Kim Torres: Weaver of events
With all the Zoom weddings that transpired in this pandemic, standing up for innovation and for displaced suppliers is what motivates events coordinator Kim Torres.
Led into the lucrative field by “divine intervention,” as she calls it, Kim worked for years in events planning before establishing Torres Events last year.
Believing that “Love conquers all,” she braved the brunt of the pandemic to craft memorable events for couples who decided to spend their lives together.
Weaving safe yet exquisite virtual events in an ever-challenging atmosphere, Kim shared how continuous learning in events coordination and loving what she does on Tribune-NOW’s “Pairfect” livestream show hosted by Dinah Ventura and Francine Marquez.
Daily Tribune (DT): What brought you to become an events planner? When did you realize that this was what you wanted to do all along?
Kim Torres (KT): I worked in production, making TV commercials and for a company that was a “one-stop-shop” for events. Since I was well- trusted by my boss, she put me through the fire for five years. Eventually I resigned and went to the Tagaytay Pink that year, I was really confused about what to do with my life. I asked for signs. I prayed, “Lord, please give me 10 sure clients and I will put up my own business.” I had my 10 clients right then and there. But then there was the question of money. I asked for another sign — my partner and I talked and agreed that if our parents lent us P250,000 each, it would be a sign.
That’s when Wishing Well came to be, in 2015.
Last year, I launched Torres Events, which solely focuses on events coordination. Wishing Well is still there, but now it has its own company.
DT: How do you cope with the pandemic and its effects on your business?
KT: We were all affected by the pandemic, but you have a choice. Will you just let your business of five years go? So, what I did was maintain my social media presence and I avoided negativity. I joined different kinds of organizations where I could help my community. We all have to help each other. I am not that well-off but I wanted to make sure our suppliers would have some income at least.
We didn’t lose our work because we have to stick with our couples as coordinators. We have a choice. We could have let go of our suppliers and couples but I chose to be with them and the suppliers to help them reschedule their wedding day. We still had work; it was just income that was lost. But that’s okay — it was better than nothing.
DT: How is it now for people who plan to have events of their own?
KT: We have different kinds of styles to our workflow. In my case, I usually brief my couple about the guidelines. It changes every week, every month so you have to keep track. I usually meet the couple online to minimize physical contact but I go out with them for food tasting and ocular inspections. We invested on a lot of equipment so I bought my own face guard shield for my registration. I bought UV light, steamers.
We usually send out health declaration forms online. Upon arrival, we have a laptop at the entrance to check temperature then we really ensure sanitation protocols from the time you enter to the time you leave, including church and reception. Sometimes, it’s okay to be very meticulous.
DT: What does it take to be a successful events planner? And how do you train for that?
KT: When you say weddings, there’s Muslim, Indian, Catholic and Christians — all types of weddings, and they have different rituals and traditions. Certainly, one cannot take on this job on a part-time basis only. If you want to be a successful planner, you have to be knowledgeable and have experience when it comes to troubleshooting because you will face them all. You cannot afford to be quick-tempered. You must really love what you are doing because it’s really hard to work. And you can’t be timid. You have to practice effective communication.
DT: What are the trends right now?
KT: Love conquers all. There have been many changes, but there are still events. On my side, it has become more virtual, resulting in trimmed down number of guests. What we usually do is streaming. Guests still see the couple through Zoom. We also now do online games. Another trend: sending food packages to guests so they can join the feast while watching it all happen online.