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Mastering Email as an Event Professional

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With a wedding boom upon us and little space left in our schedules, there is no time for event professionals to get bogged down by overflowing inboxes and missed communications. You must be ready to respond to inquiries, book new leads, and keep up with client demands—none of which are easy when your emails are unmanageable!

Most people don’t consider working through a cluttered inbox as a fun way to spend their time, but it’s a small-but-significant activity that can change how you feel about your business on a day-to-day basis.

Think about it: When you know there are unread emails waiting for a response, you end up feeling the shame and guilt of not addressing them right away. But when you can glance at your inbox and know you’re not missing anything, you can focus your attention on more important matters without feeling pulled away.

If you haven’t yet mastered the art of inbox management, these tools and tips will help you create a system that allows you to wrangle the email monster once and for all.

Address the low-hanging fruit first

Most inboxes are cluttered with subscriptions and junk emails that seem like they offer value but, in reality, are only there to sell you on a product or service. First things first, perform an inbox triage by sifting through your unread emails and deleting anything you do not need or plan to read. While you’re at it, unsubscribe from any newsletters that end up in the trash unread. Even the small action of deleting an email requires you to make a decision, which can be overwhelming over time.

As you take out the trash, make it easier on yourself by maximizing the power of your inbox’s search bar. For example, say you get weekly email blasts from a local boutique but you stopped opening them a while ago. Instead of picking them out individually, search for the sender’s name and batch delete everything all at once. You’d be surprised how much progress you can make simply by doing this with a few frequent senders!

Set up your virtual filing cabinet

No emails should ever live in your inbox indefinitely—let that be your rule of thumb. An email should only linger around if it’s part of an ongoing discussion or project. Otherwise, it belongs in your virtual filing cabinet or, in other words, your folder system. An effective folder hierarchy will keep all of your emails in the right place, so you never have to worry about an important conversation going missing.

How you set it up, though, is entirely up to you. Do you prefer to categorize your main folders by year (e.g. 2022, 2021, 2020) or by department (e.g. Sales, Client Work, Finances)? There is no right or wrong answer as long as it works for you. You’re the only one spending time in your inbox, so pick a system that feels natural and easy to apply. And when in doubt, trust that the handy search bar can always bring up emails you need!

Add emails to your block schedule

Many entrepreneurs know and love block scheduling for removing distractions and focusing only on the task at hand. However, this useful technique often doesn’t factor in emails! Instead, an inbox becomes a stepping stone between tasks with constant check-ins to see if anything new has popped up.

Unfortunately, keeping your attention chained to your emails is like inviting a constant flow of interruptions to your day. Going forward, set aside one or two blocks of time each day to address emails—and stay out of your inbox the rest of the time! You will find it easier to focus and get through your significant tasks for the day, as well as stay on top of your emails without feeling stretched too thin.

Take advantage of email templates

Spending less time in your inbox doesn’t have to mean your inquiries and prospects will feel unheard. By using canned responses, you can effectively keep the communication channels open with timely responses without having to monitor your emails all day. A simple auto-responder that provides an estimated response time will do wonders for setting clear boundaries without coming across as harsh or hard to reach.

Be sure that you follow up with personal replies during the periods you’ve blocked off for emails. Since you have time dedicated solely to your inbox, you’ll be more capable of responding at length rather than feeling like you have countless other burning priorities just beyond your peripheral. That way, you’re staying in touch with your contacts and avoiding the inevitable pile-up of emails marked as unread for “later.”

These four strategies will help you ensure nothing goes unaddressed, allowing you to reclaim your schedule, your response time, and your mental wellbeing. If your inbox is currently overflowing with hundreds (or thousands) of emails, accept that it might take several days to implement this system and get situated. When you do, you’ll find more peace in your days and less of the never-ending urgency that comes with an inbox that is bursting at the seams.

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Upcoming commencement events for Duke’s undergraduate, graduate and professional students

Upcoming commencement events for Duke's undergraduate, graduate and professional students

Duke will confer degrees to about 1,712 undergraduates and 4,100 graduate and professional students who finished their coursework in September 2021, December 2021 or spring 2022. Beginning Friday, May 6, a series of events will be held in celebration of the Class of 2022.

Duke Chapel will hold traditional baccalaureate services on Friday, May 6 at 4:30 p.m. for graduating students with the surnames A to G and Saturday, May 7 at 11:30 a.m. for graduates with the surnames H to Z. While seating in the chapel will be for students only, the services will be simulcast in Page Auditorium and Griffith Theater, as well as live-streamed on the commencement website and the chapel YouTube channel. Dean of the Chapel Luke Powery and President Vincent Price will give remarks. 

The in-person commencement ceremony for the Class of 2022 will be held on Sunday, May 8 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Wallace Wade Stadium. Senior Priya Parkash and General Motors CEO and Chair Mary Barra will give remarks. The commencement will be livestreamed on YouTube.

The Pratt School of Engineering will hold a diploma ceremony for students graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday, May 8 at 3 p.m. The event will be open for all who wish to attend.

Of the undergraduate degrees, 1,423 degrees will go to graduates of Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, while 289 degrees will go to graduates of the Pratt School of Engineering. The other 155 will go to those receiving a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. 

The Graduate School will hold a doctoral hooding ceremony and reception on Saturday, May 7 in the chapel. The humanities and social sciences ceremony will be from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., and the biomedical sciences, physical sciences and engineering ceremony will be from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Celebration events for specific graduate programs will be held May 6-8.

The Sanford School of Public Policy will hold ceremonies for graduate and undergraduate students in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Friday, May 6. The graduate ceremony will occur at 10 a.m. and the undergraduate ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. Certificate ceremonies will be held on Friday, May 6 and Saturday, May 7.

The Nicholas School of the Environment will hold a recognition ceremony for graduating professional and doctoral students in Wilson Recreation Center on Saturday, May 7 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The school’s undergraduate recognition ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. at the same location. 

The Divinity School will hold a baccalaureate service of worship and hooding ceremony on Saturday, May 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the chapel. The celebration will also be livestreamed. Dr. Wylin D. Wilson, assistant professor of theological ethics, will deliver remarks.

The School of Nursing will host a hooding and recognition ceremony in Cameron Indoor Stadium on Sunday, May 8 at 6 p.m.

The School of Medicine will host a Hippocratic Oath ceremony in the chapel on Friday, May 6 at 7 p.m. 

The Fuqua School will hold a certificate ceremony for graduates with the Health Sector Management Certificate at the J.B. Duke Hotel on Friday, May 6 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Fuqua School will also hold a commencement ceremony for its masters of management and masters of quantitative management graduates in Cameron Indoor Stadium on May 6. A livestream will be held on the Fuqua School’s YouTube channel.

The School of Law will hold a convocation ceremony at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Saturday, May 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. 

Duke Kunshan University will host its first-ever commencement for its Class of 2022 undergraduate students on Friday, May 20 at 8:30 a.m. China Standard Time at the Poly Grand Theater, Kunshan Culture and Art Center. The University will host a ceremony on the Duke campus that will coincide with the celebration. Former University President Richard H. Brodhead and biophysicist Yigong Shi will deliver remarks.


Audrey Wang
| Staff Reporter

Audrey Wang is a Trinity first-year and a staff reporter for the news department.

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Upcoming events for the week of March 6, 2022

Upcoming events for the week of March 6, 2022

(Virtual) Franklin County Connects

This event provides a structured and supportive networking environment for chamber members. Each month a guest speaker presents vital info regarding the Franklin County business community. Attendees receive chamber updates, meet and network with other members and have an opportunity to share information about their business. Meeting ID and password available at business.visitsmithmountainlake.com/events.

Contact: info@visitsmithmountainlake.com, 540-721-1203

Eventacular: Businesses, Towns and Events Partnering for Profit

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Local events are a mainstay of towns across the country, especially now as we coax our customers through the path of the pandemic and try to re-accustom them to enjoying their downtowns as community gathering places and shopping destinations. Business owners, aspiring entrepreneurs, event planners, town and county personnel, tourism office and chamber of commerce staff are all encouraged to attend this virtual workshop! Join our presenter, Marc Willson, Virginia SBDC, Small Town & Merchant Program, to learn how everyone can benefit from the extra exposure to new and current customers before, during and after events. Pre-registration is required.

Contact: Link to register — https://www.roanokesmallbusiness.org/

Eggs & Issues: How Broadband is Expanding to Serve Our Community

Register by noon March 8! Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce invites you to this month’s breakfast and networking program, featuring a panel discussion with local experts. Program starts promptly at 8 a.m. Space is limited, so advance registration is required. Go to https://www.montgomerycc.org.

Where: Warm Hearth Village, 2387 Warm Hearth Drive, Blacksburg

Cost: $25 chamber members, $35 nonmembers

Contact: marketing@montgomerycc.org

Gentry Locke Labor & Employment Symposium: Don’t Leave HR to Luck!

Topics include: The New Virginia Employment Law Landscape; Gaslighting in the Workplace; Implicit Bias and its Effect on Company Culture, Recruitment and Retention; Workplace Investigations and Reducing Liability Risk; FMLA & ADA, DOL, EEOC and NLRB; Cybersecurity; and more! Continuing education credits available. Register at www.gentrylocke.com/hr2022.

Where: Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center

When: 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Contact: Kathleen Lordan, glrm@gentrylocke.com

Virginia’s Blue Ridge Series: The State of Innovation

You don’t want to miss this distinguished panel discussion about the technology and medical advancements helping drive our region forward! Presenters will be Amy White, dean of the School of STEM at Virginia Western Community College; Troy Keyser, director of innovation for Carilion Clinic; and Dr. Hal Irvin, Ph.D., associate vice president for health sciences and technology outreach at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC. Erin Burcham, president of Verge and executive director of Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council, will moderate. The Virginia’s Blue Ridge Series is geared toward business owners, C-suite executives and junior to senior-level management professionals. Purchase tickets in advance at the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce website: https://roanokechamber.org.

Where: Vinton War Memorial, 814 E. Washington St., Vinton

Cost: $50 members, $100 future members (includes breakfast)

Contact: Valerie Brannan, vbrannan@roanokechamber.org

Salem-Roanoke County Chamber Check-in

Start your week with networking, finding solutions to challenges, and connecting to additional resources. If you have expertise to share in support of other members or would like 10-15 minutes to share your current programs and offerings, we’d love to have you speak during a check-in; please reach out to Beth Bell, director@s-rcchamber.org. After hearing from our local expert/member speaker, stick around for networking and chamber updates. Members and future members may attend, however only members can present. Takes place every other Tuesday.

Contact: Beth Bell, director@s-rcchamber.org

American Business Women’s Association Luncheon Meeting

RSVP by March 14! Join us for our monthly luncheon featuring guest speaker Janay Reece, reporter on WDBJ7’s Mornin’ Show. Come learn ways to promote your business so you get noticed.

Where: Holiday Inn Christiansburg-Blacksburg, 99 Bradley Drive, Christiansburg

When: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Contact: Terri Welch at christiansburg@wineanddesign.com

Beer & Biotech: The Future of Biotech in the Region

Beer & Biotech is an ecosystem-building series that will bring together investors, physicians, academics, inventors, startups and state and regional leaders who are influential in the biotechnology industry. Each event in the yearlong series will feature a local, regional or national speaker and include plenty of time for networking and beverages at the host brewery. For this installment, John Newby, chief executive officer of Virginia Bio, will share his vision for the future of biotechnology.

Where: Big Lick Brewing Co., 409 Salem Ave. SW, Roanoke (back room)

Contact: Register at https://rbtc.tech/rbtc-events

SBDC Ag Day 2022: Expected Market Trends for Farmers’ Markets, Farm Stores, and Local Food

Our speaker will be Rose Jeter, Agricultural Technology Program, Virginia Tech. Topics include: what is a market analysis and why do I need one; how to find market size, potential and trends; and an overview of current trends in local and regional food systems. This session is geared toward owners of small business who are producers, growers, farmers market managers and vendors, manufacturers and retailers in the agriculture industry. Pre-registration is required. A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration.

Contact: https://www.roanokesmall business.org/training/agday-markettrends

SBDC Ag Day 2022 : Are you Market Ready? Tips and Best Practices for Producers to Sell to Consumers at Farmers’ Markets

Our speaker will be Dr. Theresa Nartea, associate professor and Extension specialist, Marketing & Agribusiness. This session is geared toward helping participants: increase their knowledge of effective, attractive and safe product display at a farmers market; increase awareness of consumer preferences in purchasing direct to consumer; increase confidence in creating a farmers market display that enhances product value to the end consumer. Pre-registration is required. A confirmation email with the Zoom login information will be sent after registration.

Contact: https://www.roanokesmallbusiness.org/training/agday-markettrends

Preparing for IRONMAN 2022: Tips and Tools for Small Businesses to Capitalize for Increased Sales

The Carilion Clinic IRONMAN 70.3 Virginia’s Blue Ridge is coming to the region June 3-5. Is your business ready? Join the SBDC for a virtual workshop that will provide tips and tools for your business to capitalize on increased activity before and during race weekend. We will be joined by special guests from The IRONMAN Group and Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Pre-registration is required. A confirmation email with the Zoom login will be sent.

Contact: Register by going to https://www.roanokesmallbusiness.org/

Understanding Intellectual Property and the Patent Process

Protecting your product and maintaining a competitive advantage is the basis for patent law. The goals of this workshop are to help current small business owners in all industries understand the different types of intellectual property (IP); identify the IP assets of their business; and determine the next steps to protect their IP. Our speaker will be Timothy J. Bechen, Of Counsel, Intellectual Property Practice, Woods Rogers. Pre-registration is required. A confirmation email with the Zoom login will be sent.

Contact: Register by going to https://www.roanokesmallbusiness.org/

Clean Valley Council’s Star City Sustainability Society Series: Driving Down Emissions

This month’s speaker will be Andrea Garland, director of RIDE Solutions, who will talk about a report by Transportation For America and Smart Growth America that explores how our land-use and transportation decisions are inextricably connected, and proposes strategies to reduce emissions while building a more equitable society. These free lectures are being held on the fourth Thursday of each month, and will feature different sustainability professionals who will speak on topics related to their expertise. More information available at https://cleanvalley.org/scss.

Where: Humble Hustle (community room), 601 11th St. NW, Suite 102

Contact: info@cleanvalley.org

The Botetourt Young Professionals Group is for anyone who works, lives or wants to connect in Botetourt County. We strive to bring together young professionals so we may learn, grow and reach our full potentials as future leaders in our area, as well as give back to our community through acts of service. Individuals of all professions and ages are welcome to attend our events and activities. More info at https://botetourtchamber.com/.

Where: 1772 Rooftop on Main, Fincastle

Cost: No fee; Dutch treat

Contact: Kaleigh Duffy, kmd.pga@gmail.com

Join us for coffee and refreshments, courtesy of our host, Smith Mountain Lake Association. This event provides a structured and supportive networking environment for Chamber members.

Where: SMLA, 400 Scruggs Road, Suite 2100, Moneta

Contact: info@visitsmithmountainlake.com

Information on public events of interest to businesspeople can be emailed to upcoming@roanoke.com. Deadline for submissions is two weeks before the event.