A Year In Review: 2019

From the Desk of Mary

Event Manager - Entrepreneur - Adventurer

I am proud of the work AWG (formerly Occasions, Inc.) has done over the years and the continued efforts of the team to make every event special and flawless. In 2019, AWG refocused on expanding the brand and establishing consistent excellence with many of its clients.

Let’s take a look back at the many accomplishments of the past year...

New Website

Though our event planning was above reproach, our website was not! I took time last year to invest in a new look that better matches the AWG brand and services.

Along with the website came this very blog! I wanted a chance to keep content fresh, share my thoughts, and connect with followers. These posts and all your great comments help me know what’s important to you and lets me share my story.

Social Media Presence

As anyone in the 21st Century knows, it’s all about your online presence. Starting and maintaining active social media profiles in 2019 allowed the AWG team to connect with its followers and provided new routes for potential clients and partners to learn about us. Consistent, professional messaging tells you that you know what to expect with AWG - great services and personalized customer service.

Speaking of great services, we were thrilled and ready to be called back to serve many of our great clients for their annual events. For recurring events, it’s very important to keep immaculate records and provide consistent offerings. Some of our special projects in 2019 were...

Century 21 Millennium Awards Banquet

AWG continued to provide superior event planning services for the 5th year in a row.

DC Public Schools 3rd Annual We The Girls Leadership Conference

AWG was subcontracted to Chaise Management Group, LLC to produce the 3rd Annual We The Girls Leadership conference, attracting over 300 young women, educators, and parents. Every year, the conference promotes identity and leadership for young women, while educating the community about racial and gender equity issues. AWG was very happy to be on the team supporting such a great event that celebrates young women of color!

D110th NAACP National Convention Detroit 2019

AWG partnered with Fore & Associates to execute the 50th Annual NAACP Experience featuring interactive exhibits and a career fair.

Westat Corporation Meetings and Trainings

AWG continued to serve as strategic event and travel management partners, arranging meetings and trainings for the US Department of Education and the US Department of Health and Human Services.

KoBE Government Contracting Alliance

KoBE and AWG continued their partnership as AWG supported their education seminars. KoBE is a nonprofit small business incubator that helps small businesses grow successfully.

Montgomery County Volunteer Center 2019 MLK Day of Service

Under subcontract to Montage Marketing, the AWG team executed our 2nd MLK Day of Service event, which attracted over 2000 volunteers and close to 40 agencies. We’re also happy to announce that the AWG team just successfully completed our 3rd MLK Day of Service on January 20, 2020. Learn more here.

Emerging Leaders Alumni Board

In 2019, I joined the ELA Board, which provides networking and resources for graduates of the SBA Washington Metropolitan Area District Office’s Emerging Leaders initiative. The AWG team helped organize networking and educational events for the ELA Board, including the 2019 Winter Networking Event and Holiday Toy Drive on December 11, 2019.

G. James Gholson Middle School's Career Day

I also presented at Career Day, showing off the multifaceted world of event management as an exciting career choice. Read more about it here.