Pitching Paid Sponsors & Curating Branded Events with Publisher & Host Vanessa Gordon – Podcast Transcript

 

Lexie Smith  

Vanessa Gordon is the CEO and publisher of East End taste and the founder of the Hamptons interactive brunch event series. As a freelance journalist she has contributed to such publications as pregnancy and newborn Parents Magazine Thrillist. today and she has been featured as a travel and parenting expert and Reader’s Digest MSN Conde Nast Traveler, CNN underscored Yahoo. And most recently on BBC London radio. She received her Master of Arts degree in teaching English as a second language from New York University. She lives with her family in the Hamptons and fun fact, Vanessa, Hamptons are on my bucket list. Welcome to the show.

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Thank you so much for having me. I hope to see you here soon.

 

Lexie Smith  

I was going are you joining us joining us today calling in from podcasting in from the Hamptons as you speak?

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Yes, yes. I’m going back and forth between New York City and the Hamptons. Today I am in my home in East Hampton.

 

Lexie Smith  

Technically speaking. Now, of course, everyone on the East Coast already knows this. But for my Oregonian turned California. How far apart is New York in the Hamptons,

 

Vanessa Gordon  

or so? it tight? It’s 90 miles from East Ham to New York City. But in the summer, you know, in terms of the travel, it could, it could be rough. It could take hours to get there.

 

Lexie Smith  

Okay, actually closer though that I didn’t know if it was like, over, you know, three, four hour away, you know, 300 Miles 90, assuming there’s no traffic isn’t, isn’t terrible. So outside of work, what do you like to do for fun?

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Oh, gosh, well, now I am really excited. I’m getting my paddleboard out so I’m gonna be going out on a hike. I love hiking, I love long walks, the longer the better. Just I love exploring my region, and especially going out to Montauk and doing long walks out there that I just finished up doing seal walks. Those usually go until about early March and you’ll see the seals kind of hanging out on the on the sand there to cute

 

Lexie Smith  

is that a seal walk I don’t think I’ve ever heard. I mean, I understand the concept when you say that, but I’ve never heard it as like a thing before.

 

Vanessa Gordon  

There’s not any other of it until it was brought to my attention maybe about seven or eight years ago when I was working as teaching fitness classes at one of their local resorts out here. It’s about long time ago. And like anyone who wants to seal Hi, can I go way seals really? Like legit like, hang out on the beach here? Really?

 

Lexie Smith  

Oh, so cool. And so are you a parent as well, having been a parent parenting expert?

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Yes, yes, I have to I have to tell my daughter is nine and my son is five. They’re very different. If you could imagine, and but they are they’re so wonderful. And I’ve learned so much from them. And they’re there. They’re great. They’re there a lot of fun. They keep you busy.

 

Lexie Smith  

I’m sure I only have one of them. And she’s one and I’m incredibly busy. So anyone who had really any parent on this planet, I have a whole new perspective for and this past past year, that’s for sure. So outside of the Hamptons and fun, I want to talk a little bit more about your career journey. So let’s rewind and just I like to say give me the Cliff Notes version of what came before today.

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Definitely. So interestingly, I started my career very early, perhaps in creative writing. But then I said, You know what, I come from a background with a lot of law teachers and people in the education field and my family. So I was highly encouraged to go and get my master’s degree in English a second language, which I did, literally right out of college, went right to my master’s program. And then I flew, flew to London for my study abroad program for three months and I was teaching and learning over at the Institute of Education in London, teaching over in the Camden neighborhood there. And I was at St. Edmund’s college at Oxford for Mount about there so and then I came back and I had all these, this teaching style that I learned over overseas and I brought it back here and teaching for a little bit tutoring, but then I became pregnant with my daughter in or like I was like May of 2013 and I just suffered with a condition called hyperemesis, which is basically a very severe morning sickness. And I had to quit teaching. And very suddenly, I was teaching at a private school at the time. And they were very confused. They’re very puzzled about why I had to quit. And couldn’t really tell them why. But I never wanted to really went back to teaching full time once she was born. I was just doing a private tutoring. But I really wanted something that would occupy my mind, I was very, I got very frustrated, but very hit Save board, I was home, I felt I really wanted that purpose. I’m very career driven. And I started east and taste which my digital publication in the beginning completely for fun, just to occupy my mind just to keep myself writing. And so let me start writing about like, I guess what I do. And for fun with my family, going out to the restaurant events, or, you know, fun little guides, just to keep people perhaps in the know, because a lot of my family had friends have moved away from the area they’ve moved elsewhere, but they always like to kind of keep in check with what’s going on, in the Hamptons. So I thought that was kind of fun. But that was happening. As I started that I took it a step further took it seriously started freelance writing for some of the local publications out here and in the city. So I had to go on assignment, I had to go to different functions to interview, you know, talent, etc, etc, out here. But then you get into casual conversation. What did what do you do? I said, Oh, I started a blog called Eastend tastes no cash shrug it off, like, anyway, you know, onto our conversation and they go, No, I’d like to hear more about it. And I go, okay, so I would tell them a hotel about it. Then I started making little business cards that said, Eastern tastes on them, and get them out to people. But then businesses would inquire they said, Well, I really love what you’re doing. Restaurants, etc. And, and would ask me to come back. And I’d say, oh, for for my blog. Oh, okay. And this was very early. This is what I say like 20. Yes, was like early to 26. Now we’re going to 2016 now, and I never saw it as anything to make money from or any sort of substance, if you will, I didn’t understand that whole concept. And it wasn’t until I spoke with someone that had been doing marketing for for 1015 years at the time that like, I’m gonna give you the best event, don’t call it a blog, get get get the word blog out of the picture was really well. Okay, so I do know a lot of successful blog that was interesting, I guess, the take, it acted more as a publication because of I was bringing them bringing writers on. I had my first intern in that fall of 2016 was a family friend was looking for just experience. And they had such a great time working under me. And it just it continued to grow and grow and grow from there. And yeah, I mean, we I did the Hamptons interactive brunch in 2018. And the business skyrocketed from there from the success of that event. And this is coming from someone who had no like literally no clue per se. A lot of my much of my growth was completely organic, just putting myself out there and you’re talking about what you’re talking about who is you know, rewind the clock back 10 years ago, it was a shy but very apprehensive. I didn’t never want to put myself in front of a camera and never I was a writer. I was like nope, I work on the back end. This is not what I do. And I really leapt out of my comfort zone if you will, and put myself out there really put myself in in very intimidating situations. But it’s been quite fascinating how I’ve broken into it so to say and very very like I said very organically meet really beat it just genuine meeting people and growing along with with people I’ve been getting to know for a number of years now.

 

Lexie Smith  

So what does East End taste in your career look like today?

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Wow. It’s it’s very, it’s not what I would have ever have expected. It’s quite Wow, it’s very demanding, very, very demanding. But the nice thing is, is though I have learned it’s taken it took me a while to learn to learn this but perhaps prioritizing, if you will, so at the beginning, I was doing soup to nuts, everything with the business. But now I have a number of writers we have a number of writers who work for a certain taste as far as the event goes, I mean, I have an event production team. We have content creators that we hire, we have a whole staff of volunteers. So there’s a lot of people boots on the ground people that live out here a lot there’s a lot of involvement with it. So it really takes a village to run that event and of itself and it gives me but what’s kind of cool is it gives me the opportunity because now he said he says is perhaps its own wheelhouse it it runs itself. Now, and I have you know I have an assistant that I have interns that come through summer, spring and fall. And my goodness we have a I have my interim editorial assistant right now I have SP do SEO web development. You name I’ve done People that come in and out to help the graphic design work, etc, etc. And it’s it’s great. Yes, there’s a there’s, there’s people that that run it behind the scenes and I’m at the helm of both the San taste and the Hamptons interactive brunch, but the brunch does take priority because that is what it you know is, is at the forefront Pete That’s when people go there and they’re experiencing that versus he said, he says strong international readership. It’s it, you know, and a lot of it also, were SEO driven in terms of what we produce. So right now, we may have a random we have an article right now on food in the Dominican Republic that’s just doing very, very well. So we’re perhaps optimizing other articles similar to that one. So that that will then take parties. So it’s very interesting how it shifts but because the event is coming up in three months, priority shifts there and then the Fall Winter is optimization of the website, etc.

 

Lexie Smith  

Okay, so then what is the Hamptons interactive brunch event series.

 

Vanessa Gordon  

So it start it started really with just an idea of perhaps creating a networking event for women owned businesses on Long Island, it just came kind of people together for a fun afternoon because there was a at the time of void of afternoon, Saturday afternoon events, we had an event out here called Super Saturday that was very, very successful for a number of years. But that unfortunately, has since dissipated. And in 20. I think 2017 Yeah, 2017 was the last event. And I had this idea of bringing, you know, we need it, we need a Saturday afternoon event, we need need to do something. And I approached the idea to my event planners, Sean and Brian of tickets to events, who I’ve known for a number of years, I attended to the events that they do for Bravo TV, and a number of other networks and such out here in Palm Beach. And I said, you know how I’m going to work with anyone, it’s going to be them. And personally, I brought the idea to them. And they said, No, I think we do a lot better than 40 persons sit down luncheon. Why don’t we Why don’t we expand it. And then they brought ideas to the table. I said, let’s see what we could do. It started off as fully invitation only, but because there’s such an interest in people from all walks of life attending it. We do sell we do are selling more tickets this year. And it’s we have different sponsors that come on board, you know, food, beverage, beauty fashion. So there’s, there’s the gifting suite. We have we’re known for are quite loaded gift bags. I think someone actually tallied it up last year, the retail value of the gift, the items in the gift bag exceeded $2,800. I believe the number was Yeah, yeah. And I get really excited. When will I be there? Yeah, it’s it’s, it’s good fun. And we do we always have a beneficiary rotating beneficiary. So the ones that we’ve used past, we had the retreat by the Wii and the Children’s Museum of the East, and so local Long Island beneficiaries. And then this year, we’re choosing a yet to be announced a beneficiary for animals based in New York City. So I’m really excited about this partnership. So it’s really all about giving back while at the same time just bringing people together for fun afternoon.

 

Lexie Smith  

And at this point, is it open to the public? Or is it still invite only

 

Vanessa Gordon  

it is open to so we are selling tickets this year. I mean, we did but we were sold, we were sold out before we could even that they were we opened up, we were able to open up a small window of tickets at the door, but they were gone. Without that warning.

 

Lexie Smith  

Well, congratulations. First off to all the things from Eastern taste to the series, you’ve done so much with your career. It’s truly, truly inspiring. And it inspired what I really want to dive into a bit more today, when we talk about curating a branded event and bringing on brands and pitching sponsors. So we’re gonna dive into curating your branded event, bringing on brands and pitching sponsors. My first question is, who if you’re a business owner listening to this or a publicist? Or a journalist? What type of business or person would creating a branded event be worth considering? Who is it good for what type of event does this serve?

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Sure, so as far as a Brit, well, what’s interesting is it really puts your first and foremost out there and it can put it out there on a number of different levels. So for instance, if you know perhaps you’ve been if you’re a brand and you have say, say you have $30,000 budget for instance, and you say well, what what am I going to do that’s going to build the most amount of traction you have to look at nationally well do I want to you know, utilize maybe content creators or influencers or social media ad dollars you don’t never you know, first off, put all your eggs in one basket of course, but think about how you want your, your brand to be seen, not only by the masses, but also you want to focus most most importantly, on your very specific target audience who is thinking about in your like who is your ideal client or customer. But then think about also, who is that individual that’s going to then talk about it to more people, but who’s the one that’s going to plant the seed. And what I’m always very careful about is, it’s not a matter of like, oh, a seat, this is not a CNBC event, if this is why you want to come to this event, or be invited now that this is not your event, this is an event where you, these people that are invited to this event and that attend this event, you want this product in their hands, not only do you want this product, because you want them talking about it, but talking about it organically, so clear that it’s very interesting that we do, we that we have influences in talent, if you will, at the event, we don’t have a cut, we don’t do a contract system where like you must post X amount of stories or real, we don’t do that. If we have contractors that come in like that they come in specifically for the event itself, for future, you know, you know, for content for promoting the event specifically. So think think about little details there. And also, I highly, highly highly I can’t stress this enough, recommend investing, you’re gonna invest in anything, invest in a good publicity, solid publicity team that knows the read that has a good Natalie, not caught, you don’t want to contact like a laundry list of content, relationships, and you want those relationships seen. So check out like their social media, see who they’re following who’s following them, and see what relationships they already have. That is what’s key. That’s what’s going to get you out there.

 

Lexie Smith  

You know that I send out a community newsletter roundup every Tuesday, chocked full of resources, free media kit, downloads, event invites, journalists, contacts, visibility opportunities. Basically, if you’re not on the list, hit pause and sign up. It’s super simple. Go to the PR bar inc.com/newsworthy. That link is in the show notes. Okay, back to the show.

 

Vanessa Gordon  

My goal is not always like that the online tracks are who you know how many impressions, that’s good. That’s that’s all well and good. But is that bringing sales and results? That’s, that’s a whole other story. We have to we have to say that, but takes time. What I love is talking to say a break when we pitch a brand. So say we’re pitching wandering out with the space in Austin, Texas, for instance. It’s like, well, what you know, why there but what’s kind of cool is it was through a referral referral. But what’s even cool if they didn’t even need the referral, they already knew about the event, just through an organic Oh, yeah, we were we saw that. Yeah, yeah. Because our CO hosts, Liam, from Leanne Locke and was the co host, and because she’s based in Texas, that’s how they had heard about it.

 

Lexie Smith  

So you zoning your zoning in on the the main thing I want to ask on this topic. I’m pitching sponsors and paid sponsors. I’d love to know, high level just maybe a couple of your best tips or insights regarding to how to go about procuring sponsors paid sponsors for an event.

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Yes, it is. I will say right away, it is no easy task. This can take weeks, months, long time and many, many zoom calls, many phone calls we had with our Oh goodness, with one of them. Our record, I think was 45 calls until Oh, and that’s what it can take. And I’m saying hey, if you’re right, you know, but the money’s good. It helps. It helps that and I and I’m also very transparent. So you know, when spots cover Oh, is there? Can we do a trade or product donation? No. It and it’s not a matter of we would love to truly love to work in that capacity. But that’s not feasible. It’s just not feasible. How much the photography your first the Hamptons, there’s not cheap photographer cost money, designers cost money. The planners cost them everything costs money, there’s normally $1 amount nobody’s cutting corners out here because the demand is so high to put an event on and you also need the capital raise so for instance we need to raise a certain amount of money from the previous year or even put on this year’s we don’t even make money there’s no How do we put on the event? So we mean with

 

Lexie Smith  

the transparency of first and foremost this is not a trade this is a paid sponsorship. So opening that conversation out the door with that Yeah, right away

 

Vanessa Gordon  

I immediately i don’t know I’m also a very big proponent of not wasting people’s time. When I when I do I cold pitch all the time. And I always I pitch people I have relationships when I say right away, you know No, you know it’s okay as it’s totally fun. You don’t have the fun just let me know right away though. But I’m not going to bend for for a trade. It’s just it. It’s not just is not feasible, especially now with the amount of money and time that the event entails, No, I

 

Lexie Smith  

totally, I’m 100% on board. So in that cold pitch, what are the key like three to five things that you’re including that make it become appealing for the sponsor?

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Absolutely See, they want to create a visual, you want most importantly, is to make sure that they see right away, what they’re become potentially becoming involved with. You want images of individuals or get looking at the brain or interacting with the brands at the event. First, the interactive right interactive experiences, people like the customization opportunities, creating, you know, one of a kind, you know, moments and, you know, in the and just the content, also, I always love to show to, is I love to we show a slide in the deck of different individuals that have shared on their own, you know, on their own. And also, it’s kind of cool as we share to even years later, people with very, very high very, very influential individuals in their own right, sharing content, like throwback to, you know, 2019 Hamptons, interactive brunch, when I discovered this ice cream brand, for instance, or have you and how really, really cool is how that trashes. And also, we show the Instagram page how we continue running the account, all throughout the year, and how there’s just in addition to that, I always say it’s your it’s really what you want out of it. How do you want to work with us? What is I always like to use the phrase, if you push a magic, if you were to push a magic button? What would you like to attain from being a part of of this where this is off? We’re offering this opportunity to you?

 

Lexie Smith  

Yeah, I imagine. So here are the bullet points I just put down see if I’m following start first up, transparently. This is a paid opportunity to provide imagery, paint the opportunity for them to see their brand or their content in action, highlight the audience and the opportunity that they have to be at this event. And then ask them that question of what what would this I think you said, press the magic button, a successful partnership look like for you? Is that a good kind of like skeleton for people to follow?

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Absolutely. And to I always I always go to I never ever oversell never, I always under I always undersell it, I want the brand to walk away, and go. Wow. Wow. So I love surprising them with extra, you know, with additional press. So that that covered? Even guests that I didn’t even know, I didn’t realize we’re gonna be there. Like, I’ll have to have like, I heard that. But I will. I’ll never be like, oh, yeah, so until it’s gonna be there. And sometimes I’m really just as surprised because I’ll hear the name and pass it and I’ll go, Oh, cool. Well, whether they’re

 

Lexie Smith  

giving the element of surprise, really kind of WoW, their, their experience and you kind of underlined a word I want to close us out on before the end of this show. And that’s pressed enough, the fact that you are also a member of the press, your mom, your business owner, your publisher, your writer, you’re Superwoman, you do all the things. You’re also a freelance journalist. And a few questions I have for you on this vein, first and foremost, what type of content are you looking for in the upcoming quarters? And are you open to being pitched?

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Yes. So I you know, what’s funny is I’m one of those individual that always loves to emphasize this. It you have to put yourself out there in order you know, it’s one of those I always say to people out of sight out of mind. So for instance, I attend events, to to meet people and to, to reconnect it, I will say this, the one thing that I wish that I physically could do is answer every single pitch sent my way. It’s just I’m just putting this out there to everyone. It’s just not physically possible when you receive hundreds a day. I wish I truly, truly wish I could. But the one thing that I do want to mention is there is a chance that I may not have seen it I’ve seen I’m quite stunned with sometimes what goes to spam. So feel free to resend and also, you know, I may be going against the masses here, but don’t be afraid to even DM me on Instagram. Don’t be afraid to just like, you know, see, you know maybe throw me a follow can interact with my content a little bit and I’ll say like I want you know for but just to get my attorney if you want to just just in general, you know, like a little nudge here and there. I don’t mind I love it. I love it. I love it. I love like you know, just seeing like, hey, just what’s going on how you doing? I love that. And don’t be afraid to follow you know, follow up. And if it’s not there, it doesn’t mean that it’s and also when we’re sending you a product for testing or editorial consideration, just because it didn’t make an article or it doesn’t mean it’s never going to there’s always an Okay, so what a good example was we were oh my goodness inundated with the Valentine’s Day gift, oh my gosh, I couldn’t can’t tell you. But I went to her national one day we’re doing a story. This the domain. So now all those you know the one that we love that we tried, that’s gonna probably go into that story. So you never know. And then there was there was something else like that was brought to our attention about all like olive oil there was another type of cooking technique. So you never know where it might is where anything’s going to go. So also too and I pitch and I pitch myself to as an expert, regional expert and as a parenting expert, and I’m pitching myself right now for hyperemesis gravidarum awareness, which is May 5 May 15. And it’s like I said, a lot easier said than done. But what I’m doing is like even less be like hey, like throwing on Twitter, like hey, if you’re working on this, you never I follow the Twitter hashtags journal request I’m following all the time. I’m even I’ll go I’ll I’ll search on LinkedIn, I’ll see what people are working on it. You never know to feel free to just reach out to me, but just in general, Hey, I saw that you covered XYZ more than like they’re not going to edit the candidate the story.

 

Lexie Smith  

Right? Were there a specific topic right now that East End taste or you as a freelancer are looking for is there a certain type of product or certain type of story that you’re interested in right now?

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Yes, there’s a lot coming in coming my way with regards to hemp Hamptons new I always say please new businesses, new activations, new Papa, you name it, please send it my way. I freelance for a number of the publications out here. And a lot of times I’m pulled last minute for I’m interviewed a lot for UK publications, publications in Ireland. But this may or if I’m really sorry for Eastern taste, or if it’s for one of the other local publications out here, etc, etc. You never know, even if it has nothing to do with food or, or whatever have you if it’s even if it’s interior design, I’ve written for him to cottages and gardens. And I also know a lot of people too. So I know some colleagues of mine, like I had a journalist from the UK, and then one from France who’s actually visiting the Hamptons for the first time they really love some connections never know. So you never know. My wife.

 

Lexie Smith  

Yeah, and you know, another way to this is me trying to make a really clever transition that is about to fall so flat. But you know what else connects people drinking? And you know what else is talking about drinking this show? So we’ve talked Pichon what can we find you sipping? What is your favorite beverage? It’s how I always wrap up the show. And sometimes it’s like comes out smoothly. Sometimes it was as rough as that landing just was so anyways, to wrap us up today. What is your favorite beverage? alcoholic or non alcoholic? Of course?

 

Vanessa Gordon  

Yeah, definitely. I mean, I’ve been drinking. I just came back from Italy and I’ve been tasting a lot. Coffee, like different coffees. And I just had a really, really nice cappuccino from tutto cafe here in East Hampton. And I always have a really, really good coffee drink. It was actually it was always looking for like iced cappuccinos iced lattes and I went to a place in the city called Gregory’s coffee not just I had a business meeting there and they had a really nice like salted caramel. Like cold brew is really good. Really good. Like go back for another one.

 

Lexie Smith  

I’m like hitting that afternoon wall where you are making me salivate? No, I’m in it after this interview, go up and go make myself coffee, which is going to be so far less adequate than what you’re talking about. Sounds so good. Where can people go to connect with you and to learn more about the brunch series in eastern taste? Definitely. Yeah.

 

Vanessa Gordon  

So definitely filled with refer through my personal Instagram account at Vanessa P. Gordon. And the Hamptons interactive brunches at Hamptons interactive brunch and Eastern tastes is east and taste or Lisa taste is on all major social media platforms.

 

Lexie Smith  

Amazing. Well Vanessa, thank you so much for taking time from all your many projects to join us today on the pigeon and sipping podcast. Hey guys, if you are enjoying the pitching and sipping podcast, please do me a huge favor and leave a review wherever you are listening. If you want to connect with me to learn more about the PR bar Inc. You can do so on Instagram at the PR bar underscore inc or you can check out my website at the PR bar inc.com Cheers