If you are part of the Weddings & Events Industry, you already know the names Rebecca Grinnals and Kathryn Arce — the boss women behind acclaimed strategic consulting firm Engaging Concepts. The two have created an innovative series of luxury wedding and event business summits called Engage!, bringing together the wedding and luxury event industry’s key influencers and trend setters from around the globe to exchange ideas, network in an intimate setting, and take their businesses to the next level of success. Each Engage! Summit has been met with rave reviews from attendees and speakers alike.
These luxury wedding and event summits are designed for committed wedding and event industry professionals who are looking for innovative ideas and practical solutions for strategic growth. Since June 2008, twenty nine sold-out events have taken place, each with its own personality and takeaways. Engage! has brought together more than 7,500 luxury wedding and event professionals (and counting!), attending from all over the U.S. and over 50 countries including Australia, Canada, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, Brazil, China, Ireland, Kuwait, Mexico, Columbia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Cyprus, Greece and most countries in the Caribbean.
Intimate by design and vetted by need, Engage! is committed to gathering the best of the best, and is limited in numbers of speakers and attendees. Careful attention is paid to creating an intimate atmosphere that blends structure and down time, allowing for candid networking in a non-client, non-competitive environment. Additionally, the open exchange of ideas, information and strategies for facing the challenges of the luxury wedding and event industry are a hallmark of the event — often imitated, never repeated.
The first Engage! Summit of 2020, is a four-day event presented by the Armani Hotel Dubai, EMAAR Hospitality Group, Carousel Weddings & Events and Dubai Tourism. And guess what, Fairies? Wedded Wonderland’s very own Founder, Wendy El-Khoury, was a speaker for the third time in the history of Engage!. Wendy has previously spoken at Engage!18 in Mexico, and Engage!17 in Venice, and played an integral role in educating and inspiring the world’s top wedding industry and event professionals.
In her Keynote Speech, Wendy covered a variety of topics, ranging from how to build data sets for businesses, identifying client type and driving a strategy around it through strategic and tactical planning. Wendy discussed the evolution of Instagram and how the addition of features such as Instagram Stories, Lives and IGTV have impacted on the growth of businesses. Wendy further expanded through a discussion of what engages Instagram audience today, from competitions and influencers, to community management and hashtags.
“When it comes to doing a giveaway on Instagram, you need to think about a game of skill, or a game of chance. What’s the difference? There’s two types of ways to do a giveaway on Instagram. A game of skill means you get people to respond with their details; you’re not going to get as many entrants but you may get emails, phone numbers, post-codes, locations. A game of chance means: ‘Tag a friend to win X-Y-Z…'”
Wendy El-Khoury, Founder of Wedded Wonderland & Wonderland Media
Wendy was met with an overwhelming amount of praise by the Wedding & Events Industry’s leaders, who recognised her expertise in digital marketing.
“An incredibly insightful talk from Wendy El-Khoury on Instagram fatigue and content creation.”
Sarah Haywood, Founder of Sarah Haywood Weddings & Celebrations
Other Keynote Speakers included Wedding & Event Planning experts Marcy Blum and Sarah Haywood, who covered topics such as cognitive dissonance in life and in business, as well as the importance of team work.
“Engaging with a global community does not mean you agree with their governments or even their own personal politics, it means we are communicating with each other, and that’s the only way to get through. Engage!”
Marcy Blum, Founder of Marcy Blum Events & Wedding Planning
“The strength of the pack is the wolf and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”
Sarah Haywood, Founder of Sarah Haywood Weddings & Celebrations
In this speech, Wendy was part of a panel that included some of the Wedding & Events industry’s finest; International Couture Cake Designer and Founder of The Caketress, Lori Hutchinson and floral-genius and Founder of Eddie Zaratsian Lifestyle & Design, Eddie Zaratsian.
“Business to business work is very different; if they’ve seen your work online they’ve seen how you sell to the consumer… Get your assets right! Who are you? What is your background? Where did your business come from? Where are you going? You can put all of this in your media kit and make it available on Instagram.”
Wendy El-Khoury, Founder of Wedded Wonderland & Wonderland Media
Wendy’s sound understanding of digital and social media marketing, as well as weddings, is a rare combination of expertise, making her a leader in both spaces. As the Wedded Wonderland brand continues to evolve locally and abroad, we are excited to announce that, due to high demand, we have introduced a Masterclass that will be focusing on ‘The Fundamentals of Business in Weddings‘. Attendees of our previous sold-out Masterclasses included John Emmanuel, Demetrios Bridal, The Sposa Group, Personalised Favours, and Azariade Florals.
Stay tuned for more information on this incredible opportunity!
Digital Content Coordinator: Zoe Kanlis
Featured Image: Engage! Summits
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