a stunning ethereal/bohemian dress with a lovely bustle, that a friend handmade for her. Her handsome groom, also in white awaits as she walks down the aisle.

Little did Nalicia know, we had a little surprise ourselves, in designing the dessert bar to really show this, shall we say, adventurous couples personalities, we custom made the little trees with hearts dremeled into them as well as designed the cake with snowflakes that matched Nalicias tattoo almost exactly.

Happy one year anniversary, Devon & Nalicia Allio! It was truly an honor to be a part of such an incredible celebration,  wishing you so much goodness and adventure, the two of you are few and far between! Photos courtesy of Cristy Lee Photography

https://www.facebook.com/cleephotographer?ref=ts

17 Years In Intermission

 

I was just a kid when I began my work at Cafe Intermezzo, working my way up from busser, bar manager, to supervisor, event coordinator & ultimately management. During the 17 years I worked at Cafe Intermezzo, I also held other management postions in retail. I assisted the manager of Canyon, a high end retail store in, Phipps Plaza as well as managing Godiva Chocolatier in Lenox Square.

I have always had a strong work ethic and have been a spirited entrepreneur at heart since I first began working. Over each holiday season I have made a number of different companies holiday cards with my sister company The Jess Press. The Jess Press allows for me to take your events to whole new heights, adding personalization & design details that will leave a lasting mark.

When I was growing up, my mother was a huge force in PR & marketing in the Atlanta area. I grew up in this industry; it is in my blood to use what I have learned from my mother & my working knowledge with Cafe Intermezzo. I have catered coffee & dessert for Atlanta for 17 years, now making it possible to do the same for you in your homes & businesses for celebrations & client appreciations of all kinds.
Certified Bartender*Certified Event Coordinator*17 years as a Certified Barista

Allow us to put together the event you have been dreaming of. Contact me today!

JPark Events Launch

Jessica Park C.E.C. Certified Event Coordinator & Creative Director at JPark Events. Partnering with local talent to put together your event & is always up for an event design challenge. Bringing together only the best in event design using our highly experienced team of professionals.

Stay tuned for some exciting news on upcoming events we are working on & are super excited about.

Hello world!

Welcome to my very first blog. I am just testing things out but look forward to sharing my new lifes work & the stories that will deliver an interesting read. I worked for 17 years at Cafe Intermezzo & gained much know how in a high volume coffeehouse which has become an institution here in Atlanta. Ready for something all my own I must shine on & I will, you’ll see.