In the Business of Brides
It’s every bride’s dream come true, a trade show that is planned specifically to offer all the services needed for the big day. The Hawaii Bridal Expo is held twice a year at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu. Vendors are brought in from all over the world, some well known and some just starting out. Their mission: to offer their products or services to the lucky brides-to-be. So whom can we thank for this very special event? Brad Buckles is the man who has been coordinating, planning, and producing the Hawaii Bridal Expo for 20 years, and this is his anniversary year.
“People are often surprised at how hard I work all year round,” Brad admitted.
Born and raised in Kahala, Brad and his family moved to the mainland before he could graduate from Mid- Pacific Institute. After graduating from high school on the mainland, Brad attended Kennesaw State University in Atlanta and received a degree in accounting. It was there that he met and started dating Heather, his future wife. The two moved from Atlanta to Seattle after graduation. Today Brad and Heather have four sons and spend about half of the year in Honolulu and half of the year in Seattle preparing for trade shows.
“The fun part of what I do is working with small businesses and watching people attach themselves to that business or brand,” Brad said. The trade show industry has kept Brad on the four times a year, which he says isn’t fun in the wintertime and is very competitive. In addition to all the traveling, Brad has been on the board of Bridal Show Producers International (BSBI) for the past 13 years and is serving as president for the upcoming year.
When Brad isn’t busy planning trade shows or traveling from coast to coast, you can find him training for the next triathlon, a hobby that he says reinforces his career. “It’s easy for me to train my mind for a triathlon because it’s similar to planning a bridal show,” Brad confessed. “It’s kind of my thing.” He completed the Lanikai Triathlon in April and continues to prepare for a triathlon event that will take place the last week in September. But, above and beyond any trade show or triathlon, he is a full-time dad to his four boys.
No matter what role Brad is fulfilling, he does it the very best he can. As word of the bridal expo continues to spread, so does the number of visitors. Part of the job is to make sure that there is something for everyone, for every type of wedding imaginable Brad has presented enough expos to know that the wedding industry is very personal and is all about the bride. His experience running the bridal shows has helped him take on the role of wedding planner as well as trade show organizer.
“If a bride comes to the trade show and can’t plan her wedding based on what is at the show, she should come and talk to me,” Brad declared. Admittedly, Brad says he spends a lot of time listening to what women want regarding their perfect wedding, and has developed a reputation for being able to give encouraging advice to any bride. Approximately 100,000 brides come to the trade shows in Honolulu and Seattle. Thanks to the rapid growth of Internet consumerism, brides can now be connected to vendors online. However, when it comes to detail, there is nothing that compares to seeing, touching, and holding wedding gowns, invitations, and other wedding essentials. That is why the bridal expos are so popular and why Brad Buckles continues to be the go-to man, in the business of brides.
Brad Buckles
Producer & President
Hawaii Bridal Expo
brad@bridesclub.com
bridesclub.com
425.922.7924
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