Meet Breen Halley

We recently connected with Breen Halley and have shared our conversation below.

Breen, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.

Burnout is a prevalent problem in the event planning industry. I found myself burnt out after working in a top event market, traveling constantly, answering to bosses and clients, and being forced to follow protocols and processes that didn’t allow me to succeed in the way I worked best. Once I accepted that I was burnt out, I looked at my options: to keep going, leave the industry, or reinvent myself. I chose to reinvent myself! After working for several years in the agency world, I was ready to break off and work for myself. This new freedom allowed me to choose my niche, clients, and types of events that I loved to produce.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I founded Halley Events, which specializes in corporate and social events. My company provides a full-service concept to curation event planning services. My niche is luxury events and VIP experiences.

My background is in public relations, marketing, and brand management. A career in those fields always had a layer of event planning, but I needed a better fit for my skill set and interests. I decided to make a complete career change, and at the age of 30, I left my full-time job in brand management for a consumer product and interned at an event planning agency. Starting over was terrifying, but it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

This decision completely rewrote the next steps of my career. A few years later, I found myself in New York City working with some of the world’s most notable brands, such as American Express, Cartier, and Lamborghini.

My company aims to ensure that the event planning process is seamless, client-focused, and solutions-oriented. The result is an exceptional event experience that delights guests, elevates the brand, and provides lasting key results.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I’ve been lucky to travel to over 35 countries and experience many cultures. Absorbing local history, architecture, food, wine, and hospitality has allowed me to incorporate global flair into my events. My hobbies, such as my love for cooking, wine, and floral design, have helped develop multiple luxurious touchpoints during my events.

You must study within your industry on a deep level. Because of this, I have taken cooking classes at culinary schools, earned wine certifications, and apprenticed at a floral design boutique.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

My ideal client wants to think outside the box and create a unique experience. I love working with clients who aren’t afraid to take risks and trust me and the vendors I trust. It can be scary for a client to approve a vision board and fear that the result will be an off-brand version of what they were promised. My ideal client will be willing to look at the small details with me and know that on a micro level, everything will come together to create a big and beautiful picture.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

JP + Camille Cardona, The Cardonas
Kristelle Boulos, Photographer

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