What do you do when your ideas exceed your budget? It’s simple – reconsider your priorities. We all have acquired bad shopping habits over the years, finding ourselves confusing needs and wants.  Although we don’t want to limit the WOW effect of any event, we can adjust the WOW factor to fit the budget.

First, make a list of everything you envision for your event.  Next, highlight the items that are essential to carrying out the theme. Once that’s covered, review the items that are left and seek alternatives. About 99% of the time, the costliest items are those that remain. Search online, post questions on facebook, or twitter in order to solicit the advice of others. The solutions lie in places you least expect, and one suggestion can instantly make a dramatic difference.

I am fortunate to have Conquer Entertainment as one of my main clients. We are family in every way and I have such a great time putting together events for all of their artist. Every August Market America host their annual International Conference in Greensboro, NC at the Coliseum. We then put together the Conquer Entertainment after parties to give artist of all genre’s the chance to shine and showcase their talents. Here is some footage and testimonial from our last event. ~ BB

Song in top video By: Justina “Let’s Experiment”

What a GREAT event with amazing ladies!

Clair.nyc is the premiere social networking group in New York City for people in their 30′s & 40′s! (Which are the new 20′s & 30′s from what we hear!)

We hosted our inaugural event at the trendy Fashion Forty Lounge in the fashion district of New York City.

BB

Just a cool video I saw that can help ladies get red carpet ready in no time! BB

Elsi:  I’m a Dominican woman and I was born and raised in the upper west side of Manhattan.  I started working in New York City restaurants full time at the age of 13 juggling work & high-school.  I worked as a hostess, waitress, bartender, manager, book-keeper, you name it, almost all positions in the hospitality industry for 15 years thereafter.  I always go by the Confucius saying “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”  I enjoy serving and making people happy and that’s what led me to my ultimate goal in combining all of my skills and knowledge into hosting and creating timeless events for my clients.  I volunteered for a lot of events and galas to gain the experience I needed in order to apply what I’ve learned into a business plan, execute it, and become BB Galas, LLC.

Wow sounds like you have had quite the nightlife!  That Confucius saying is insightful and so true!  You clearly seem to live by that quote because everyone describes you as a ray of warmth, personality, and spunk and your events speak for themselves!  So what are some of your current projects?

Within my partnership with Conquer Entertainment I am contributing and sharing my knowledge and experience developing their events and touring system all over the US for Independent Artists.  I’m also an official organizer for this year’s ‘Make Music New York’, which hosts over 1000 concerts the first day of summer every year all over the city.  I also have a few artists and DJs looking to me for management, so that is something I’m considering getting into.  I believe that my greatest accomplishments are still ahead of me!

Well Ms. Elsi of BB Galas, you are truly a Grindah! How do you feel about having your own business in the current economical state we’re in?

I’m a firm believer in the “Grind”.  I’ve always juggled two jobs at once, and two that could benefit from one another.  So although it is a risk in this economy to start your own business, I am very blessed to have experience in many different aspects of hospitality.  I am therefore extremely confident in my ability to succeed.  This also forces me to come up with new & creative ways for my clients to host events and galas that are more economical.  Even with this economy folks always want to celebrate and party it up…maybe even more so! (Laughs)

Agreed!  I always want to party! What type of education/major is needed for a person in this position?

Public Relations, Communications, Entertainment Management, and Marketing would all be helpful.  A degree is great, but experience I believe is far more important in landing and succeeding in this type of work.

Yes, experience is always key.  What challenges/advantages do you feel you face in the entertainment industry which is so male-dominated?

I’ve worked mainly with men since I was a teen which taught me to be aggressive and strong, yet maintain my feminine qualities.  I was able to see what did and didn’t work for them within the event industry and tailor it to my specific needs to attain success.  Most importantly, I learned never to mix business and romance!

(Both laughs) Well that must have been tough being an extremely attractive female!  Now where can we catch some of your upcoming events and how can people find you and follow you via the Internet?

You can find information by going directly to my site, www.bbgalas.com, which links to my facebook and twitter as well.

Well you are one sassy, classy ball of fire Ms. BB Galas!  Any final thoughts you want to leave our readers out there and the girls looking up to you, trying to grind and make their own way?

If you are trying to get into the Events field I suggest interning and/or volunteering to help plan an event or serve on a committee.  Visit your local Convention and Visitors Bureau or Chamber of Commerce.  Get a calendar of events from your community and make some calls.

“Now to my ladies on the “Grind”, never give up!  Work hard and be consistent always.”

That is some inspiring advice!  We here at Grindahz love it and salute you Elsi for being an independent woman making her way on the scene and for being such a great example to all the ladies out there on the grind!  You are certified and are on our radar for sure! Any shout outs?

Shout out to Justina, another certified Grindah, whom I love to pieces, my family that holds me down and especially my mom that keeps me grounded.  Also shout to Amanda Ridinger and Conquer Entertainment & Market America for all the wonderful opportunities and the “Brunch Club” my true sisters I love you.

Elsi & Justina

When it comes to non-wedding events (birthdays, anniversaries, parties, etc.) many hosts don’t   know that they have great resources in event planners.  For smaller parties, I will admittedly concede that it can be overkill. However, if you begin the process of securing a location, bringing in caterers, etc. your party has grown in scale and could benefit from a planner.  Many hosts opt to rely on caterers or florists for recommendations.  While these vendors can be of great help, their resources can be limited outside of the scope for which they are handling your event.

Here are some ways that an event planner/producer can help with your event:

• Create a concept or inspiration board to start your planning
• Match you with vendors that are inline with your event
• Help you maintain your budget
• Come up with ideas for your menu, flowers, décor and location
• Be onsite to help set up while you get ready
• Coordinate the event and maintain the flow of events so that you can enjoy the event

Even if you are the Type A personality that loves to plan things and are highly detailed and organized (I hear that a lot!), you can still enjoy the benefits from a planner.  So, it’s great to rely on and have the help of an expert.

It doesn’t hurt or cost anything to speak with an experienced planner about how they can improve or enhance your event.

BB