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SOUTH ASIAN EVENTS CERTIFICATION
Program of Events
Tuesday April 7th, 2015
Hilton Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center
Produced by
1325 Remington Road, Suite A
Schaumburg, IL 60173
Phone: 847-885-3200 | Fax: 847-885-1717
www.globaleventresource.com | www.oliveaire.com
CERTIFICATION PROGRAM SCHEDULE
Time
Event
7:30a.m. to 6:00p.m.
Registration and Check-in
7:30a.m. to 8:30a.m.
Breakfast
General Session
8:30a.m. to 10:15a.m.
Opening Remarks by Forrest Moody
South Asian Market 101 by Rebecca Stern
How to break into South Asian market and sell to the next generation by Rebecca Stern
10:15a.m. to 10:30a.m.
Break
10:30a.m. to 11:15a.m.
Trends for 2015 and 2016 by Zeena Roy
TRACK 1: Event Timeline by Sayira Khokhar
11:25a.m. to 12:25p.m.
With many intricacies and high guest counts, a well-planned event timeline is the lifeblood of a successful South
Asian event. From Baraat to farewell, learn how to organize, structure, and execute a dream event!
TRACK 2: Food and Beverage by Wendy Pashman and Zeena Roy
An overview of typical South Asian wedding cuisines and various structures and styles for service.
12:25p.m. to 1:10p.m.
LUNCH
TRACK 3: Fusion and Other Weddings by Zeena Roy
A glimpse into various traditions and religions encompassed by the South Asian events market, followed by a
discussion about fusing cultures and religions to create a seamless cross-cultural event.
1:15p.m. to 2:15p.m.
TRACK 4: Hindu Ceremony by Sayira Khokhar
An in-depth look at the structure and traditions involved in a Hindu marriage ceremony, as well as other important
wedding day traditions.
TRACK 5: Muslim Weddings by Sayira Khokhar
2:20p.m. to 3:20p.m.
A deep-dive into Muslim wedding celebrations from Nikkah, to Baraat, and Shaadi, to Walima. A step-by-step
discussion of typical Muslim events & traditions, as well as related cultural and religious sensitivities.
TRACK 6: Sensitivity to Market by Zeena Roy
A comprehensive discussion of the religious and cultural etiquette related to various types of South Asian events.
3:20p.m. to 3:35p.m.
Break
General Session
3:35p.m. to 4:35p.m.
Case Study: The 9 Million Dollar Wedding by Farhan Khokhar
The 9 million dollar wedding is wedding is a prime showcase of the opulence and intricacies of South Asian events.
Farhan Khokhar of A&A Video, the videographers that covered the event, shares his experience and provides
insights for capturing and coordinating such an extravagant affair.
Speaker Q&A/Closing Remarks with Moderator, Forrest Moody
4:45p.m. to 5:15p.m.
5:15p.m. to 7:30p.m.
Panel featuring all speakers from the event: Farhan Khokhar, Sayira Khokhar, Wendy Pashman, Rebecca
Stern, and Zeena Roy
Networking Reception
Enjoy South Asian Cuisine, receive your certificate of completion, and network with fellow GER Alumni
STAFF & SPEAKER BIOS
Ashley Carpenter – Event Architect / Manager, Oliveaire Artisan Events & Meetings
Ashley Carpenter joined Oliveaire in March of 2012 as an Intern and Event Support Assistant, while
completing her undergraduate degree. In 2014, she joined the team full-time as Special Events Manager. Now
an Event Architect, she currently oversees internal corporate functions, while also servicing planning clients
within both the Wedding Planning and South Asian divisions. Prior to joining the team at Oliveaire, Ashley
worked with Paulette Wolf Events & Entertainment, The Sea Pines Resort, and A Taste of Excellence Catering.
Ashley holds a B.S. in Recreation Management from Illinois State University.
Farhan Khokhar – Co-Owner, A&A Video
As co-owner of A&A Video & Photo in Houston, Farhan Khokhar has quickly risen to become one of the
most influential people in Houston’s wedding industry. Founded in 2001, A&A Video has become an
innovator and a household brand in the niche market of South Asian Weddings; they have recognized by
numerous awards and media outlets for their work. Their unique approach has created opportunities to capture
weddings across the nation and worldwide. There is no telling what lies ahead for this talented South Asian
entrepreneur.
Sayira Khokhar – Director of Events, Oliveaire Artisan Events & Meetings
Sayira Khokhar joined Oliveaire in June of 2011, since then she has held various vital company roles, including
Special Events Manager, Event Architect, and Senior Event Architect. Currently, Sayira oversees the Wedding
Planning and South Asian Events divisions as Director of Events. Sayira has extensive experience in
hospitality and non-profit event management (managing events of 1200+ people). Her passion for non-profit
organizations is evident in her continued to volunteer involvement with several organizations such as YOUR
DIL Chicago, Refugee ONE, and Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC). Sayira holds a B.A. in Hospitality
Management from Kendall College.
Forrest Moody – Managing Director, Oliveaire Artisan Events & Meetings
Forrest Moody has over 30 years of hospitality industry experience. His professional expertise includes
extensive hotel experience, including 4 years with Marriott Hotels and 14 years with Hyatt Hotels in a variety of
food & beverage, catering, & convention services positions. In 2006, Forrest founded Simply Venues, which
was later rebranded and expanded in 2009 to become Oliveaire Artisan Events & Meetings. As Managing
Director at Oliveaire, he oversees all business functions including wedding and event planning, design, and
hospitality education. Forrest is a member of NACE and CEC.
Wendy Pashman – President, The Entertaining Company
Wendy Pashman is President of Entertaining Company. Headquartered in the West Loop of Chicago, they are
a catering and events company, specializing in marrying cultural influences in food, drink, décor and style.
Throughout Wendy’s career, the fusion of multicultural elements has been a common theme - multicultural,
with an emphasis on Southeast Asian Weddings, is her specialty. In 2007, Wendy trademarked her unique
approach as “One World Weddings”. Passionate about all things lush and colorful, Wendy is currently
launching a new venture, “The Storied Table”, an e-commerce business, sourcing Indian small producer made
textiles and serveware to be introduced to the luxury catering, hospitality and residential market.
Zeena Roy – Creative Director, Oliveaire Artisan Events & Meetings
Zeena Roy is an award-winning designer and event planner with over 18 years of experience. A trailblazer in
the South Asian Events business, Zeena collaborated with major hotels to create first-of-their-kind South
Asian Packages and Preferred Caterer Guidelines; she also developed sales and service training programs
instruct catering & sales management staff on how to effectively sell to and contract South Asian clients. As
Creative Director, she currently oversees Oliveaire’s Design Studio and planning functions. Her work with the
Design Studio has been featured in various industry publications and has earned her six N.I.C.E. awards for
“Best Theme Décor”.
Rebecca Stern – Senior Catering Manager & Social Events Director, Hyatt Regency Chicago
Rebecca Stern is an award-winning Senior Catering Manager and Social Events Director at Hyatt Regency
Chicago. She was recently selected as one of the “25 Young Event Pro’s to Watch” by Special Events
Magazine. Rebecca has been awarded as Manager of the Quarter several times during her tenure with Hyatt.
She has also been recognized as a member of the Hy-Acheivers, an award for the best of the best in the sales
and service teams for the company. Rebecca holds a Bachelor’s degree in Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional
Management from Johnson and Wales University in Providence Rhode Island. She is a member of ISES, along
with many other local wedding and event related groups.
SPONSOR PROFILES
Saffron Restaurant – Exclusive Catering Sponsor
Saffron Restaurant is as distinctive as the Saffron flower itself. Just as the Saffron flower is delicately handpicked, so are the exclusive ingredients of Saffron Restaurant. The Saffron spice that inspires the new
restaurant’s name and logo is derived from the Saffron Crocus, a fall-blooming flower native to the
Mediterranean. It takes the stigmas of 75,000 crocus blossoms to make a pound of Saffron.
6200 S Cass Ave, Westmont, IL 60559 | Phone: 630-769-9662 | www.saffrondining.com
Oliveaire Design Studio – Exclusive Décor Sponsor
Oliveaire Artisan Events & Meetings is a Chicago-based wedding and events company, catering to boutique
and luxury events. Our award-winning team has over 100 years of collective experience in event
production, management, and design. Founded in 2006, under the name Simply Venues, the company began
as a venue location service. It was rebranded to Oliveairé in 2009 and currently services more than 200
events each year, with an average spend of $250K, across its divisions: wedding and event planning, South
Asian events, and Design Studio.
1325 Remington Road, Schaumburg, IL 60173 | Phone: 847-885-3200 | www.oliveaire.com