A Q&A WITH KALYN NEWPORT
Since we last shared Kalyn, she's been promoted to event director, so we're checking back in now that she has new responsibilities!
Kalyn grew up in a small town in East Tennessee before moving to Knoxville for six years. Once she accepted a position with Infinity Hospitality in 2018, she made her way to Nashville. She knew this would be the perfect fit for her, and we couldn't agree more!
Kalyn got into event planning at The University of Tennessee while interning with the UT Department of Conferences and Non-Credit programs, later accepting a full time position. She gained experience in the event industry and truly discovered her love for planning events of all types and sizes.
When Kalyn has free time, she loves to dip into her creative abilities and paint. If she's not directing an event or painting away, you can probably find her sipping on a cocktail at Rosemary & Beauty Queen, eating a killer piece of pizza at Five Points Pizza, or catching a live music show.
Read on to learn more about Kalyn’s new role and click here to check out her previous spotlight in 2020!
Describe an average work day.
Coffee first, always! Check in with my teams, prioritize my to-dos for the day, clear my inbox, attend client meetings, meet with new vendors, review lots and lots of contracts, floor plans and design boards, eat lunch somewhere in the mix, chat with the sales team, and introduce new clients and events to our Event Team.
How do you stay on top of everything? Any organizational tips or tricks?
I live by my Google Calendar and prioritize my tasks with a color coded system in my email that is based on order of importance.
What has been the biggest change you've noticed within the event industry since you began?
Budgets are the biggest change. The average cost of events has nearly doubled.
Any major trends you’ve noticed recently?
The timeless "black and white" wedding is back in style.
Three to four years ago videography was not a high priority in the budget for couples, and now it's back to being a top must-have service.
What are some of the challenges you face in your new role, and how do you overcome them?
Our team has grown SO much in the last 5 years. It's certainly no small feat to memorize 20-30 events as an Event Coordinator, but try memorizing 400+ events in a calendar year, you simply cannot. That is what our 12 amazing event designers & coordinators are for. I trust each of my teams to know their events backwards and forwards and fill me in on the details as needed.
What’s your favorite part about being a director?
I love being connected with each department. It's fun to brainstorm and work on new ideas with marketing, lighting, and culinary teams.
What do you appreciate most about your team?
That everyone is so passionate about what they do. Each person I work with takes so much pride in their work and truly wants to provide the best client/guest experience.
What is one of your favorite events and/or theme from an IH event?
A masquerade themed Halloween wedding! During COVID, we helped so many couples find new dates and one of my couples postponed their reception to Halloween. We originally started with a very classic design style of ivory with accents of navy, sage, blush, and then did a complete 180 once the new date was selected and fully embraced the Halloween date - Masquerade style!
How has your experience been working with IH?
It has been awesome! So many people at our company have helped me grow professionally. I would have never imagined myself in the spot I am in now 5 years ago. During my last interview I even asked, "Are you sure you want to hire me? I've never even run a wedding." I'm very thankful that Infinity took a leap of faith with me. I learn new things every single day; we keep it interesting around here!
In your opinion, what makes an event successful and how do you measure that success?
That our clients and guests walk away having a great experience, if not the best day of their whole lives. Chatting with our clients, brides and grooms, their parents and friends at the end of the night is always a great way to measure our success. An online review is great, but hearing about how great of a job your team did from clients/guests in-person is always a gratifying feeling.
See more of Kalyn's events below.
