EXPERIENTIAL EVENTS

I have always had a passion for event planning. I planned my first event while still in high school, modeling it after a popular 1980’s whodonit movie. I invited guests anonymously to an event location, planned a dinner party, and hosted an out-of-the-box mystery dinner. Guests were encouraged to dress in costume and nobody knew who the event planner was until the end of the evening.

I continued to plan lavish personal parties including themed parties like luaus with tropical foods, leis for the guests, and name tags translating guest names to Hawaiian. A retro happy hour featured classic 1950’s cocktail party appetizers, a vast martini menu, and guests were encouraged to dress up in vintage attire. A Hollywood stars party featured a red carpet entrance, photo ops with Marilyn Monroe, champagne and popcorn, as well as handwriting analysis for guests’ signatures. A chili cook off is also a fall favorite of mine. I roll butcher paper out along a buffet table and each guest is encouraged to bring a pot of chili to sample. During the evening, guests mix and mingle while enjoying sample sizes from each pot. At the end of the party, guests vote for their favorite and the winner takes home a hot sauce bottle trophy.

During a decade in the radio industry, I worked with many events, ultimately serving as an Event Coordinator for three years working to coordinate sponsorships, volunteers, planning, vendor relations, tracking expenses, event set up and tear down, as well as being the point person during events.

I coordinated a variety of events including a wedding show vendor event, Taste of Home cooking show including vendors and demonstration, food drives, motorcycle giveaways, a party celebrating administrative professionals, and a Rock the Dock event for up to 10,000 guests with live music, vendors, and fireworks display.

After transitioning to the hospitality industry, I had the opportunity to create experiential events to draw local patrons as well as overnight guests. Classic events included Breakfast with Santa, New Year’s Eve parties, and holiday buffet dinners with activities for the kids.

At Pheasant Run, we worked with a vendor to create a Christmas light display set to music on our indoor replica of Bourbon Street and during the holidays we created a Santa’s workshop for kids activities and seasonal food and beverages from the adjoining restaurants.

While working to relaunch the Mainstage Theater at Pheasant Run, we created a movie screening event of The Girl Who Wore Freedom, inviting the film’s production team and honoring veterans for Veteran’s Day.

At Pheasant Run I also had the opportunity to create themed events to attract guests for overnight stays including Halloween parties, Little Sweeties Valentine’s Day party, End of Summer Luau, Mardi Gras parties, Blackhearts singles events, and couples swing dancing for Valentine’s Day weekend.

While working with the Deltal Hotel by Marriott in Menomonee Falls, I had the opportunity to turn a PR disaster into an engagining win. The agency tasked with branding the new restaurant, had inadvertantly missed an “L” while intending to name it after a local historical figure. To launch the opening of the restaurant, we created large “L”s with the name of the restaurant on them and a prize like a free coffee or breakfast sandwich. We hid them throughout the community and published clues to find the missing Ls on the website. This got our local community engaged and aw we welcomed the winners in to try out the new offerings. Ultimately, poking a little fun at our own expense went a long way to smooth things over in the community.

In 2022 I published a book, Lisa Kay’s Party Plans: How to Plan a Derby Party. The book breaks down the steps to plan an awesome themed party covering everything from party decor, music, and activities to recipes for food and drinks, as well as a timeline and party planning check list.

Also in 2022, while doing freelance marketing for several businesses in my small hometown, I developed Christmas in the Village to help create traffic for all of the businesses in town and create a positive community experience during a typically slow season. Patrons were encouraged to visit each location for a chance to win prizes. Business offered special offers, treats, and seasonal food and beverage to help celebrate. There were visits with Santa and the kids even got to pet goats dressed up as reindeer.

Getting back into hospitality in 2023, I had the opportunity to coordinate Taste of Sheboygan to showcase restaurants, businesses, and attractions in Sheboygan to the local audience as well as potential group and event clients. As a bonus, a portion of the proceeds benefited the local food bank. At Blue Harbor Resort, I also coordinated Artists’ Receptions, happy hours for tourism partners, fundraiser and live music events, wine tastings, a live television show broadcast, as well as the inaugural Oktoberfest.