The National Gay Wedding Association's Virtual Inclusive Awareness Conference is coming up on January 5, 2022 (featuring some of WIPA's very own). The NGWA is happy to announce special partner pricing for members of The Wedding International Professionals Association! We are offering a Conference + Membership Bundle for $395. This bundle will provide you with 1 year of membership in the NGWA and 1 ticket to the virtual Inclusive Awareness Conference.
The Wedding International Professionals Association (WIPA) and Allseated are pleased to announce a partnership to develop planning resources in preparation for reopening the events industry in a post-pandemic landscape.
Happy April and welcome to Springtime, everyone! Kristen Seaholm here, your WIPA San Francisco Bay Area President, serving the greater Northern California region. We have had a lot of statewide updates over the past couple of weeks so let’s go ahead and chat about those real quick. As you may already be aware, on April 2nd, Governor Newsom finally released tiered event guidelines. If you have not already reviewed these, please refer to the link within my transcript, as this will be an incredibly helpful tool as we all begin to safely reopen for events.
To then follow that welcomed update, about a week later, Governor Newsom also announced a goal of fully reopening the state of California by June 15th, assuming we keep along the current trajectory. Now, as exciting as this is, we must remember that this does not mean that events are reopening to pre-covid times. Quite the contrary, actually. If anything, the current misleading messaging is only going to make it harder on each and every one of us when communicating to our clients about covid-safe system and procedures for their upcoming event, as we will be the only line of defense in incorporating these safe practices. I encourage you all to mentally prepare yourselves now as the onslaught of inquiries begin rolling in. And again, I highly encourage you to refer to the tiered blueprint I mentioned above, to help guide you in best practices.
WIPA MEMBERS, join The National Society of Black Wedding & Event Professionals on April 22nd at 5pm for the webinar "Back to Business, Part 1 with @CROWDPASS...
Working in the wedding and events industry involves crossing paths with many different personalities. On one hand, you’ll find creative partners that seem to get you and your thought process instantly. On the other hand, you’ll also find those who you have to work a little harder to get on the same page.
Hello, Everyone! And welcome back for another round of What’s Up With WIPA and the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, serving the greater Northern California region. I am your president, Kristen Seaholm, and we have a lot to cover this month, so let’s jump right in.
Revisiting: Moving Beyond Racial Bias in the Wedding Industry
A Recap from Bron Hansboro “Moving the Race Needle Forward”
Ah, boundaries. It’s one of the stickier subjects in life, both in personal and professional aspects. While they’re absolutely necessary for preserving your sanity, it can be a difficult line to draw when you know it’s possible that it could disappoint others.
Live parties are back...well, sort of. In Utah, we’ve seen our fair share of in-person weddings recently. If a couple didn’t postpone their wedding to 2021 (most did), eager hosts threw an end-of-summer or fall celebration. Sure, they were smaller in size, but not all were smaller in budget or style.
There is a lot of value to be had from paid directories but oftentimes seeing success from your directory investments can feel elusive and even frustrating. As with any marketing tactic, it requires your time and effort to maximize its impact. While directories can work for most businesses, it’s important to understand whether it’s the right time to join and, of course, you need to find the best directory to fit your needs.
In times of crisis, our network is one of the most valuable resources we have to lean on. As a member of an industry association, your network goes further and deeper with wedding professionals across the industry, especially in your local chapter.
Technology is always changing to offer new solutions and alternatives to increase efficiency and productivity. While it can seem overwhelming to keep up with all the digital tools available, it doesn’t take long for us to feel dated and behind-the-times if we’re not evolving alongside the technology market.
An inbox full of inquiries is never a bad thing, but it can quickly feel overwhelming when each of them is on a deadline. In modern society, we've seen a shift in consumer behavior that shows that buyers are doing extensive research on purchasing decisions, and they're quick to skip over any company that doesn't reach them on their level.
Things have gotten tricky for those in the throes of wedding planning, as the spread of Coronavirus has companies shuttering their doors temporarily and people are asked to self-isolate at home. For an industry that thrives on face-to-face interactions, the special events industry has been hit especially hard by this crisis.
It’s no secret that we’re all in the same boat of looking ahead (cautiously so) once the fog of COVID-19 clears. But a lot of you, not unlike myself, may be thinking: how can we really plan our next steps when there’s seemingly no end in sight?
