Meet Val Young | Director of Sales & Events

We had the good fortune of connecting with Val Young and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Val, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I think the most important factor behind my success in my career is that I always live up to my word & stay true to myself. I think it’s so important that when you say you’re going to do something, you do it & you exceed expectations.

For me, this holds true whether it’s for our clients, for the Board that I currently hold a VP position on, or for our team at A2. The event industry can be chaotic & tiring at times, but when you’re truly passionate about your work, you get the job done no matter what.

I think that when you have that passion & authenticity, it shines through in your work and that, in my experience, makes people want to keep working with you too!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I currently am the Director of Sales & Events at A2 Events, a corporate event planning & destination management company based in Fort Lauderdale. I’m in a unique position where working at a boutique company has allowed me to gain a wider variety of experience than I would have ever had the chance to otherwise at my age.

While my day-to-day doesn’t often look the same, my primary duties consist of working directly with clients to discover their event needs & vision, design & manage their events down to every last detail (think theme & decor selection, A/V, entertainment, staffing, etc.), and then I get to go onsite & actually execute the event too! At a larger company, these jobs would be more broken up between different roles, so I feel very lucky to get to experience & work on all of these aspects of an event.

I definitely would not say it was easy to get to where I am today. I graduated from UF in 2016 and could not for the life of me find a job in event planning. I went into a completely different industry because of it, and frankly, I hated it. I finally quit & moved home, and it wasn’t until nearly a year later that I was introduced to A2 Events. I even started as an intern, despite being a year out of college, but was quickly offered a full-time position.

I think there’s two very important lessons within my story. The first is that if you truly want something, you’ll find a way to make it happen. It may have taken me almost two years post-graduation to find my perfect career fit, but I didn’t give up & that got me to where I am. The second is that there is absolutely not a correct path to take in your life or career. I interned at 23 instead of 20, I lived at home after college in order to figure out my next move, and all of that is more than acceptable. I think there’s a societal pressure to follow what it feels like the masses are doing, and it’s so important to remember that everyone’s timeline can & should look different – it’s not one size fits all!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love this question!

Day One: I’d start in Fort Lauderdale since it’s home with cocktails at Sparrow, the rooftop bar at the Dalmar. The views can’t be beaten! After cocktails, we’d head to one of my current favorite dinner spots, Takato, right on the beach. The Hot Hamachi is a must & so is sake to split.

Day Two: Start with an amazing HIIT workout at Roar Station, then go to JB&C for a healthy breakfast before heading to enjoy Fort Lauderdale Beach. Park & Ocean is a fun spot to grab drinks & food close by. For a night out in Fort Lauderdale, I love Rhythm & Vine when the weather is right, and Roxanne’s for a speakeasy vibe!

Day Three: One of my favorite breakfasts after a night out is at Top Hat Deli. There’s something for everyone on the menu, not to mention this deli has cocktails. I love to walk the path along the Nu River a few times a week, then we’d enjoy an easy day by the pool somewhere like The Easton. Dinner at Heritage is a must before leaving FTL- hands down the best Italian in our area.

Day Four: Time to head down to Miami! There’s so much to see in Wynwood, so spending an afternoon exploring the area with stops at places like Cerveceria La Tropical & Oasis makes sure we’ll see what makes the area so unique! And a Salty Donut, of course. While in Wynwood, I would absolutely make a reservation for dinner at Uchi. This is one of the best meals I’ve had in a long time, and it’s perfect for splitting so you can try a little bit of everything. It’s hard to pick favorites, but the bluefin akami crudo & softshell crab roll are currently my top two.

Day Five: Enjoy Miami Beach. Matador Room has coconut pancakes with a grapefruit & lavender syrup on the brunch menu that I’m obsessed with, so we’d have to start there. For the rest of the day, there’s nothing better than lounging in a cabana somewhere like The Confidante. A stroll down the boardwalk is great for getting in some exercise with a view. Dinner on the Beach at Stiltsville Fish Bar (this friend must also love seafood), then after-dinner drinks at The Broken Shaker!

Day Six: Start with a healthy breakfast at Pura Vida – I could basically drink the Pura Vida Sauce. Miami has some great museums, so I’d take my friend to the Pérez Art Museum for the day. Head back to Miami Beach for dinner at Pao inside the Faena. I love taking people here because the hotel is so unique & beautiful, and the food at Pao is amazing.

Day Seven: End my best friend’s trip to South Florida on a high note, on a boat! Spending a few hours at the sand bar is such a fun experience that’s unique to where we live.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would absolutely dedicate my Shoutout to my incredible boss, Erin Branham, who is also the founder of A2 Events! Not only did she have the courage to branch out & start her own business at a young age, but she has worked every day since then to grow A2 into the unique & innovative event company that it is. I’ve learned so much in my 3+ years with A2, and I definitely have Erin to thank for that!

Website: www.a2.events

Instagram: @valeryoung

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/valery-young-241167125/

Other: Company Instagram: @a2events

Image Credits
Gonzalo Villota, Villota Photography (Chef Lorena Garcia with pig, salsa dancers & close-up of tablescape) Justin Mein (photo of purple room with K on wall) Ian Dawson (photo of disco party)