One of the reasons I started J. Leigh Events was to help create community. I believe the primary function of events is to bring people together - to connect them. This was also a goal of Stacey Simms when she reached out to us about planning the first ever Moms’ Night Out for moms of children with Type 1 Diabetes, so it was a natural fit for us to work with her.
Stacey is an author, podcast host and activist in the T1 diabetes space. Her book “The World’s Worst Diabetes Mom,” was published in 2019 and recounted the humorous and imperfect incidents that have happened to her while raising her child with T1 diabetes. She also started a podcast, Diabetes Connections, where she interviews diabetes advocates and folks with T1 diabetes to give a platform for their stories.
In her work, Stacey found that raising kids with T1 diabetes could be isolating. There were things she had to think about and consider which other parents couldn’t understand. She’s built an online community, but also wanted to bring people together physically.
And so, she created Moms’ Night Out.
In January she hosted 80 attendees from all over the U.S. at Canopy Charlotte Southpark with 8 vendors. For a first time conference, this was such a huge success, and the event was so fulfilling! We loved watching so many women support and connect with each other authentically.
The evening featured a delicious cocktail (the Cos-MOM-politan), a vendor fair with representatives from organizations like Dexcom and Abbott, and a vinyl craft the moms could participate in. Stacey was also able to promote and sell her newest book, “Still The Worlds Worst Diabetes Mom,” a follow up to her first.
We were honored to play a role in the evening. As the event planner, J. Leigh Events was responsible for helping Stacey with the venue search, event layout, signage and connections to vendors needed during the event, like a craft vendor. We also worked with her on catering options and assisted the day-of with set up, vendor arrival, sign ins and other miscellaneous needs.
It was a wonderful event and experience for the J. Leigh Events team. The women who attended the event were eagerly asking when the next one would be, and we don’t blame them. Stacey did a phenomenal job creating a truly magical experience for mothers of children with T1 diabetes.
Of course, we couldn’t have helped pull off the event without our incredible vendors:
Craft vendor: Crowned Sparrow Craft Co.
Venue/Catering: Canopy by Hilton Charlotte SouthPark
Printing: United Printing
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