Week 1

To learn what A`vie Events does and who our clients are. The intern will learn to interact with our current clients, meet potential clients and interview vendors.

  • Get set up with an email to be used for company related business.
  • Telephone and email etiquette: Learn introducing oneself, representing the company with vendors and clients.
  • Conduct basic office work including updating files electronically, faxing contracts, answering calls and miscellaneous projects.
  • Learn how to properly book an event and sign contracts.
  • Set appointments for lead planner and clients.
  • Proof of Liability Insurance from Intern.

Week 2

Review, Organize and develop a Plan of action for current A`vie Events.  Assist with tracking potential clients and assist with immediate follow-up including:

  • Create emails to be sent out to potential clients, target brides, etc.
  • Create a promotion piece to be used in Bridal salons to promote A`vie Events.
  • Review current events to know the specifics of each event.
  • Double check all details and confirm with vendors for the day of the event.
  • Learn to do an itinerary, timeline, rehearsal cheat sheet, and reception checklist and know how to use them to lead a successful event.
  • Meet new vendors at events:
    • Receive instructions in Marketing and Public Relations as is relates to A`vie Events.
    • Collect contact information from and build relations with new vendors.
      • Set a default email to welcome new vendors working with A`vie Events for a particular client.
    • Set follow up appointments with vendors and assist with marketing for discounts for our clients.

Week 3

Learn to assist with vendor appointments for various booked events including weddings, private parties, and corporate events.

  • Become familiar with the timelines and be able to communicate to vendors the needs of our clients.
  • Become familiar with set up and needs for the event prior to the arrival-briefing meetings for our staff (typically set 3 weeks prior to the event).
  • Review final floor plans with clients and all vendors involved.

Week 4

Time management of all details and delegation of responsibilities.

  • Learn to plan and coordinate workers/helpers needed for each event.
  • Become familiar with tear down procedures for each location.
  • Contact vendors for returns/pick-up on the day of the event or for the following day.
  • Confirm additional charges for ‘on time’ delivery/pick up.

Week 5

Implement follow-up plan for new bridal contacts from vendors.

  • Input all new bridal contacts into an Excel Document for tracking purposes.
  • Make a cold call script to use for each call.  Have it approved by the owner before making calls.
  • Get lead planner’s schedule to be able to make 30-minute consultation appointments.
  • Provide email version of a map to our office for all potential clients.  (Could do an email with address and picture if you wish.)
  • Update Excel document daily so we know where we are with leads.
  • Make contact with brides within 48 hours of them contacting A`vie Events.
  • Have necessary contracts and other documents prepared for bride prior to arrival.

Week 6

Attend event consultation appointments to learn how to sell the company services and explain what we do.

  • Learn how to sell A`vie Events services.
  • Learn how to bring the client to contract.
  • Become familiar with each of our packages, as well as a-la-carte items and custom packages.
  • Become knowledgeable on all aspects of how A`vie Events may assist clients with things such as ceremony, reception, budget and other possibilities.

Week 7

Learn to bring a clients vision to completion and provide options.

  • Listening skill and communication
    • Offer ideas and wait to see the response before you move on.  Look for common threads within what she shows you.
  • When making the visions come to completion, you will need to give options and analyze them within the client’s budget.
    • Look, listen, offer suggestions depending on their vision and personalities.
    • Give ideas of what might trigger them to give you some feedback.
    • You need to give them some options to guide them to make a decision.
  • Give them options to trim or in enhance their vision.
    • Make sure you are familiar with what it is going to take to make their vision possible.
      • Map it out so they see the whole picture.
  • Be prepared with alternatives if clients do not prefer the first set up suggestions.
    • They won’t always like all your suggestions but something will spark them.
  • Set up vendor appointments upon confirmation of vision and budget.
    • Before contacting vendors, make sure they fit within their budget and priorities.
    • Set up appointments for them to meet the vendor(s)-may need to meet more than one vendor per category.
    • Book them as they make decisions to use them.
  • Get final contracts drawn up and signed with deposits paid to officially book the vendors.
    • Email out timelines to vendors.
    • Bring a few extras to the events for vendors who forget them.

Week 8

Learn how to book hotel and honeymoon accommodations.

  • Figure out if price or location is more important to them for their guests.
  • Book a Wedding night for B&G, confirm location with the couple.
  • Call several hotels that fit the qualifications and restrictions given by the clients-compare rates.
  • Introduce yourself and explain who you are and you need a wedding block of rooms.
    • Explain how many rooms and types of each you need per night.  Note any special accommodations you may need.
  • Fill out the proper forms to make the reservations
    • Bride’s last name AND Groom’s last name.
    • Most will need a signature to hold the contract.  Confirm whose they need.
    • Fax over the contract to the hotel, put a copy in the client’s file, add to timeline.
  • Follow up with deposit and final payments if needed including cut off dates-(usually a month before the event, the rooms are released back into general inventory).
    • Some require a credit card for a deposit and others don’t.
    • If they require a credit card, find out if the card will be charged ahead of time.
  • Follow up with any last minute changes or updates.
    • Check in with the hotel at 2 months and see what rooms have been reserved under the block.
    • Check in with them one month to make sure everyone they know who needs a room is booked before the rooms are released.

Week 9

Learn how to do more Public Relations with our vendors through discounts, gifts to our clients, advertising to future potential clients and following up with past clients.

  • You must make a personal decision about what you want to do with your company.
  • For A`vie Events I have decided that we don’t take kickbacks that would financially profit us from a booking of their company.  We want the savings/discounts to go to our clients ONLY.
  • Learn how to converse with all vendors and clients.
    • Through email, fax letter, or phone-know which is best for certain vendors.
    • See how you can help them at the event.
    • Show them by your actions that we can take care of it all.
    • Always send out thank you notes to all vendors the week after the event.
  • Learn how to create an effective and efficient way of scheduling work and activities for the vendors and clients.
    • Make notes of what areas they are weak in that you will need to cover.
      • This way there isn’t a problem the day of the event.
      • Be proactive.

Week 10

Help with Lead Boxes with our current top vendors.

  • Design a plan to track ‘lead boxes’ productivity.
    • Place a box at several vendors shops around town that are the colors of the business, logo.
    • Then figure out a form that clients/potential clients can use.
    • Have our logo and contact information on it so they can take the brochure or packet and contact us directly.
    • Possible marketing material to have at vendors to hand out.
    • Some of our business cards.
  • Schedule meetings with our top vendors to explain how they can become involved with our ‘lead box’ program.
    • Top 2-3 in each category.
  • Schedule times to pick up the boxes and move them around the area.
  • Assist with development of a marketing plan to most effectively utilize the lead boxes and get the appropriate information from potential clients.
    • How do you think we can do a follow-up?
  • Promote them-if they are using one of the vendors who have the lead box, they would get an extra a-la-cart item for free? Or should we give them a dollar amount off?

Week 11

Business Ownership 101

  • What are the tools needed to have in place before opening your own business?
    • Get an attorney
    • CPA
    • File forms for an official Business name (need to make sure it is available)
    • Get a County Occupational License.
    • File with the government to get a Tax ID number.
    • Get liability insurance on the company.
    • Workers Comp for you and your employees.
  • What is the specific purpose of your business and its services?
    • Corporate
    • Non-profit
    • Weddings
  • What do you plan to specialize in, more specifically? Make a list.
    • What are you gifted in?
  • What is your target market? What do their demographics consist of?
    • Look at where you are going to do business-geographically, socially.
    • Figure out if there is a need.
    • Then determine how to reach them-how will market your company?
    • This will determine where you go for pricing your services.
  • Plan out a Media Kit and Public Relations plan.

Week 12

Start and complete a plan outline of things we can post on Facebook, create a Pinterest board for different themed weddings for A`vie Events.

  • Oversee the development of a monthly outline that we can use to keep our Facebook users engaged.
  • Constantly invite new people to “like” A`vie Events Facebook page.
  • Determine a way through online we can market the brides, The Knot, Wedding Wire, Event Wire, etc.
  • Have a Q & A section on our online exposure
  • Put lots of pictures

Week 13

Research other local corporate events we could market to for Planning/Coordinating their event.

  • What are some of the local corporate events we might be able to go after?
    • Come up with a spreadsheet with name, contact person, email, phone number.
  • See if you can find out what is the average budget they spend on this event?
  • What are their needs?
    • Planning vs. Coordination
    • Staffing for the event.
    • Do they have volunteers to help with set up and day of?
  • Come up with a basic email introducing us to the contact person.
  • Is there an expectation of profit from the sale of tickets?
  • Attend the event if it is very close for us to put see what the event is all about.

Week 14

Create a list of the pros and cons of having a Professional Experiences Planner do an event.

  • To market wedding and event planners, please make a list of what services a planner can provide to their client.  This is a straight-forward but an example.
    • PRO: What do Planners do that a client can’t do.
    • PRO: List out your experience
    • CON: We may not be able to see the same vision as the client.
    • PRO: Hire one team to do it all-instead of farming out the tasks to friends and relatives.
    • PRO: Getting discounts, better meetings, and deals.
    • CON: That the mothers aren’t able to do as much that they would like to do.
    • PRO: We are the middleman.
    • CON: To have us in the middle-things occasionally fall through the cracks.
  • Create a bulleted list of how planners can help prevent a client from making mistakes.
  • Proactive
    • Weather
    • Time
    • Knowledge
    • Experience
  • Knowing what could happen with this amount of people
    • Small gatherings
    • Large gatherings
    • Requirement to have a map to the reception at the ceremony
  • Working together with Vendors who know you and trust you
    • Knowing that they meet our expectations
    • Being professional in all aspects
    • Being aware of people’s time
  • Knowledge of events in general
    • Practice makes Perfect
    • Things need to be fluid at the Reception
    • Not claiming it will be perfect but it will be successful
    • Do your research
    • Stay current with trends

Week 15

Update A`vie Events Staff on all projects  intern has been working on.

  • Forward any important emails

Create a list of how planners can protect the client from etiquette issues, budget mistakes, and vendor contracts.

  • Etiquette:
    • Aren’t sure who to tip.
    • How to tip: what’s the correct way.
  • Traditional Etiquette isn’t always right or done the same way now.
  • Clash of the parents, grandparents and other family members.
  • Budget Mistakes
  • We keep track of the whole budget
  • Make sure they make payments on time.
    • Vendors Contracts
  • Create a chart to share with them things that can happen without a planner/coordinator

Week 16

Evaluate internship and internship program provided by A`vie Events.

  • Final evaluations of A`vie Events internship program to be conducted by the intern pertaining to their experience.
  • List out of pros and cons (be honest).  This will help us with interns in the future.