ILEA Seattle - Building Lasting Relationships: The Art of Client Development
Attended: Tuesday, November 19th, 2024
My view of the panel over dinner - note the gorgeous flower arrangements! Photo by me.
Their blurb:
“Join ILEA Seattle for an insightful discussion on the crucial topic of client development in the fast-paced (and rapidly growing!) event industry.
Let's face it – in this industry, your network is your net worth. But how do you turn those one-off gigs into a loyal client that keeps coming back for more? This panel brings together seasoned professionals who have excelled in creating and nurturing client relationships that stand the test of time.”
Panel: Alex Martin, Owner, Synchronicity Events; Shelly Tolo, President, Tolo Events; Jana Heinrichs, Business Development Manager, CORT Party Rental; Molly Klein, Founder & CEO, Perk Events
Event Summary
I’ve been working in event production for years, but I have never attended a solely events professionals industry function like this before. It was like attending my first theatre professionals conference - a whole room full of people who understood my jargon and snarky comments instantly. I had an entire conversation about name tag selection with a woman from a lighting company. Apparently this is my idea of a good time, because I had a blast.
The panel was interesting and engaging, and while it was helped by the panelists all knowing each other and feeling comfortable commenting on each other, there was also clear organization and prep that went into it.
If I were wishing for things, I might have wanted to know a little bit more about the venue - all of the sponsors for the event were given a highlight, and the venue was acknowledged but I wanted to know something more about it (Is it just a rental venue? Is it also a restaurant?).
Ticketing: $100 non-member price, included catered dinner (salad, choice of three entrees, Cupcake Royale for dessert) with beer and wine
Attendance: Around 50-60 people
Personal Bias/Reason I went: I am not a member of ILEA, I had a great intro call with Alex Martin and she recommended ILEA as an organization
Transparency/Communication
Unsurprisingly, the International Live Events Association (ILEA, Seattle Chapter) did an excellent job in accurately describing and communicating about the event. After buying a ticket, I got a confirmation. A week before the event I got an email asking for my menu order. If I had a complaint, it’s that I wasn’t sure what the dress code vibe would be - it is a networking event, but also educational, in a venue on the water…which I assume adds up to business casual, but it’s Seattle so there is an inherent casualness. I did not wear jeans, but dressy jeans would have been fine. I should also note that it was the evening of Seattle’s “bomb-cyclone” event - panelist Jana mentioned at the opening that her parents were without power already.
Event Goals
The event delivered on its stated intentions.
Reception
Given the bomb-cyclone circumstances and my desire to catch the bus home before it got too late, I didn’t do much networking after dinner to get other’s responses. However, two women at my table were taking ample notes (on paper!) during the panel, and I did not look at my phone even once, nor did I catch anyone else doing the phone-under-the-table thing, a sign that people were quite engaged.
Value
It was an appropriate price for the quality of the event. Worth my time and I will look for ILEA events with topics relevant to me in the future.
Bottom line
If you’re someone related to live events, I recommend checking out ILEA Seattle.
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