Kyndall Jaffe is the "director of everything" and managing partner at Mixology Mixer, a virtual mixology and cooking experience company she co-founded in October 2020 after working on some of South Florida's biggest events. She graduated from Florida International University’s Event Management program in 2018 and is based in Pompano Beach, Fla.
How she got her start: "My first taste of event planning dates back to my high school culinary arts program, Prostart, where we would plan school-wide lunches and catering events. My first professional step into the events industry though was with Loni Paige Events, where I started as an intern and quickly fell into the role of a full-time event manager. Through my work with Loni Paige, who is now my business partner at Mixology Mixer, I was able to take part in some of South Florida’s largest premier events, including Miami Swim Week fashion shows, Irie Weekend, Little Lighthouse Foundation, The Big Buck Music Festival, City of Deerfield's Boots and Bourbon, Arthur J. Williams Showcase at The Setai, South Beach Wine & Food Festival events and the Carnival Casino Cruise Lines Gala."
Gap her company fills in the industry: "Through Mixology Mixer, we have been able to create a space that connects people virtually as they would outside of the pandemic. In the blink of an eye, our world became virtual—however, people and companies still urged for a sense of connection outside of working on a computer all day. Mixology Mixer provides a virtual event experience for groups to learn, create and interact together, whether they are learning the art of crafting cocktails or tasting their way through a wine and chocolate pairing class."
Biggest lesson from the last year: "Expect the unexpected. I believe that this applies to everyday life as well as the event industry. In March 2020, I was furloughed by my previous employer, Deco Productions, because of my city’s local mandate to send all non-approved lines of work home. After months of living in a limbo of not knowing if events would ever come back, I called a past employer, Loni Paige, just to check in and see how she was doing. I had no idea then that the catch-up call would turn into becoming a partner in Mixology Mixer.
I don’t think that anyone in the hospitality industry could’ve prepared or anticipated the hit that the industry would take. Companies, freelancers and vendors all had to find a new way to reinvent themselves to make it through the year, and that's exactly what Loni and I did with Mixology Mixer. In events, there are always curveballs that get thrown into the mix and COVID-19 was the hospitality industry's curveball last year."
Career goals: "I love to plan logistics and operations prior to an event and then execute everything flawlessly. The No. 1 goal for my career is to continue doing what I love in the line of work that I’m currently in because it truly makes me happy. I want to continue to form connections and work in what my opinion is the best industry anyone can work in."
In her free time: "In my downtime during the pandemic, I took the opportunity to get Cvent-certified to build my knowledge in virtual and hybrid events."
Advice for her peers: "Get out there and get the experience! The best knowledge you will gain is out in the field."
Follow her on Instagram at @kyndall__morgan.
