Meet Vanessa Loney, CMP | Event Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vanessa Loney, CMP and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vanessa, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When I think about risk, I think it’s so funny how far I’ve come. When I first graduated with my degree in accounting, I was very risk adverse. I had chosen a career with an amazing firm that had a clear trajectory: every year I would get a promotion and salary increase based on performance. I never had to worry about asking for professional development, bonuses or any perks because they were always offered in this job. It was the perfect job…on paper! But I felt something was missing in my professional life. I ended up taking a leap of faith and quit that amazing job to follow my passion for event planning. I took a pay cut and ended up with invaluable experiences that I never would have had otherwise. I got to travel to Kenya for work, won countless awards for the events I produced and gained the courage and confidence to eventually start my own company. Embracing risk allowed me the room to grow into the professional I am today!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’ve been planning corporate events for that last 12 years, but started Blue Ribbon Events 5 years ago. I always like to say everyone in this industry has an events “journey” and I’m no different. While obtaining my degree in Accounting, I had a work-study job at the performing arts center on campus. In the 3 years I was there, I worked my way up from front desk to House Manager, managing a staff of 50. We had events ranging from large concerts with celebrities to launch parties for businesses. Once I graduated, I worked in my field of accounting at a large fortune 500 firm, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that events was my passion.

After 2 years at the accounting firm, I ended up at non-profit where I had a unique role of performing accounting tasks and planning charitable events; it was the best of both worlds. I planned large events like festivals and building renovations that won awards each year. This sparked the desire to start my own business. Before making the plunge to a full-time entrepreneur, I traveled the world for 1 year with a travel group and planned events internationally, like a flash mob marriage proposal in Thailand, a corporate retreat in Aruba and evening receptions.

Upon my return to the US, I focused full-time on my Business, with my first official client being the United Nations Volunteers (UNV). After that, so many doors opened and they have continued to stay open, even through the pandemic. Because of my travels, I learned how to plan events remotely with a remote team. So once everything shut down, pivoting to a virtual, fully remote team was flawless as we were doing this pre-pandemic. In fact, the pandemic has allowed us more clients than before because we were constantly having to explain that my team physically didn’t need to be in the same geographic location to plan an event, Now, corporate leadership understands the remote work model and rely on our expertise to execute their events!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
As a newbie to LA myself, I have seen and experienced SO much in the last year I’ve been here.

Dining/Drinks: Saddle Ranch (on Sunset), Harriet’s Rooftop, Sawtelle (Little Japan), Perch LA, Elephante

Hang out: resort pass (day passes to popular hotel pools), beach (Long beach), free outdoor concerts (Grand Performances)

Definitely would go to West Hollywood for the vibe and good energy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I give so much of my current success to the Meeting Professional International (MPI) organization. This professional association introduced me to the events and hospitality industry and have offered so many professional development opportunities, invaluable connections, amazing experiences and continued growth as a leader.

Website: https://www.blueribbon-events.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blueribbon_events/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blue-ribbon-events-phl-

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BRibbonEvents/