Inaugural Symposium for Wedding and Special Events Industry Professionals Coming to New York This Fall

New York, NY, August 13, 2009 --(PR.com)-- On October 19-20, 2009, co-producers Something Blue NY, Dawn Easter Events and Elegantly Yours Events will launch the first-ever Maximize Your Brand: Wedding & Special Event Business Symposium at the Ravel Hotel in New York during Bridal Market Week. This two-day symposium will be the first of its kind to hit New York City and will help entrepreneurs expand their networks while preparing their wedding businesses for the challenging economic climate of 2010.

Maximize Your Brand was created as the result of three event planning professionals who wanted to provide guidance to emerging businesses in the wedding and event planning industry. “The wedding and special event industry is made up of various smaller enterprises like caterers, consultants and photographers. In building Something Blue NY from the ground up, I realized there weren’t many opportunities for these smaller companies to learn about dangers and best practices” says Karina Garden Jimenez, owner and lead consultant, “I joined Dawn Easter and Dana Briggs to create this safe haven for learning and networking in the industry.”

Over 75 event planners, caterers, designers, florists and photographers are expected to attend this intimate event. Celebrity event planner and featured star of Whose Wedding Is It Anyway Linnyette Richardson-Hall of Premiere Event Management, will be one of many experts featured. Co-producer Dawn Easter of Dawn Easter Events, “When selecting presenters for the symposium, we chose not only incredibly talented artists but forward-thinking business minds who understand the ever-changing landscape of the special events industry. When building your business’ brand, there are so many aspects to take into consideration. We’ve created a solid lineup of speakers who will help navigate the murky waters from start-up to stand-out.” Maximize Your Brand will include a panel of industry professionals from across the country: the bride attraction expert Natalie Bradley, widely known for getting more clients, making more money and having more business freedom; owner of the world renowned Elegance & Simplicity, Katie Martin, who is also the founder of the Green Wedding Consortium; author of the upcoming Gay Wedding Confidential: Adventures and Advice from America's #1 Gay Wedding Planner Bernadette Coveney Smith of It's About Time Events; legal eagle and chic planner Karina Garden Jimenez of Something Blue NY, LLC, and specialist on how to avoid the legal pitfalls in today’s wedding and special event industry; and web-savvy planner Stephanie Hunt of iMatrimony Inc. who knows the latest and greatest tech tools for wedding and special event businesses. More experts and guests speakers are expected to come onboard over the next 14 days so stay tuned for further additions.

Maximize Your Brand will shed light on best practices for staying on top of the industry in spite of the economy and will offer networking opportunities with other vendors and planners. For more information please visit www.maximizeyourbrand.com. To register for this event please visit www.maximizeyourband2009.eventbrite.com.

Something Blue NY, LLC is a full-service event planning boutique located in New York City that provides comprehensive design, planning and coordination services for weddings, social and corporate events all over the world. Something Blue NY offers a fresh perspective on eco-friendly event planning celebrating the individuality and cultural background of each client. For more information, please visit www.somethingblueny.com

Dawn Easter Events is a boutique wedding design firm offering a unique planning experience in the Greater Atlanta and Richmond Metro areas. Dawn Easter Events keeps up with the latest trends not only in the world of weddings, but also fashion, home furnishings, cuisine, technology and travel. For more information, please visit www.dawneasterevents.com

Elegantly Yours Events is a special event planning and management business that develops close working relationships with clients and precisely caters to their specific needs. Elegantly Yours Events’ goal is to produce the highest quality of special event services throughout Virginia. For more information, please visit www.elegantly-yours.com

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