Meet Sara Beveridge of Golden Poppy Events in Redondo Beach

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story?
I am a native of Toledo, Ohio, and made the trek to Ithaca, New York to attend the Cornell Hotel School, where I earned her bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration. During my tenure at Cornell, I was selected for prestigious internships with Union Square Hospitality Group in New York City and Lettuce Entertain You in Chicago.

When it came time to leave Cornell I traveled to Southern California to begin my career as an event management executive, gaining years of experience working at renowned luxury hotels in Los Angeles including Montage Beverly Hills, The London West Hollywood, and Hotel Bel-Air.

But enough of the serious stuff. I consider myself to be a fun-loving, highly dedicated hospitality expert who loves to partner with clients, take risks and think outside the box to create fabulous, once-in-a-lifetime events.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I don’t think anyone’s path in life is a completely straight. I grew up with a single parent, so I became very knowledgeable and resourceful from a young age, which are skills that useful in my career as well. I grew up to have a “can-do” attitude!

I was also promoted to be the head of the Banquet Department at Montage Beverly Hills when I was only 25 years old. I had demonstrated competence that most people take 10+ years to achieve. With that said, I do acknowledge that having a 25-year-old boss as a veteran of the industry can be a hard pill to swallow. However, overall I had great respect for my team and colleagues in that role.

As an entrepreneur, there are of course countless hours of unpaid work to get up and running. But I am very passionate about what I do, so it really didn’t seem like work at all!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Golden Poppy Events – what should we know?
Golden Poppy Events is a boutique, full-service luxury event planning agency devoted exclusively to creating unforgettable weddings and extraordinary parties for very special life occasions. We’re based in Southern California (the Golden Poppy State!) but we happily travel to other locations around the world to help plan, design and realize memorable events that reflect the unique visions of our discerning clients.

We’ve been accused of being quirky, creative and really fun to work with while always focusing like a laser on our core service missions – excellence in design, unparalleled event execution, and above all, personalized client care.

We believe that a memorable event is all in the details – whether it be the perfectly branded product launch or themed baby shower. Our preferred access to the finest florists, caterers, cake artisans and more make planning your event a team effort of top-notch hospitality industry professionals.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I definitely think my upbeat personality has been a key to my success. Especially in the service industry, having a kind, calming demeanor is so crucial.