Emergence New Orleans Recap
My second Emergence event was held in the energetic and vibrant city of New Orleans. Here in the heart of Jazz and music, I rubbed elbows with some of the most inspiring colleagues in the wedding industry. I gained so much inspiration from this event. Let me recap it for you…
Tory Smith and Lauren Silavin from Smith + James Events were Guest Hosts for this experience. Fallon Carter and Sean Low were amazing contributors to this event. With Emergence being an intimate experience, all Attendees have the opportunity to have 1:1 time with each of the Speakers. I met Tory first thing on day 1, sat with Fallon at dinner that night and got to pick Sean Low’s brain at Race & Religious on day 2. It was a unique experience to have access to these masters of their craft and I learned so much from each of them during my time in NOLA.
Kaytee and Samantha kicked off the event with a challenge to each of us to express ourselves in a creative and brave way in order to find the connections that are specifically made for us.
The first Breakout Session of the event was called "The Envelope". I wrote 5 facts about myself on a piece of paper and placed them into my own branded envelope. The envelopes were shuffled and chosen one at a time to read aloud to the rest of the group. We then had to guess the identity of the envelope in hand. Mine were fairly obvious:
I lived in France for one year.
I started in this industry as a wedding photographer.
I am from the Pacific Northwest.
I started offering styling services this year.
I have a wedding at Hotel Peter & Paul this fall.
The deep connections are my favorite part of Emergence. If you’re strategic, you can get to know each of the 50 attendees.
On the first evening, Kinfolk Brass Band lead us in a Second Line with cocktails in hand. This was so much fun and quite a spectacle. I think that, since we have to be professional and work during events, Wedding industry folks really like to let loose when the time is right. A three-course meal was served in one of NOLA’s staples: Brennan's.
Day 2 started with breakfast at Hotel Monteleone. We traveled to the historic property of Race & Religious where we held our Creative Session with Sean Low and a Breakout Q&A Session with Smith + James. We ended our time at Race & Religious with our final Breakout Session called Rose, Thorn, and Bud.
We then headed into a rest period where I took the opportunity to try some New Orleans oysters and champagne with a group of about 6 of us. They were amazing and I haven’t stopped thinking about them since (The oysters… and the company).
We then traveled to Hotel Peter and Paul for our Cornerstone Dinner. We were greeted by a live band and entertainment artists throughout the space. Each of us had a custom poem written for us by Christian of Cubs Poet. It was a thoughtful experience and gift we got to take home.
I'm grateful to my fellow Attendees who were fun, brave, and really embraced Emergence's mission of creating new business and creative partnerships. Emergence is an immersive experience for creative professionals to refuel. It's a space where we are challenged, uplifted, and inspired. I can’t attend the summer Emergence at Pippin Hill Farm - but I know I’ll be back!
Host | Kaytee Stice and Samantha Leenheer of Emergence Events
Creative Director | Jackson Southard Events
Locations | Hotel Monteleone, Race & Religious, Hotel Peter and Paul
Guest Host | Smith + James Events
Speakers | Sean Low and Fallon Carter
Catering | Brennan's, St. James Cheese Company, and Bacchanal Wine
Photographer | Erin Fox Photo
Film | K LaFleur Films
Beauty | Margaret Snider Co
Floral Designer | Kim Starr Wise
Stationery | Fig. 2 Design
Rentals | Event Rental, Party Rentals Nola, and Distressed Rentals
Linens | Nuage Designs Inc
Entertainment | Kinfolk Brass Band, Blue Earth Artists, LadyBEAST Productions
Poetry | Cubs the Poet
Event Meteorologist | Ironic Reports
Sponsor Partners | Maroo Wedding Pros
