SABI Social Event - The Details
All images by Chloe Abotomey Photography
On April 5th, I hosted my first-ever business networking event, it was an afternoon of meaningful connections and inspiring conversations, hosted an incredible restaurant - Marble & Pearl.
This moment felt like coming full circle for me. SABI Collective started as a blog in 2019, where I shared styling tips and recreated Pinterest tablescapes. Fast forward to now, and I've transformed my passion into a full-time business, styling and capturing stunning products and interiors. Yet, none of this would've been possible without networking events and social media. I was excited to pay it forward by creating the same opportunities for others in business… and make it a content-worthy experience of course!
Below, I'll share some highlights from the day, starting from the mood board that kicked it all off.
The Mood Board.
It began with a simple Instagram story asking who'd be interested in attending a networking event. I'm a firm believer in "ask and you shall receive" and this was a real-life manifestation of that!
THE BRIEF
+ Open to business owners, creatives and freelancers
+ A sit-down event providing the chance to meet others
+ Quality food and drink
+ Indoor venue
+ SABI aesthetic, white light bright
+ Add value with goodie bags or guest speakers
The Venue.
I’m very happy with my choice of venue. Richmond’s hidden gem - Marble & Pearl, nestled at the back of The Kingston Hotel.
+ Amazing service
+ Stunning location
+ The food was divine - as usual! My personal favourites from our set menu were the pan-fried Provolone cheese and the Peruvian Ceviche.
The Tablescape.
I received numerous generous offers for the event and ended up collaborating with many beautiful businesses. I enjoyed providing a platform for businesses to showcase their talents!
+ We had the talented Shae from Evolve Floral, who created an assortment of neutral arrangements, paired with small persimmons - absolutely stunning!
+ The menus, place cards, and ‘noted’ cards were designed and crafted by Alex from Confetti Society. With very little direction, she perfectly captured the essence of the brief.
+ I had the pleasure of working with event stylist Silvia from Tablescaped, who truly elevated the experience. Tablescaped also supplied the beautiful napkins, scallop dishes, and bread baskets from their French Brasserie range.
+ Lastly, we had beautiful conversation cards, supplied by Myndly for those who enjoy deep conversations and moving superficial chit-chat. I love using these with my partner, so it was wonderful to share this experience with others too!
Our Guest Speakers.
We were thrilled to welcome Larissa, the founder of CoTheory, a premium home and officeware brand, and Sophie, the founder of Ficifolia, a fragrance brand made in Melbourne and inspired by this amazing city we all adore.
These two incredible women shared their journeys, successes, and invaluable tips for new businesses—or things they'd do again. It was truly inspiring for everyone who joined us!
They were kind enough to also gift some of their beautiful products to a few winning guests.
Prizes & More.
We were lucky to have Chloe, a wedding photographer from Chloe Abotamey Photography, allowing me to take a break for the day while she captured photos of the event - thank you Chloe! (All images of the event you see in this post are from her!)
We also had Josep from About Content, who served as our videographer, creating Instagram reel content. If you haven't already, check out the reel here to witness the real and raw emotions beautifully captured.
But then… there was more! Throughout the afternoon, we had spot prizes generously gifted by a few brands:
+ Flint, renowned for their rechargeable lighters found in stores across Australia and NZ.
+ Elle Forma, a gorgeous limited edition jewellery brand from Melbourne.
+ Trutone, a skincare brand dedicated to facial sculpting.
Our guests were thrilled to win these beautiful products! A heartfelt thank you to these kind-hearted brands for their generosity!
What’s next?
I am over-the-moon by the success of our first event and overwhelmed by the positive feedback I’ve received. It's been an incredible journey, and I couldn't be happier!
But guess what? This is just the beginning! I'm excited to announce that there will be another SABI Social Event coming this Winter. So, if you want to be among the first to know all the exciting details and secure your spot, add your email to our wait-list here.
Sneak peek into the mood-board for the next event:
And to the incredible brands eager to collaborate for our next event, please reach out to me at hello@sabicollective.org
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support.
With gratitude,
Sam xx