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For years, everyone from socialites to marketers has expounded on the benefits and necessity of hosting in-person events. Whether it’s a conference, a dinner or a fundraiser, a live event can bring organizations and people emotionally closer to each other. But in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, many events have moved to a virtual format. And that can be a lot of fun. Consider the recent political conventions as an example of just how engaging digital events can be.

But sometimes, only the chance to be in the same space with other people will do. Celebrating milestones or reconnecting with clients certainly brings a yearning for at least the possibility of an elbow bump. So many of you are probably wondering – should I host an in-person event during COVID? We’ve put together a list of six questions and considerations to help you decide.

1. How many people do you want to invite? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends social distancing or physical distancing of about 6 feet from people who are not part of your household whether inside or outside. If you plan to invite a multitude of guests, it may be difficult to find a venue large enough to make social distancing possible.

Additionally, some municipalities or states may restrict or recommend restrictions on the number of guests at any gathering. Because these recommendations change, be sure to check the current allowances in your location.

2. Will your event take place indoors or outdoors? You’ve no doubt heard that people are significantly less likely to catch coronavirus outdoors than indoors. Although it doesn’t mean that the great  outdoors is a completely safe bet, especially when space is crowded, and guests don’t wear masks. But like outdoor dining, holding an al fresco event offers more options than moving it inside right now. Social distancing and mask wearing should still be practiced.

3. What kinds of food options will you offer? How you serve food in the COVID-19 era really counts! You may need to rethink the idea of buffet-style dining – even Whole Foods. But that doesn’t mean you can’t safely provide food at your event. After all, who wants to go to an intimate, BYOF wedding?

Instead, you can provide pre-packaged options that are self-serve but safely wrapped. Think about doing the same for drinks. Take a tip from the airlines and offer little sodas, mini bottles or alcohol or wine, individual water bottles or small juices. You’ll recycle it all afterwards, of course! 

4. How will you ensure guests are comfortable when many people have different social distancing practices? The CDC and WHO have provided guidelines, while local and state governments have issued mandates. But people have varying levels of comfort when it comes to being around others right now. You can help make each guest’s personal preferences clear in a non-confrontational way. One option is to have guests choose a colorful ID bracelet at the door. Post a visual key to decipher the meaning behind each color.

Red = no hugs
Yellow = elbow bumps only
Green = embrace me as long as you are wearing a mask

You get the idea!

5. Is the event program intended to create emotional connections or deliver information? You might feel like only an in-person get together will provide your guests with the interaction you desire, or you may try to convince yourself that it won’t make a difference if the only guests at your anniversary party are present via video conference. But really give this some thought.

If your event is intended to provide information, like you would at an annual sales conference or monthly meeting, there is a lot you can do at a virtual event to keep guests engaged. But when looking for more of an emotional draw, an intimate in-person event can make social distancing possible while giving physical meaning to we’re “in this together.”  

6. Are you willing to be innovative with COVID-19 safety guidelines? That the pandemic has led to sweeping changes in the event industry is an understatement. Since the coronavirus began spreading rapidly last spring, we’ve had to rethink many aspects of how we bring people together. Being creative has been more important than ever, and we’ve come up with ways to make staying safe an event feature rather than a detraction.

If you are willing to be a bit innovative, your in-person event and branding can benefit from some of the safety recommendations too. For instance, put your logo on a mask and ask all guests to wear it. Set up handwashing stations with the latest and coolest hands-free faucets. Provide a sensational array of soaps. Put up fun signage with social distancing explanations or provide guests with party favors to measure where to stand.  Mark areas of the floor or add directional patterns with branded shapes or colors rather than simple lines.

In-person events are not a thing of the past. But they are going to look different for a while. You never know, maybe some of our new event habits and features will make being in crowded spaces so much more pleasant that they will end up sticking around.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging in multiple and varied ways for everyone. But when WM Events founder William Fogler heard that it had put the work of Atlanta nonprofit SwemKids on hold, he knew he wanted to do something about it. SwemKids provides swimming and water safety lessons to children through schools with a specific mission to eliminate barriers that keep Black children from learning how to swim.

Did you know that nearly 7 out of 10 Black children do not know how to swim? Or that three children drown every day, and middle school Black children drown 10 times more than others?

Our friend Trish Miller decided these statistics were not acceptable and set out to do something about it. Already knowing that there are three main obstacles for Black children learning how to swim, she aimed to decrease the disparity in drowning rates in the Black community. To do that, her program had to address access, cost and hair.

Trish founded SwemKids as an in-school program that provides transportation to and from the school and the pool. The lessons usually take place during an elective period of the school day, and participation has been free for the school and the students. Thanks to a donation from Stitched Swim, so were the swimsuits.  To eliminate the barrier of hair, Miller created a patent-pending swimming cap to keep swimmers’ hair completely dry.

And things were going, well, swimmingly. SwemKids’ first cohorts dove in during early spring. Second- through fifth-grade students at Atlanta’s Dunbar Elementary School participated in lessons, and plans were underway for groups to participate through several public and community pools this summer.

Then COVID-19 caused SwemKids’ efforts to sink.

That’s when William stepped in to offer the pool at his home. Measuring 24 by 40 feet, the rectangular pool offers plenty of space for social distancing and has allowed SwemKids to continue its mission this summer. Not only have kids been making waves at William’s pool, SwemKids has been teaching some of the parents too!

Because the lessons take place outside of a school, SwemKids does charge a fee, but William has provided scholarships to children when cost has been an issue.

WM Events is known for creating impactful events, but when it comes to saving lives and benefiting the Black community, the change we help bring out creates a truly better world. And this is what we call real impact.     

A lot of people right now are reminiscing about the good old days – those times when we joined hundreds of friends, family and colleagues at spectacular events to celebrate successes and milestones. While the WM Events team has leveraged our planning and designing know-how to develop full strategies for virtual events and hybrid events, we have maintained our core mission of providing pitch-perfect orchestration, innovation, and discerning taste.

To illustrate these important characteristics, let’s take a look at the Delta Air Lines Summit Awards Dinner we planned, produced, and executed earlier this year. It was an evening of glamour at the Delta Flight Museum that nearly 500 guests will remember forever. And so will we!

Galactic Graphics

To ensure a cohesive look leading up to and throughout the event, we handled all of the graphic design from digital to printed pieces. After creating a special logo reminiscent of a collection of flight paths and determining the starry visual theme of the event, we designed the printed invitations, posters, name badges, escort cards, programs, and signage. We also developed announcement kits with Instagram photo frames that the client shared with attendees so that we could ensure social media coverage of the event.

The night sky theme was picked up in the gifts offered to award winners, as well as the event takeaways given to each guest. Ten Diamond Award Winners received gift packages that included naming a star, a meteorite piece, a telescope with backpack, and glass star coasters. And everyone who attended had been sent themed luggage tags in advance of the event.

Celestial Décor

From the hotel lounge where guests relaxed during the afternoon before the event to the pre-function and red carpet at the Flight Museum to the dining room and after party, we made the most of the astro-fantastic theme and Delta’s signature blue and red to design an out-of-this-world event. 

After boarding transportation, which we managed, guests arrived at the Delta Flight Museum via Police Escort to enter along a red carpet flanked by weather-resistant clear tenting with twinkling market lights. Inside, highboy tables were draped with blue linens and topped with white floral centerpieces surrounded by votive candles. Guests found escort cards here magnetically attached to a metal tower with custom graphics. And because the guest list included employees and spouses from many countries and cultures, we color coded the type of guest and indicated dietary restrictions on the cards with different star patterns.

Guests transitioned from the smaller pre-event area to the seated awards ceremony through the existing “boarding tunnel” we enchanted with a 40-by-6-ft. black dance floor with twinkle lights. In the larger hangar space, a white stage surround created a crisp, clean look that was highlighted by candles in oversized vases. Rows of estate tables surrounded the central stage for a more intimate experience for all guests to enjoy the award ceremony and an Earth Harp symphonic experience. Because the news of Covid-19 was just starting, our presenters took extra caution when congratulating the award winners, offering an elbow or hip bump in lieu of a handshake. 

The Delta Flight Museum hangar naturally astounds with its massive height and retired airplanes. We made sure we matched the setting with equally eye-catching décor, which included 60 estate tables surrounded by specialty chairs with white cushions. We lined the tables edge-to-edge, creating long, communal dining, and added alternating high-end navy velvet linens and patterned silver linens, sparkling silver and black charger plates, and deep-red linen napkins. Tables were topped with silver, wavy sculptures, mimicking the event theme graphic inside mirror cube centerpieces filled with red florals. We provided a candlelight atmosphere and kept it safe with glass hurricanes and a touch of sparkle at the bottom.

Astral After Party

We used drapery to split the hanger and separate the dinner awards ceremony from the after party. Here, guests found a 24-by-24-ft. Infinity dance floor, multiple cocktail bars, late night snacks, and the DJ they would recognize from the hotel lounge. He was joined by two disco dancers providing strolling entertainment and motivating guests to get on the LED dance floor.

Between dances, guests could kick back in any of four lounge groupings that provided cozy nooks for conversation or enjoy cocktails at any of the 15 LED highboys surrounded by Ghost stools. Thematic centerpieces incorporated mirrors and fresh florals.

Interplanetary Food, Beverages and Photos

In addition to creating the ideal homage to the night sky, our team managed the caterer and beverage vendors to make sure the offerings were stellar and met the needs of the international guest list.

Culinary highlights included vegetarian avocado stuffed vegetable rice paper rolls, gluten-free crispy chicken skin with blue cheese crumbles, a decadent tree of bacon, a vegan vegetable Napoleon, a dual-entrée of short ribs and Maine lobster tail, and a Krispy Kreme donut wall. Cocktails equally considered guests, for example, we featured both sparkling wine cocktails and sparkling cider mocktails with glittery dust to swirl and sip.        

ATLANTA (July 17, 2020) – Earlier this year, COVID-19 derailed the swimming and water-safety classes Atlanta nonprofit SwemKids provided in its effort to improve the statistic that nearly 7 out of 10 Black children do not know how to swim. With public pools throughout the metro area still closed, William Fogler, principal of Atlanta-based event design firm WM Events, has stepped in to provide a place for the lessons – his own backyard. 

By opening his home pool, which measures 24 by 40 feet, Fogler is ensuring that SwemKids will be able to continue its mission this summer and beyond. 

“Black kids are three times more likely to drown than white kids,” says Fogler. “Swimming is a life-saving skill, not just a recreation. I did not want the important work of SwemKids to be put on hold, especially while COVID-19 is making outdoor activities like swimming a top activity for families this summer.” 

SwemKids, an Atlanta-based nonprofit, provides swimming lessons and water-safety programs to children, typically free of charge as part of a school’s curriculum and with the help of community partners. The first cohort dove in during February of this year, but the organization’s efforts were halted in March. 

“States with school-based swim programs have half the drowning rates of states that do not,” says SwemKids founder and CEO Trish P. Miller. “But there are three main obstacles for Black children learning how to swim. To decrease the disparity in drowning rates in the Black community, a swimming instruction program needs to be culturally relevant, and it must address access, cost and hair.” 

To tackle access to lessons and cost, SwemKids developed its in-school program that even provided transportation to and from the school and the pool. The lessons took place during an elective period of the school day, and participation was free for the school and the students. Thanks to a donation from Stitched Swim, so were the swimsuits.  

To eliminate the barrier of hair, SwemKids needed to innovate a solution that would keep it dry – completely dry. So Miller created a patent-pending swimming cap that can do just that. 

SwemKids also focuses on intentionally addressing cultural awareness and seeks to increase representation in the water among both students and instructors. 

This summer, SwemKids offers the same level of instruction, but for now, it takes place at Fogler’s home pool rather than a community center. Although the SwemKids swim school charges a fee for non-school-based lessons, Fogler has offered to provide scholarships when cost is an issue for children swimming outside of school. 

“We greatly appreciate William’s willingness to open his home to our students and instructors,” says Miller. “We want to eliminate every barrier that keeps Black children and their families from having healthy and safe relationship with the water.”

About WM Events

WM Events was founded in 2004 by award-winning designer, planner and consultant William Fogler. WM Events is a nationally recognized, full-service event planning and design firm based in Atlanta that specializes in corporate events, fundraisers, meetings, tradeshow design and private affairs. WM Events is located at 767 Trabert Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30318 and can be reached at 678-251-6363 or by visiting https://wmevents.com.

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Since the COVID-19 pandemic drastically reshaped our lives, virtual connections have come front and center. There has been plenty of talk about virtual events, from conferences to fundraisers. But what does a virtual event really look like, and how can it actually be fun, interactive and just generally worth participating in?

We launched re:EVENT-ion, a digital and distanced event offering when the COVID-19 pandemic required that we maintain social distance. At that time, we knew that it would be vital to rethink the way large- and small-scale events are designed. We drew upon our many years of incorporating digital and tech-savvy elements into our events and created a new template.

To launch our virtual events offerings, we teamed up with our friends at Affairs to Remember and hosted a trial run of a hybrid event we called the Rosemary Awards, and we were off to the future!

Our emcees for the evening were our own William Fogler and Kristy Cook from Affairs to Remember. With a background soundtrack, attendees connected via video conferencing, and guest feedback made possible with social media and chat features, we executed a mini-event that shows how virtual events can keep us together and seamlessly disseminate brand messages.

Features of the Event
As imagined, the Rosemary Awards were streamed live from the fabulous Fox Theatre, where 200 socially distanced guests were joined by 500 online viewers. As the onsite attendees enjoyed a delicious catered dinner, including rosemary truffles, by Affairs to Remember, viewers at home partook of catered dinner and snacks that had been delivered. To maintain a cohesive event feel, home viewers were shown on screen and celebrated multiple times. In addition to their food delivery, those “guests” had also received programs and gift bags.

Being interactive also included the opportunity to submit a virtual photo booth photo and to participate in the challenge question in order to win a prize. These are just a few of the many ways virtual participants can remain part of the action.

Once the award ceremony kicked off, nominees were featured on video, and each winner was conferenced via a live remote to accept their award and make a short speech.

Despite not being in the same location, all event guests had a similarly engaging experience and were able to enjoy many of the elements they would have onsite. While this event was planned as a hybrid offering, it could equally be executed as a fully virtual event. It might feel like a big change to re-imagine your next all-team meeting, sales conference, award ceremony, fundraiser or corporate gathering without bringing everyone into the same space. But when it comes to virtual events, the possibilities are only limited by your vision and our creativity – which means they are endless!

As you probably know, June is Pride Month around the world, and it’s something we are thrilled to celebrate each year. In 1970, the first Gay Pride marches were held to commemorate the Stonewall uprising, which had taken place in New York the previous year. The name is said to have come from New York activist Brenda Howard, who was nicknamed the “Mother of Pride” and organized the first parade, according to CNN.

In Atlanta, our Pride Parade takes place in October, but we can still recognize and honor the importance of this month with a look back at some of the LGBTQ+ weddings and celebrations we have been part of over the years. Join us for this beautiful walk down memory lane.

Free Spirit Wedding
We’ll start with this Free Spirit Wedding during which our dear friends Philip and Robert tied the knot. After a two decades of romance and a dramatic proposal, these two celebrated with 50 close friends and family and 1,200 bright-orange Free Spirit roses at a ceremony and reception atop the Four Seasons Hotel. As rain spattered the windows, which had been decorated with the couple’s logo, the weather only added to the moody, sophisticated atmosphere.

Tabletops were simple and resplendent with specialty linens and embroidered napkins. We accented the white and silvery palette with branded elements like cocktail napkins, matchboxes and custom chocolate bars. A cake like no other mimicked the cityscape location. With a live jazz band followed by a DJ, there was plenty of dancing, and, of course, a hora.

The Brides Wore White
At a private home on Lake Spivey, Blanca and Nguyen welcomed 50 guests for an elegant wedding that paid homage to their elevated taste and style. We can’t say enough about the chicness of this event, which relied on white florals in glass and silver vases, white linens and white napkins under a large tent with a classic crystal chandelier.

After the happy couple said “I do” at a picture-perfect spot overlooking the lake, they adjourned for the tented reception. We provided life-size altar arrangements, estate dining, sunglass stations, and relaxing lounge furniture in addition to the stunning table settings. The reception ended with a sparkler send off to their happily ever after.

Modern Southern Wedding
Looking to create a wedding that honored the “New South,” Michael and Brandon took their vows in the heart of Midtown Atlanta at The Peachtree Club on the 28th floor. They benefited from a perfect view of the Atlanta skyline, and guests enjoyed a relaxed outdoor wedding where music played, and dancing was encouraged.

The dual themes of the South and Atlanta were carried throughout the décor (yellow and blue), the drinks (custom bottles of Coca-Cola), and the cake (decorated with the city’s skyline). The grooms shared a romantic couples dance to open the floor, and soon, everyone was joining in on the fun. The only thing missing was the couple’s dog Queso, but they brought him along as a cutout who requested that everyone sign the guest book.

Anniversary in the Virgin Islands
It’s been a few years since we planned the destination anniversary celebration on Necker Island, BVI, but our memory of this amazing event has not faded. At this love-filled weekend, Tommy and Aaron hosted family and friends to recognize their 20th anniversary. The four-day event featured an elegant hot pink and navy blue color palette and offered a tropical oasis combining beautiful florals and personal touches.

We maintained a detailed and cohesive event scheme throughout all of the celebrations. Highlights included custom luggage tags, monogrammed napkins, nightlight room drops, specialty linens, custom sarongs, and engraved oathing stones. As a final touch, we created thematic hangover kits to keep all guests looking and feeling their best under the sunny island skies.

ATLANTA (June 1, 2020) – Atlanta-based event design firm WM Events is ready to lead clients and the world into digital and distanced events with the launch of re:EVENT-ion, the next evolution in event planning. 

With re:EVENT-ion, the WM Events team remains a pioneer in the field by offering online, hybrid and in-person events. The newly concepted strategies provide solutions for small, large and massive events like conferences, meetings, social gatherings, weddings and more. 

“When the COVID-19 pandemic began, we recognized a need for adaptation in the events industry and welcomed the challenge,” said William Fogler, principal, WM Events. “With an eye on the present and the future, we now combine the latest in event technology and innovation with our established planning, design and execution skills. We are able to make sure our clients’ events continue whether their guests are near, far or both.” 

By considering all scenarios, the team can develop appropriate response plans and ensure clients achieve their goals and those of all stakeholders. With the variety of contexts in which events will now be planned and executed, WM Events has brought together solutions to keep distanced guests connected, keep in-person guests safe and leverage resources to keep all guests comfortable. 

The re:EVENT-ion of the events world looks different based on client goals and expectations, guest count, venue needs and many other factors. Today’s events may include onsite distancing features, recording booths for virtual events, touch-free event elements, physical barriers, ongoing sterilization, multi-site streaming, contactless catering or social media solutions – just to name a few. 

Whatever is happening today, with re:EVENT-ion, WM Events is prepared to provide the experiences of tomorrow.

About WM Events

WM Events was founded in 2004 by award-winning designer, planner and consultant William Fogler. WM Events is a nationally recognized, full-service event planning and design firm based in Atlanta that specializes in corporate events, fundraisers, meetings, tradeshow design and private affairs. WM Events is located at 767 Trabert Avenue, Atlanta, Georgia 30318 and can be reached at 678-251-6363 or by visiting https://wmevents.com.

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The University of Georgia Alumni Association’s annual 40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon recognizes the personal, professional and philanthropic achievements of the school’s successful, young graduates. Having taken place each year at an Atlanta venue, the event went home to Athens for its most recent installment. Held at the Tate Center in the Grand Hall, the luncheon needed to display all of the elegance of its previous years while also appearing recognizably local. Collaborating with the client, we accomplished this two-sided directive by highlighting features the campus is known for in design-forward ways that delighted the event’s 400 high-profile guests.

We have used graphic window and wall clings at many events to create branding, but at the 40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon, this versatile design feature reached its fullest expression. Using the client’s original wallpaper-like design, we were inspired by the city’s famed white oak Tree That Owns Itself, the Athena statue and the Iron Horse sculpture, as well as the local abundance of azaleas, hydrangeas, and other Athens flora and landmarks.

These one-of-a-kind designs were attached to windows at the entrance, along with graphics featuring the 40 Under 40 logo to designate registration lines. Around the perimeter, we used 30+ additional graphics with the individual elements from the motif overlapping each other and hanging from the drape line. We continued a subtle Athens theme with a Southern-style gray stage surround that was slightly higher than stage height. We added extra columns at the corners and two matching staircases, then lined the front of the stage with foliage. Along the drapery, we floated more large cutouts of the theme elements – acorns, peaches, dogwood blossoms.

Inspired by the somewhat autumn palette the theme elements naturally provided, we developed floral arrangements in the same vein. A variety of table sizes and shapes featured modern, garden party-inspired floral centerpieces with a combination of live and metal flowers in tall, black vases or wide, antique-patina urns. We lined estate tables with metal oak branches to create a cohesive look throughout the room. Black frosted votives completed the tablescapes. We brought back the theme with table number holders, which we crafted using printouts of the Athena statue and the Iron Horse sculpture artwork.

This time, the 40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon was perfectly Athens.

Photography: The Decisive Moment

Social distancing may have taken over our interpersonal interactions, but when you have events in your blood, the party must go on. For our WM Events team, that means coming up with creative ways to entertain family, friends or clients – we’re just doing it virtually for the time being. As people all over the world have shown, sociability does not require physical nearness, but we certainly look forward to planning your next in-person events soon! 

In the meantime, here are some ideas for staying connected and celebrating à la distance: 

Virtual Dance Party
As many of our past events show, we’ve got the skills to create a club-like atmosphere at any venue, welcoming guests to hit the dance floor to a DJ’s sounds or tunes performed by a live band. We might enhance the experience with an LED dance floor, bring in some performers or dancers to get the crowd moving, or call on one of our favorite DJs to create a special playlist.

Lately, we’ve been linking up with friends to host virtual dance parties that bring the disco spirit into our living rooms. All it takes is the right playlist – visit a DJ’s Soundcloud account to find a perfect mix or even book one to provide tunes for the evening. Create mood lighting with dimmers, colored light bulbs, or a mini disco ball. Log in to Zoom, and you’re ready to hit the dancefloor with your friends near and far. Keep those endorphins coming!

Virtual Storytime
At an event, the right emcee can make all the difference. Who is going to keep the run of show on track and entertain guests at the same time? At one fundraiser, we brought in Artificial Intelligence with the voice of Bridget, whose Siri-like manner helped inform 1,000 tech-savvy supporters about where to go and what to do. The emcee is vital for telling the story of the host organization and getting guests interested and involved in the message.

We’re keeping ourselves involved in the storytelling aspect of event planning by hosting and participating in virtual storytime hours. This is as simple as inviting a guest reader or storyteller to share a story that is interesting for all ages. Storyteller and audience members around the world can log in to a virtual story hour and prepare to be transported to a realm of magic, intrigue, fantasy, or whatever the storyteller has in mind. It’s like going to storytime at the bookstore or library, but it’s even more comfortable at home.

Virtual Flower Arranging
At WM Events, we are known for our floral obsession. Around the world, we search for the latest trends in flowers, leaves, and plants. We bring this international floral awareness to inform centerpieces, décor, and installations at the events we design. The right florals, whether palm fronds or roses, do so much more than provide decoration. They set the tone for an event and reinforce the theme. Their importance cannot be overstated. In fact, we appreciate plant life so much that we created a garden at our WM Events office.

Like many, we have used this time at home to tend our own gardens, and we’ve found that a fun way to share blooms is through virtual flower arranging events. Whether taking the time to create perfect centerpieces with vegetation from your property or ordering fresh and dried flowers for delivery, enjoying nature’s splendor takes on heightened importance during uncertain times. Meet up with friends or take an online flower arranging class. You’ll breathe some extra beauty into your days.

Virtual Cheese Board
What’s a party without food? When it comes to hors d’oeuvres, you really can’t go wrong with a macked-out cheese board. It’s important to get the right combination of ingredients – charcuterie, fruits, nuts, breads or crackers, maybe veggies or olives, and, of course, cheese! And now is the ideal to time perfect your skills at putting one together. Host a virtual cheese board-making class and share your tips with others while they let you in on their best-kept secrets.

You can elevate your cheese board by incorporating local, sustainably produced products. From pâté to prosciutto, meats from area butchers and caterers bring a one-of-a-kind flavor to your presentation. Source cheeses from local dairies, and don’t shy away from a mix of milk types – cow, goat, and sheep. Naturally, nearby fruits will be fresher and jams more singular. Not only is it great to know where your ingredients have been grown or produced, it’s more important than ever to support local small businesses.

Virtual Dinner Party
At WM Events, we know a thing or two about dinner parties. From intimate gatherings to massive affairs, we have created atmospheres that compete with the food for most memorable feature. One of the ways to set the stage at a dinner gathering is by crafting the perfect tablescape. Our expertise in doing this has been noted. In fact, William was quoted in “Special Events” magazine explaining how to fine tune tables for events. There is no reason you can’t do this at home too!

While you may not be able to attend a seated dinner fundraiser for 500 supporters at the moment, you can host a home dinner party and even expand it by making virtual connections with friends and eating together. Before you organize the menu, style a beautiful table setting by carefully choosing linens, plates, flatware and glassware, especially the right wine glasses. Pulling together a top-notch tablescape may even make another meal at home feel like a special night out.

Virtual Mixology & Tasting
We’ve helped many clients put the finishing touch on events with signature cocktails or interactive tastings. From traditional martinis to setting up an hands-on molecular gastronomy station, we know how vital the beverage element is to any gathering. To add even more interaction, we’ve also incorporated tasting elements at events. Bourbon tasting is a favorite, and it pairs perfectly with take-home memorabilia like etched glasses or leather-press coasters.

Virtual cocktail parties have become all the rage, but we’re having plenty of at-home fun with bringing a dose of mixology to our social distancing get togethers. Crafting new recipes, coming up with a signature drink of the week, bringing on a live bartender to teach us tricks of the trade, and holding wine or other alcohol tastings – alone together – are some of our favorite new methods for keeping the fun of cocktailing alive. Now, if only one of us could get our hands on the champagne lady dress…

Virtual Entertainment
Entertainment helps turn an event into a happening. Outside of live music and a DJ, we love to explore the myriad options from the creative people who make a career of bringing joy and surprise to event attendees. We have plenty of entertainment tricks up our collective sleeves. Some of the favorite or most astonishing pop-up performance artists we have featured at events large and small have included mentalists and illusionists, a Michael Jackson impersonator, aerialists and mirrored dancers, a chocolate painter, and even a beer burro! (He was tipped very well, in case you are wondering.)

All of these entertainers have inspired us to bring virtual performance into our own homes. There has never been a better time to discover a new talent. Have you always wanted to be a magician? There are plenty of online classes to learn how. Or maybe you dream of singing opera at the drop of a hat? A virtual singing instructor can help – perhaps even a maestro from another country. We’re taking on unusual learning experiences like these and more. Will performing at our own events be part of our future? Probably not, but it’s sure fun stretching our abilities.

As a full-service event planning and design firm, we do everything from creating astounding table settings to planning food, décor, entertainment, and more. During social distancing, we’re honing our skills in new and creative ways!

What do slime, branding and a high-end event venue have in common? They were all part of two glorious days that brought together everyone’s favorite school supply, Elmer’s Glue, and the social media influencers who specialize in turning it into something colorful, stretchy, fluffy or altogether different. From ASMR to DIY, hundreds of YouTube channels and Instagram accounts record the beauty of slime for avid followers. And our client Newell Brands, makers of the glue to holds them all together, brought 30 influencers to Atlanta for a Slime Museum and “What If” slime challenges.

You’ve never heard of an event like this? Neither had we. So we can’t wait to tell you more. Read on to find out about that time WM Events got slimed, in a good way.   

We’ve planned big events, small events and even logistically challenging events, but the Slime Museum presented us with an entirely new way of working with a brand. Although the event needed to be brand heavy, we had to come up with clever ways to work the company’s logo and product throughout every aspect without being overwhelming. We featured it seamlessly from the interactive offerings to the décor. Tying it all together and appealing to a mostly Gen Z audience challenged us with being fresh, fun, engaging and corporate-minded – all at the same time!

After carefully working the event date around the many influencers’ busy schedules, we helped the client develop activities that brought their brand to life. The first stop was dinner at the chic rooftop Roebuck Room at Ponce City Market, but the next day it was all slime, all the time. We planned a full day of events that were held high above the city at Ventanas. The Atlanta skyline provided a perfect setting for the fun décor with pops of Elmer’s blue and orange on a glue-white background.

We used every inch of Ventanas to the client’s advantage, and the event flow played into the venue’s floorplan, which includes multiple floors and an outdoor patio. A breakfast buffet was followed by the Slime Smack Down – competitions including the Slime Chopped Challenge and Slime Blindfolded Challenge. There were multiple educational sessions, a social media workshop, the Biggest Bubble Challenge and free time to visit the Slime Museum. We made sure to feature an Instagrammable moment with a blue porch swing hanging in front of blue, white and orange streamers dotted with mini bottles of glue.

This small event got big results. The influencers spent their two days in Atlanta filming, vlogging and posting about their experience, constantly showing the Elmer’s brand and commenting on how much fun they were having. They gained new slime expertise and discovered new ways to play around with it. #ElmersWhatIf #GenZ #slime #satisfying

The event offered our team a learning experience too. We directed and managed event logistics, travel coordination, local transportation, venue and catering, event design and décor, entertainment, graphics printing and installation, and warehousing and delivery of client assets.

Plus, it gave us a chance to see what the up-and-coming Gen-Z market deems important. Next week, we might take a stab at TikTok – watch out world!

Photography & Videography: Eric Little Photography

There is nothing we love as much as a blank canvas. Where others might see emptiness, we imagine the possibilities. When the WM Events team was asked to create the décor for Emory University Goizueta Business School’s Centennial Gala, we were thrilled to learn that it would take place at The Fairmont. This old warehouse is now a modern, industrial venue with high ceilings, clerestory windows, and 19,000 square feet to style for any theme. We brought the space to life through the use of metallic linens and accents paired with rich, moody floral arrangements, breathing plenty of warmth into the industrial space.

The experience started below a massive tent with translucent walls and ceiling to provide a sense of openness. A white bar, a few tufted ottomans, and a couple of cocktail tables were the only furniture. As 500 guests arrived at the celebration, they located their escort cards from a verdant boxwood wall display. Featuring gold frames with cards pinned to fabric inside and surrounded by florals and greenery, the self-service seating chart was a total stunner.

We added entrance décor with more greenery, placing garlands along railings and incorporating numerous silver lanterns with LED candles and large arrangements of dark and moody florals in tall aluminum planters.

The excitement only built after the welcome tent with an entrance demarcated with golden fabric strips hung beneath the ceiling surrounding the venue’s existing modern chandeliers, created by a commissioned artist. This led to the pre-function event, where we topped a variety of tables with specialty linens in patterned silvers, golds and metallic blues. We picked up the theme of moody florals again in the centerpieces and bar arrangements and added multiple votive candles for a warm glow.

Seating areas were created with blue tufted ottomans and lounge groupings of sofas, chairs, coffee tables and end tables – all with gold accents. We placed glamourous decorative pillows in golds and velvet blues among the lounge seating, complementing the luxe feel of the furniture.  

For the dining room, we brought the same spectacular style to 50 round tables with modern, white Bellini chairs. Half of the tables, we topped with round linens and ice gold square chargers and napkins. Other tables featured linens in federal blue, gold lamour or Portland taupe, each paired with a complementary gold, blue velvet or shantung napkins. 

Centerpieces featured deep florals surrounded by votives. We used a mixture of tall centerpiece vases for the outer tables and shorter thumbprint or hexagon vases for inner tables in order to maintain sightlines. Pillar candle groupings with magnolia and fatsia leaves comprised the centerpieces of other tables.

To ensure continuity throughout the entire event, we provided tables, chairs and linens for additional spaces, like registration, coat check and the green room.

This celebration benefited from our use of luxurious fabrics and florals and offered guests a memorable evening that was one in a hundred years. Or more accurately, it was one in 36,500 evenings.

Photography: Jack Parada Photography 

WM Events recently turned 15, but this year brings an even bigger milestone to our door – our illustrious leader and the founder of this amazing event family, William Fogler, is turning 50.

Like people are wont to do around a significant marker in life’s journey, William’s birthday has all of us reflecting on, well, him. We decided to put together a list of the TOP TEN things we love and appreciate about William. Some of them will come as no surprise, while others may help you get to know him better and understand why we can say that he is our favorite. Favorite what? Just about everything.

Here are ten things to love about William Fogler:

William’s creativity! He’s never been afraid to try something or come up with some wacky idea that’s just crazy enough to work. You see this a lot in our events! From elaborate La Hora Loca costumes and hanging paint chip chandeliers, to high stakes Hermit Crab races and handmade table linens, William has an idea for everything.

William is one of the most spontaneous people we know! He’s always ready to go try something new at the drop of a hat – like check out the latest restaurant down the street, pop into an estate sale, or get perfectly lost in a new city. To keep the atmosphere fun and festive in the office or the warehouse, William will stop everything to play Prince or Missy Elliott at full blast or to pass out dress-up jewelry for everyone to wear. Trust us, on a dreary or stressful day, Mardi Gras beads or a sparkly tiara can make all the difference.

William loves food. Almost every dinner quickly becomes a buffet of the full menu unless he’s careful. And because he has an adventurous spirit, he turns every meal into an experience by ordering something “for the table.” Some of the picky eaters in the office have tried new foods this way. But sometimes this habit takes on a funnier bent like when he ordered a waffle “for the table” at Waffle House!

Miss Manners could learn a thing or two from William. A gracious host, a polite acquaintance, a charming networker, William always knows the right way to behave in any social situation. Even more importantly, his good manners stem from pure kindness because William is as genuine as they come.

William’s kind heart shows up in many ways, one of which is his generosity. He embodies the concept that it is better to give than to receive. Whether it’s sitting on a board like CHOA Hughes Spalding, donating books and toys to children, supporting veterans, or giving floral arrangements to nonprofit organizations, William’s impact reaches far outside the events we host.  

William has an excellent sense of humor, which could be a byproduct of never taking himself too seriously. We particularly love his alter-ego “Cindy Sunglasses” or when he dances around in a babushka. He’s always ready to spice up the office with random and  fun dance breaks.

William has an incredible knack for making anyone comfortable. From the moment you meet him, he feels like a long-lost friend. He strives to make sure everyone is included and displays consistent concern for the well-being of others. With this, he’s also a great judge of character, maybe it’s because he’s so real himself.

We love William’s juxtaposition of being “bougie” and being “down to earth” at the same time. Enough said here.

William is a seriously hard worker. He’s never afraid to get his hands dirty. Even though he is the leader of our team, he always finds time to help with design recommendations, get up on a ladder during installation, or put in the longest hours. Now he’s a hardworking doggy daddy too. We’ve been thrilled to get to know Missy, and she has definitely won our hearts.

The final item on this list will be the least surprising – we love William’s sense of style! From his dress shirts and outstanding color combinations to his affection for hats and ability to look regal in a pair of shorts, William greets every outfit like it’s a chance to do something special. And he does it all with sophistication and understated elegance that makes him a true fashion icon in our books. 

Wishing the happiest of all birthdays to William!
We love you!
Aaron, Brett, Brittany, Carrie, Catherine, James, Jillian, Latoya, Leigh, Mark, Rachel, Sarah and Sheron

As parting thoughts, here are some wise sayings we would like to share with William about reaching the half-century milestone:

“Nature gives you the face you have at twenty, but it’s up to you to merit the face you have at fifty.” – Coco Chanel

“Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter!” – George Bernard Shaw

“If you haven’t grown up by age 50, you don’t have to.” – unknown (but we think this might be something Mark said)