Meet an…Event Planner: DY.o Events

Katie and Erica are the duo behind Perth based event management and styling business DY.o events:
Tell us a little about yourselves? We are DY.o events…a duo, literally! We are Katie and Erica Mathiesen – identical twins, best friends, business partners. DY.o events is all about being the square peg, we are really passionate about bringing different events to the Perth community and work hard not to churn out the same thing at every event. DY.o consists of just the two of us and being twin sisters with different career backgrounds we really compliment each other’s skill sets, and we are both pretty determined people and this translates into the passion we put into every event we tackle. What is DYO Events? DY.o events is an events company based in Perth. We do event concept, design & management across sectors such as community, corporate and private. How did it come about? It started for a couple of reasons: Erica had wanted a career change and having been a successful commercial interior designer for 11 years. She wanted to move into a different arena that still used the skills she had in project management, space planning, concept and design development. Katie had been in the events world for 5 years and had been approached to help a council open a farmer’s market. Having been at the helm of the very successful Subi Farmers Market and with Erica also working with her for two years, they decided that this was the right time to start the business, so in August 2013 DY.o events was born. Describe your aesthetic? DY.o events is split on aesthetes, with Erica being drawn to clean lines and monochromatic palette and Katie being drawn to bright bolds and florals. As a business practice we avoid placing our own aesthetics on our clients’ events. It’s important to deliver an aesthetic that suits the event brief and the client’s vision. What’s the coolest event you’ve worked on? We recently completed a Place Activation event for Curtin University for Anzac Day called ‘Together, 100 Years Apart.’ We joined forces with The John Curtin Gallery to commemorate the centenary of ANZAC by honouring each of the 704 soldiers in the famous image of The 11th Battalion A.I.F. on the Great Pyramid of Khufu, Giza, 10 January 1915 with a hand crafted poppy flower. The poppy making workshops were conducted over two days and encouraged students, the faculty and the uni community to get involved. This resulted in over 1500 poppies being made and a fantastic installation within the gallery. What should people expect before meeting with you? That we are twins, we are detail orientated, true perfectionists and that we believe in good event design, good event management and great client rapport, which in turn helps to bring positive social change with all events that we do. What do you love most about your job? We both agree that we love the freedom of our jobs in the sense that we are out and about all the time and our hours are flexible. Mind you we work around the clock and put in very long hours, so it helps that we love what we do! Photography Hannah Donnellan + Composite Media