Outplan. Outplay. Outparty!
Once upon a time, a few (now) decades ago, our fearless leader Cindy Lo, set out to create a mantra that would serve to not only inspire her team but message to the rest of the world her intentions for her new events planning company Red Velvet Events. At the time, Survivor was a burgeoning reality TV show, somewhat new to the scene as well, but known already for the harrowing team challenges and cut-throat participant strategy it featured. “Outwit, outplay, outlast” encapsulated Survivors’ mission succinctly.
Cindy took a page out of that book - as she herself was motivated to do the same on the events planning industry front, but needed to tailor it to be more meaningful to the mission of her company. “Outplan, outplay, outparty” was born.
Back then, there were three. Today there are seventeen and we are growing again at a fast clip after a challenging last three years, still providing consultation services for special events for businesses, for parties, and for all kinds of social entertainment.
As a company, we have evolved from being (only) an events planning company, to a full service experiential agency, but the mantra exists in our not too far distant past, and a gigantic iron fixture resides in our “lobby” at our forever home to remind us of that spirit that is still very much a part of what we do and who we are.
This year, we celebrate the fifth anniversary of the “Behind The Red Velvet Curtain”, which Cindy penned to share her wisdom and knowledge about the special events planning business with the world. If you haven’t checked it out yet, it comes highly recommended if you are considering starting your own event planning business.
Cindy closes her book on the topic of this mantra she coined, focusing on “outplay” specifically; it perfectly summarizes why we do what we do.
“Outplay” is a little more surprising at first because it carries a special double meaning.
We work hard, but our company loves to be playful and positive. We seize the day. Event planning is a fun industry - too fun to not take advantage of it. We get to network, try out incredible new food, explore and support cities we love so much, savor experiences and have fun with friends. This business cannot just be about putting [our] heads down and staring at spreadsheets. Not only does “Outplay” mean having the most fun, but it also means we go above and beyond to outperform. I am extremely competitive. If I am going to pursue something, I will strive to be the best in the business. This is my fuel and I am so lucky to get to apply that to something I love to do.”
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