I just completed the last bridal show in Cambridge, ON for 2009. Wow! There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears put into it and now Welcome Wagon, my exhibitors and myself can reap the benefits.
For those of you who follow my blogs, I host several Welcome Wagon shows over the course of the year: the Kitchener Spring Bridal Showcase in March, the Cambridge Baby Shower in April, the Kitchener Fall Bridal Showcase in September and the Cambridge Bridal Showcase in October.
I am very thankful for the teams of volunteers who man my registration desk, help in facility preparations, assist me in completing tasks, pass out the free gift bags, model the beautiful bridal gowns and so much more. Without these true-hearted, friendly people who are on the front-lines with me, many times being the first face the public sees at our shows, I would be lost, dazed and confused. My gratitude knows no bounds.
To the exhibitors: without your participation, it would be impossible to do a bridal show! You willingness to work with me and Welcome Wagon Ltd., your promptness, the gentle persuasions and preparations you make, adds to the elegance atmosphere and superb promotions of our Welcome Wagon events in Cambridge and Kitchener. Thank you for letting me work with you and for you.
None of this is possible without leadership. My area manager has open communication skills, willing to step in when an extra hand is required and can muster up enduring contagious energy in a moment's notice. She tells it like it is but will back you up when occasion calls for it. She makes me want to be better, stronger and faster. Thank you for being my guide.
If you do it, they will come: I was given sage advice several years ago about finding my bridal audience. Promote it, make it fun, provide an elegant, intimate atmosphere and they will flock. Last night, you flocked and said Welcome Wagon rocked! You enjoyed our exhibitors's displays, loved the fashion show, laughed through the entertainment and thrilled at our doors prizes. Your responses to our wedding shows touched my heart and made it easier to face the exhibitors at the end of the night--your happiness made them very happy, indeed.
I look forward to preparing for 2010--wanting to make the shows bigger, better and more fun. Please go online at http://www.welcomewagon.ca/ for the latest events information. It is a great source whether you want to go a show or if you want to exhibit in one.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Friday, August 28, 2009
Bridal Show 101
It’s bridal show season! Some of these events can be hectic and overwhelming while others can be intimate and relaxing. I’ve created a list of 11 helpful tips to make your bridal visit a wedding show success. 1. Wear comfy shoes! Leave the heels at home and put on your comfy runners. You’ll be walking and standing with other brides-to-be for hours.
2. Create a plan of attack. Find the list of attending vendors in advance (this should be available on the bridal show’s website). Know who’ll be there and if you need their services.
3. Carry a big tote. Most shows will give you a bag to carry but in some cases it can be a while before you get one! All the vendors will have cards, pamphlets and samples so they’ll be eager to supply them to you.
4. Create an email specifically for your wedding. Instead of having your regular email filled with wedding information, create one especially for your wedding using the free emails available online. Ie. mandyswedding@hotmail.com or suegettinghitched@gmail.com
5. Bring address labels for draws. Instead of wasting time filling out forms, just slap a pre-made label on them. It should include your name, address, postal code, phone number, email and wedding date.
6. Bring a pen and paper. You’ll want to jot down notes and exchange information with some of the wedding vendors. It’s best to record the information immediately so you aren’t left scratching your head later on.
7. Leave your entourage at home. It’s a better bet to bring one or two people whose opinions you value versus a chaotic, albeit, well-meaning posse of ladies.
8. Find out the times of the fashion shows. At most wedding expos the fashion show seating will be given on a first-come first-serve basis. You may want to claim a good seat beforehand.
9. Go during down times. Bridal shows that run from Friday to Sunday are generally not so busy on Friday and the most hectic on Saturday. Fewer future brides equals more time for vendors to talk with you. NOTE: There is very little down time in one-day events: show up early or on time, otherwis
e you may lose out on great event opportunities. 10. Know what to ask. Bridal shows are an ideal way to find the vendor that’s right for you. There is less pressure to commit and you will have time to think about other options if you wish.
11. Enjoy yourself. Planning a wedding can be stressful but it should be lots of fun! Enjoy your time at the bridal event; it should be exciting and inspiring.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Wedding Nightmare Ends: Jakobstettel Inn is Sold
By Rose Simone, Record staff
ST. JACOBS The Jakobstettel Inn has been sold to a numbered company headed by Jim McConnell, president of Kitchener trucking company BLM Transportation Group. The inn was sold for $1.45 million in a cash deal on July 16, according to land registry documents.
McConnell said Friday he is not yet prepared to make a formal statement about why he was interested in the inn on Isabella Street in St. Jacobs, and what he intends to do with it. However, a note posted on the Jakobstettel website that says: “The Inn will be opening under new management in August with ten beautiful, distinctly furnished rooms for $199 to $399 per night.”
The two-hectare property includes a gated three-storey Victorian home with 10 guest suites, a heated inground pool with poolside cabana bar and grill, tennis courts and gardens, as well as meeting room facilities.
BLM was founded in 1984 with one truck and has grown into a company with 170 tractors and 500 trailers. It transports electronics, office furniture, general merchandise and foodstuffs throughout Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The Jakobstettel Inn was one of the businesses run by Daniel P. Reeve, whose troubled business ventures are now the subject of a criminal investigation by the Waterloo Regional Police fraud branch.
The fraud branch has received about 110 complaints and is looking into alleged investment losses of about $19 million, according to Sgt. Rob Zensner of the police fraud division. The investments are related to various businesses that were run by Reeve, including DPR Financial Inc., which was based in Cambridge, the Millionaire Group and Millionaire in You Wealth Institute in Waterloo, as well as the Jakobstettel Inn.
When the inn closed this spring, couples who had booked weddings there lost their deposits and were left scrambling to find other locations for their weddings.
Reeve left the inn heavily in debt. Tuerr Holdings Inc., which had first and second mortgages on the property was owed $680,765 on the second mortgage and Brunen Holdings Inc was owed $350,000 on a third mortgage, according to court judgments.
When the inn was advertised in a power of sale process last month, Grant Hagerty of DTZ Barnicke in Waterloo-Wellington, the real estate company that was appointed as broker of record, said the purpose of the “sealed bid” auction process was to get the best possible offer in the shortest time frame.
IMO: What is taking the Waterloo Regional Police so long to make an arrest?
ST. JACOBS The Jakobstettel Inn has been sold to a numbered company headed by Jim McConnell, president of Kitchener trucking company BLM Transportation Group. The inn was sold for $1.45 million in a cash deal on July 16, according to land registry documents.
McConnell said Friday he is not yet prepared to make a formal statement about why he was interested in the inn on Isabella Street in St. Jacobs, and what he intends to do with it. However, a note posted on the Jakobstettel website that says: “The Inn will be opening under new management in August with ten beautiful, distinctly furnished rooms for $199 to $399 per night.”
The two-hectare property includes a gated three-storey Victorian home with 10 guest suites, a heated inground pool with poolside cabana bar and grill, tennis courts and gardens, as well as meeting room facilities.
BLM was founded in 1984 with one truck and has grown into a company with 170 tractors and 500 trailers. It transports electronics, office furniture, general merchandise and foodstuffs throughout Canada, the United States and Mexico.
The Jakobstettel Inn was one of the businesses run by Daniel P. Reeve, whose troubled business ventures are now the subject of a criminal investigation by the Waterloo Regional Police fraud branch.
The fraud branch has received about 110 complaints and is looking into alleged investment losses of about $19 million, according to Sgt. Rob Zensner of the police fraud division. The investments are related to various businesses that were run by Reeve, including DPR Financial Inc., which was based in Cambridge, the Millionaire Group and Millionaire in You Wealth Institute in Waterloo, as well as the Jakobstettel Inn.
When the inn closed this spring, couples who had booked weddings there lost their deposits and were left scrambling to find other locations for their weddings.
Reeve left the inn heavily in debt. Tuerr Holdings Inc., which had first and second mortgages on the property was owed $680,765 on the second mortgage and Brunen Holdings Inc was owed $350,000 on a third mortgage, according to court judgments.
When the inn was advertised in a power of sale process last month, Grant Hagerty of DTZ Barnicke in Waterloo-Wellington, the real estate company that was appointed as broker of record, said the purpose of the “sealed bid” auction process was to get the best possible offer in the shortest time frame.
IMO: What is taking the Waterloo Regional Police so long to make an arrest?
Monday, June 29, 2009
RIP Michael Joseph Jackson, 1958 - 2009
The man left a very large musical legacy. Many of his songs were autobiographical. Despite the media nicknames, the contraversies and the outrageous behaviour, he was blessed with musical talent that he shared with the world.
May Michael rest in peace.
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