Today we’d like to introduce you to Miriam Aguiar.
Hi Miriam, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
It all started in my native Brazil, where I worked as an executive assistant which incorporated corporate planning. That’s where I was introduced to the world of event planning, so when I moved to the United States, I sought to continue along the same path I had fallen in love with. That’s how I started working as a corporate event planner with companies like Maersk Group. After ten years of working in the corporate world and feeling the need for more creative freedom, I decided to start my own company, Atelier 18 Events. It has now been six years since we opened, where I’ve been able to incorporate my own ideas while working on all kinds of events, ranging from weddings, social and corporate events.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has been everything except a smooth road. In the beginning, when I had to bootstrap the business with no outside investment, breaking into the industry was definitely the biggest obstacle to overcome. Especially in Miami where the competition is abundant and fierce, finding one’s niche is imperative. Personally, I found my break in the Brazilian community where I was able to understand the culture and the customer personally. Once I built a solid customer base, I decided to expand and target other segments which resulted in the company growing exponentially. Unfortunately, the pandemic came, along with its lockdowns and restrictions, deeply affecting the business and overall market for many months. The demand for events has only now started to pick back up, as people have felt more comfortable hosting social gatherings and other kinds of events.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I do event design, production, planning, and decor for weddings, birthday parties, corporate, and social events —any kind of event, really—. I’m known for the specific aesthetic I produce and the production structure and network I’ve built with all kinds of vendors; the latter being what I am most proud of since due to my customer-centered structure, I am able to fulfill all my customer’s explicit and implicit needs, transforming the experiences they had planned, imagined or dreamed into reality no matter the extent or difficulty
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Event planning is not as easy as people make it out to be; there are many pieces to the puzzle that one must figure out, each one being differently complex and coming with its own difficulties, placing more obstacles along the way. Most of the work is done behind the scenes and it’s not glamorous nor seamless. I’ve thought about giving up at times, but the love for what I do and the satisfaction in my client’s faces keeps me going even in the hardest of times.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.atelier18events.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atelier18_events/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/essentiaimage
Image Credits
@akonrad @saraloblaphotographer
