Lillis Affairs

07/28/2026

We’re often asked why our services are valuable in comparison with, say, a committee, a team of interns, or even a development staffer.

It’s similar to hiring a seasoned CPA for your taxes.

You wouldn’t trust your executive assistant to find tax deductions for you. So why would you trust someone who has little experience reading event contracts to save your organization money?

We save clients thousands in hidden fees that they didn’t realize were there, and anticipate those day-of road block that they can’t yet see.

We’ve been told year after year that we’re worth every penny, because we not only deliver experiences, but we deliver value and funds back into our client’s accounts time and again.

Based on decades of experience working in the hospitality industry (where we created contracts and BEOs, upsold packages, and negotiated on the other end of the table), as well as with vendors, we know what’s possible.

Since we’re aware of what venues and vendors are trying to accomplish, we create the win-win.

In addition, when you know the market cost of products and services, and you can anticipate the needs of a client’s live experiences, then they don’t blindly sign something that could cost the organization bigly. And therefore—their donors and attendees.

Events can be full of surprises. Including financial surprises. With us, there are few of them.

07/16/2026

Sometimes executive experiences take their course. ⛳️

When gathering stakeholders for a cause under the Texas sun, Dallas Cowboys Golf Club is one like no other. ⭐️

Flashback to the time we were honored to manage a golf tournament for stakeholders of the Westapher Golf Tournament, benefiting a favorite client.

We were reminded of how rewarding, unique and truly enjoyable every experience has been.

07/10/2026

Atmosphere is truly everything. 🐘

It’s the foundation for live experiences that inspire stakeholders to buy in, and organizations to grow.

Exhibit A…

We had the unique challenge of placing stakeholders and their guests right in the heart of East Africa.

There was only one problem. We were in the Dallas- Fort Worth Metroplex.

And a ballroom with zebra-print linens (and lots of AV) was definitely not going to cut it for this organization’s 25th anniversary gala.

We knew the only place in a sprawling city where we could really accomplish this mission was the Dallas Zoo.

Yes, the zoo.

And this zoo didn’t have a covered event space.

All they had was a blank canvas of concrete, located at the intersection of the brand new hippo and elephant exhibits. 

No tent.
No pavilion.
Just a blank canvas.

So we transformed this blank canvas into an outdoor ballroom, on a limited budget.

We created a strategy where guests were in the heart of the new African exhibit at the Dallas Zoo, surrounded by the sounds of the new hippo exhibit, and African elephants just yards away.

You could hear their noises all around us as guest dined under the monstrous tent, illuminated with the colors of an African sunset. Some dined outside the tent, under strings of bulb lights, due to logistical constraints, and those guests commented on how much they loved it, too.

Tables were adorned with beaded necklaces that were handmade by cohorts of this organization, and each tabletop was crowned with Acacia trees. 

An East African choir opened the festivities, as only they could do.

And all with the sounds and smells you’d experience in Arusha. 

One guest said: “This was unlike any event I’ve intended it in Dallas. I really felt like I was back in East Africa from a trip that I took with ALARM years ago. I was happy to support it.”

06/07/2026

When you don’t plan weddings anymore, but are asked to assist with a very special one for your nephew and his sweet bride in the Blue Ridge Mountains, you say “yes”.

It’s funny how the seemingly simplest events (in theory) end up stretching you the most professionally.

Not because it wasn’t planned well, but because God opened up the heavens and blessed them with more rain than I’ve ever seen in an outdoor event. More rain than was ever in the forecast.

So…almost every plan was turned upside down and changed on the spot. 😅

I’m so grateful for nearly 20 years of knowing that you cannot panic in these moments. You either panic, or you shine. You let it stretch you and watch God give you even more grace.

When this gorgeous bride — appropriately named Grace — walked down the wet sidewalk, right as the North Carolina rain really showed off, there was something so spiritual about it that it rained tears of awe on my face.

It was perfect.

We are so grateful to have been included.

To be stretched and shown how our plans are never about us. How sometimes God gives us a better plan that is more perfect and more beautiful than we could ever conceive on our own.

04/13/2026

Our first event in our home state in years, and it rocked like a pair of full-quill boots.

✔️ Broke fundraising records, and under budget
✔️ Happy guests (who isn’t happy in a pair of cowboy boots?) and all the feedback

The committee, venue, vendors and volunteers were a dream!

Linens and decor: Events on 26
Florals: Michael Prude Florals
Props: DFW Flower Wall

Congrats to Colleyville Covenant Christian Academy!

03/12/2026

Are you offended if chocolate is not one of two options on the menu at an event?

A. Yes, duh
B. Yes, but only slightly offended
C. No. It can be replaced with something tarte or creamy
D. I’m a strange bird and dislike chocolate

Either way, we’re grateful for all of the delectable options provided by this stunning property. Bravo!

It will be a difficult choice for the client. 🍰

03/10/2026

Favorite takeways from the Melania film:

1. Peeking inside the event planning process that took place in the film was an unexpected gift.

2. Like our First Lady Melania Trump, the National Building Museum in DC is an absolute treaure. What a wealth of timeless beauty.

3. In an events world of modern finishes and fads, the pre-Inauguration Dinner scene seemed to echo the opposite: timeless touches that would welcome a guest from the 18th century or today.

4. It was an honor to see the heart that our First Lady pours into every detail. Her devotion and sense of duty truly shine through the film, and I am so grateful for her. Now we see why our POTUS chose her. 🥰

Superb.

Melania

02/16/2026

We had a lot of fun assisting Dining with Dallas with this blind wine tasting that is 30 years running. But honestly the noshes were the real winners to us! The Bloody Mary Deviled Eggs were 🥇

Amazing job, Dallas Souder. 🌹

02/04/2026

Excited to be a part of this fundraising gala for one of the best Christian schools in the Dallas area. ✨ 🤠

We are excited to announce that early bird individual tickets, table sponsorships, and
underwriting sponsorship opportunities are now available for this year’s Gala!

Early Bird Tickets:
Price: $125
Available through: February 13, 2026
Purchase tickets: https://na2.hubs.ly/H03rbFS0
Early bird pricing is available for a limited time and will increase after the deadline, so
we encourage you to secure your tickets soon.

Vibe: Think red-carpet country - Boots & Bling. Suits & Boots. Country Chic.
Stay tuned to our social media pages for updates on attire, auction items, and event
highlights in the coming weeks.