Montia Robinson knows event planning is all about the details. Whether it be festoons, balloons, lighting, or getting just the right shade of table linens, she tries to perfectly capture her clients’ visions for their events.
Voted this year’s Best Event Planner, Robinson, owner of M. Robinson Group, organizes events that range from corporate parties to baby showers.
“I am obsessed with that first look,” Robinson says. “I like to know that I am in some way helping by taking those details off their hands.”
When meeting with a client, Robinson asks them creative questions: “What song best describes this theme?” Or “what movie do you want the event to feel like?” Along with her team of planners, Robinson then builds an event plan with details like a budget and vendor list. When it’s time for the actual event, Robinson makes sure everything runs smoothly.
“We really want to be immersed in the vision of what that person wants to see when they walk in the room,” Robinson says.
Robinson has worked in the planning business for over 10 years and has been around events even longer. As a child, she would accompany her mother, who was an artist, to festivals around Pittsburgh.
“This is not just a wake up and start putting ribbon on,” says Robinson. “My whole life has been immersed in the art and culture of event planning.”
Robinson says she also shares her skills with the community. Her company works with several programs, including Bedford Connect and Allegheny Dwellings, to teach residents in marginalized communities how to organize events. She also makes an effort to work with nonprofit groups such as When She Thrives, which holds an event focused on empowering local female writers.
Moving forward, Robinson hopes to grow her business to encompass larger events while continuing to make her clients’ lives easier.
“Life is hard,” she says. “Partying shouldn’t be.”
Montia Robinson of M. Robinson Group. mrobinsongroup.com
