Allow me to introduce myself.

Hi, and thanks for making it to my first ever blog post. My name is Olivia, the woman behind Olivia Clay Events, or OCE for short. 

I feel silly introducing myself like this as I don’t expect my 27 and half years of existence to be all that exciting to a stranger. Truthfully, I hope this will surface in 10-20 years as a ‘cute’ thing I did when I started my business. And that future Olivia, the successful Event Planner will read back on this and be proud. So if this is future Olivia, hello, I am so pleased to have you here.

If you are not future Olivia, I am also very pleased to have you here. And I am delighted to share with you a little bit about me. I am from Melbourne. Well, from Pearcedale to be exact. For those unfamiliar, Pearcedale is what I describe as a borderline country town, about 20 minutes inland from the Mornington Peninsula. I was one of the lucky ones to have gotten out, although deep down I knew it wasn’t a matter of if, it was a matter of when. The opening scene of Burlesque spoke to my soul as a 12 year old girl, although my exit wasn’t quite as dramatic as Christina Aguilera’s role as Allie.

I studied Event Management, gaining my diploma and soon after landed an administration job at a global management company, International Management Group, or IMG. Yes, the model company Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner are/were signed to. Although, the small Melbourne Office was not nearly as glamorous. Instead, we worked on mass participation events including the Melbourne Marathon, Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show and the Colour Run (to name a few). 

I worked across so many departments: operations, marketing, sales, finance, IT. I often drew the analogy to Mario in Mario Kart; I didn’t have the best handling or acceleration, nor was I the fastest, but, I was pretty good at everything. I worked my way up into a marketing position, which I absolutely adored, and was there for a couple years before leaving the company after a serious experience with burn out.

I look back at that decision now and am so proud of myself. It pressured and excited me to take the plunge on myself. But, more importantly, I now know my limits and can work in a much more efficient and effective way. And thus, Olivia Clay Events (OCE) was born (unofficially), in 2021.

Since then, I have coordinated weddings, hosted parties and run corporate events from start to finish. Every event has been a learning experience, each one teaching me more about myself, my craft, and what it truly means to create memorable moments for others.

I am so grateful for every client, vendor, and friend who has supported and trusted me. And to my future clients and friends, I look forward to working with you.

With love,
Olivia