Projects
Guest Chef, Aaron Holt
My first planned event as the Event Manager was a fine dining experience with the Iowa Restaurant Association's 2018 Chef of the Year and owner of Doolittle Farms LLC., Aaron Holt. Thanks to my connections in my hometown and Aaron's connections to the winery owners, he was more than willing to work with me. We planned an incredible four-course meal with Prairie Moon wine pairings. I created menus, informational handouts, and marketing materials. I also used Eventbrite for ticket sales through the Prairie Moon Facebook page. We ended up having an intimate 22 attendees, all thrilled with the wine and meal. Plans were made after to continue having fine dining nights like this in the future.
Chocolate, Cheese, and Wine - Oh my!
Throughout my time at Prairie Moon, I was challenged with finding new ways to showcase the winery, the wine selection, bring in new customers, and create lasting relationships with local businesses. One way I did this was by hosting a chocolate, cheese, and wine pairing party. Working with Sisters in Cheese and Mel's Sweet Occasions, I paired Prairie Moon wine with an incredible cheese tray and decedent chocolate desserts. Matt Nissen, the wine maker and son of the owners, presented the pairings with a brief history and facts about the winery itself. Overall, this event was incredibly successful and I had hoped I laid the format out for future planners to continue.
Venue Management - Weddings and Events
The main task as the Event Manager at Prairie Moon was actually managing the venue more than planning events. This included meetings and tours, contracts, cleaning, scheduling, and inventory on linens, beer, and wine.
One of the most important parts of the job was ensuring our contracts covered all possible situations. I decided to update all contracts for weddings, general events, and Greek events. I also updated our pricing to be all inclusive packages, making us more competitive with other wineries/vineyards in the area. I also had to ensure the events calendar was continuously being updated on all platforms so there wasn't any overlap and all staff knew the upcoming schedule. Each month I would meet with brides and families a month prior to the events, order linens, contact caterers, and schedule staff. Organization was key in the roll. In the summer, we also hosted live music every Sunday that required planning, marketing and a lot of extra staff to run the extra bars, pizza oven and ticket sales.
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One thing I am extremely proud of as the former Events Manager is the new Bridal Suite that was added during my time there. I helped design and dress the suite to match our overall aesthetic. This was a big selling point on tours and was mentioned to me multiple times that it was their favorite room in the building.
