Ellwed Talks with Meghan Ely Wedding PR Expert from OFD Consulting
Hello and Welcome to Ellwed Talks – the first podcast about destination weddings in Greece! Join us in this new episode where we talk with Meghan Ely, a Wedding PR Expert from OFD Consulting.
Meghan is an Award-winning Wedding Publicist and Wedding Industry Speaker. She comes from the PR and Marketing world. But after her experience in the event industry, she became an expert on everything which has to do with weddings and events. As a director of events and a day-of coordinator, Meghan created mutually beneficial relationships with local and international vendors. That is when she started focusing on her niche of the wedding publicist and PR manager.
She started her own brand OFD Consulting. A niche marketing group, offering specific and comprehensive services to small businesses specializing in the wedding industry.
As the national Vice-President for the Wedding International Professionals Association and the 2017 chair of the NACE conference education committee, Meghan is a sought-after speaker and educator. Featured on many podcasts, summits, congresses and workshops such as Engage, Wedding MBA, WIPA and many more. Her articles were featured in multiple local and international publications, from Brides, Martha Stewart Weddings Harper’s Bazaar, The Knot, The Huffington Post and so on.
Among other, she is a WeddingWire Education Expert. As well as a regular contributor to Wedding Planner Magazine, Wedding Business Magazine, The International Trend Report, Honeybook, Catersource and SpecialEvents.com.
In this episode, we dive deep into Meghan’s story and her beginnings. We talk about what is trending in the world of weddings. Why you should submit your wedding or styled shoot for publication and how she can help you do this! Stick to the end to hear her advice for all brides to be!
Listen to the episode here or on your favourite podcast app!
Tell us your story, what lead you to your current career path?
Ever since I was a young girl, I sort of new I want to be in PR and marketing. Not knowing well what that job required. Nonetheless, life path led me to work in the wedding industry. So while working as an event professional, I found one hard truth. Wedding professionals love what they do. Be it a florist, caterer, stationer or a wedding planner. However, most were unfamiliar with marketing and PR strategies that can reach new audiences.
As the leading wedding PR educator in North America, I’m on the road a lot as I take the stage at national conferences, local association groups, and other industry engagements. My team steers the ship while I’m on the go, managing client needs and media inquiries like second nature. Together, we are committed to elevating our clients through high-profile press features, top-tier speaking engagements, and a strategic approach to setting and achieving marketing goals
Can you tell us more about your brand and what does a publicist do? How can you help wedding professionals?
In spring 2009, OFD Consulting opened its doors to the industry and, since then, we have grown into a small but mighty team of wedding-obsessed publicists.
A day in the life of a wedding publicist is ever-changing, but you can typically find us discussing strategy with our clients, securing press features in digital and print publications, coordinating feature interviews for podcasts, and pitching our clients for national and local speaking engagements.
We are helping all types of wedding professionals to get featured and get seen. As our clients grew, we recognized a common need for representation of famous event professionals and brands who valued being positioned in front of industry peers.
In early 2019, after much consideration, we decided that our publicity retainers who focus entirely on B2B press and speaking opportunities. Focusing primarily on this niche space has allowed OFD Consulting to become the only wedding PR agency dedicated entirely to this area of expertise, and as a result, we’ve seen opportunities for our clients soar.
What trend do you see picking up in the world of weddings?
As a contributor to International Wedding Trend Report, we are always looking for the new thing in the wedding industry. I genuinely think that we are going to see many trends carry over into the next year. Because many of the couples had to postpone their weddings to the next year. This year was difficult for all, however I do believe it contributed to the rise of technology at weddings. I see continued dependence on technology, in the way we never thought before. I believe there will be more technology used at weddings in the next few years as new generations are more dependent on tech we never saw before. Therefore vendors will have to level up! From virtual reality, to online meetings, I am really looking forward to seeing this.
Tell us a bit more about what you are currently working on?
Well I believe that PR is a big part of luxury weddings and events. Getting the word out in a positive light can help vendors, or my clients grow as they become established in that wedding market.
I combine my event experience with a love of wedding PR to empower all my clients to take their businesses to new heights. I represent clients globally. Some have got the coverage with local and international media. Such as the New York Times, Entrepreneur, Brides, Bridal Guide, the Knot, Martha Stewart Weddings, the Travel Channel, HGTV, Brit & Co and Refinery 29, among others.
Amongst my speaking appearances, I also love to teach. Therefore, I am an adjunct professor in the Mass Communication department at Virginia Commonwealth University, specializing in Public Relations.
Recently we launched the OFD Collective. The first membership site in the wedding industry which helps our members maximize their press exposure. This gives wedding professionals easy access to the media and exclusive press opportunities. We saw a need for a wedding PR solution that was cost-effective and user-friendly for small businesses. Which wanted to reach couples through B2C press and real wedding features. Thus, OFD Collective was launched for small businesses who are ready to take their own PR dive with the guidance of a publicist.
Another project we are currently working on, is to help couples publish their wedding. Sadly we are now living in the times of Coronavirus pandemic, which means many weddings had to be postponed or cancelled. And this automatically affects the publishing world, as there will be less submissions to be featured on the wedding blogs and media. Therefore we are glad to help all brides and grooms with their submissions. And show them how to properly send their wedding to be featured.
If someone wants to get in touch with you, where can they find you?
They can find me at:
instagram.com/ofdconsulting
Did you like this interview with Meghan Ely, a Wedding PR Expert from OFD Consulting? Listen more interviews bellow or read at ellwed.com/podcast
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