A radiant Katherine Mirian Sakyi, CEO of Crystal Haze Events & Decor describes events as an “actual love affair” and not an occupation or a business venture.
The ever fashionable but soft-spoken Sakyi recalls how she was always being drawn to events and extracurricular activities—both as alumnus of Mfantsiman Girls and the Ghana Institute of Journalism (from where she holds a BA in Public Relations). Life after school wasn’t particularly easy or straightforward as she was frequently quizzed about when she was getting on TV or Radio. So she tried but it did not take long for her to conclude that she wanted something else.
“I like communication,” says Sakyi. “That was my reason for applying to the Ghana Institute of Journalism—but not to go into the newsroom. She would communicate for sure—just not in the manner people expected.
Then, two years ago, her aha moment arrived. A mother of two, Sakyi conceived the idea of planning her kids’ birthday party. The decision triggered something in her for sure, for she remembers being weirdly ecstatic. After some research and finally choosing a theme, excitement kicked in.
She had become Alice in Wonderland, she would spend hours day dreaming about how the day would and should pan out. Finally she found her call. With the kid’s party as her CV, she went to Mr Sakyi, her husband, as well as other members of her family; her mum, uncles and almost everyone and she was met with sparkling reviews.
With ‘forever lingering memories’ as a tagline and modus operandi, she seeks to give clients the very best leaving them with long lasting memories. Her romance with the event and the client sets the event beyond the lines of just an event but a love story creating a bond with the client. This sets Crystal Haze apart from other events companies.
Coming up with a name for the business took a lot of contemplating, she had toyed with purple which happens to be her favourite colour but finally banked on ‘Crystal’ and ‘Haze’. This she explains that planning events come with a lot of fog like experiences and sometimes may look hazy but through it all the memories linger on clear as a crystal.
She concedes that though the industry is choked she believes in what she has to offer and the memory she leaves in the hearts of her clients and the people that attend the events. Hence, she has become highly recommended.
Every event, Sakyi holds, is an extension of a client’s personality. For every event she seeks to communicate who the client is — “the event is about my client” she said. Therefore, she finds out who her client’s are. Are they conservative or frolicsome?
Between the introverted client and the fun-loving client, who would she rather cater to?
A fun-loving person herself, she leans more toward the latter, as it “allows her more room to explore.” She also prefers planning parties over other events—some of her most successful events have been parties. As she expounds, there’s additional excitement on her cheeks. “Everyone is relaxed,” she says. They don’t have to worry about arriving at the church on time, or fuss about tuxedo accessories that are centimetres out of place; or if both families are ready for the group photo. Even breakages are not that bad. “I like planning weddings, but not as much as parties,” Sakyi laughs.
