The Art Of Celebrating with Akeshi Akinseye and Michelle Durpetti

On Episode 6 of The Art Of Celebrating Podcast, Hosts  and Chicago Wedding Planners, Akeshi Akinseye and Michelle Durpetti discuss the price surge and what it means for the wedding and events industry and share tips on how to get ready.

Early in the year, the hope was that the bottlenecks that gummed up the global supply chain in 2020 would be mostly cleared by now. They’ve actually only gotten worse — much worse — and evidence is mounting that the holiday season is at risk.

Across Europe, retailers such as apparel chain H&M can’t meet demand because of delivery delays. In the U.S., Nike cut its sales forecast after Covid-19 triggered factory closures in Vietnam that wiped out months of production.

And Bed Bath & Beyond’s stock plunged amid shipping woes, with Chief Executive Officer Mark Tritton warning that disruptions would last well into next year. “There is pressure across the board, and you will hear about that from others.”

Covid outbreaks have idled port terminals. There still aren’t enough cargo containers, causing prices to spike 10-fold from a year ago. Labor shortages have stalled trucking and pushed U.S. job openings to all-time highs. And that was before UPS, Walmart and others embark on hiring hundreds of thousands of seasonal workers to take on the peak of peak.

So, what does this mean for events, weddings and celebrations?

It means we have much to discuss on this topic plus we share a few insights on how to prepare.

Take a listen and please share.

Enjoy!

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“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Collaborations is one of the quickest and effective ways to get the right content in front of your audience.

You are able to create curated content you are missing in your portfolio without limitations from a client. All small business owners should be actively seeking out collaboration opportunities in their businesses in order to grow and become more successful.

On episode 5, hosts Akeshi and Michelle discuss:

•  What true collaboration looks like
• The benefits of collaborations 
• 7 tips for effective and meaningful collaboration 
• and more

Great things happen when we work together.

Be sure to check out this episode and get our 7 tips for effective collaboration.

Enjoy!

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Sweetest Day is always celebrated on the third Saturday of October, and is primarily celebrated in the Midwest and parts of the Northeast. The holiday is said to have gotten its start in Cleveland in 1922 when a candy company employee named Herbert Birch Kingston wanted to bring happiness to those in society who were often forgotten, specifically children and the elderly. 

According to Hallmark, 80 percent of the company's Sweetest Day cards have a “love” or “romance” theme. However, that doesn't mean those not romantically involved are left out.

So we are taking about anybody we love to whom we can  "express appreciation and gratitude for special people..” Today's episode include five tips (plus one bonus tip!!) on how to celebrate Sweetest day in the very best way! 

This year, that happens to be Oct. 16, which means you don't have a lot of time to prepare. But don’t worry!

We are here today to discuss a few ways that you can make Sweetest Day extra special for all the sweet people in your life, especially your partner!

Enjoy!

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After a long, pandemic-induced wedding drought, the industry is busier than it has been in decades — and venues, vendors, planners and creatives everywhere are feeling the squeeze.

According to The Wedding Report, there will be an estimated 2.5 million weddings in 2022, which is the most the U.S. has seen since 1984. How can you be a positive part of this wedding boom? 

On episode 3 of The Art Of Celebrating Podcast, Hosts Akeshi Akinseye and Michelle Durpetti discuss how clients can work with their vendors to make their celebration extra special. 

They also share five tips for couples who are going through the planning journey to making sure their celebration process is positive and enjoyable.

Enjoy!

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On this second episode we are discussing all that wedding planners do for their clients. We break down three important elements that a planner brings to the table: 

• Logistics and the planning process
• Design and building an event that hits all five senses 
• and the important of a beautifully, thoughtfully curated timeline 

Enjoy!

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EP 1: A meet cute - Meet your hosts (Akeshi and Michelle)

The first episode of The Art of Celebrating is an introduction to your hosts through a series of fun questions that give background in to what inspires them, how they got started in the industry and what they love about bringing celebrations to life! In this episode, we discuss 

• When we fell in love with celebrations
• How long we have been producing events 
• Where we find inspiration and
• What we love about being in the industry, among a few other fun facts and memories that make Akeshi & Michelle who they are today. 

Enjoy!

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