Fusing Weddings & Corporate Events

Many people have asked us why we ventured into corporate events.  The answer is simple - Covid-19!  The Covid-19 pandemic did not only decimate weddings and other aspects of our lives, but it also created an avenue for companies to reach their clients and their employees in the virtual format.  And it is here that our curiosity for corporate events began because, like most businesses, we, too, found ourselves looking for innovative ways to reach our existing and potential clients, engage stakeholders and get our messages out.  This meant that we had to pivot, and pivot extremely fast.

Connecting Weddings with Events

Previously, when the term event planning was mentioned, weddings usually came to most peoples’ minds because that’s just how it was.  Then, thoughts of a bride and groom, bridesmaids, bridal bouquets, beautiful arches, centrepieces, nicely decorated reception tables and emotional moments were what came to mind when we thought about weddings.  To be honest, those thoughts were very true because weddings remain one of the most appealing types of private events; therefore, it was quite okay to link weddings with event management and event planning. Moreover, it is quite common to hear that most, if not all event professionals, started their events career with wedding planning studies.  We did that, too.

Evolution of Corporate Events During Covid-19

However, from our own experiences, because of Covid-19, the event industry and its professionals evolved with a shift from love story weddings to strategic and purposeful corporate events. During Covid-19, weddings were postponed or outright cancelled, venues were closed, and couples who were determined enough, found extraordinary places to host their weddings. For us, we resorted to webinars to provide corporate training services and to conduct meetings with key stakeholders.  It felt strange, but it worked because our thought processes changed, we became more creative and we solved many problems in quick time. 

As we continued with virtual events, we realized that there was another dimension to events, which excited us because it was different and not as emotional as weddings, which can also be very strenuous for an event planner.  Instead, corporate events are all about structure, distinct expectations and calculated objectives. The objectives for weddings are very obvious, while corporate events have so many goals, some of which include brand awareness, product demonstrations, customer engagement and enhancing employee morale. Indeed, these corporate events goals are not as creative as weddings; however, they do give us a new way of thinking.

ACCP Conference - New Thinking for Us

This new way of thinking became a reality for us when we were asked to coordinate the 37^th annual Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police (ACCP) AGM & Conference which was held at the Hyatt Regency in Trinidad & Tobago in May, 2023.  The differences were astounding. In comparison to weddings, among other things, we worked with many exhibitors and sponsors, regional affiliates, entertainers and varying venues.  Moreover, we were part of all the mini events within that larger event.  Also, we decorated two of the nightly events,  coordinated others and worked with highly-rated event professionals and companies like the CEO of Southex, George Singh and Media 21 Limited. Throughout this major corporate event, we realized how strategic and sophisticated these types of events are.

Key Differences Between Weddings & Corporate Events

In brief, key differences between wedding events and corporate events observed during the ACCP AGM & Conference include, but were not limited to: weddings are emotional and experience-driven while corporate events are linked to business performance and protecting reputation; decision makings for corporate events include multiple stakeholders while wedding decisions are typically made by couples and their families; logistics for corporate events are much more intrinsic than weddings; corporate events demand precision while weddings are much more flexible; the risk factor for corporate events are far greater than those for weddings which involve more personal expectations; the scale for corporate events are usually larger than weddings which is why experienced coordinators will be necessary.

Looking Ahead

Today, we see the Covid-19 pandemic as a blessing because it caused us to develop additional skills in events. It caused us to fuse weddings and corporate events for a greater overall events experience.  We are also firm in our belief that neither wedding events nor corporate events are better than the other; however, they are just different, but similar skills can be employed for both types of events. The reality is that we have become much more valuable and adaptable, but whether weddings or corporate events, our goals will always remain – make memorable experiences, tell stories through exciting themes, connect key stakeholders and leave a lasting impression on those who chose us.