Community Highlights: Meet Laura Clark of At Ease Events KC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Clark. 

Hi Laura, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hi, my name is Laura Clark and I own At Ease Events KC LLC. Upon graduating high school, I thought I wanted to be a tour manager for bands; setting up their shows, meet and greet, VIP experiences day after day all while seeing the world. I quickly realized that if I wanted to see the world that I didn’t want to see it for one day or night through a bus window. I then decided that I wanted to take the ‘civilian’ route of events here in Kansas City, where I know and love, but not just any events, unique events, and experiences! Which led me back to college to complete my bachelor’s degree in Corporate Communications with a minor in Marketing. Upon graduation, I began working at Sprint Center as a dressing room coordinator, followed by Sporting KC as an events manager and even Audacy, previously Entercom as a Promotions and Events Director. While I loved parts of all of these experiences, and how each of them led me right into the next experience, COVID happened. The events industry took a huge hit due the pandemic and I started to see my pathway opening up again. In July of 2021, my 9-5 events position was dissolving due to COVID. After planning and coordinating all of the concerts, sporting events, VIP events, birthdays, weddings, bat/bar mitzvahs, Quinceanera’s, and more, many people began to ask if I was going to start my own events business! By August of 2021, I buckled down and launched At Ease Events KC, a unique event & wedding planning and coordination company.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I feel very fortunate that my transition back into event planning has been relatively smooth sailing (so far, knock on wood). I am lucky in the sense that I have been given the opportunity to expand my horizons with a multitude of insights from event planning and management, to catering, and venue management. Over the years I have been developing my skills, knowledge, and relationships to set me up for success today. All of these different relationships and roles have each provided me diverse opportunities to grow personally and professionally. If anything, the challenge today would be finding the best way to stand out in the ever-growing events and wedding industry as a newer company, now comparatively to my past engagements on behalf of established companies. However, I am confident that I have jumped in feet first ready to navigate myself through all of it.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
At Ease Events KC is a full-service event planning and coordination company that specializes in a wide variety of unique events. With time comes change and with the rising social media platforms, everyone is looking for their viral opportunity, At Ease Events KC is here to bring those opportunities to life! When it comes to planning events, I pretty much wear all the hats. You need me to call and speak to venders for you, I’ve got it. Need help putting the visualization you’ve been dreaming of into motion? I’m the one. Struggling with signature cocktail creations? Say no more, I’ve got 10 years of bartending experience.

What sets me apart and makes me feel proud of what I do is that I treat all of my clients like they are close friends of mine. I want everyone that I work with to feel like they are talking to someone they trust. It’s important to me that at the end of the day those that I am working with have no stress. My ability to relate to anyone and everyone allows me the opportunity to work so many different individuals.

What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
COVID took a huge hit on the events and wedding industry in March of 2020; with everyone looking to get back to “normal” and feeling a year delayed, the events industry is ready to take off again. Once events can safely come back, I think they will all come back at once. As for weddings, we have already seen an influx of couples continuing to plan and have their weddings under local COVID guidelines. Most vendors have already seen this influx as many of them are already booked a year if not two years advance. If COVID has showed us anything, it is that unique events will only flourish with the new opportunities we’ve been able to explore and I cannot wait to help couples bring those ideas to life!

Pricing:

• Wedding Consultation: starting at $1,800
• Full Wedding Planning: starting at $2,500
• Wedding Day of Coordination: starting at $1,250

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.AtEaseEventsKC.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/AtEaseEventsKC
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/AtEaseEventsKC

Image Credits
Phillip Jackson