What's your Story: Joe St. Cyr

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.).

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.

What's Your Story?

In my last post I shared my personal journey of how I became an event professional. I also offered some ideas for those with the desire to work in the industry either fresh out of school or as a career change. As promised, I wanted other event professionals to share their experiences as well. My hope with this "series" is that it is both enlightening and inspiring to those looking for a way "in" and hopefully interesting for everyone else.

My first guest blogger to share her "story" is a dear friend. She and I met and became fast friends in junior high school where we commanded the attention of our classmates with masterful Spanish class projects, took horseback riding lessons together and rung up customers in our polyester uniforms as proud Burger King employees! Without further ado, I'd like to introduce you to Vivian Santora of Santora, LLC.

Full name: Vivian Marie Santora
Age: 35
Hometown: Dix Hills, New York
Current position: President and Owner, Santora LLC
Education: B.A., University at Buffalo; M.P.A., American University
Years in the industry: 13

How I got to here in 10 words or less: Supportive friends and family, outstanding education, great mentors and seizing opportunities.

I had an interest in public policy and a realization that, one way of making sure the policies I believed in were pursued was to get candidates who shared my beliefs and values elected to higher office. Given my passion for public policy and the importance of progressive leadership in government, it made perfect sense to pursue are career in politics – behind the scenes of course!
While in grad school, I volunteered on the Clinton/Gore ‘96 Campaign and what happened for me was definitely serendipitous. I was working on a database project in the “volunteer pit” and the Deputy Finance Chair came through bruskly asking “who here has nice handwriting?” I quickly responded “I do” (I really didn’t have great handwriting, but I knew who he was and wanted the opportunity to get assigned a more interesting task). I realized how much I enjoyed the challenge of raising money, organizing logistics, and being sociable at the same time.

After grad school my professional experience began in political fundraising working for a statewide candidate in Massachussetts – Pat (Patricia) McGovern for Governor. A small, but talented team managed to raise something like $1.5 Million in increments of $1,000 or less. (Oh the joy of contribution limits!) Sadly, Pat lost the primary and I needed another job. I dabbled in non-profit fundraising for two years: American Cancer Society and the Boston Bar Foundation.

Shortly there-after, I had the honor and privilege to serve as a top aide to Senator Hillary Clinton where my positions included National Finance Director for Friends of Hillary and HILLPAC, the Senator’s Leadership Political Action Committee. As an integral part of so many public and private events for the Senator and the former President Clinton, I worked closely with dignitaries, celebrities, diverse personalities, and cultures over the years. The experience and knowledge I gained were invaluable. It allowed me to possess an understanding of event logistics and to develop priceless relationships. Through the years, I've developed a unique sense and skill of adaptation. This is one of the reasons I believe I’m so successful at event planning.
I raised money professionally for about 10 years. No matter what cause you raise funds for, it remains part art and part science. Event planning is very similar – it’s the art of décor, building themes, creating the perfect experience for attendees, and the science of making things run in order, logically, and with a strategy in mind (this is particularly true for corporations with specific business objectives in mind).

I'm thrilled to play a role in helping to create memorable occasions for people.

How I Believe Others Can Get There, Too


Skills you need: Event planners need to be organized, have an eye for detail, the ability to multi-task, and be problem solvers. I grew up the youngest of 7 kids in an Italian family – I learned the importance of a “to do list” at a very early age by watching my parents respond to the diverse personalities of each of their kids while juggling multiple tasks/responsibilities.

Where you should start: I believe event planners can be born out of any job. You might start in a catering hall or floral company; you might work at a company where responsibilities include meeting and conference planning, or like me - political fundraising.

Best Advice: Follow your passion – you’ll be successful and the best at whatever you do when you truly love it – it will hardly feel like work.