Some would say the event industry can feel oversaturated, while others may feel completely isolated after launching their event business. The truth is often times, it's both. Of course, we all know there are wedding planners, event vendors, venues, and coordinators out there making money and leading successful, thriving businesses. That is usually one of the biggest reasons we all chose this field - because it's lucrative and full of opportunity. However, if you don't know how to connect to the ocean of event professionals in the already-thriving world of wedding planning and vendor life, or even where to find them, it can easily feel like you are on an island of isolation with no direction and no light at the end of the tunnel. 

Here's our top 3 tips to grow your network and join the community of event professionals:

1. Join the Conversation
One of the best places to find and join networks is on social media. There are several platforms dedicated solely to event planning, but many times the conversation is much more active on the most popular, general social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X. Our recommendation would be to start with Facebook since that is much more community oriented. Look for and join groups for vendors and couples planning weddings in your area. For example, if you are based in New York, you would be looking for group titles like "New York Weddings" or "Weddings NYC" and choose the groups with the highest member count, and highest post frequency. Facebook lists that information right under the group name in the search page. 

2. Add Value
Once you find your people, remember the most valuable and memorable people in any community are those that help others. Rather than jumping into groups just to promote your business and try to score leads (although that is also a priority of course), look for ways you can help the other members of the group. When you see posts asking for advice and recommendations, offer contributions that solve their problems even if it has nothing to do with the services you provide. Leave tips and tricks for couples, brides, and other vendors as much as possible. Jump in full of value to offer the other members of the community, and you will quickly find yourself thriving in the network. PRO TIP: The more you offer tips and advice to vendors or couples, the more you establish yourself as a subject matter expert, and people begin to trust you and your brand.

3. Collaborate, Collaborate, Collaborate
Nothing says community like collaboration. All of your fellow event vendors are on the same business-building journey as you, all eager to grow and connect with others. One of the best ways to grow as a business both in client bookings and in networking is by collaborating with others. Each time you collaborate, you are sharing your services with their audience, and vice versus, virtually doubling your reach. Collaborate with more than one vendor, and you begin to triple and quadruple your reach. Once you do a project with someone and it goes well, often times it leads to adding each other to vendor lists, recommending each other to future clients, and trading positive reviews (because vendor reviews are just as important as client reviews, especially in our industry). One of the most practical ways to do this in the event industry is coordinating or joining a styled shoot. You will see tons of these advertised in posts within Facebook wedding groups. Look for styled shoots with reputable vendors, and consider getting involved. The purpose of a styled shoot is to exchange your services for professional photos and vendor connections. For example if you are a florist, you may create a beautiful wedding bouquet paid for out-of-pocket to contribute to the shoot, and rather than being paid in cash, you receive a list of vendors to connect with and beautiful photos you can use in your portfolio. This is a great way to connect with other vendors and reap the benefits of joining the community.

Remember, networking is never as scary as it seems, and once you dip your toes in you will be pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the community can be. Jump in, joining the conversation, and watch the opportunities pour in. 

Cheers!