Graduate Hall of Fame

Tasha Singh, IEWP

Company Name: Savvy Chic Events

Mission: A company that specializes in making your event truly memorable and stress free so that you enjoy every moment knowing that you are being taken care of the Savvy Chic Way.

Region: Central Valley and Bay area, California.

What motivated you to start your career as a professional event planner?

After being in the medical field for over eight years, then becoming a stay-at-home mother with my son, I decided to pursue a passion in event planning. I am a very outgoing person who loves to plan and host parties. I have always heard that I should follow my dream, so here I am fulfilling that dream and making it come true.

What are some highlights of your career so far?

My career highlights include completing my schooling with high grades and launching my company. I have also had the pleasure of meeting some great vendors.

How did your course prepare you for working in the field?

The course gives you a lot of helpful information and tools to start your career. I enjoyed assignments that had you researching information as if you were really planning an event for a client. Hands-on learning is the best!

Do you have any advice for anyone starting out with their training or career?

I would say that if you are really passionate about something you should go for it and not look back. Life is too short. You should do what you love. If by chance it doesn’t work out, at least you tried.

Dorothy Acheampong, IEWP

Company Name: Heavenly Eventz

Description: Destination Wedding, Honeymoon and Event Planning Services

Region: Accra, Ghana, West Africa

What motivated you to start your career as a professional event planner?

I have planned several special events for friends and family members in the past and loved the whole process. I enjoyed knowing that people would ask for advice and then pretty much trust me to handle the finer details. The best part of the process was always watching the event unfold.

I have spent my working life thus far as a Specialist Social Worker dealing mostly with child protection and substance misuse issues. Although I loved the challenge my job always brought, I also felt I had seen a lot of distress and suffering. I wanted to do something happy for a change. I wanted to have the type of job that meant people were happy to see me rather than trying to do everything possible to avoid me I had already decided to move to Ghana, my family heritage being Ghanaian, so I decided it would be the perfect time to start a new career.

What are some highlights of your career so far?

Ghana is a beautiful country however it is very much unknown. When people think of Africa they may think of safari or in contrast, mud huts and poverty. Our national football team—the Ghana Black Stars—is helping to raise the country profile but I think people do not generally consider Ghana when planning weddings, holidays, etc. My goal is to change this and that is why I decided to provide services for destination weddings and honeymoons.

I am very excited by my new career as I also get to see Ghana in a whole new light. Although I am Ghanaian by heritage, I was born, raised and have lived my life thus far in England and the USA.

One of the venues I have sourced is an exclusive island with the use of a private, luxury yacht. These are the type of things I was previously unaware were available in Ghana and am sure most people don’t know about either.

How did your course prepare you for working in the field?

The course was fabulous in providing a strong theoretical understanding of what this industry is about. The course work provides an excellent opportunity to put that theory into practice and help you understand how things work in the real world.

The various formats of the course material are an excellent. It keeps the course interesting and relevant. The tutors always provide written and audio commentary when they return the marked assignments. Their comments are always extremely supportive and give guidance on which areas need further consideration.

Do you have any advice for anyone starting out with their training or career?

• Don’t give up.

• Have a positive attitude in what you do and be happy even when it is difficult.

• Limit your start-up costs.

• Do not spend too much in the beginning and try to recoup your expenses afterwards. You can save money and work from home. As long as you can advertise (websites, business cards, etc) and communicate with customers (face-to-face, phone, email, Skype, etc), you have what you need to conduct your business. As your business expands you can consider having an office, hiring staff, etc.

• Ensure you have an income that supports your financial responsibilities.

• Whilst setting up your business and until you receive your first payment you still need to live somewhere, eat, etc. For myself, this means having a job that allows me to do both. Being the Director of Admissions at a local international school means I have an income, I have vacation time during the peak seasons for weddings/events/etc and I have each evening and weekend free to run my own business.

• Let it be for the love of the job and not for the money.

• People will appreciate the former and recognise the quality it brings within your business.

A little more: Follow your dreams, but do not be foolish. Be realistic, plan well, and be determined. You will succeed!