From Hawaii to Manhattan, I moved 6,000 miles from one island to another to leave my sleepy beach town and make it big in the city that never sleeps. Born and raised in Hawaii, I broke into public relations and events as a glorified secretary at a PR firm in Honolulu. Fortunately, the firm was sma ...
From Hawaii to Manhattan, I moved 6,000 miles from one island to another to leave my sleepy beach town and make it big in the city that never sleeps. Born and raised in Hawaii, I broke into public relations and events as a glorified secretary at a PR firm in Honolulu. Fortunately, the firm was small, the clients were big, and it wasn’t long before I was working on some of the most exciting events to hit Oahu. Hawaii is my home and I had lived there all of my life, but I knew I was getting too big for the Islands. I needed more people, more excitement, and more challenges.
In 2002, I took a leap of faith – across the Pacific Ocean and Continental United States – first stop: Washington D.C. After attaining an Event Management Certificate at George Washington University and with some great events under my belt, I knew I was ready for the Big Apple.
With in months of arriving to Manhattan, I was working as the Communications and Special Events Director for a non-profit organization called the Israel Humanitarian Foundation and had the opportunity to conceptualize and execute 7 major events including Fashion Galas, Tennis Tournament, Young Professionals Benefits, Gourmet Food & Wine Tasting, and more.
After learning about NY’s event industry, I realized there was a gap and I set out to fill it. In 2003, I began building an event association known today as New York Event Planners (NYEP). NYEP is a e-mail-based discussion group for event professionals in New York to network with each other in a non-solicitous forum. With more than 4,000 members, NYEP is a forum to ask questions, exchange event-related tips, solve problems, and post job announcements to nearby colleagues with one quick email.
NYEP is a great fit with my other business venture: an event planners dream web site called Event Headquarters (www.EventHeadQuarters.com) which is scheduled to launch nationally this Winter. The driving force behind Event Headquarters is that it is “For planners, by planners.” Our mission is to better the event industry by using the people and resources within it to make it stronger. It’s much more than a directory, it’s a community in which peers share resources and exchange ideas via an online discussion board, face-to-face networking events, and an extensive member-generated directory.
After coming half-way around the world, I found my niche in event planning in New York City’s busy market. Event Planning jives with my energy, vision, passion, and insatiable appetite for social situations and that is how Soiree Events was born (www.SoireeEventsUsa.com). Soirée Events is a boutique event-planning agency which hosts its own signature events as well as offers passionate and personalized client service for events such as Launch Parties, Fashion Shows, and Charity Benefits.
The circle of life rings true for me as I’ve come full circle back to Hawaii, my home. It started in summer 2006, with mother’s breast cancer diagnosis, which inspired my return to the islands to raise funds and awareness for this worthwhile cause. I am the volunteer creator and director for the Cool Kailua Nights Block Party & Health Awareness Fair (www.CoolKailuaNights.com) which is annual block party with over 5,000 attendees and raises funds for cancer related charities.
Having been a member of many social networking groups in Manhattan, I decided it was time to bring home a little piece of New York's spirit of networking in the form of "Social Wahines" (www.SocialWahines.com). I felt Hawaii was lacking an avenue for young female professionals to network with each other, and decided to make a change.
Seeking new adventure and opportunity, as well as making my way closer to home, I moved from one coast to another and landed in Santa Monica. With this move came the relaunch of Event Headquarters. At present, I find myself back in Sweet Home Hawaii working on Social Wahines, Event Headquarters and StartUp Weekend Honolulu.
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