Meet Alana...

We're heading into the weekend and know that you've been awaiting the opportunity to meet the third and final member of The Center's Event Coordinator team. A little later than promised, the time has come to introduce Alana! Alana is a worker-bee: overseeing the renovations to the space, meeting with clients and vendors, and getting things done. Even at home, she takes on ambitious DIY projects (ask her about the fence she built!) and accomplishes her goals. It's not all work and no play though, she always has a smile on her face and has been spotted out on the dance floor. What can we say? 90's music is hard to resist!

Alana at home with the fence she built in the background

Q: How did you become a part of The Center?

Alana: I joined MCA Center the summer before The Center opened. One of my first projects was overseeing our initial renovation. The Center has grown quickly since its opening in October. It has been very neat to be involved since the beginning and see how my efforts have directly impacted our rentals and awareness throughout the Cincinnati region.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself.

Alana: I am a UK Business Marketing and Management graduate, but a Buckeye fan by birth. I bought my first house 3 years ago in Fort Mitchell, KY and spend my free time outside of The Center fixing up my 100 year old home with my boyfriend, Steve. I have two dogs, Annie and Brutus (I told you I was an Ohio State fan) who keep me entertained most of the time!

Alana with her boyfriend Steve

Alana's dogs: Brutus and Annie

Q: What's your favorite part of the job so far?

Alana: I love meeting all of the new people that walk through our doors. Our clients have been great, but my favorite has to be the vendors. I have great respect for vendors who have been able to remain in this business for several years, some even longer than I've been alive. I enjoy watching vendors excel at their craft and create special events in The Center I could never come up with.

Q: What are your hobbies or non-work related activities?

Alana: My 100 year old house keeps me busy. Since I purchased it, I have built a fence, taken out old concrete steps, replaced plumbing and 60 feet of drain lines. So I guess my biggest hoppy is pretending I'm a member of "This Old House" TV Show. If anyone is looking for a home improvement outlet, I can definitely help you out. Also around this time of year football dictates my schedule. If the Buckeyes are on, I'm more than likely in front of the TV hopefully watching them pull out a W.

Q: Are there any trends that you absolutely love or would love to see brides leave behind?

Alana: I'm not a huge fan of everything being one color. Say for example, all bridesmaid dresses, napkins, lighting, flowers, etc. being the same shade of pink. On the flipside, I love patterns and would love to see a bride work in the Chevron pattern or some other type of funky print into linenes or dresses. My favorite reception so far at The Center had floral print bridesmaid dresses along with pops of various colors throughout the room that were pulled from their dresses. Some tables may have red centerpieces, others, purple or yellow... the room looked amazing!

Q: Tell us 10 random facts about yourself.

Alana:

1. I see Jimmy Buffett every year with 10 of my closest friends. We bring in 1,000 lbs of sand and create our own beach with a tiki bar and pool.

Alana tailgating on "the beach" before the Jimmy Buffett concert

2. I'm obsessed with the 90's. My music collection stopped there and I'm okay with it. If the DJ is ever taking requests, you can count on me to suggest Kris Kross and immediately join the dance floor to rap every word.
3. My parents were pregnant with me in Ohio, I was born in North Carolina, grew up in various parts of Kentucky, went to college in Lexington and now live in Cincinnati - I never know how to answer the question, "Where are you from?"
4. I can still fit into my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Costume from Halloween as a 7 year old and I pull it out of the closet from time to time.

5. I love roller coasters - my ideal wedding at the age of 13 would have taken place on International Street at Kings Island.
6. Children make me anxious, while large animals are extremely calming to me. Odd, I know.
7. I can throw a perfect spiral football.
8. I'll do just about anything to make people laugh.
9. My childhood cat was named A.J. after Alana and John (my brother). He wanted to name the cat Cincinnati Reds and I wanted to name the cat Barbie. So my parents got to name the cat after my brother and me.
10. I start every day off with a Diet Coke. If not I start that day with a headache.