I am still learning about Blogging. Part of the fun for me is that it is a great way to share information.
In today’s blog I want to share with you my interview with Cameron Fox, owner of iEntertainment and possibly the best networker I have ever known. Cameron’s title could also be Relationship Specialist, because he is so great at establishing and keeping relationships with clients, event guests and with industry vendors. Cameron prides himself on creating an atmosphere that recognizes the mood of your guests and exceeds their expectations.
Please Read On
What is the first thing you tell a client when they come to you?
That choosing your wedding vendors in any category is a personal decision that no one else can make for you. But even though it is personal – you need to take time to research your vendors. There are three things you need to ask every vendor for:
Proof of Insurance: When a bride signs an agreement with a venue she isn’t just signing for herself. She is signing for all of her guests and her vendors. DJ’s can do a lot of damage to a venue. If you don’t use tape to cover power cables you can cause a tripping hazard that a guest or banquet server can trip and hurt themselves. Using the wrong tape can pull the finish off floors or permanently damage carpet. Overloading a wall circuit can easily cause an electrical fire. The vendors do not sign anything when coming into a venue. So if these things happen – the venue will come after the client who signed the agreement – not the vendor. So make sure your vendors carry at least a one million dollar liability insurance policy. It protects the bride from her vendors.
References: Hotels and country clubs see between 70 and 120 weddings in a year. They see nearly every vendor in the industry at some point. Their references are worth their weight in gold. Ask any vendor for three to five venue references. Then e-mail those references. Even if you are not having your reception at that venue – a catering sales person will give you an honest opinion. Don’t trust the reviews on a vendor’s website or even on The Knot or Wedding Wire. You don’t know the relationship between the vendor and the bride. It could be a sister, a cousin, or a co-worker. Venue catering people a safe neutral source that you can trust.
Face-to-Face Meetings: In the DJ area there are several ‘bait and switch’ companies operating. A sales person will tell you what you want to hear and then you don’t meet your DJ until the day of your wedding. Stressful. Insist on a face-to-face meeting or don’t choose that company. It’s that easy.
The biggest trends of 2014 you are seeing…
Short lead times. Brides are taking their planning process from 15 months to 5 months. Can you plan a wedding in 5 months? Sure. But you are cheating yourself of being a Princess. You are cheating yourself out of the journey. That’s what a wedding is. It isn’t one day in May or June. It’s the 12 to 15 months of having showers, choosing invitation designs, tasting cakes, and playing with design patterns and floral arrangements that makes the journey fun. You are the focus in a lot of lives from the moment you say ‘yes’ and that ring goes on your finger until you hop in the limo at the end of the reception and head off to your honeymoon. Don’t cheat yourself from the experience by trying to plan everything in 5 months.
Your perfect entertainment scenario…
When a brides trusts me to take care of her and read her crowd. People don’t realize that you can play between 60 and 70 songs in a four hour period. The biggest fear of a bride is that the DJ is going to play something she hates – so she micromanages a play list of things she wants to hear. Sadly, what we listen to in our car doesn’t always work on a dance floor. Start a ‘do not play list’ instead of a ‘play list’. Tell your DJ what you hate so they will stay away from that. Let them read your crowd and find what works for your guests. You ultimately want them to have a good time. If your guests are happy – you’ll be happy.
What is the best part of your job? What inspires you and/or your team?
At the end of the reception my bride and groom walk up to me and hug me and tell me that they had the best night of their lives and I helped to make it perfect. At this writing I’ve DJ’d 644 weddings. Not my company, not my other DJ’s – me personally. And there is nothing better than to feel the love radiating off a bride after a perfect reception. Nothing.
Do you take into consideration the other vendors and what is happening for the event when creating a plan?
You have to. During a reception the front part of the night is dominated by catering. Someone is preparing food for dozens of people. Prep times, food temp, and banquet servers getting that food to guests is key. A photographer taking too long at the Chapel by taking too long to take family pictures can throw off an entire reception. A DJ not coordinating with the photographer / videographer and asking them where they want the couple to stand during toasting or where they want the bride to throw the bouquet from is important. When your vendors (venue / entertainment/ photographer / etc) have all worked together before – that’s a good thing. They know how the other works and that only makes your reception come together in your favor.
Tell us about your other ventures in the industry and how networking works for you, or doesn’t
Industry Organizations I Love:
Meeting Planners International
Society of Wedding Professionals
International Society for Event Specialists
National Association of Catering and Events
Association of Wedding Professionals
Perfect Wedding Guild
June Weddings Inc.
If this resume shows anything – I believe in a strong event industry. I believe there is a place for every organization. The point is – you out of the industry what you put into it. It’s a tired old phrase but I can attribute tens of thousands of dollars in sales to nearly every organization I’m a member of. Networking isn’t just to find clients – it’s to connect with them without selling them. It’s to just hang out with like minded people. It’s to relax and not just be on the job. It’s to learn and grow as a professional. It’s all of these things and more.
Any tips for the perfect party or event?
Trust your vendors. They have done more events than you have. They have seen and done more in the industry than you have. Let them be your guide and trust their opinion. You hired them to take care of you. That’s what they want to do. They built a company around taking care of clients. If you don’t have that level of trust – then don’t hire them. But yourself in their care and you’ll be glad you did.
