We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kenneth Gilliard a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kenneth , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Sparked by a conversation between some of Wilmington’s Top Black Planners, What would it look like to be in a place that showcased our talents? We discussed the idea of creating a space for us and by us and I picked up the charge, planned, curated, and executed the vision. A one-stop-shop wedding experience that highlighted ethnically minority-owned businesses. Anxious and nervous would be some emotions that were felt as there are many moving pieces in executing an event of this caliber. To host in the historic district of Seabreeze which was a prominent black-owned coastal resort during the Jim Crow era. Creating a staple series of events during the last weekend of Black History Month invoking the spirit of Kwanza through unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Held at a black-owned venue that doubles as an intimate waterfront property and BNB. From wedding planners, photographers, DJs, barbers, bartenders, cake artists, and confectionary teats has now expanded into what is now titled, “A Weekend of Love.” Our first year it rained and we had to shift everything inside, yet we still have over 150 guests. My team is looking forward to expanding and executing year 3.
Kenneth , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Kenneth “Kenny” Gilliard is a curator of special moments and experiences for events as he has a passion for creative design and event planning. Kenny spends much of his time mentoring local youth through his athletic endeavors. With a zeal for serving, Kenny serves in several philanthropic capacities throughout southeast North Carolina, raising money for collegiate scholarships, developing young professionals, and supporting local college students.
As an event planner, Kenny seeks to provide a necessary design and logistic eye for young professionals. He is budget-conscious, creative, responsive, and thoughtful when working with couples getting married, professionals planning parties, and civic groups planning philanthropic galas.
Kenny loves creativity and has become a talented florist in the process of event management. Kenny describes his personal design aesthetic as luxe while nodding both at traditional and modern sensibilities.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Persistence and a creative logistic eye for detail. My style and esthetic have been a mix of modern, vintage, and classic with a love for live floral work and special touches. With this, my focus has been on young professionals that want to have a unique experience. The name Gilliard and Co. evokes quality across the southeastern region of North Carolina. Vendors and customers know that Gilliard and Co. events will be professionally staffed, uniquely crafted/curated, precisely what the client asked for, and more.
Being only one of two black male-owned event planning companies in the area, our companies have partnered and collaborated with one another in addition to others not as competition but as a support system for one another. This lends to also having a great village and support system. The “Co.” in Gilliard and Co. is truly based off the relationships that I’ve built in various aspects of my life both personal and professional. People that have come together as a network to either help see the vision come through or provide support wherever they can contribute. From former students, colleagues in fraternity and sorority life, and of course family and friends. It is a summation indicated in the company name where not only clients, staff, and other vendors share in the village experience and vision.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
”Write the vision and make it plain” would be my advice for managing a team and maintaining high morale. When managing a team communication and understanding or also key. I have been a community cultivator as a leader who has chartered and re-chartered organizations to also hold leadership positions. In order to get buy-in, trust, and comprehension of what you want to achieve the team needs to understand assignments as well as what part they have in achieving the goal and vision. As the gatekeeper of the vision, it can be easy for me to understand the backstory, purpose, and reasons, however, my team will need help with understanding how the final product can come to fruition.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gilliardandco.com
- Instagram: coastalweddingexpo, gilliardandco
- Facebook: CoastalWeddingExpo, gilliardandco