Behind the Scenes of Event Planning with Vannessa King

In this episode of the Kanawha Valley Hustlers podcast, I chat with Vannessa King, the events and venues manager for The Cottage at Northgate and The Retreat WV. Vannessa shares how her role involves managing two very different spaces. The Cottage is perfect for personal celebrations like weddings and birthday parties, while The Retreat is focused on business events like staff meetings and trainings.

Vannessa describes her job as centered around people. Her goal is to make sure everyone is comfortable and satisfied with their event, whether it’s a professional gathering or a personal celebration. She mentions how crucial it is for her to pay attention to small details, from the way a room is set up to the overall flow of the event.

We discuss the types of events hosted at both locations. The Retreat often holds quarterly and annual staff trainings, while The Cottage caters to weddings, showers, and even milestone birthday parties. Vannessa says that at The Cottage, they aim to build lifelong relationships with their clients, often hosting multiple events for the same family over time.

Vannessa has been working with both venues for about three years, and she has held her full-time position for the past year. She expresses her love for the job, saying she enjoys the variety of people she meets and the different events she manages. When asked if the work brings her joy or pressure, Vannessa explains that both can coexist, and the hardest challenges often result in the most satisfying outcomes.

As we wrap up, Vannessa shares how people can contact her for more information about The Cottage and The Retreat. You can reach her by email at vking@kingeryandcompany.com