FUSION360° Wins ACE Award for Catered Micro Event of the Year 2026

/ Rusty Tractor Vineyard/
FUSION360° Wins ACE Award for Catered Micro Event of the Year 2026

Meredith Events is thrilled to share that Vibrant Occasions Catering has won the 2026 ACE Award for Catered Micro Event of the Year for FUSION360°, an immersive culinary experience produced and creative-directed by Meredith Events. The award was announced this past March at Catersource + The Special Event in Los Angeles, after FUSION360° was named a finalist in January and went on to win in its category.

The recognition means a great deal to us because FUSION360° is exactly what an intimate event can become when every piece is built around one idea. Fifteen guests. Five cultures. Food, wine, florals, music, lighting, and storytelling all working together as parts of the same evening.

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BTS at The Gaines House 16th Annual Sandra Wilson Cherry Awards Dinner

/ Chenal Event Venue/
BTS at The Gaines House 16th Annual Sandra Wilson Cherry Awards Dinner

At Meredith Events, we're passionate about supporting organizations that make a meaningful difference in our community. We had the honor of providing event coordination support for The Gaines House's 16th Annual Sandra Wilson Cherry Awards Dinner, a beautiful evening that celebrated both remarkable community leaders and an organization that has been transforming lives in Little Rock since 1967.

Discovering The Gaines House Mission

Our connection to The Gaines House began through one of our trusted catering partners, Vibrant Occasions Catering, who had been working with the organization as their exclusive caterer. Through this introduction, we learned about The Gaines House's unique approach to supporting homeless women with disabilities and offering unlimited length of stay and comprehensive support services that help residents achieve a remarkable 90% success rate in transitioning to independent living.

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Creating a Fashion and Art Experience in Little Rock

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Creating a Fashion and Art Experience in Little Rock

When three visionary hosts approached Meredith Events to help bring their artistic dreams to life, we knew this would be no ordinary event. "Revival: An Evening of Art and Fashion" challenged our team to create an immersive experience that would blend high fashion, visual art, culinary mastery, and philanthropy into one unforgettable evening.

The Vision: Fashion Meets Philanthropy

Revival began with a clear vision from hosts Cat Sims, Kimberly Cyr, and Sarah Oden: create an evening that would showcase Arkansas's artistic talent while supporting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Cat Sims, serving as Philanthropy Coordinator, ensured the charitable component remained central to the evening. Kimberly Cyr brought her expertise as Wardrobe Stylist, curating fashion elements that would impress even the most discerning attendees. Sarah Oden, as Creative Coordinator and owner of AVA Model Management, provided the artistic direction that tied every element together.

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An Evening at Ledger Bentonville's Game Room

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An Evening at Ledger Bentonville's Game Room

Planning corporate events requires a delicate balance of sophistication and warmth, especially during the holiday season. For our clients at Crisp, we transformed The Game Room at Ledger Bentonville into an elegant winter wonderland that perfectly captured their company culture.

Ambiance & Decor

The Game Room's sophisticated atmosphere was enhanced with green and gold uplighting while string lights created an enchanting ambiance on the balcony. Natural holiday arrangements featuring mixed evergreens, magnolia foliage, preserved orange slices, and cream floral accents in gold compotes decorated coffee tables throughout the space. White planters filled with evergreens, magnolia, and curly willow added dramatic height and seasonal charm.

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An Edgar Allen Poe-Inspired Tablescape for At Home in Arkansas

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An Edgar Allen Poe-Inspired Tablescape for At Home in Arkansas

As Halloween approached, we had the perfect opportunity to channel the dark romance and eerie allure of Edgar Allan Poe through a styled gathering. This unique tablescape, crafted in partnership with At Home in Arkansas for their October “spooky month” issue, brought together literary inspiration and Gothic sophistication to create a space worthy of Poe’s haunting legacy. Each element was designed with meticulous attention to detail, capturing the timeless beauty and mysterious atmosphere that define Poe’s work. Here’s a look at how each contributor added their special touch to this enchanting setting.

Inspired by a Literary Circle Gathering

This event was designed as a nod to the tradition of literary circles, gatherings where intellectuals, writers, and artists meet to discuss literature, philosophy, and the latest ideas of their time. Rooted in the spirit of camaraderie and creativity, literary circles are spaces for passionate debates, storytelling, and an exchange of inspired thoughts. These gatherings foster community and encourage artists to push boundaries…much like Poe did with his tales of mystery and the macabre.

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Dinner on the River Wins ACE Award for Catered Micro Event of the Year 2024

/ Meredith Events/
Dinner on the River Wins ACE Award for Catered Micro Event of the Year 2024

Meredith Events is thrilled to announce that Dinner on the River, a collaborative endeavor with Vibrant Occasions Catering, philanthropist Cat Sims and a host of fabulous event vendors has been honored with the prestigious 2024 ACE Award for Catered Micro Event of the Year. This recognition underscores the meticulous planning, creativity, and dedication invested in curating unforgettable experiences for our clients. From conceptualization to execution, Dinner on the River epitomized the essence of sophistication and elegance.

Dinner on the River served as the glamorous kickoff for content creator Cat Sims' philanthropic mission, marking the launch of her fundraising campaign in support of the Arkansas Chapter's Children's Tumor Foundation. As a selected dancer for the Dancing with Our Stars competition, Cat utilized this elegant soirée to raise both funds and awareness for neurofibromatosis (NF) research and care. Surrounded by friends, fellow content creators, and supporters, the evening was not only a celebration of Cat's participation in this impactful endeavor but also a demonstration to the power of community coming together to make a difference in the lives of those affected by NF.

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My Experience with the Fab Over 40 Fundraiser Competition: Tips, Strategies and Raising Over $4k for NBCF

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My Experience with the Fab Over 40 Fundraiser Competition: Tips, Strategies and Raising Over $4k for NBCF

“In my view, there is nothing more fabulous than raising money for a good cause and helping others.” - Meredith Corning

I’m writing this on December 3, 2022, the day after I got booted from the Fab Over 40 fundraiser competition. I must admit, I knew nothing about this type of online voting campaign before I got involved. As I became more deeply entrenched, it was virtually impossible to find any type of strategy or real insight about this event online, so I decided to write about my own experience in the hope that someone might find this helpful if they are considering entering Fab Over 40 or any type of online voting fundraiser competition. As I became more deeply entrenched, it was virtually impossible to find any type of strategy or real insight about this event online, so I decided to write about my own experience in the hope that someone might find this helpful if they are considering entering Fab Over 40 or any type of online voting fundraiser competition.


Let me first say that I am 100% happy that I entered Fab Over 40, raised funds for the National Breast Cancer Foundation and hopefully inspired other women over 40 to embrace their age and do something outside of their comfort zone. So many good things to say about this type of campaign, but this blog post is about tips, strategies and how to raise funds, so if some parts sound critical it’s only because I am giving you, dear readers, my critical eye and interpretation on how to go about winning.

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PR Campaign for Influencers Who Brunch

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PR Campaign for Influencers Who Brunch

If you haven’t noticed by now, Meredith Events has gone through a LOT of changes over the past two years. When I decided to switch my full-time career from wedding planning and back to public relations, I knew that I didn’t want to entirely give up event planning. The biggest change I have made is that the only events I will plan are exclusively for my PR clients. I am trying to find the time (and motivation - ha) to get this website updated with current information. It is happening slowly, but surely. In the meantime, if you want to see what I am up to, you can visit Meredith Corning PR and follow me on Instagram and Facebook.

With that being said, I would love to present our most recent event planning project called Influencers Who Brunch in partnership with Meredith Corning PR. This campaign was strategically planned for my fabulous PR client, Vibrant Occasions Catering. In December 2020, Chef Serge Krikorian and his wife, Mary, purchased a mobile kitchen that can be taken on location to events. The kitchen provides a way for them to safely (and deliciously) create foods that require cooking just prior to service. This is a big win for any of you seafood and steak lovers out there.

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Custom Songs for Your Wedding

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Custom Songs for Your Wedding

You’ve heard “I’ve Had the Time of My Life” at weddings a million times. Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” is probably still stuck in your head from the last five weddings you went to. And “Stay with Me”, beautiful though it is, hasn’t left the wedding venue airwaves since 2014.


But don’t you want a new song to sing? A new beat to dance to?


A melody with a transcendent lyric written just for you?

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Should You Have Wedding Insurance

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Should You Have Wedding Insurance

COVID-19 has changed the plans for everyone, that’s for sure. It has been a strange and hectic time to say the least. Not only across the country, but the world, couples have cancelled or postponed their wedding day given the circumstances.

Being that there is so much involved in a wedding between a venue, multiple vendors, photography, food just to mention a few things. Not having wedding insurance and something happening could potentially blow up your budget.

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Locally Grown Flowers for Your Wedding

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Locally Grown Flowers for Your Wedding

Following the Farm-To-Table trend, the Field-To-Vase, Slow Flowers, & Sustainable Flowers movements have increased in popularity in recent years.

When you think of flowers, I bet you think of ‘green’ and ‘growing’ and similar words. My guess is that you’d think that because flowers are natural, it’s a pretty eco-friendly industry. However, given that most of the flowers used in the US are imported, the floral industry has a pretty high carbon footprint.

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If You Call Me a Day-Of Coordinator, I May Have to Smack You :-D

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If You Call Me a Day-Of Coordinator, I May Have to Smack You :-D

Old habits die hard. I get it.

For a long time I used the term “day-of coordinator,” too. This has been a long-standing term for wedding planners that offer an affordable package to couples whom desire to plan their own weddings, but need help toward the end of the process to finalize things and manage/coordinate their wedding on the day. It is a wise decision and enables the bride(s) and/or grooms(s) to just be that and enjoy their day without the stress of execution - virtual high five for that decision!

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Dear Instagram...Bite Me

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Dear Instagram...Bite Me

I will admit, I have become terribly bored with Instagram. The quick clips and glimpses into a bottomless pit of never-ending selfies, self-promotion and self-fulfillment quotes has me feeling BLAH. I crave lengthy conversations, long walks in the park and the calm that only comes from unplugging. I know, I know…so old-fashioned 😂

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How to Get Published in the Wedding Market

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How to Get Published in the Wedding Market

My background and life before wedding planning was in the fashion and publishing industries with a heavy focus on marketing and public relations.

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How I Create a Wedding Day Timeline

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How I Create a Wedding Day Timeline

I am in several wedding planner-only Facebook groups and I find them all so interesting because of the diversity in opinions and methods. This blog post was actually sparked by a post today that I read.

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Strawberry Martini Recipe

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Strawberry Martini Recipe

I am a huge fan of sweet and fruity cocktails - yep, I am THAT girl! A strawberry martini is a great crowd pleaser and even the fellas will like it being that martinis are generally seen as a more “manly” drink.

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Buffet Only - Place Settings or No Place Settings

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Buffet Only - Place Settings or No Place Settings

In the past, this was left strictly to the question of whether you are serving your guests via buffet or a plate and serve dinner. These days, however, I do more and more weddings where even with a buffet-style dinner the couple (mostly the bride - ha) wants to go ahead and have the look that you get with full place settings at each table.

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Holiday Pomegranate Cranberry Cocktail Recipe

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Holiday Pomegranate Cranberry Cocktail Recipe

Pomegranates and cranberries are synonymise with holiday cuisine and aesthetics, so why not incorporate these beauties into your libation confections this season?! Not only do they taste fantastic, but both fruits also contain a myriad of health benefits…we all need that during the winter months.

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