In 2021, I prayed that God would move Perfectly Adorned Event Decor (PAED) into a space of providing florals and decor for corporate events. Let me further define this, specifically conferences, galas, retreats, festivals, and brand activation for corporations, non-profits, and small businesses. That year he allowed us to provide decor services for the Ce´le´brez En Rose´ Festival that comes to the Washington, DC region every year and is attended by approximately 3000 festival goers. We also provided full service event design for the Black Women's Brunch hosted by Color of Change. This is great and we are well on our way into corporate event design.
Well, 2022 came and we barely did any corporate event designs. That is when I realized that tapping into the corporate event market would be more than just a lucky coincidence. I decided to follow up my prayers with intentions and work. Faith without works is dead. The first question I had to ask myself is, "Where do corporate clients reside?" Not their home residence, but on platforms where you can find out more about them. A marketing guru advise me to become more active on LinkedIn and follow corporations, directors, managers, event sales people to draw more attention to my company. So I did. I started posting more about corporate statistics and engaging with corporate entities.
As you know, there is more than one way to reach your destination. A lot of corporations and businesses work with event management or public relations agencies. It is very important for me to grow a relationship with them as well. Now, it is not always easy finding these companies and it will take trial and error. Becoming a member of the local Chamber of Commerce has yielded great results to discover corporate event opportunities. Next, you will need to speak to corporate events on all digital platforms - Website, Social Media, Google, You Tube, LinkedIn, etc. This will help to build SEO and make it easier for corporate entities to find you. On our website, we intentionally direct corporate clients to information that serves their purpose for events design.
PAED has decided to focus solely on Weddings & Corporate Events. This allows us to better serve our clientele in the creative space and giving them a unique experience. We work diligently to portray designs that will impact the brand of our corporate clients.
When working with corporate clients, we must keep in mind the approval process, payment policy and general way that things move throughout the business. Some companies have a "NET 30, 60, or 90" policy and that means that payments is disbursed 30, 60, or 90 days after an event. As a business owner, I have to ensure that I have the proper funding to procure flowers, decor, and pay staff until reimbursement. We are also mindful of the timeframe to get things done. Sometimes a corporate client may request our services with only a few weeks until the event. We have taken this into account and plan our calendar accordingly.
This year we have seen an expansion into the corporate event arena. We had the pleasure of designing for a corporate conference in Dallas, TX. In May, we provided florals and decor for Washingtonian Magazine Rose´ Soiree. Our big break happened just recently working with a leading hotel corporation! What an amazing opportunity to create 2 event designs for this hotel that was attended by 300 of their top leaders!
We don't know who we are going to meet on this journey, but we are excited for the ride!
