How to Network by Hosting a Launch Party with Tips from Shericca Bittle

When plush and extravagant come to mind, Shericca Bittle, owner of Epic Event Planning darts her way to the top of the list these days. She’s flourishing in the wedding industry and warming up to being known as one of the best kept secrets hidden in the Greensboro and surrounding triad areas. Shericca defined lavish by hosting an intimate business mixer on Thursday, June 21, 2018; reintroducing her brand to the triad. She established Epic Event Planning back in January 2015, and has spent each year since then perfecting her gift and carving her niche in the wedding industry. The buzz from that luxurious night can still be heard throughout the region. It didn’t take long for social media to chime in, as the attendees exposed them to what was taken place at the majestic Proximity Hotel located in Greensboro, NC. Recently we caught up with Shericca to ask her to enlighten us on how to network by hosting a launch party. Let’s tune into what she had to say.

How to Network by Hosting a Launch Party with Tips from Shericca Bittle

Theme: To start off, I felt it was important to have a theme. I choose a theme for my mixer that reflected my brand as a wedding/event planner; which is bold, luxury, elegant and romantic

Partnerships: Valuable relationships are the life of your business. I like to refer to my team of entrepreneurs as my partners not vendors. We trust and believe in each other’s businesses. When I reached out to my partners, I told them my vision and how I wanted everything to represent both their businesses and my brand. The fact that we had already established a relationship made it so much easier to present my vision to them for my mixer and of course they were on board to support. So, you must do the leg work, network a little, and pop up at a few meet and greets when possible within your area.

Be Open: This is one that is truly important. You must know what you bring to the community in your business. I knew I wasn’t the only event or wedding planner, but I respected we all shined in our own light. I invited other wedding professionals in my community who were exceptional planners, photographers, florists, stationery vendors, videographers and caterers. I even had a few brides to be show up with their loved one and we had a few surprises for them. I love collaborating with people and didn’t want my mixer to be all about me. So, I remained open to the idea of true collaborations and letting all shine and celebrate success.

Timing: This is one of the most important factors, because there’s so much involved in timing. One avenue of timing is to allow enough time to successfully plan the event. I would realistically say a minimum of six months. This helps you stay focused in planning details such as knowing what your budget allows, picking the right venue that reflects your brand and your vision. Another avenue of time is choosing the best day, date and time for your event. I chose a day during the week because most professionals weekends start on Fridays and end on Sundays. I wanted my personal family and friends present and able to celebrate with me so a day that worked for them too was important. I was sure to set the start time at an hour where professionals had time to leave their jobs or meetings and enough time to still attend and allow the mixer to be the special, relaxing, fun and lavish end of day for them.

Entertainment: This is the icing on the cake to a successful event. You must plan and deliver great styles of entertainment for your guests. It’s vital to consider how they’ll be entertained while they network. My guests needed the proper welcome from the moment they walked in the door. I wanted to wow them visually so I placed epic details on certain parts. The piano player represented classy, elegance and romance. The décor was very bold, over the top, luxury and it gave a glimpse of what I create and deliver. The dresses represented the brides; all the dresses were very, modern, classic, and beautiful. The cakes were tasteful and modern. The DJ and the photo booth simply represented the fun entertainment. It’s wise to have in mind what kind of food will you serve. It was in the evening so I knew that it had to be something heavy, delicious and filling and I topped it off with champagne to celebrate my launch which was classy to me. Last but never least; carefully consider how you will look and feel. What will your attire be for your event? Your look should represent your personality and brand. Most of all I wanted a look that would make me approachable. I wanted my guests to feel comfortable interacting with me and giving us the chance to celebrate together.