PAST EVENTS

As we continue our focus on our DEI initiative, ML Steak was the host of last night’s cocktails and conversation 🍸⁣
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ML Steak, the newest restaurant to open from local entrepreneur, Chef Mike Lindsey. ML (Mildred Lindsey, Mike's Mom) Steak is a modern Chophouse from Lindsey Food Group with a fun and fresh approach to the old stuffy steakhouse. Located in the previous Fatty Smokes BBQ Joint space, ML boasts great food, cocktails, wine, and hospitality in a fun atmosphere.⁣
Check out @lfg.rva to learn more about Lindsey Food Group! ⁣
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It was a great night for networking before we hit the holidays! ⁣

On Oct. 24, 2023, the Richmond NACE Chapter gathered to vote for the 2024 Board of Directors and to learn about how to relax and be well in this chaotic and stressful world. Here is a little about the event and a gallery of photos from the event taken by Aurelia Studios.

Enjoy networking and chatting it up with some industry friends, new and old, over tasty provisions provided by Atlas 42.

The Board of Directors of Richmond NACE will be holding elections for the coming 2024 term. If you are a current member of NACE, you get to VOTE!

Followed by an educational opportunity to learn how to be well and take care of your body, mind, spirit, soul, or whatever you hold close to you, just taking care of YOUrself.

Meet Jacquelyn Craig, Dedicated Event Professional, Yoga Ambassador & lives by the Yogi Lifestyle. Jacque will briefly speak on how we as event professionals are heavily impacted with everything going on around us and need to take a step back to relax, live in the moment, enjoy the little things, take a moment to breathe and find what is right for you and to you.

Meet Lily Robinson of Peace Lily Yoga

Lily will be guiding you through the Education on Relaxation & Breathing Techniques, Meditation, Positive Mindset & Stress Relief in the work place, at home, out on the run, any time or place.

All photos taken by Ashley of Aurelia Studios

An Evening Honoring Morgan Montgomery, CPCE, CMP We hope you will join us on Tuesday, September 26 at Salisbury Country Club, as we celebrate the 2023 Honoree, Morgan Montgomery, CMP, CPCE. Tuesday, September 26, 2023 6pm - 9pm Reception, Dinner, Presentation, Dessert & Dancing Attire: Tropical Cocktail Attire Location: Salisbury Country Club 13620 West Salisbury Road Midlothian, VA 23113 Event Partners: Salisbury Country Club, Bunn DJ Company, Classic Party Rentals of VA, Don Mears Photography, Paisley & Jade, Glamorous Events, LLC. About Morgan: Montgomery is the Co-Owner at Paisley & Jade, a distinguished specialty rental company based in Richmond, VA. With a distinguished career, Montgomery holds her CPCE (Certified Professional in Catering and Events) and her CMP (Certified Meeting Professional), illustrating her commitment to maintaining the highest standards of expertise and professionalism in her field. Her accolades extend far beyond her qualifications, as she is a past National President of the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE). Montgomery's dedication to elevating the industry is evident through her extensive involvement in both national and local capacities. At NACE, she has played multifaceted roles on the national board, leading critical committees and shaping the organization’s direction. Her journey with NACE has seen her excel as Business Development Committee Chair, Treasurer, Vice President, President-Elect, President, Immediate Past President. and currently the 2023 Nominations & Elections Committee Chair. Beyond her influence at the national level, Montgomery was a founding member of the Richmond NACE Chapter in 2010. Through visionary leadership, she has also served as Chapter President, Immediate Past President, and Co-Chair for The NACEYs, the chapter’s prestigious annual awards & fundraiser gala, in 2016 and 2018. A mentor and an inspiration to her peers, Montgomery's passion for sharing her expertise is evident in her prolific speaking engagements. She has graced stages at NACE & WIPA National Chapters, industry conferences across the nation, and even local non-industry conferences in her beloved city of Richmond.

ALL PHOTOS
TAKEN BY
PHEW SHOTS PHOTOGRAPHY

LUNCH & LEARN
AUGUST 22ND, 2023

Raj is the Chef & Owner of District Events & Catering in Atlanta, GA

They are a full service luxury catering and event production company specializing in multicultural affairs.

Having over 15 years of experience in the catering and event industry, Rajan Mistry has fulfilled all roles in servicing and executing both social and corporate events. These roles include menu curation, vendor relations (contract negotiations), client relations (event creation), timeline production, venue relation (communication), catering service, and project management to lead a team for event execution. Mistry has produced and managed many successful events of high capacity, domestic and international. Recent achievement includes joining the ICA Board. He was a speaker at Catersource in March of 2023 and spoke on South Asian Weddings & The Evolution of Pricing + Food Costs & Its Impact on Your 2023 Clients.

JULY 2023
SUMMER SOCIAL

June 27, 2023

Location: The Veil Brewing Co.

1509B Belleville St. Richmond, VA 23230 NEW LOCATION in Scott's Addition

Richmond's own Bron Hansboro speaking on How to Scale Businesses in Our Current Market

Full Event Description:

Award-winning floral and event designer Bron Hansboro has devoted his career to navigating clients through the creative process and transforming their visions into exquisite events since 2014. Fondly referred to as “The Flower Guy,” he is the lead creative and floral designer at The Flower Guy Bron. He provides bespoke design and styling experiences for weddings and events of all types. Bron deeply values his interactions with clients and peers alike, and understands the power of making connections through design.

His motto is, “We don’t sell flowers, we sell experiences.”

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Bron has received the WeddingWire’s “Couples Choice” designation for four consecutive years and is a Special Events “2019 Young Event Pros to Watch" designee. He is a sought-after speaker and has been featured at several national wedding & event conferences including Wedding MBA, The Special Event, and Catersource. Bron is dedicated to providing seamless and stress-free design services and loves seeing the look on his clients’ faces when they see their completed concept come to life. When he’s not dreaming up magical events, he loves to cook, travel, entertain, shop and connect.

Specialties: Wedding and Event Trends, Untapped Markets/Finding Your Market Niche, Cultivating Clientele, Defining Luxury, and Style Shoots

Thank you to our sponsors for this event!

The Veil Brewing Co., The Flower Guy Bron & Aurelia Studios!

JUNE 2023

There was no meeting in the month of May 2023.

April 25th, 2023

Location: The Delta Hotel by Marriott

555 E Canal St. Richmond, VA 23219

Building a brand reputation isn’t just about what you have to say—it’s also heavily influenced by what others say about you. From informal chatter to client reviews, your prospects listen closely before making an inquiry. Yet, of all the ways word gets around, there’s one channel that is pure social proof gold: media features. Award-winning publicist Meghan Ely speaks to the value of earning press and how a third-party stamp of approval builds authority with ideal clients and referral sources alike. She’ll shed light on the direct link between a brand’s press portfolio and the amount of business they secure, providing simple tips to grow your media presence and establish a powerful industry reputation.

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A little more about Meghan ~

OFD Consulting owner, Meghan Ely, CWIP (Certified Wedding Industry Professional), combines in-the-trenches event experience with a love of wedding PR to empower her clients to take their businesses to new heights. Her team’s publicity efforts are regularly honored by the Public Relations Society of America, and most recently, Meghan was named the NACE Speaker of the Year. A long-time industry speaker and writer, she is a WeddingPro educator with The Knot + WeddingWire, as well as a regular contributor to Wedding Planner Magazine, Catersource, and SpecialEvents.com. Meghan currently serves as the 2023 International Immediate Past President for WIPA.

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~ Thank you to our sponsors! Delta by Marriott & OFD Consulting ~

MARCH 2023 THE NACEY'S GALA
&
FEBRUARY 2023 DESIGN CHALLENGE for THE 2023 NACEY'S
- visit the NACEY'S the nacey's page for the details

January 24, 2023

It is a HAPPY NEW YEAR and are so excited to start this year with an INCREDIBLE industry speaker! Please join us as we welcome Brian Green, CMP, CMM from Atlanta to talk about The Power of Empathy as a Leader on Tuesday January 24, 2023 at The Graduate Richmond.

Brian is an award-winning event planner with over twenty years of experience in the international events industry. He is the Chief Event Architect and Creative Visionary of "By BrianGreen LLC" based in Atlanta creating amazing social and corporate events across the globe. He is a former Diplomat for the country of Barbados.

In 2017, he was the featured guest expert on The Steve Harvey Show on Fox for their annual Wedding Hour where he presented great tips and advice on how to host the best wedding while avoiding the usual pitfalls (S5, Ep 168). He has his designation as a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), as well as his Certificate in Meeting Management (CMM), and is currently working on his first book with a publisher.

Brian has been featured and published in every major publication including Grace Ormonde, Bride’s Magazine, Inside Weddings, Munaluchi Bride, Essence, The Knot, B Collective, just to name a few. As part of his strong activism and belief in Equity & Inclusion, he currently serves as Chairman of the Board for the National Society of Black Wedding & Event Professionals.

In 2021 he was named a Mentor for The Knot Wedding Wire (TKWW) Fellowship for Change program and in 2022 he was named a TKWW WeddingPro Educator – selected from thousands of professionals to be an ambassador for our industry and educate our peers on better business practices.

Brian's topic, "The Power of Empathy" will dive in to what in means to be an empathetic leader and how that can be your BEST asset for personal and professional growth.