Unemployed : Entrepreneurship & Self Improvement · Paige Vandy

Hosting My First LIVE EVENT: Debriefing the Lessons I Learnt

·42 min·2 clips

Paige says networking events left her drained, not nourished, because she couldn't find her place.

Paige Vandy opens by contrasting the usual image of a networking event with the kind of room she wanted to create. She describes the standard version as stage-like, loud, and centered on individual attention. This one was meant to feel different from the start. It was dark, candlelit, and designed to feel luxurious without feeling formal. Guests showed up in sweatsuits and still got a high-touch experience. A long table and a private chef dinner gave the evening an easy, comfortable rhythm. The event felt like an easy yes because it did not ask people to perform. She frames the whole thing around the feeling she wanted to create, not just the checklist she had to complete. Later, she talks about how clean teardown changed the end of the night. The team quietly handled everything, which left her impressed and relieved. Venue selection comes up as one of the biggest decisions. She explains that they first considered a home-style setting, then shifted to a local coffee shop instead. That choice worked because the space had high ceilings, big windows, and snowfall outside. She says that still gave the event the right vibe. Airbnbs and short-term rentals were less practical because of local restrictions. Even so, she was unwilling to compromise on the feeling she wanted. She kept coming back to luxury, upscale energy, and making people feel something specific. Beyond the room itself, she emphasizes the attendee experience. Oracle decks were brought in. Sponsors contributed to the gift bags. Amy led a ceremony. Those pieces spread the work out instead of leaving everything on Paige. The event becomes a lesson in outsourcing, curation, and choosing the right collaborators. She keeps returning to the idea that the details matter because they shape how people remember the night. The episode is as much about taste and atmosphere as it is about logistics. It ends up being a candid debrief on building a memorable event without flattening the original vision.

As heard by us

A candid look at how atmosphere and thoughtful details made the event an easy yes.

Paige Vandy presents the night as networking with a different tone: dark, candlelit, sweatsuits on, with a long table and a private chef dinner that made it feel luxurious without turning stiff.

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Why you'd press play

You want your event to feel luxe, not like another awkward mixer.

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