Jimmeh Event Management has perfected our craft to offer an array of services to serve the diverse needs of our clients. We manage and produce events from exclusive VIP affairs to large corporate events. Our team members specialize in different aspects of planning and executing, so you can rest assured every detail is being professionally handled.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve ever faced while planning an event and how did you overcome it?
Being double booked on Easter weekend 2018 was one of our most challenging experiences. We had a housewarming and a prom to coordinate and decorate on the same day but in two different cities. Traffic was ridiculous and time was extremely limited. However, we mastered splitting up our team and delegating properly.
Communication was essential to our success on that weekend; although we planned for the distance and traffic, as always, things still had to be adjusted and accommodated for.
What are 2 trends in the event planning industry that you’re excited about?
Collaboration has increased a lot more in the industry, as well as virtual design options.
What are some tips for creating an elegant and memorable event on a tight budget?
A thorough, initial consultation helps provide the best details, so we can know where the client wants his or her money spent. Once that is clarified, proper communication can be used to tell the client(s) where DIY is necessary, whether that means us doing it or allowing the client to do so. If timing is working to our client’s advantage, we can easily secure items or pull from inventory during the holiday season, so additional discounts and financial cuts can apply. With more time, there are always more creative and cost-effective options. Incorporating sentimental items from family or specific relation journeys are also beautiful. We always want our client’s personality or identity to be recognized during their celebrations or events.
If you had unlimited resources, what would your dream client and event look like?
We have done a lot of social events and weddings, however, we have also done a few corporate. If we could work with the CEO of a company that was doing annual events for a non-profit or assisting with a charity, that would be ideal. We want to reach those in need and make them feel worthy of celebration.
For example, it would be amazing to coordinate or design a ball for Oprah Winfrey’s Leadership Academy for Girls or to host/decorate an extremely classy Holiday Dinner for some celebrities’ foundations, i.e. Kandi Cares Foundation, Rickey Smiley Foundation, etc.
Working with certain hospitals, to offer their patients beautiful experiences, would be fulfilling as well, i.e. Children Hospitals, Cancer Centers, etc.
How important are your relationships with vendors and what are some ways that you successfully cultivate and ensure good rapport?
Relationship building is everything in this industry. If healthy connections are not maintained, planners lose access to reasonable or necessary resources, which is what clients depend upon for their functions. Therefore, we try to work with vendors as frequently as possible so they see how valuable we are to them and their business.
We refer clients to them, even if we are not able sometimes to work with them directly. We promote those that we have worked with before through our platforms, i.e. social media or word of mouth.
What advice would you give someone who needs to plan a fundraiser but isn’t sure where to start?
A consultation or meeting to discuss the vision is critical. He or she will have to be willing to brainstorm and break down the following: their purpose, deadline, budget, target audience, etc. Once components like that are determined, we can immediately start communicating with relevant vendors and continue organizing the remaining process.
What’s the most exciting thing on the horizon for you personally or professionally?
This year we are just truly looking forward to incorporating a lot of new apps to our operations, as well as increasing and improving our collaboration efforts. We intend on putting on more events, as well as being hired for others. Our clientele has grown tremendously and we are simply excited about that also.
What inspired you to launch your own company in the event industry? How long did it take from initially having the idea to setting up and starting to attract a client base?
I have always wanted my own business; however, attending the 2017 Ultimate Women’s Expo in Atlanta, GA offered additional motivation for me and my current business partners. By August of that year, the LLC was established and our first official client was later that month.
What’s the first event you can ever remember planning and how did it go?
My sister’s wedding reception in 2010 was the first major event that I had ever coordinated, start to finish; however, I was always planning smaller family gatherings or church vacation bible school programs.
Since then, I was usually volunteering or assisting others with their occasions. I was naturally attracted to creative functions or ways to express people’s vision for a celebration. Details were fun to play with.
What are some things you wished you knew before starting your businesses?
I wish I would have known more about networking groups earlier on. I also wish I would have known more about collaborative contracts, especially when businesses are on different stages or levels in the industry.
What’s the most surprising or unusual request you have ever received from a client and were you able to fulfill it?
A potential client has actually requested a “hair theme” birthday party, for a soon-to-be 13-year-old. Initially, it caught us off guard, but then we thought about popular party themes and merged concepts. We took the idea of “Sip and Stroke” parties and replaced it with 3D hair art on canvas.
The various images of young ladies with hair made of different materials, actual [color] hair, buttons, fabric, etc. We also offered miniature hair care gift bags, custom bonnets, etc. It was a unique concept for a preteen to suggest; however, it ended up being empowering for the young lady and encouraging self-love.
