Don't miss this Workshop specifically designed with YOU, the wedding professional, in mind. Hear from a series of experts about relevant topics that will get you ahead in today's competitive market.

Topics will include:

Promoting your Wedding Business to Success
Elizabeth Howard, The Cordial Cricket

The Emerging Social Media Crisis:
How to Manage the Risks and Rewards of Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter
Brent Peterson, Interview Angel

Your Worst Critic: How you get in the Way of your Wedding Business
Shanelle Calvin, Shanelle Calvin Consulting

The State of the Wedding Industry and the 2011 Outlook
Meghan Ely, OFD Consulting & the Richmond Bridal Association

The early bird rate is only available through August 20, so don't delay!

Event Sponsors:

Maymont Foundation

IK Catering

Petites Bouches

The Cordial Cricket

Interview Angel, Inc

Shanelle Calvin Consulting

More about our Speakers

Elizabeth Howard, The Cordial Cricket 

Elizabeth Howard started her online paper boutique in 2005 as a part-time venture, later leaving her full-time career in information technology in 2007 to open her own retail store, The Cordial Cricket. Her store, located in Chester, Virginia and online at www.thecordialcricket.com, specializes in custom invitations, stationery and gifts.

Elizabeth has been featured in and/or written for publications such as Stationery Trends Magazine and Gifts & Decorative Accessories Magazine. She enjoys speaking, writing and blogging on the topics of wedding etiquette, social and correspondence etiquette as well as the adventures of being a small business owner, using social media, growing your business and marketing. Elizabeth is currently a featured writer for MarketMommies.com where she writes feature articles ontopics relevant to mom-business owners.

Elizabeth is a wedding invitation etiquette expert for TopWeddingQuestions.com where she answers
questions related to wedding etiquette. She is the exclusive invitation expert for “Wedology 101” in August 2010, a seminar for bride’s featuring the top wedding professionals in the industry tackling the items at the top of every bride’s to-do list.

Brent Peterson, Interview Angel, Inc

Brent Peterson is the Founder of Interview Angel Inc (www.interviewangel.com) based in Ashland, Virginia.  Interview Angel specializes in career networking and job interviewing services and products.

Among client organizations, the Interview Angel padfolio has been selected for use by the MBA Program at the University of Richmond, the County of Henrico, Virginia, Goodwill Industries, and Dress for Success Worldwide headquartered in New York City.  The product also served as a lead reference for the 2010 book release of Nail It! 10 Secrets for Winning the Job Interview by Pat Williams, Co-Founder of the Orlando Magic.

As the Founder of Interview Angel, Brent has been interviewed on television in Virginia by ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX. He has spoken to audiences at the University of Richmond, Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Virginia, Women in Technology Management Forum, Southern Association of Colleges & Employers (SoACE) Annual Conference, and chapters of the Financial Executives Networking Group and the Project Management Institute.  Brent was also selected to speak at the 2010 Annual Conference for the National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE).

Brent has 16 years experience in corporate management and consulting.  Brent completed his MBA from James Madison University in 1998 and received top honors as the Outstanding MBA Student.  He also graduated from the University of Virginia in 2000 with a Master's degree in Management Information Systems.  Brent is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) since 2005. 

 Shanelle Calvin, Shanelle Calvin Consulting

Shanelle Calvin is the owner of Shanelle Calvin Consulting, a boutique-consulting firm that assists clients with branding, and strategic planning. The firm offers a fresh new perspective by using creative and affordable business solutions to meet the needs of small businesses. Shanelle is
passionate about offering resources and events that help empower women in their personal and professional lives. To fulfill this passion she is the business expert on Radio Go Girl and the host of Building Your Business, a free workshop series, which teaches women how to build business in a down economy. Shanelle has over ten years experience working with non-profit organizations on marketing and communications, and data analysis.

Meghan Ely, OFD Consulting LLC

Owner of niche Marketing/PR firm OFD Consulting, Meghan Ely, a James Madison University graduate,  began her career with the Maymont Foundation, where she steadily increased sales through partnership marketing, while also re-entering the company into the bridal show market after a ten year absence. Meghan then moved to Richmond Country Club, where she designed and implemented the Club's first Banquet Marketing Plan. She has spent the majority of her career with the five star, five diamond Jefferson Hotel, where she consulted with the Marketing Team as to its placement in the Bridal Market.

Meghan served as the first Public Relations Chair for the Richmond Bridal Association and more recently as their Membership Director. In Fall 2009, OFD Consulting took over management of RBA, with Meghan as its Managing Director.  She is a contributing writer to Virginia Bride Magazine and has been published in Premier Bride Magazine. She also has a monthly column in the Richmond Times Dispatch with fellow wedding pro Jennifer McBride, entitled Wedology 101: the Reality of Being a Bride.

She is a frequent public speaker and will be traveling to Ireland in November to present "The Business of Weddings Ireland."