Last week, we began a series of posts where I answer the question, “What is the first question you would ask me if we had a one on one meeting together?” Here are answers to five more of those questions:

1. Da’Diva Jones asked: How can an unknown event planner market and attract his/her business? Da’Diva: I suggest you start with friends and family, then offer your services at church or any other social setting. I make this suggestion because nothing beats gaining actual experience when you start. Make sure you photograph and also get letters of recommendation from all of these occasions. Whenever you can, always ask for a small fee to cover your time and effort.

2. Keisha Siggers asked: Can I be your apprentice? Keisha: of course I’d love to say a big fat YES. Fortunately, I have a full staff of amazing folks already on staff, and this is one of the main reasons I am starting an online design course this summer. I have gotten many requests like yours, and I thought that if I developed this very comprehensive course on design and how to get clients, it might be a great way to have you learn from all of my mistakes and successes. For more information on the course, or to take a sneak peek tour, click here.

3. Kate Henry asked: Two part question…what makes you love to do what you do every day and where did it begin? Money of course! Just half kidding…Kate, I am one of the many folks who consider my work not to be work anymore, but all play. Can you imagine having a job where people pay you to make up ideas and design for a party? For me, this is the ultimate job.

Sanaw making magic.

4. Barbara Poe asked: Where did you find Sanaw? He is amazing!!!!!!! Barbara: Yes, he is more than amazing. Sanaw is my main floral designer and I consider him to be more than family. He is from Thailand and has been with me for over 15 years. He is one of the few people that can actually capture what’s in my head and make it better.

5. Deborah Griffin-Woodson asked: Your fee!!!! Deborah: VERY EXPENSIVE. Again, half joking. I think that is going to be my epitaph: “Here lies Preston Bailey, he was very expensive.” More than one client has mentioned that they resisted calling my office because they thought we were too expensive. I never try to defend my prices, however I can say one thing: my prices are not far from many other folks in the industry.

As I mentioned last week, I’d love to continue answering all of your questions. So, please ask away!

I am often asked if I have made any mistakes along the way and my answer is that I have made enough to write a book called Preston Bailey Bloopers.

Looking back recently through my archive of work, I have found many I’d like to share with you in hopes that you do not make the same design mistakes. However, as I’ve heard, if you make enough errors you might just eventually become an expert.

So, here are a few of my bloopers:

My idea for chair covers circa 1988.

I thought I was being so clever by taking all the additional tablecloths and wrapping them around each chair to create my own version of chair covers.
Blooper: They became undone during the party and folks started tripping over them. Oops! Also, is it just me or does this look a little bit like a wake?

Circa 2002

In this Harry Potter themed event, I used invisible wire to hang all LED candles from the ceiling.
Blooper: There were a few candles that fell around the guest’s heads. (Thank God for my great client who thought it was funny.)

Circa 1992

This was my first attempt at draping fabric in tent walls. Also my first attempt at decorating with trees.
Bloopers:

• Back wall poorly draped with exposed air conditioning vents.
• Have you ever seen sadder trees?
• I was soooo proud of my hand painted ceiling.

Okay, we are being very candid with each other–do you have the guts to tell me a few of your design or service bloopers? And hey, always keep in mind my old mantra, “The best way to improve is by learning from our mistakes.”

An example of one of my original designs.

That’s a great question. Here are some pros and cons for each scenario.

Pros for creating your own design (including tablecloths, vases, chandeliers, chair covers, structures, furniture, etc…):

• It’s only yours, so the event always looks fresh and new.
• If you use the designs of different elements more than once, you can make back your original investment.
• You become a trend setter.

Cons:

• Creating an original design is always more expensive.
• I hope you have great storage facilities.
• If not handled properly, the objects you create could be damaged and lead to a financial loss.
• Other folks might copy you. (However, I think it’s a huge compliment when folks copy my designs.)

Pros for renting design/decor materials:

• You do not need to worry about storage.
• It’s more cost effective.
• There is a way of renting elements and making it your own design by combining elements in different ways.

Cons:

• Your work starts looking like others’.
• You can become a bit lazier as a designer.
• Lack of surprise.

Ultimately, what matters in both cases is that your work remains fresh and new–and that you make a profit. I personally prefer designing and building all new work from scratch. Maybe that is one reason most people think of my company as being so expensive. My goal is to always, for better or worse, design something new.

Do you find that other folks copy your designs? How do you feel about it? I’d also love to know: what do you prefer, renting or designing new prototypes? What works better for your company?

We enjoyed the first Bailey and Blum so much that we thought we would extend it to a summer weekend in New York (August 6th-8th to be exact). I can’t tell you how exhilirated and inspired I felt after that first session with all our mentorees.

I loved that we had all different levels of folks in the industry. Some were seasoned vets looking to take their business to the next level and others were just starting out and had so many questions. Marcy and I especially felt great spending one on one time with everyone. We felt that we could help them directly and I hope we did. (You can read more about Marcy’s take on the weekend in her blog post here).

And actually, you helped me too. One of the amazing Bailey & Blum attendees, Autumn Oser, ended up working with my team this past summer as a freelancer. I would have never met her if not for the past session.

This time around, Bailey and Blum will be all that and more (do you expect anything else?) I am opening my humble apartment to entertain attendees for dinner one evening, as well as a whole list of other surprises I can’t mention. So as to not spill the secrets, let’s look back at some pictures from the previous Bailey and Blum.

For more info on the next session, visit BaileyandBlum.com. To apply for the weekend, click here. I wonder, what is the first question you would ask me if we had a one on one meeting together?

When did TV programming stop being about information and entertainment, and just become a bunch of crazy people with bad behavior?

If you are in the event industry, I have a question for you. How often have you actually encountered one of these bad behavior “bridezilla” type clients? More importantly, how often do you actually behave like a rude ass with them?

For me, the answer is: not often at all. I must be in another world. In my 30 years of being in business, I have only had to dismiss a client twice for questionable behavior. (I remember being really affected by those experiences.)

I take great offense when our industry is portrayed as this chaotic, frenetic environment full of folks with “the more issues the better” in the name of entertainment. They love exaggerating the ugly drama and show less and less of the beauty in what we do.

I also object to the constant need to compete to be “the best.” It seems to me that anyone who constantly seeks this outside acknowledgment to be deemed “the best” is already lost because he or she has forgotten the true satisfaction that comes from creating art or following a passion. My own belief is that these folks have strayed from what is important to them and needs to find their way back to what will make them happy.

I have been asked countless times to be a judge on some of these reality shows, and I have graciously turned them down for the same reasons. I prefer empowering folks to be their best, not put them down by sending the message, “you are not good enough.” I understand that we all want our 15 minutes of fame, and that these shows can provide great exposure for any artist just starting out, however, enough with the “train wreck” formula.

I wonder, what do you think about the “train wreck” reality shows? Of course there are some good ones (what can I say? I’m only human)–which show is your favorite?

(Photo via)