Experienced event organizer brings franchise to region

SYRACUSE — After 23 years in the event business, 10 of them with Syracuse University, a Syracuse women is joining a franchise.

Me’Shae Rolling says the move will allow her to expand her business quickly and help her line up federal contracts.

Rolling is the first franchisee for EventPrep in New York state, according to a release from the Florida–based company.

“EventPrep’s expansion into the Northeast market begins with Me’Shae Rolling,” said Paul Trapp, founder and CEO of EventPrep, a 2-year-old business, founded by military veterans, that provides event and meeting planning 

EventPrep has a sister company, FederalConference.com, that focuses on meetings and conferences for federal workers and programs.

Rolling says she chose to join the franchise because the organization gives her an opportunity to expand quickly. She plans to bring on board and train up to 10 event assistants to help her service clients across New York as well as nationally.

She expects a core of franchise work will be making hotel arrangements for businesses and organizations. “I can source and procure hotel properties and negotiate clients’ hotel contracts for gratis — it is standard industry practice for hotels to pay commission to third-party brokers-vendors.”

In addition, she says EventPrep has many federal contracts that it will be sharing with her for the first year. She anticipates that work will not only help her get her business off the ground, but also pay off the franchise fee. “We have a built-in business we can send to you,” Rolling says EventPrep’s Trapp told her.

Rolling found EventPrep through networking, something she turned to when she learned her position as director of special events and conferences with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University was being eliminated.

Despite having previously served as a senior events coordinator for New York City Mayor Rudy Guliani, worked at the Brooklyn Tabernacle — a megachurch where she says, “I got my best training” — and hailing from Indiana, Rollings says she wanted to build her new business in Syracuse.

 Her husband is a professor and chair of art education at Syracuse University. The two have been in Central New York since 2007. 

Rolling has a master’s degree in public administration from SU’s Maxwell School, a certificate in meeting and conference management from New York University, and has taken executive-level leadership training at Harvard University’s Division of Professional Development and Continuing Education.

In a press release, Visit Syracuse, President and CEO Danny Liedka praised Rolling. “As a 25-year member of the hospitality business, I recognize attention to detail, communication and execution,” he said. “Me’Shae epitomizes that and is the consummate professional.”

In an interview, Rolling stresses that her new business will work with conferences and meetings of all sizes anywhere in the United States. “No event is too big or too small,” she says. She recently made hotel arrangements for a small reunion that needed only a dozen rooms. Rolling says she doesn’t want such clients to be intimidated about reaching out to a professional planner who is able to handle events with 100 or a 1,000 attendees. 

SYRACUSE — After 23 years in the event business, 10 of them with Syracuse University, a Syracuse women is joining a franchise.

Me’Shae Rolling says the move will allow her to expand her business quickly and help her line up federal contracts.

Rolling is the first franchisee for EventPrep in New York state, according to a release from the Florida–based company.

“EventPrep’s expansion into the Northeast market begins with Me’Shae Rolling,” said Paul Trapp, founder and CEO of EventPrep, a 2-year-old business, founded by military veterans, that provides event and meeting planning 

EventPrep has a sister company, FederalConference.com, that focuses on meetings and conferences for federal workers and programs.

Rolling says she chose to join the franchise because the organization gives her an opportunity to expand quickly. She plans to bring on board and train up to 10 event assistants to help her service clients across New York as well as nationally.

She expects a core of franchise work will be making hotel arrangements for businesses and organizations. “I can source and procure hotel properties and negotiate clients’ hotel contracts for gratis — it is standard industry practice for hotels to pay commission to third-party brokers-vendors.”

In addition, she says EventPrep has many federal contracts that it will be sharing with her for the first year. She anticipates that work will not only help her get her business off the ground, but also pay off the franchise fee. “We have a built-in business we can send to you,” Rolling says EventPrep’s Trapp told her.

Rolling found EventPrep through networking, something she turned to when she learned her position as director of special events and conferences with the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University was being eliminated.

Despite having previously served as a senior events coordinator for New York City Mayor Rudy Guliani, worked at the Brooklyn Tabernacle — a megachurch where she says, “I got my best training” — and hailing from Indiana, Rollings says she wanted to build her new business in Syracuse.

 Her husband is a professor and chair of art education at Syracuse University. The two have been in Central New York since 2007. 

Rolling has a master’s degree in public administration from SU’s Maxwell School, a certificate in meeting and conference management from New York University, and has taken executive-level leadership training at Harvard University’s Division of Professional Development and Continuing Education.

In a press release, Visit Syracuse, President and CEO Danny Liedka praised Rolling. “As a 25-year member of the hospitality business, I recognize attention to detail, communication and execution,” he said. “Me’Shae epitomizes that and is the consummate professional.”

In an interview, Rolling stresses that her new business will work with conferences and meetings of all sizes anywhere in the United States. “No event is too big or too small,” she says. She recently made hotel arrangements for a small reunion that needed only a dozen rooms. Rolling says she doesn’t want such clients to be intimidated about reaching out to a professional planner who is able to handle events with 100 or a 1,000 attendees.