The Pandemic Partnership that Bloomed from Social Gardening with Kerri Sitrin & Lauren Westerman
The dynamic duo behind this “pandemic partnership” are my guests this week, Kerri & Lauren. They’ve been friends and colleagues for years, and it just made sense over these past two years to join forces. Their skill sets complement one another, and they are able to provide the best possible service for their clients by leaning into their strengths and relying on the other’s expertise depending on the task at hand.
We learn in this episode that Lauren was working for DiBrunos in their catering department back in 2015, and Kerri and I both happened to use them as our wedding caterers that year. Both Kerri and I had similar experiences where Lauren “saved the day”. Kerri and Lauren had already met at that point, but I wouldn’t have the pleasure of meeting Kerri until 2019. I reconnected with Lauren when I started MG the Venue Specialist, because I knew I needed to connect with wedding planners as a venue sourcing specialist.
I was able to spend a good deal of time with both of them through the Philadelphia Women in Food and Hospitality group, an organization I was brought into through Liz Einhorn. Although we haven’t been able to spend much time together in person these last two years, we’ve remained in regular communication, especially last year via group texts asking our friend Qamara (from Season 1 of Beyond the Venue Podcast) what is legal in Philadelphia. Qamara is the Philadelphia Chapter President of the PRLA (Pennsylvania Restaurant and Lodging Association) and that was our best source of information regarding restrictions and mandates in Philadelphia, the surrounding counties and the state of PA, because they were CONSTANTLY changing.
In this episode, Lauren shares a story of one of her couples that were set to get married a few weeks after this latest mask mandate/proof of vaccination went into effect in mid-August 2021. The couple had a large guest count at one of the largest ballrooms in Philadelphia, and were now being asked to get proof of vaccination for every single guest. Lauren goes into details about the choices she and the couple had to make and learning when it’s time to just accept truths and move on.
Additional Topics Include:
💗 Selfless Networking & Social Gardening
🌻 The Value of Systems and Processes
💍 You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know
💗 The Varying Levels of a DIY Wedding
🌻 The Importance of a Wedding Planner Because the Couple IS the Host of the Party
💍 Venue Booking Trends Have Changed
💗 The Extra Work that Goes into Covid Era Weddings
Thanks so much for listening and enjoy the following episode “The Pandemic Partnership that Bloomed from Social Gardening with Kerri Sitrin & Lauren Westerman”.
About Kerri:
Kerri Sitrin (she/her): After 14 years in a Senior New Business Development role for Stephen Starr Restaurants Special Events Department, Kerri started her own company, Sitrin Consulting, when she noticed a need for marketing, events, and sales support for small businesses in Philadelphia with limited resources.
Kerri specializes in building brands and providing marketing strategy for small businesses using a collaborative and community-oriented approach, and she loves when other like-minded organizations share in the success of the effort.
Her company focuses on local food & beverage brands, event venues, restaurants, and nonprofit organizations because these are what she is most passionate about and where she wants to make the biggest impact.
She’s passionate about supporting local businesses and the homeless animals of Philadelphia. Kerri spearheads the photo shoot program for ACCT Philly, Philly's open intake shelter. If you're a photographer or designer and want to help save lives and get dogs adopted, please reach out!
Connect with Kerri on Instagram, Facebook & Linked In.
Connect with Sitrin Consulting on Instagram & Facebook.
About Lauren:
Lauren Westerman, CWEP (she/her): Lauren is the CEO/Owner of Classic Events by Lauren & Lauren Westerman Consulting.
In addition to weddings and special event planning, Lauren has industry experience within hospitality and marketing departments. Through her many roles, she has had experience in planning events for Grammy, SXSW and Emmy; non-profit Galas such as the Garces Foundation event and Rittenhouse Soiree on the Square; and conferences for as many as 500 guests.
As a consultant, Lauren and her team of experts have assisted in opening and maintaining sales systems for new venues as well as revamping some really historic and wonderful spaces. Be it a commercial real estate investor or a family in need of event planning experience, Lauren’s team is nothing short of everything they need to fully set up, sell, and fully execute events.
Lauren continues to grow in her professional career by holding various board/committee positions in many industry specific groups. Through her networking and experience, Lauren is constantly learning from some of the top event professionals that share trends and ideas.
She is passionate about helping students or aspiring event planners to learn more about the industry and have a blueprint of where to start when it comes to this style of business. Lauren feels the hospitality programs don’t fully expose students to certain aspects that are incredibly important. NACE (National Association of Catering & Events) has a Student and Diversity focus that offers a chance for students to spend time with professionals in the different aspects of the event industry and experience the events once a month to network and learn about the planning process.
Connect with Classic Events by Lauren on Instagram & Facebook.
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