PRESS-ing Matters | Media Elevating Standards in The Event Industry

“Think like a Journalist/ the Media! Stop trying to get journalists to write the stories you want them to, instead frame yours with the narratives they are already using.” –Nirjary M.Desai

Pressing Matters-Extra Extra Read all about it! Whether you are South Asian, Black, White, Gay, or any shade in between it’s important to ensure that the media understands you & your brand are Culturally & Humanly Inclusive. This week our goal is to have a candid discussion with leading media platforms & event publicists in our industry about how the media plays a role in setting standards and helping creatives build better businesses and communities, and what you as a business need to understand about diversifying your media outreach!

Follow our experts so you can keep up with them and reach out to them for future collaborations, advice & creative inspiration:

KIS CUBED EVENTS:
Nirjary Desai
@kis_cubed_events
https://kiscubedevents.com/blog/

MANDALA WEDDINGS MAGAZINE:
@mandalaweddings
https://mandalaweddings.com/masterclass/

Our guest panelist websites and IG accounts:

Eliana Baucicault
B Collective Magazine- @bcollectivemag
https://thebcollective.co

Kirsten Ott Palladioa
EquallyWed
@equallywed
https://equallywed.com

Rajen & Prajna Gandhi
Must be Kismet
@mustbekismet_official
https://blog.mustbekismet.com

Meghan Ely
OFD Consulting
@ofdconsulting
https://ofdconsulting.com

5 Things to Do in the Next Hour to Get Published
http://bit.ly/OFD5ThingsinanHour

You can download the full PDF presentation, by clicking here.

If you wish too fast forward to a question below. We have included the timestamp for each question to make it more efficient to get the answers you are looking for.

QUESTIONS TO DISCUSSED WITH OUR PANEL:

This week’s Mantra

” Think like a journalist/the media! Stop trying to get journalist to write the stories you want them to. instead frame yours with the narratives they are already using.”

2:50 What is the Role of the Media in the Wedding & Event Industry?
5:00 Each one of you is a niche publication, and many folks have asked us if they are a niche vendor such as South Asian can they and should they advertise in your publications?
8:50 Many times media outlets want exclusive rights to vendors work, and by the time they feature it in print, the shelf life of the event is related to the shelf life of the issue, how do you think publications can help vendors & their events see more light if exclusive rights are agreed upon?
20:37 What are the differences between an editor and a publicist. And if you can submit directly to the editor, why would someone need a publicist?
25:45 How can vendors appear to be more inclusive in their brand if they have pigeonholed themselves into only one type of event or one type of niche market?
31:13 There has been a buzz about being on Lists makes you qualified as a vendor, and we all know that those placements can be bought, instead of vendors focusing on getting on lists what is your suggestion to them to elevate their game from a media perspective?
36:50 Globally Same sex marriage events have become a huge sought after media crave, what should a vendor do to cater to this market, and what should they not do?
42:05 If a vendor wants to work internationally what would you suggest they do to build their awareness before they just sign on events and make a mess of them because they lack the knowledge and expertise in how to work in other parts of the world. We all know bad news travels faster than the good.
44:38 What is your goal for your publication in this moment and the world we live in?
53:05 Many vendors are apprehensive to invest in media or have previously invested and those outlets didn’t work for them, or the platforms only cared about the end user “couple/client”, but don’t look at it as the vendor is feeding their pocket and to listen to their needs, how is this something that will change or you will commit to helping change in the industry?
1:04:20 Many of you think the media needs to find you, but in turn you need to find them. Meghan tell us about the 5 Tips on what to vendors can Do now?

NEW WEBINARS EVERY TUESDAY AT 11:00 a.m. PST or 2:00 p.m. EST

Moderators:

Nirjary Desai of Kis Cubed Events: @kis_cubed_events
Gene Higa –Mandala Weddings: @mandalaweddings

Guest Panelist/Experts:

Nirjary M. Desai

KIS (cubed) Events

Gene Higa

Mandala Weddings Magazine

Meghan Ely

OFD Consulting Event PR

Eliana Baucicault

BCollective Magazine & BSpoke Podcast

Chief Experience Officer of KIS (cubed) Events, S3 Catering, & Bridal Elements by ND. An award winning event producer who has been around the globe to orchestrate over the top simple, sophisticated & stylish soirees for her clients whether it’s a corporate event or social celebration, she speaks your love language. Born, Raised & Educated internationally, Nirjary has always loved creating celebrations through culture, conversations, cuisines & creative learning approaches.

Gene Higa is the co-founder of Mandala Weddings and a long time photographer who has traveled the world capturing life’s most auspicious moments for their clients. He has also be a trailblazer educator for WPPI & the photography world, by educating new comers into the creative world on how to build a global business & a better business.

OFD Consulting owner, Meghan Ely, combines in-the-trenches event experience with a love of wedding PR to empower her clients to take their businesses to new heights. A long-time industry speaker and writer, she is a WeddingPro educator with The Knot + WeddingWire, as well as a regular contributor to Wedding Planner Magazine, Catersource and SpecialEvents.com. Meghan represents clients globally and has earned them coverage with the New York Times, Martha Stewart Weddings, The Knot, Refinery 29, Domino, Forbes and Real Simple, among other outlets.

Eliana Baucicault is a creative powerhouse. She has vision that spawns more vision and she is in constant pursuit of flawless details, fabulous brands and formidable outcomes.

In 2017, The B Collective Magazine was launched to address the growing need to showcase the work and talent of minorities in the wedding and events industry via the print market. Since that time, four volumes of the print publication have been distributed and the magazine has seen nationwide success. 2020 she launched the B Spoke Podcast.

Prajna Gandhi

MustBE Kismet Magazine

Kirsten Ott Palladino

EquallyWed

Rajen Gandhi

MustBE Kismet Magazine

Prajna Gandhi is the editor-in-chief and designer of the Must be Kismet magazine and wedding show.

She started her design career at lululemon, after graduating with a degree in fashion marketing from Ryerson University in Toronto.

At lululemon, she was able to combine her love of fashion and yoga as she created design collateral for their stores and for new store openings.

In 2015, she was hired to rebrand the Must Be Kismet Wedding Show and is proud to have contributed to its becoming the largest South Asian Wedding Show in Canada.

Today she continues to pursue her passion for design and fashion with her company, Phoro Design Inc.

Kirsten Ott Palladino is a multi-award-winning seasoned

writer and editor with 20 years in the Atlanta media. Ott Palladino has served as editor at several newspapers and magazines, both regional and national. She’s been a guest speaker on air on CNN, NPR and several iHeartRadio shows and podcasts, as well as has spoken at multiple wedding conferences around the globe, including Engage Summits and WIPA. In 2010, along with her wife, Maria, the Athens, Ga., native launched Equally Wed, the digital leader for gay, lesbian, transgender, queer and bisexual weddings after realizing that nothing similar existed on the market when the couple was planning their own nuptials. She is the author of the book “Equally Wed: The Ultimate Guide to Planning Your LGBTQ+ Wedding” (2017). In 2019, she and her wife launched Equally Wed Pro, an LGBTQ+ inclusive educational platform to teach wedding and hospitality pros how to be authentically LGBTQ+ inclusive.

Rajen has been a part of the wedding industry for over 15 years. He started as a DJ with Empire Entertainment, where he gained insight and expertise of the overall industry. In 2016, with several other industry professionals, he ventured into the Wedding Show and Magazine Industry. Using his hands-on experience and knowledge, Rajen has been able to create Toronto’s most Luxurious South Asian Bridal Show. With over 2000 attendees and 100 inspirational vendors per show, the Must Be Kismet Bridal Show is a staple in the Toronto Wedding scene. Today, as the managing partner, Rajen plays an integral role in overseeing the day to day operations of Must Be Kismet, including sales, partnership development, business development, event planning, accounting, web development and marketing. With his drive and enthusiasm, Rajen strives to create the best wedding show experience for vendors and future brides and grooms alike.

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