A great New Year’s resolution for event planners!

Tina Knight, the brand storyteller for Moxley Carmichael, previously served as manager of internal communications for Discovery, Inc. Tina shared for In Any Event what she learned as a corporate event planner – and how much EventCheckKnox would have helped. Enjoy this blog entry to start 2020! -Cynthia

Imagine it’s mid-January and you’re on edge because you need to get a date nailed down ASAP for an event in … October.

Tina Knight at Crissy Haslam’s First Lady’s Luncheon in 2013. Knight, who was with Scripps Networks Interactive (which became Discovery), produced the Garden Guide to celebrate the event, which was attended by more than 800 people. (Blue Streak photo)

It happened to me. So. Many. Times.

I was the most privileged of event project managers: generous budget, dedicated event space, extremely talented team that included professional event managers and a full production crew.

But it was not without challenges.

I had to wrangle the schedules of impossibly busy executives and board members for a large, publicly traded company while navigating around holidays (for every religion and for countries on four continents), school breaks, daylight saving time change, earnings report dates and more.

Inevitably, we’d set the date, then someone would remember that this gala or that event usually occurs around that time, and we have several local VIPs who have to be there. Back to the calendars I’d go.

If only I had known then to check EventCheck Knox! I would have looked before I booked.

After learning about – and now using – the website, I yearn for the knowledge contained within the digital realm of EventCheck Knox for my former event-project-manager-self.

Through years of working in corporate giving/corporate social responsibility (CSR) with nonprofit partners, I understand how one well-attended event can mean less-than-desired results for another event scheduled on the same date.

Tina Knight, third from left, with Shaun Fulco, Amy Barger and Maria McHale. The Moxley Carmichael crew was at the 2019 reception for Lady Vols Coach Kellie Harper (Blue Streak photo)

EventCheck Knox provides timely, vetted and curated information to help planners make an informed decision about scheduling an event.

Corporate planners – especially those who might not be as familiar with the community because they are new to Knoxville or work outside of the area at another location – can use this website to easily see at a glance when events are happening and which ones will be vying for the same attendees, local venues, caterers and rentals.

I especially like the colorful boxes on each month of the calendar. It affirms that the fine people of East Tennessee truly fulfill the volunteer tradition through nonprofit events happening year-round. It helps me think about community events that I may want to attend or organizations I want to learn more about as a supporter or volunteer.

Corporate event planners often tie a nonprofit element to events. Checking the calendar at EventCheck Knox can inspire a new partnership.

If you or someone you know works in the nonprofit sector in this area or in corporate giving, event planning, marketing, social good, CSR, public relations, government relations, communications or as vendors for events, retreats, large meetings, send them the link for EventCheck Knox.

They’ll thank you. And I’ll thank you, too.

Tina J. Knight is the brand storyteller for Moxley Carmichael. Her 10-year-old son estimates that 50 percent of her sentences start with the phrase, “I was listening to a podcast and learned … ”