National Clothesline

Members of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists elected new officers and participated in interactive presentations with wedding industry experts at their recent San Antonio, TX, meting.

“2008 was not so great, but 2009 is going to be fine,” said Marty E. Wade, president of the association, as he opened the AWGS’s 20th annual meeting.

“The strength of our association lies in the mix of old and new faces; you represent both experience and energy.” Wade told the gathering.

The keynote speaker was Lynne LaFond DeLuca, senior vice president of Beverly Clark Enterprises, a line of wedding accessories that includes the number one wedding planner sold anywhere in the world.

“Each of you is unique with something special you can offer the bride, so capture your share of this $120 billion market by creating your own unique selling proposition,” DeLuca advised the audience.

“This market is recession-proof, and brides may cut back on the number of guests at the wedding or look for other ways to save money, but they are not cutting back on their wedding gowns,” he said.

DeLuca noted that brides do their planning on the Internet but book services in person, which means an informative, attractive website is essential.

He also said destination weddings are the fastest growing segment of the wedding market and encouraged the audience to offer services designed to appeal specifically to destination brides.

Sonny Ganguly, chief marketing officer of WeddingWire.com, a new wedding website that is also the platform powering the wedding planner and local vendor listings at MarthaStewart.com, specializes in social networking. He explained how this growing phenomenon can build bridal business by generating website traffic.

“There are 175 million accounts on Facebook.com and you can use this network to get messages to brides in their own environment,” Ganguly said.

Chris Jaeger of BookMoreWeddings.com develops websites designed to attract search engines.

His topic, “25 Things Your Webmaster Didn’t Tell You,” featured ways to get results from Internet marketing. As part of his presentation, Jaeger also reviewed members’ websites and pointed out what worked and what could be improved.

Robert Allen, executive producer of The Wedding Podcast Network, offered another approach to attracting the tech-savvy bride — Internet wedding talk radio that brides download on iPods and Mp3 players.

“Today’s brides are part of a digital generation that has had access to the Internet their entire lives, and you must communicate with them in that environment,” said Allen.

A meeting favorite is an afternoon devoted to round-table discussions of topics unique to those who specialize in wedding gowns. Association members also make presentations to the group.

Members who spoke this year included Kermit Engh of Omaha Lace Cleaners in Omaha, NE; Dennis Porter of Nu Yale Cleaners in Louisville, KY, and Jeffersonville, IN; Gary Fine of Parkers Custom Clothing Care in Toronto, ON; and Shahnaz Lakhani, also of Parkers Custom Clothing Care.

The high spot of the San Antonio meeting was a trip by bus to Sharlene Thum’s Five Star Cleaners and Five Star Wedding Gown Specialists. Following the visit, members traveled to Thum’s suburban home for a fiesta complete with mariachis, costumed dancers, and a surprise birthday treat for Tracy Achsberger of Sunshine Cleaners in Baton Rouge, LA.

New officers elected at the meeting were Engh, president; Fine, vice president; and Wade; immediate past president.

Elected to the board of directors were Joseph Lancaster IV of Coral Gables La Salle Cleaners in Miami, FL, and Dave Matthews of Janet Davis Cleaners in Berkley, MI. Re-elected to the board was Surendra Kumar of Oakwood The Greener Cleaners in Nashville, TN.

Members of the association, a not-for-profit trade group with members located in the United States, Canada, Australia, and South America, specialize in gown cleaning, restoration, and preservation.

Each member honors the guarantee of every other member, which includes taking the gown out of the container and pressing it at no charge when the gown is to be worn again.

More than 70 specialty gown manufacturers currently recommend MuseumCare preservations, which are also endorsed by the Association of Bridal Consultants, an organization dedicated to wedding professionals worldwide.

For more information about training and membership, call the association office, (800) 501-5005 or visit www.WeddingGownSpecialists.com.





						Wedding Gown Specialists told of a positive outlook



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						Members of the Association of Wedding Gown Specialists elected new officers and participated in interactive presentations with wedding industry experts at their recent San Antonio, TX, meting. “2008 was not so great, but 2009 is going to be fine,” said Marty E. Wade, president of the association, as he opened the AWGS’s 20th annual meeting. “The strength of our association lies in the mix of old and new faces; you represent both experience and energy.” Wade told the gathering. The keynote speaker was Lynne LaFond DeLuca, senior vice president of Beverly Clark Enterprises, a line of wedding accessories that includes the number one wedding planner sold anywhere in the world. “Each of you is unique with something special you can offer the bride, so capture your share of this $120 billion market by creating your own unique selling proposition,” DeLuca advised the audience. “This market is recession-proof, and brides may cut back on the number of guests at the wedding or look for other ways to save money, but they are not cutting back on their wedding gowns,” he said. DeLuca noted that brides do their planning on the Internet but book services in person, which means an informative, attractive website is essential. He also said destination weddings are the fastest growing segment of the wedding market and encouraged the audience to offer services designed to appeal specifically to destination brides. Sonny Ganguly, chief marketing officer of WeddingWire.com, a new wedding website that is also the platform powering the wedding planner and local vendor listings at MarthaStewart.com, specializes in social networking. He explained how this growing phenomenon can build bridal business by generating website traffic. “There are 175 million accounts on Facebook.com and you can use this network to get messages to brides in their own environment,” Ganguly said. Chris Jaeger of BookMoreWeddings.com develops websites designed to attract search engines. His topic, “25 Things Your Webmaster Didn’t Tell You,” featured ways to get results from Internet marketing. As part of his presentation, Jaeger also reviewed members’ websites and pointed out what worked and what could be improved. Robert Allen, executive producer of The Wedding Podcast Network, offered another approach to attracting the tech-savvy bride — Internet wedding talk radio that brides download on iPods and Mp3 players. “Today’s brides are part of a digital generation that has had access to the Internet their entire lives, and you must communicate with them in that environment,” said Allen. A meeting favorite is an afternoon devoted to round-table discussions of topics unique to those who specialize in wedding gowns. Association members also make presentations to the group. Members who spoke this year included Kermit Engh of Omaha Lace Cleaners in Omaha, NE; Dennis Porter of Nu Yale Cleaners in Louisville, KY, and Jeffersonville, IN; Gary Fine of Parkers Custom Clothing Care in Toronto, ON; and Shahnaz Lakhani, also of Parkers Custom Clothing Care. The high spot of the San Antonio meeting was a trip by bus to Sharlene Thum’s Five Star Cleaners and Five Star Wedding Gown Specialists. Following the visit, members traveled to Thum’s suburban home for a fiesta complete with mariachis, costumed dancers, and a surprise birthday treat for Tracy Achsberger of Sunshine Cleaners in Baton Rouge, LA. New officers elected at the meeting were Engh, president; Fine, vice president; and Wade; immediate past president. Elected to the board of directors were Joseph Lancaster IV of Coral Gables La Salle Cleaners in Miami, FL, and Dave Matthews of Janet Davis Cleaners in Berkley, MI. Re-elected to the board was Surendra Kumar of Oakwood The Greener Cleaners in Nashville, TN. Members of the association, a not-for-profit trade group with members located in the United States, Canada, Australia, and South America, specialize in gown cleaning, restoration, and preservation. Each member honors the guarantee of every other member, which includes taking the gown out of the container and pressing it at no charge when the gown is to be worn again. More than 70 specialty gown manufacturers currently recommend MuseumCare preservations, which are also endorsed by the Association of Bridal Consultants, an organization dedicated to wedding professionals worldwide. For more information about training and membership, call the association office, (800) 501-5005 or visit www.WeddingGownSpecialists.com.