Hi friends,
Sam here. Exciting news—our first empowHERed event just happened in February 2024! Yes, we dipped our toes into the world of event planning, and I'm thrilled to share all the details about our debut event experience!
How did it all come together? It began with a connection we forged before the holidays! One of my favorite guilty pleasures is treating myself to a movie and I'm a big admirer of a stunning, brand-new movie theater in Cary, NC. After a few cold emails to inquire about potential sponsorship opportunities, we found ourselves scheduling a call with the VP of marketing for Paragon Theaters, Jared. He and the entire Paragon event team were immediately enthusiastic about supporting our mission. They generously offered their beautiful and spacious bar area as our event space. So we decided to venture into the realm of event planning, adding yet another responsibility to our already packed schedule. They only problem? While Meghan and I had some experience helping with events throughout our sports careers, we'd never been solely responsible for hosting one. Still, we got to work.
Considering our event's venue was a movie theater, it was clear we had to incorporate a film into our programming. Selecting the movie was the easiest decision we had to make. Without a doubt, we settled on one of our all-time favorites, She's The Man!
Now, what to do before the movie? We decided to host a panel showcasing trailblazing women from the RDU area. Through research, networking, and a series of cold emails, we identified an inspiring lineup of women to feature on our panel! We were incredibly fortunate to have an esteemed lineup of female trailblazers, including Parity CEO Leela Srinivasan, NCFC Director of Player Experience Madeline Goodman, Carolina Hurricanes Director of Event Presentation Christine Williams, and CBS NFL Producer Susie Fisher.
After the panel, we treated our attendees to refreshments, drinks, raffle prizes, and networking before the movie began. But let's rewind a bit and delve into the chaos that accompanies planning your first event, shall we?
First, the stress leading up to the event is unmatched! Will anyone attend? What if everyone arrives late? What if the panelists forget to show up? Or am I just being overly anxious? Ha!
Then the day arrives, and all worries seem to fade away. Our event was set to kick off at 6 pm. Anticipating the rush-hour traffic and typical workday schedules, I braced myself, expecting attendees to trickle in closer to 6:30. But to my surprise, at 6:05 pm, I glanced towards the door to find a line stretching outside the theater. People began to flood in and at that moment, my anxiety disappeared. It's challenging to express the whirlwind of stress and joy that accompanies planning a large-scale event for your own business. Amidst the long days, numerous calls, emails, meticulous planning, and endless checklists, the experience was nothing short of exhilarating! Witnessing our first event emerge as a resounding success was incredibly motivating.
Moral of the story, no matter what daunting challenges or new obstacles you're facing today, always remember: you're awesome and you belong here!
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