Q&A with Katherine Mathes Bullock
What made you decide to go in to event planning? Is it something you always knew you wanted to do?
Growing up in a big family, we were always entertaining friends and family, the phrase the more the merrier was often used. In high school my senior superlative was: most likely to throw a party. It was very fitting and it has stuck with me ever since. I remember in college, one of my favorite professors told us to find a career that we feel passionate about. It was a natural choice for me to go into the event industry. I have a passion for creating unique experiences for our guests and I love working to make a seamless planning process for our clients. I am excited each day for the new challenges that lay ahead. As my father would say, what is today’s problem to solve?
You have been in business since 2005. What are the biggest changes you have seen in the event planning industry over the years?
The largest changes in the last fifteen years that I have seen are the immense level of resources available to us for inspiration. Whether it be new, innovative and ever-evolving vendors, or access to social media where we can see events all over the globe come to fruition, the
resources we have to take events to the next level continue to expand.
What is your favorite part about running your own business?
The best part about running my own business is the ability to create the dream team of people that work with me. It is the ability to see talent and bring those individuals on board, and then collaborate together on events from concept to creation.
Tell us about the first event you ever planned?
Our first large scale event was a five-day conference for a corporate, C-Level Group. It certainly had its challenges, but it also taught me a lot. Ultimately, it showed me that we had what it takes to multi-task, perform and execute a multi-layered conference.
Best moment of your career so far?
Hitting the ten-year anniversary was a big moment for me, personally. Being able to sustain a company, employees, clients, and continuing to grow our business was a huge milestone.
Tell us a little about your planning process with clients. How does it work? Do you have a system that you use with each client?
We have various systems in place in our office that we utilize from our initial meetings, to our timelines and production schedules that help ensure the attention to detail. That said, it is important to realize that each client is different and does not always work the same way, so we do pride ourselves in the ability to conform to our clients and their individual needs.
What is your best piece of advice you would offer someone who is beginning to plan an event?
Hire a event planner! Seriously, though, planning a well-thought out event takes time and energy. The best parties are those that have been plotted out and if you are able to, I always recommend hiring a planner. If your budget does not allow for a full-service planner, my advice would be to create a timeline and stick to it.
Finally, what is the best thing you can hear from a client the day after their event?
The best thing we can hear, is that we have exceeded their expectations and that their guests are filling their inbox with rave reviews. It is important to us that at the end of the day, the clients are beyond thrilled.