Planner Spotlight Series- Patrick Crosson, PC Events and Experiences
Patrick Crosson, of PC Events and Experiences, brings awareness of how they adapted to COVID-19, communicating and lessons learned and sharing how they are viewing the meetings and events industry in a post-pandemic world.
Luke Whalin
Oct 8, 2021
This post is part of the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series where HopSkip spotlight's planners across the industry to bring awareness of how they adapted to COVID-19, communicating and lessons learned and sharing how they are viewing the meetings and events industry in a post-pandemic world.
Name: Patrick Crosson, CMP, DES
Company Name: PC Events and Experiences
Job Title: Owner & Executive Producer
Years of Experience: 12
How were you able to adapt during COVID-19 when the meeting and events industry got disrupted?
I was fortunate enough during the beginning of the pandemic that I was not dealing with rebooking/re-contracting events. I was mostly freelancing for other agencies or corporations directly. Although all of my work got cancelled, there was not much I could do about the lost work... so instead I shifted my attention forward. I immediately took my DES certification and began creative brainstorms for new types of events that could happen safely and securely. I took up video editing, website design, and live streaming virtual events. This became a huge learning opportunity that lead to me securing all of my own direct clients.
Perhaps less technical, but the number one thing I learned over the past year was to be human. I spent months just listening to friends/vendors/partners in the industry. Following up with clients to see how they were doing PERSONALLY. When you remove the hustle and bustle of life, you realize that underneath it all... everyone is human. Dealing with our own emotions. Dealing with our own stresses. All trying to make it in the world. This gives you a new perspective on how to interact with your vendors and hotel partners.
Moving forward I hope to keep the same authenticity and loyalty we have crafted over the past two years as PC Events and Experiences. Having open and honest conversations both with our vendor partners and our clients. Crafting fair and transparent budgets without markups to produce the best experience for the client while also acknowledging real costs from vendors. And staying authentic to our capabilities without stretching the truth. We are subject matter collaborators bringing in the right partners for the right job, not experts in every aspect of the industry. Our team grows based on what our clients need and it's okay to acknowledge we're providing that outside expertise.