January 2012 - Portland, Oregon 
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| Calendar of Events | |
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Educational Meeting
The Oregon Golf Club
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The Art of Weddings
Pure Space
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Bravo! Wedding Affair
Embassy Suites Portland Downtown
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
**Special date!**
Educational/Networking Meeting
The Cleaners at The Ace Hotel
Join Wedding Network Now!
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| Greetings! |
Locally gathered statistics show that 2012 is going to be better than 2011 and 2010! This is a very simple survey I have conducted over the past month asking our members how their bookings are looking. About 87% of you have better numbers on the books already for 2012 than this year. For some of you, not the case. If you are in that 13% of my survey, maybe it is time to re-evaluate your marketing strategy for next year.
A recent discussion with a small group of wedding pros, started the conversation of career #'s. While we are all thrilled to have a great track record and serious longevity in the industry, this isn't what the current bride wants to hear. At Wedding MBA we also heard some comments about talking about your current skills, abilities and not what you have done in the past. The reminder that "every year you are getting older, and the Bride is not", should hammer home the point that everything you are doing in your market has to be relevant to today's bride.
For your upcoming bridal shows, consider having a past bride or couple of yours working in your space. Sure you can be there in the background, afterall you are who they are hiring, but let the younger bride make that initial connection. They can sell you better than you can sell yourself. Take a hard look at your marketing materials, have your past clients, younger employees and friends take a look and listen to what they have to say.
Let 2012 be a year of prosperity for all of us. To help you do that, take the step out of your comfort zone; try something new, recreate your packages, spruce up your logo, and maybe even yourself. Being complacent will not work, you must be current and in the mind set for success. It is out there waiting for you!
Chérie Ronning, President Email |
| Meeting Details |
Please join us for WNUSA Portland's first meeting of 2012! Plan for lots of great networking, some fun (surprise) team building, and a presentation from Maureen Haley on finding your niche in today's saturated wedding industry. Obtain some great tools for setting yourself apart from the others and making your mark with prospective clients and your peers. Let's get this New Year started off right!
Oregon Golf Club has generously offered to host this month's meeting and will be providing this fabulous menu: -One Drink Ticket per guest good for signature cocktail, wine or beer
-Brie and Pear Quesadilla
-Chilled Prawn Cocktail Shot
-Seared Beef Tenderloin with Gorgonzola on a toasted Baguette
-Mixed Greens with Candied Pecans, Sliced Red Apples, Gorgonzola, and Balsamic Vinaigrette
-Chef's Choice seasonal Sauteed Vegetables
-Wild Mushroom Polenta Cake
-Petit Filet with Red Wine Demi Glace
-Parmesan Crusted Salmon Topped with Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade
Contributing Wedding Professionals:
Parking: Free, on-sight parking. Please allow plenty of travel time to this West Linn location.
PLEASE REGISTER BY FRIDAY, JANUARY 6TH! |
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In the News
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Welcome our new WNUSA Oregon Regional Director, Erin Hight!
 
Erin Hight, Sales & Catering Manager with Jake's Catering at the Governor Hotel and founding member of WNUSA, will be Oregon's new Regional Director effective January 1, 2012. Cindy Rosen of Encore Events has concluded her 2-year position but will remain active as a member of the Communications Committee. Please feel free to email Erin with any questions, ideas or comments. She's love to hear from you! Here's a little background on your new Regional Director:
I was an operations manager for Best Buy then started working for Marriott in 2005, where I became a certified Marriott Wedding Planner and became all too aware of the blessing and curse of outdoor events. I began my career with Jake's Catering in 2008 as a Catering Sales Manager focusing on Wedding and Social events. From there, my career has stumbled down a brilliantly exciting path. I have been on the Gala Planning committee for two years a founding member of Wedding Network and I have had limited participation in NACE and MPI functions.
My hope for Wedding Network is to be a vibrant community that drives business through cross-referrals, topical education and supportive fellowship. I would love to see mentor relationships from founding members to new members to strengthen the bond between members and provide insight on how Wedding Network involvement can impact your business. The opportunity to interview at Jake's Catering came from a networking contact I had made at a neighboring hotel. Had I not been actively in the community...I wouldn't be here!
Most people know that I am an only child (shocker) and that I have an obsession for shoes. Most people don't know that I have studied Spanish for 8 years and am still pretty good at maintaining a conversation. I've also dabbled in Japanese and French. I have such a love of culture and how people interact, that for a length of time I was pondering becoming a Language Teacher. Thankfully, I found my passion in weddings and events and am so excited to be a part of the best day of someone's life. It truly is an honor to share such an intimate time with people.
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Erin Hight
Regional Director
Email
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