Looking back at 2016

Just like that, 2016 has come to an end. It was a wild year. It was year of big changes -- both for KES and our founder. It's always fun to look back to see what was accomplished over the course of the year. For KES, this year was about taking big steps. In 2016, KES added four full-service clients to the client roster (for a total of ten), offered one-on-one consulting with over 15 small businesses and entrepreneurs, coordinated over 150 TV segments for our clients, planned and participated in over 50 events, and organized 25 photo shoots. 

Here is a quick recap of what KES accomplished this year:

January: January is a month for putting big plans into action. We started the year by launching KES Strategy Sessions and I worked one-on-one with a variety of entrepreneurs on specific launch plans for their business within the topics of PR, social media & content creation. At the same time, KES began a full-service partnership with t.Loft Tea & Juice Bar. The goal? To create a marketing and social media program as colorful and fresh as their brand. Another exciting moment in January? KES celebrated 1-year of business! 

February: A short and sweet month. February is my favorite because it's my birthday month: cue the champagne & confetti! KES was invited to speak at a private brand conference on the topic of 'Social Media & Relationships.' I celebrated turning another year older... And because sometimes you need a little fun, I traveled to Vegas with industry partners to cap off the month.

March: Event season begins! KES helped plan, produce and coordinate Go Blog Social's one-day Kansas City conference on the topic of 'Business & Entrepreneurship.' The event was hosted at the beautiful Gallery Event Space and featured over 10 speakers with 150+ attendees. From a conference to a runway event... KES handled the media and press for Kansas City Fashion Week's ninth runway season at Union Station Kansas City. 

April: Event season continues...we planned and hosted a media preview event for client, Park Place featuring a first look at the top trends in food, fashion and beauty. With spring in full swing, KES also coordinated a variety of client photo shoots for spring/summer campaigns. The month ended by celebrating the 1-year anniversary for client, Posh KC Blow Dry Bar. I also took a quick trip to Des Moines to explore the city for an event.

May: Did I mention spring is a busy time for KES? KES helped strategize and plan the launch event for Sierra Winter Jewelry with an intimate party hosted at Unbakery & Juicery in Brookside. From a launch to another conference, I traveled to St. Louis to help host the second Go Blog Social conference of the year at Lumen Private Event Space in partnership with Alive Magazine. The event drew over 150 creatives, bloggers and influencers and featured more than 15 nationally-recognized speakers. Plus, the event was trending on Twitter!

June: After a busy start to the year, a getaway was necessary. I celebrated the start of summer at the beach with family. 10 days at the beach was a necessary way to re-set before the next round of summer/fall events, press campaigns and strategy sessions! Post-vacation, KES made it back in time to launch sheKClifestyle.com! KES rounded out the month with a few mid-year strategy sessions with brands that needed a marketing boost!

July: Back to reality, summer brought another new addition to the KES client roster: HOOPLA. The nail and beauty studio enlisted KES to create a marketing plan including brand strategy, social media marketing and PR. Because sometimes you need some inspiration, I jetted off to New York City for a quick trip. Back in KC, KES started a partnership with a local news station hosting morning "lifestyle" segments featuring event planning tips.

KES founder, Kathryn with our summer intern, Nichole!

August: With fall approaching, this month was all about strategizing and creating content for Q4. And to kick off the start to fall, KES helped launch the opening for full-service client, Bare Med Spa's third location in the Kansas City Power & Light District. After the launch, KES has coordinated partnerships with a variety of local to national influencers & celebrities to feature the spa!

September: Time to make moves! Probably the most exciting moment of 2016: I announced that KES was moving out of my home office and into a beautiful studio space in the heart of downtown Kansas City. Beyond moving, KES also hosted the third conference for Go Blog Social in Des Moines, planned and hosted the launch event for sheKClifestyle.com at One Light Luxury Apartments, coordinated sponsorship for a charity event featuring former participants from The Bachelor/The Bachelorette, helped plan the launch for Health House's second studio opening in Town Center Plaza, and hosted the second media preview event for Park Place at the newly opened Pink Antlers Studio (this time focusing on holiday trends & gifts). Whew. 

October: Round two of events...17 days of events to be exact. KES coordinated the press, media and social media for Kansas City Fashion Week's 10th runway season including a record season of press with over 25 TV segments. After the week of runway and fashion events, KES jumped straight into volunteering for Junior League of Kansas City's 29th annual Holiday Mart event. More TV segments, more press and more social media coordination. This busy month ended with finalizing holiday plans for our clients. 

November: With holiday plans in place and 2017 planning in full swing, November was all about recovering from the fall event season and setting goals for next year. KES partnered with the Kansas City Power & Light District to support their Small Business Saturday event initiative and coordinated a week of press featuring a variety of local makers and businesses. Growing the team, KES added on a photographer and graphic designer to assist in client projects. 

December: Holiday press and social media plans continued, along with finalizing 2017 marketing plans with our clients. KES hosted several TV segments featuring holiday gift and party planning ideas. KES typically closes down through the holiday, so this month was all about wrapping up reports and reviews for the year!

2016 was a busy, fun-filed, exciting year for KES! Thank you to our partners and clients for making this an unforgettable year! I can't wait to see what 2017 brings.