Full name: Joseph Todd St. Cyr
Age: 44
Hometown: South Newbury, New Hampshire
Current position: Director and Owner, JOSEPH TODD EVENTS LLC
Education: B. A., Connecticut College
Years in Industry: 20
How I got here in ten words or less: When opportunity knocked, I answered and walked through the open doors.
Beginning with my first summer job at the lake when I was 14, I have always been involved the hospitality industry in one way or another. From dishwasher to cook to server to bartender to host . . . you name it, I’ve done it. In college I was the organizer who made sure we had enough cups for the keg party and enough ice to satisfy the parched party-goers through the night. It was a thankless task, of course, but why be disappointed mid-party when a little advance planning will do the trick?
After college and a year-long, work-around-the-world voyage financed in part by my skills as a house painter, I landed in New York in June of 1989 without much of a plan. I was lucky enough to have friends to stay with in the city and quickly found a job as a waiter at an Italian restaurant called Fiasco! Within two weeks I was promoted to assistant manager. Six months later I took a job with the bartender’s friend as a public relations assistant. It seemed quite glamorous since my boss was a celebrity publicist for Grace Jones and other New York glitterati of the day. My duties, however, were not fulfilling as basically I procured my bosses drinks during events and fetched ungrateful B-list celebrities when they were late to the events held in their honor (which was always so they could increase the drama of their fabulous entrances, not.).
Age: 44
Hometown: South Newbury, New Hampshire
Current position: Director and Owner, JOSEPH TODD EVENTS LLC
Education: B. A., Connecticut College
Years in Industry: 20
How I got here in ten words or less: When opportunity knocked, I answered and walked through the open doors.
Beginning with my first summer job at the lake when I was 14, I have always been involved the hospitality industry in one way or another. From dishwasher to cook to server to bartender to host . . . you name it, I’ve done it. In college I was the organizer who made sure we had enough cups for the keg party and enough ice to satisfy the parched party-goers through the night. It was a thankless task, of course, but why be disappointed mid-party when a little advance planning will do the trick?
After college and a year-long, work-around-the-world voyage financed in part by my skills as a house painter, I landed in New York in June of 1989 without much of a plan. I was lucky enough to have friends to stay with in the city and quickly found a job as a waiter at an Italian restaurant called Fiasco! Within two weeks I was promoted to assistant manager. Six months later I took a job with the bartender’s friend as a public relations assistant. It seemed quite glamorous since my boss was a celebrity publicist for Grace Jones and other New York glitterati of the day. My duties, however, were not fulfilling as basically I procured my bosses drinks during events and fetched ungrateful B-list celebrities when they were late to the events held in their honor (which was always so they could increase the drama of their fabulous entrances, not.).
One day at the beach a bunch of college friends and I were scouring the want-ads in The New York Times looking for better jobs. I found a listing for a catering salesperson at a distinctive downtown boutique firm and decided that was the job for me. With no experience and a lot of charm and bluffing, I landed the job and had my first real gig in the event industry in Manhattan. After two years of working six days a week including a lot of late nights, I decided to strike out on my own with just one client -- a fast-growing advertising firm that was doubling its staff every year.
I started attending networking events, meeting vendors, and putting myself out there. One of the high-end caterers I had hired for my few and far-between events (mostly corporate holiday parties) offered me a job with benefits and I grabbed it, realizing I was not quite ready at the age of 27 to be on my own. I stayed there for three years as Sales Director and learned about every aspect of social and corporate event planning. Just after New Year’s Eve 1999 I was poached by the newly re-launched Russian Tea Room (RTR) as Senior Private Dining Manager which was a high-pressure, numbers-game sales position. I had tripled my salary with the move and was enjoying my new position uptown in a fancy office tower next to Carnegie Hall. Our team was cranking out $100,000-revenue nights with corporate clients taking over all four floors for swanky receptions featuring fine caviar, champagne, custom decor, and the works.
That dreamy scenario lasted until September 10, 2001 and soon after the Russian Tea Room fell into a swift decline as companies were loathe to fly their employees into New York and the locals were not in the mood to celebrate. My great job at the Russian Tea Room ended in late July 2002 when the owners very suddenly announced on a Friday afternoon they were filing for bankruptcy. By Saturday, I was out of work.
I decided to take the bull by the horns and go back out on my own with a sole proprietorship I had always kept registered. Referrals from RTR contacts and friends kept me going with both corporate and social clients. However, by 2007 my corporate referrals had dried up and I realized a need to revitalize and re-brand. For a reason I am still not quite sure of, I filed papers for the creation of Joseph Todd Events LLC, designed and launched my website, and took out print ads and on-line listings focusing solely on the upscale New York wedding market. I always liked the intimate relationships I formed with my social clients and they provided like-minded and qualified referrals. Do a great job for a bride and her family and they will tell two friends and so on. Inescapably, I was thrust into the Manhattan bar/bat mitzvah scene and these wonderful clients were even better at providing referrals. After several years with a home office, I finally leased my own space in June 2009 and knew that the social market was where I belonged. Lucky timing too, since the corporate event market suffered greatly after the financial meltdown in August 2008.
Skills you need: Event planning requires an eye for detail but that same eye has to see “the big picture” too. Of course, organizational and interpersonal skills are a must. Most planners have had the necessary skills from an early age . . . and a little OCD never hurts! As a child I was famous in my family for having an impeccably neat room and for spacing the hangers in my closet one inch apart. That sounds scary, I know, but that skill translates to tabletop precision in design. I can see a crooked place setting from 20 feet away.
Where you should start: Anywhere! Event planners come from all walks of life and all work disciplines. However, starting as a production assistant in catering or floral/event design is a way to learn a great deal quickly. Food and design are key elements at all events.
Best advice: Get any job in the event industry to get your foot in the door and then network, network, network. But remember it’s not just about selecting flowers and china patterns! Like anything worthwhile, event planning is a lot of hard work.
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