In November we had the amazing opportunity to speak at Engage 14! – a conference and networking event for the luxury wedding industry, this year held at the beautiful Ritz Carlton Grand Cayman. It was so much fun to see some of our friends, and we especially loved learning other speakers’ takes on where they see the industry headed in 2015. To give you a little taste of what it was all about, we decided to break it down into a few of our favorite takeaways:

The most memorable quote from the event was from Keija Minor, the Editor in Chief of Brides magazine who said that “Great minds don’t think alike, but they think better together.” That kind of collaborative spirt will get you far! We love working with all of our brides, vendors, photographers, and caterers to create extra special, meaningful events.

Simon T. Bailey was one of our favorite speakers, and gave an overview of the conference theme with the quote “Own it. Create it. Sustain it.” He mentioned that half of all brides are checking you out on social media, so the most important value is authenticity. Keeping the conversation going on social media is super important to the Soirée team, so make sure to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest to stay up to date on our news and recent weddings and events!

Simon also mentioned that “the currency of the future is relationships.” It’s all about who you know and how you treat them. Make friends and keep your network broad! And lastly he mentioned to “let go of what doesn’t work anymore.” A helpful reminder to always be looking to the future of your business and thinking creatively about your next steps. (Photo above by Liz Banfield)

Minneapolis event planner Amy Zaroff was another favorite speaker and agreed with Simon, noting the importance of “understanding the value of reputation.” Consistently doing good work, being pleasant to work with, and striving to be the best in your field are things that will take you far in life. And on that note, Amy says in this industry, “we live by insanely high standards… go big or go home!”

We’re with you Amy! Here’s to 2015, a year of “going big!”