Chrissy’s Corner
From My Desk
I’ll admit it, I’m one of those people who gets a little too excited when pumpkin spice season hits. Something about that first sip makes me feel like maybe, just maybe, I’ve got this week under control. (Even if my inbox says otherwise.)
Between testing out a new planning tool and juggling the usual EA chaos, I’ve picked up a few things worth sharing, and a few laughs along the way. So grab your latte and let’s catch up.
With love and lots of Cafecito, ☕
Chrissy
P.S. This week’s “Week in My Life” is brought to you by Offsite, the only reason I’m not crying into my calendar every time someone says, “Can you plan an offsite?” 🫠
Week in My Life: Planning an Offsite
My Offsite Test Drive
Nothing tests your patience like hotel RFPs. This week I decided to run a little experiment: send a couple through Hilton on my own, and also see what I’d get back if I used Offsite.
The Hilton route? Three days later I finally heard back… with a rejection. 🙃
On the Offsite side, I had options within two days. Actual choices, at different price points, without all the back-and-forth.
I also tried their budgeting template while I was at it, it’s surprisingly handy. Sharing the link here so you can swipe it for your next planning sprint:
👉 Download the Budgeting Template
Sometimes it’s less about “finding the right tool” and more about realizing you don’t have to burn extra days waiting around.
Week in My Life: Planning an Offsite
📝 3 Questions Before You Book
Here’s a little secret, the fastest way to look like you’ve been planning events for a decade is to ask the right questions before you sign anything.
Next time you’re talking to a venue or vendor, drop these into the conversation:
What’s your attrition policy?
Translation: how much wiggle room do I have if headcount changes? (Because we all know it will.)What fees aren’t included in the quote?
Service charges, AV, Wi-Fi, gratuity… the sneaky stuff that can blow your budget if you don’t catch it early.What’s your drop-dead date for changes?
AKA: when does flexibility end? This one question has saved me more headaches than I can count.
✅ What a “Good Deal” Actually Looks Like
Attrition: 10–20% cushion. Anything less and you’re basically paying for empty seats.
Fees: Service + resort fees shouldn’t push past 20–25%. If you see 30%+, run.
Flexibility: Changes allowed up to 30 days out for rooms and a week out for catering is solid.
Perks: Sometimes you, the planner, get to collect the loyalty points. Always worth asking, those points can turn into serious perks down the line. 😎
If you get terms like this, you’ve struck gold. If not, you’re basically signing up to sponsor the hotel’s next renovation.
OOTEA Virtual Events
September Events
🎤 Demo / AMA with Offsite!
At the end of this month, we’re teaming up with the Offsite crew for a live demo + AMA. They’ll walk us through how their platform makes planning team retreats way less painful (goodbye, endless RFPs 👋). If you’ve ever been voluntold to plan an offsite, you’ll want to be in the room for this one.
💻 Tech Talk with Lauren Bradley (community exclusive)
Our next Inner Office session is with Lauren Bradley (aka the queen of tech hacks for EAs). She’ll be dropping her favorite G-Suite + Outlook tricks to help you shave hours off your week. This one’s only for members inside The Inner Office — our private EA brain trust. Membership is just $20/month if you’re ready to join the crew.
In-Person Events
🍽️ Philly EA Dinner – You’re Invited
We’re teaming up with Mallory Rothstein from More Than an Admin and Kelly Muñoz from EAs to the Rescue to bring Philly’s EA community together for an in-person dinner on Thursday, October 17th.
Think of it as your chance to close the laptop, swap stories over dinner, and finally connect with other assistants in the area off Slack and in real life.
📍 Location details are coming soon, but seats will be limited — so if you’d like to join us, RSVP below and we’ll be in touch with next steps.
Workday Anthem
🎶 Song of the Week
“Stronger” – Kanye West
Because if RFPs don’t kill us, they’ll definitely make us stronger.
Follow our Spotify playlist for inspo! 🎧
