Last month ILEA held their networking event at the Wild Horse Saloon in downtown Nashville. I had just wrapped up another shoot and arrived just before the meeting started. 

It was great to see some of my favorite people in the industry, including Lindsey Furr from WhiteDoorEvents and Josh Ray, owner of HighTone Entertainment. 

The night consisted of a live panel featuring some of Nashville's premier DMC (Destination Management Company) specialists. The lineup included Courtney McGee of Event Logistics inc. Shannon Bates of PRA, Sarah Kelly Freeman of Evolution Event Solutions, and Sari Hill of CSI DMC. They discussed various ways we as vendors can work well with their companies, and honestly, it was very enlightening. How often is the veil lifted on how we can all better work together in this industry? Not enough, in my opinion, so to hear practical ways needs can be met by other vendors was refreshing. 

There was a lot communicated, but I wanted to pull out 3 points that resonated with me from the panel and share a few photos of the talented ladies who were up on stage. I hope you find some use out of the points as well!

1. Communication:

   • Probably the most important point was that communication is vital! There are many moving parts in a corporate event with hundreds to thousands of people coming in from out of town. Don't wait on the planner to communicate to you. Take the initiative and make your needs known; also, make sure you understand the expectations as a vendor at the event. Being a team player is critical when working with a DMC, so doing what you can to support not only your team, but all the players involved is paramount.

2. Stay Front of Mind:

   • This one resonated a lot personally when it comes to connecting with other vendors. For many folks, there can be a lot of mystery on communicating with DMC planners and just other vendors you may want to work with in general. Should I send gifts? Does it need to be face to face? Coffee? Lunch? Drinks? When, where, how? The ladies of the panel shared, keep trying. It doesn't have to be gifts or face to face; those things can actually make it more challenging sometimes. Instead, they shared that sending over your work in an organized and concise package and sending follow-up emails sharing what you do and what new exciting things you have in the works that their clients might appreciate. It's as simple as that!

3. Innovation:

   • Speaking of new and exciting things, the Ladies of the DMC panel said that they are ALWAY's looking for new and engaging concepts for their clients. In fact, Nashville needs a lot of help in this area in terms of exciting, interactive concepts for guests. I found this as an affirming challenge. If you want the business, create it! Each of us is in our unique position in the industry to bring about the next new thing for planners' clients. Whether that's the decor and rentals, multimedia, DJ/entertainment, or cocktails and food experiences; we should all be looking to push the envelope! Innovation is the key to thriving and keeping things fresh. It was exciting to hear that the door is wide open for new ideas!