“Clients are much more focused on the quality of food. The standard offering of a chicken and a beef for dinner has become obsolete. Tapas-style menus have become hugely popular—ongoing waves of food throughout the evening, each wave increasing in portion size and variety.”
Eric McIntyre, pastry chef/co-owner, Tip of the Tongue Caterers, New York
“People are using social media to publicize and manage their events. Paper invites are slowly becoming a thing of the past. Today’s and future generations are all about tweeting, emailing, and texting.”
Lucia Falco-Sardana, senior special events manager, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York
“The psychological effects of 9/11 and the financial effects of November 2008.”
David Beahm, president, David Beahm Design, New York
“By far the most impactful influence has been the Internet. Even 10 years ago not everyone had a Web site or relied on email for research and communication. It’s been a miracle, for all the obvious reasons, and a tragedy in the sense that it demystified a lot of what we do.”
Marcy Blum, president, Marcy Blum Associates Events, New York
“Reality TV. A lot of people who didn’t understand anything about event planning 10 years ago, who called us all ‘party planners’ and thought we weren’t doing much, now see all of the work that goes into events on television, all produced with an eye to what goes on behind the scenes. People understand what I do now, although it’s still not as glamorous as they think.”
Heather Westrom, senior director, Ballpark Enterprises, Washington Nationals Baseball Club, Washington
“There is more competition than ever in every event service category. As the industry has gained more respect from the general public, more entrepreneurs have deemed it worthwhile to enter the marketplace. More specialization has led to higher-quality specialty products.”
Jeff Sigler, vice president of sales, FormDecor Modern Furniture Rental, Los Angeles
“Events that were planned over six months are being planned in four weeks. Short-term is the new norm.”
Jim Kirsch, president and C.E.O., Abigail Kirsch, New York
There are more and more people in continuing education, undergraduate, and masters programs specifically for event management. This is no longer a profession that people fall into, but something that people aspire to.”
Morgan S. Connacher, senior project manager, Fourth Wall Events, New York
“Special dietary-restricted meals. I recently managed food and beverage for a conference where more than 900 registrants indicated a food
allergy or dietary requirement.”
Kim Kennedy, event manager, SAP, Newton Square, Pennsylvania
