Today we’d like to introduce you to Elyse Large
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My interest in events started when I was 18 working at a golf course. We had a large tournament about to kick off and the person handling that walked out and I was thrown into her place. I fell in love with the fast pace, organizing the details, having to be quick on my feet, and the chaos of it all! I honestly didn’t know planning events was a real career for a long time so my experience landed heavily in the hospitality field. I’ve been a server, managed food and beverage outlets, worked in hotel sales, worked in catering, traveled the US coordinating new car auto shows, and as an Executive Assistant planning corporate events. All of this experience has given me a well-rounded view on events and I can see them from all perspectives, helping me when negotiating or advocating for my clients. I’ve made really great connections and had wonderful people lead me along the way.
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?
As I mentioned, I didn’t really think planning events was a real career. I thought maybe it could be part of a job description, but I didn’t know it was a whole job itself. That was probably the biggest struggle. I didn’t’ know how or where to get experience or look for a position. And maybe it’s just this area that doesn’t have a lot of opportunities for that. Now with remote work as a real option, it opens up a lot of doors for people looking to do this.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Destination TN Valley?
My business is Destination TN Valley. I’m a niche of event planning known as a Destination Management Company (DMC). Most other large cities have 2+ DMCs and I’m the first and only in Knoxville. This also causes a barrier as a lot of people here don’t know what a DMC is or does. A DMC specializes in events in a particular region, essentially making them the “expert” of the area for all things events. A DMC’s clientele is typically people coming into the area from another location. Having a local company that can help you sort through the best area of the city to be in, or what venue fits the vibe you’re looking for, or even which alpine coaster in Pigeon Forge should my group ride is so helpful for those who can’t be on the ground when planning their company retreat. I’m from Knoxville and have always loved it here as well as the Smoky Mountains so I am able to give first hand knowledge of the area to my clients. This knowledge of the area combined with my events experience allows me to give my clients the best experience in the planning and logistics of their event. Since my background is in events across the US, I still work with plenty of clients that are planning in other cities, so don’t count me out if you need help with that too! I just know Knoxville is getting large enough and brings in a lot of tourism that we need a DMC to keep growing.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Have confidence, but you can always learn something new! Go into each situation having confidence that you can get the job done and handle anything thrown at you, but also keep your eyes and ears open to learn a better way for the next time. Everything can always be better and keeping an open mind while also knowing you’re giving it your all brings you out of each situation better. I’ll also throw in to leave things better than you found them. When I leave an event, I want the vendors to be smiling on their way home from the exchanges we had and I want the venue to not have to clean up after me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.destinationtnvalley.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/destinationtnvalley/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DestinationTNValley/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/destination-tn-valley
