Exploring Life & Business with Rachel of Ray Hannan Events

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel.

Hi Rachel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have always found enjoyment in creating processes, working with logistics, and solving problems. Most of all, I absolutely love working with people. Learning new personalities, working to get teams/groups on the same page, and customer service are extremely important to me. When it comes to the business world, this has been a great skillset and has served me well! I’ve been blessed to work in many different industries over the years including food service, administrative work, and even IT/Cybersecurity! In my personal life, I became the family “planner”, helping organize gatherings and birthday parties for fun. After helping a few friends with their weddings and moving into planning my own wedding, I realized that I wasn’t finding the same approach from most coordinators/planners that I wanted to take. That is in no way to say that others in the industry haven’t mastered their craft because I look up to and admire so many in the field!! I was just finding…gaps.

Through my own wedding planning, I realized I absolutely love this industry and that my love for people and logistics could be applied to this field, but maybe with a twist! So I decided to start Ray Hannan Events in 2023. I offer coordination services and guidance through the planning process. The “twist” is that I offer most of my services A La Carte, affording clients the chance to form their perfectly personalized mix of coordination and day-of assistance to fit their needs and most of all, to fit their budget. I have a passion for getting my clients through their events with ease and organization!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Starting and running a business is never easy! I’m very grateful that I have had experience running my own business before, but working to break into a new-to-me industry has had its own challenges. I’m still very new to this side of the business and am constantly learning and looking to soak up all the information I can. I’ve been blessed to have a few solid mentors alongside me that are always willing to share their experiences and true expertise to help me grow and be the best I can be for my clients. One of my biggest takeaways or pieces of advice to another person starting their own business is that sometimes you can be prepared ahead of time but ultimately some lessons can only be learned on the fly!

Either way, I’m always excited when I get to conquer a challenge set in front of me because it expands my knowledge of business and self and can only make Ray Hannan Events more able to serve my clients in the future.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a born and raised Metro Detroit Michigander who enjoys the organization, logistics, and nitty gritty details of events.

I created Ray Hannan Events to provide efficient and easy-to-digest guidance for any kind of event. My goal is to work alongside my clients, allowing them to enjoy the magical aspects of planning while leaving those pesky details to me!

One thing I realized very quickly while planning my own large wedding was that not all coordinators are the same. Sounds pretty obvious, right? That’s what I thought until I realized it’s not always so cut and dry! I aim to be as transparent about my services and scope as possible so my clients know exactly what they are getting.

While I do have packages available, I also offer an extremely personalized approach to coordinating and planning by offering most of my services A La Carte! This allows clients to separate items like set up and tear down, coordination by the hour, timeline and floorplan assistance, and so much more!

In whatever capacity we work together, my goal is to transform client’s ideas into an event to remember!

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
Event planning/coordinating is an ever-changing industry. Even in the ~2 years official experience I’ve had, the clientele and trends have drastically differed from when I started to now. I believe there will be significant changes, one of which includes clients wanting to have more communication and involvement from their vendors than ever before while also staying on budget.

More venues are stepping into a bring-your-own-vendor realm, allowing clients to choose their ideal vendors. However, this does require a lot more organization and planning than a traditional banquet hall or golf course venue. As for Ray Hannan Events, I am aiming to stay along or ahead of that curve by offering A La Carte services since venues are becoming more and more unique in regards to the needs of the client and accompanying vendors.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rayhannanevents.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rayhannanevents/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Ray-Hannan-Events/61555899633289/?_rdr