Meet Accasia Martinez | Event Planner & Venue Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Accasia Martinez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Accasia, what are you inspired by?
FAMILY – You see, growing up I remember how important the time with our family and friends was. My parents divorced when I was very young, yet I never felt a void on either side. We would all travel to meet at my grandparents’ house for birthdays, holidays, funerals or simply have a meal to catch up. It showed us the value and importance of being a close unit, of supporting and lifting each other up in the good and tough times. The relationships we built with neighbors and friends – well, let’s just say they became family too!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I started working corporate as soon as I graduated High School – I have been a Pager Operator, HR Generalist, Compensation Analyst, Executive Assistant, Sales Associate and Marketing Analyst across Telecommunications, Insurance, Hospitality and Food & Beverages Industries. All quite different experiences yet throughout my entire career the thing that stuck with me the most was the PEOPLE. I believed events was a way to strengthen our teams and our organization and I wanted to be a part of that!

So, I figured out ways to incorporate event planning into each of my roles; I volunteered for holiday parties, team building activities, helped with banquets and weddings, gave time to our diversity and inclusion and charity efforts, and led our customer meetings, innovation summits, tradeshows and offsites. Each time creating opportunities to bond and grow together – like family.

I always knew I wanted to be in the events Industry. Right before COVID, I was already thinking of starting my own event planning business on the side, but of course that had to be put on hold. In the meantime, this property was just sitting there, I found myself driving around it or parked in front just daydreaming about how it could serve as a stage for all these events I loved executing.

I sat with my husband and talked about this dream. We had always been a two-income family, and well doing something like this meant me leaving my job and dedicating myself to building this from scratch without any real capital, which meant no salary for me and well, all family expenses now on just him. I thought he would say you are crazy, no way! But instead, he gave me all his support and encouraged me. I made some calls, built a business plan, and shared my dream and goals with passion.

On July 1st we hit our 1st year with Accasia’s Event Venue. It has been hard, a lot of unexpected expenses, more waves of COVID slowing us down, tons of trials and errors, many long days, and nights, but having to miss some of my kids’ events has probably been some of the hardest.

I learned quickly we cannot do this alone! Having a support network like I did growing up was as crucial and important to build now as it was then. So, networking with event industry partners, local small businesses and the community is a priority for us.

We want our customers to know that when they book with us, they are not just booking a beautiful space, they are booking a relationship/partnership – providing the flexibility and support needed to ensure your vision comes to life. We allow you with the ability to define your own hours, bring in your own food & beverages, incorporate those important rituals that make your events so special and true to you and your culture/traditions.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
howing our family and friends that visit us how we spend our day to day is important.  We drive by our elementary, middle, and high school, showing off our AHS Stadium of course. A visit to some of our great recreation centers and parks in Allen like Celebration, Joe Farmer, the Natatorium, the Skate Park, and ice-skating rink. Some shopping at Fairview Town Center, The Villages of Allen, Allen Outlet Mall, and Watters Creek is always a must. Catching a show at the Fairview Youth Theater, watching a movie at iPic or Cinemark. Hopefully hanging out at the park at FTC to catch some of the live entertainment they bring the community. While we love to cook and entertain at home, we cannot go without sharing some of our favorite spots for food – Young Donuts, Allen Cafe, Eggsquisite Cafe, Napolis, El Grande Burrito, La Shish, Mexi-Go, Soulman’s Bar-B-Que, Gloria’s, Pie 314, JS Chen’s Dim Sum & BBQ…. And when we need to add a late-night cap to the mix, we love going to Boomerjacks, Dodie’s, Pluckers, Kelly’s, and so many other places. We try to squeeze in the zoo, aquarium, arboretum, and some of the amazing museums we have to offer in the DFW area. And of course, a tour of our venue

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents, Milagros, Joaquin, and grandmother, Rosa- for always providing me with unconditional love, support, and opportunities to grow. To my husband, Fernando – that has always had my back and has allowed me to follow my heart no matter the sacrifices he would have to make. To my past employers – for always supporting my vision. Especially to my mentors & forever friends – Marissa Solis & Rich Blazevich – that pushed me, developed me for growth, and showed empathy during hard personal times. And finally, to my kids – for inspiring me every day with everything they do and allowing me to steal their time so I can pursue my dreams too!

Website: www.accasiaevents.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eventsbyaccasia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/accasiaevents

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/accasias-event-venue-fairview

Image Credits
Aven Willow Portraits, Bree Danielz