Lifting the Veil on Engage! Summits: Where the World’s Best Wedding Industry Pros Gather for Inspiration

Four times a year, the world’s most sought-after wedding industry professionals gather at Engage! Summits held in stunning locations around the world from Paris to the Amalfi Coast where they collaborate, create and draw inspiration.

The latest Engage! Held at the renowned Nemacolin Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania from June 3-6, the summit brought together 350 industry professionals, including planners, luxury real estate, photographers, videographers, designers, producers, hair and makeup professionals and more, where attendees openly shared ideas, information, and strategies for meeting the challenges of the luxury wedding industry.

Created in 2008 by co-founders Kathryn Arce and Rebecca Grinnals, “We task the most creative minds in the industry to design an event experience unlike any other,” Grinnals tells PEOPLE exclusively.

Rebecca Grinnals (left) and Kathryn Arce at Engage! Summit at the Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania on June 5th.

Ryan Greenleaf

“Each Engage! has a guest creative director driving the decor and sensory experience, with a strong sense of place anchored in the host estate or region. Then we layer in the main entertainment, innovative technological advances, new ideas in mixology and the culinary world, and when it all comes together, our guests will hopefully experience things they have never seen before.”

Arce and Grinnals met more than 25 years ago when they started and helped build Disney’s iconic fairytale weddings at The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. After working together and “making magic” at Disney, the duo left and embarked on a new adventure consulting around the world to help hotels, resorts and tourism departments maximize their wedding business.

“As we were doing this, we realized that there were no events or opportunities for those serving the luxury wedding industry to meaningfully connect, get inspired and collectively improve the way they appear for their clients,” says Arce. “There was nothing out there that would support them in building their own businesses. And hence, the idea of ​​Engage!.”

Get involved! Summit, held at the Nemacolin resort in Pennsylvania in June 2024.

Paul Morse

At the time, “We hoped to connect like-minded wedding and event professionals and create more open and honest conversations, all with the goal of helping those in the luxury wedding industry deliver better experiences for their clients and run more successful businesses themselves,” says Grinnals. .

Arce adds: “We created Engage! The Summits were an event we wanted to attend, both as speakers and participants, and create a space where everyone working in this industry could come together to share ideas, inspiration and connect with each other. They all work so hard to make their couples’ wedding dreams come true and are always the ones in the back of the ballroom late at night making sure everything is perfect.”

“At Engage! they become guests, enjoy a lavish event from start to finish, have fun and enjoy the finest decor, culinary delights and dancing with wild abandon and it’s so cathartic for everyone! Through these ways of meaningful connection, these top industry professionals can create new partnerships and collaborations that expand their global network of top talent. It’s so satisfying to see how many amazing relationships have happened thanks to Engage!”

Get involved! Summit, held at the Nemacolin resort in Pennsylvania in June 2024.

Morning Break Gooden Cinema

Last week, attendees descended on Nemacolin, an award-winning, luxury destination nestled among the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, for the sold-out 45th Engage! where creative director Ed Libby of Ed Libby & Company created breathtaking installations on the sprawling 2,200-acre property with logistical planning support from le Feast’s Tracie Simon.

From the ‘Woodlands Welcome’ celebration to the wacky ‘Flights of Fancy’ party and finally the stunning gala held in a cathedral nestled in the woods, Libby and his team, (whose corporate clients include art patrons at the Vatican Museums, the Bellagio in Las Vegas, the Super Bowl and New York Stock Exchange) brought every event to life with innovative creation and design.

“Hosting Engage! The Summit is an honor for a destination wedding property like Nemacolin,” said Maggie Hardy, owner and CEO of Nemacolin in a press release. “We are thrilled to be recognized by the industry’s most respected organization for our quirky events and dedicated associates who make every wedding and special celebration here an unforgettable experience.”

Event and celebrity wedding planner Marcy Blum takes the stage at Engage! Summit in June 2024.

Paul Morse

The first day began with a champagne welcome on arrival before attendees headed into an epic gift lounge experience (a staple of every Engage!) expertly curated by TPD Design House, where each person took home gifts including custom denim jackets, luxury body products, delicate accessories and chic bags.

Craft cocktails and a wonderful lunch followed on one of the property’s terraces before the group gathered for the opening event hosted by event and celebrity wedding planner Marcy Blum (whose clients include LeBron James, Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent and Bill Gates’ daughter Jennifer Gates and Nayel Nassar) took the stage to share their knowledge and experience, followed by Josh Spiegel, CCO and founder of Birch Event Design.

The evening ended with a stunning “Woodland Welcome Party” that included a surprise performance by Kesha and a custom drone show by Sky Elements Drones. An artist drone company made history that same night by taking Simon Cowell’s second golden buzzer American talent.

Kesha performs at Engage! Summit on June 3, 2024 at the Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania.

Joel & Justyna

The second day’s general session included a candid conversation with Drybar founder and NY Times bestselling author Alli Webb, planner and designer Todd Fiscus whose clients include Gwen Stefani and Tony Romo, as well as Shafonne Myers of Aisle Society and Pretty Pear Bride among others.

Later, dinner was spread across Nemacolina’s many restaurants with attendees dining in intimate groups before the evening ended on the Chateau’s terrace for a ‘Flights of Fancy’ party where Elan Artists took to the stage amidst shimmering clouds and lavishly designed balloon decor on hot air.

Gurminder Banga and Simrin Dhillon took portraits in front of vintage airplanes for their Banga Booth, while Dennis Kwan captured beautiful black and white portraits with 888 Portrait Experience.

Castle in Nemacolin.

Ryan Greenleaf

The third and final day included sessions with Victoria Dubin and Amanda Dubin of Victoria Dubin Events, Harmony Walton, founder of The Bridal Bar, Joe Mineo of Joe Mineo Creative, as well as Robin Selden and Jeffrey Selden of Marcia Selden Catering.

Notable attendees included Lynn Easton of Easton Events, AJ Williams of AJ Events, photographer and author Genevieve de Manio, (whose new book Silver: Wedding Photographs is out September 1st), Lindsay Landman of Lindsay Landman Events, Jennifer Stein of Destination I By and by Priya Parker.

The event photography team was led by Corbin Gurkin with Paul Morse, Africa Armando, Kylee Yee, Bo Shim, Serena Jae, Ryan Greenleaf, Joel & Justyn Bedford and Roey Yohai. Places visited also included Auberge du Soleil, Southall Farm, Belmond and Four Seasons.

Diana Ross performs in front of an audience at Engage! Summit at Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania on June 6, 2024.

Corbin Gurkin

The summit culminated in a stunning black tie gala dinner held in a cathedral surrounded by tall trees and greenery where Diana Ross performed hits from her 54 year career. SOP House provided entertainment for the main stars.

Looking back at the first Engage! Grinnals says it’s inspiring how the event has blossomed. “Our first Engage! event took place in Celebration, Florida in June 2008. It was a one-day event that included lunch and had 75 attendees and minimal decor, no entertainment, and at the time we had no idea how big it would grow,” she says.

“Celebrity wedding planner and author, Marcy Blum, and celebrity event designer and author, Preston Bailey, were our keynote speakers. The opportunity for attendees to interact with them, ask business questions, and gain insight into how they run their businesses was invaluable.”

Inside the Cathedral in the Clearing’ party at Engage! Summit on June 6 at Nemacolin Resort in Pennsylvania.

Africa Armando

Now, 16 years and 45 summits later, “Get involved! has grown and evolved beyond our wildest dreams or expectations,” says Arce. “We have been so lucky to travel the world hosting events in the most spectacular locations: Paris, London, Dubai, Amalfi Coast, Ireland, Morocco, Lake Como, Cayman Islands, Bahamas, Mexico and more! We are so excited to be heading to Africa in September for a four-day, once-in-a-lifetime event in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.” (The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island will host this year’s final event in December.)

“We are so proud of how many deep, lasting friendships and successful business relationships have been forged by the incredible people who have come together from around the world since 2008,” says Arce. It was also a thrill to have our families travel with us and be a part of the magic of Engage!”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education