About QEC

Our Story

People often ask how Quimper Events Collective got started, and the truth is that the seeds were planted long before there was a board of directors, a nonprofit registration, or even a name.

In 2019, I was planning my own wedding. Like so many people who choose Jefferson County for a wedding, celebration, or special event, I quickly discovered that finding local vendors wasn’t always easy. I knew talented people existed. I could see glimpses of incredible work happening throughout the community. Yet from the perspective of a customer, it often felt surprisingly difficult to understand who was out there, what services were available, and how all the pieces fit together. Looking back, I realize I was encountering a challenge that many others had experienced before me: an abundance of talent without a central place to discover it.

A few years later, I found myself working in the event industry and seeing the other side of the equation. What I discovered was a thriving community of venue owners, caterers, photographers, florists, musicians, artists, lodging providers, planners, and creative entrepreneurs. These were passionate people doing remarkable work, often with very little recognition outside their immediate circles. More importantly, they genuinely wanted to support one another. The challenge wasn’t a lack of talent, professionalism, or community spirit. The challenge was that many of us were operating in parallel, doing similar work, serving similar audiences, and facing similar challenges without many opportunities to gather together.

In March of 2023, seven women sat down around a table to explore a simple idea: what might happen if we created more opportunities for connection? There was no grand strategic plan. No funding. No guarantee that anyone would care. Just a shared belief that our region’s event, hospitality, tourism, and creative professionals would be stronger if we knew one another better.

What happened next surprised all of us.

Within six months, we had incorporated as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization. That summer, we made our public debut with a booth at THING Festival. Membership began to grow. New relationships formed. People started referring business to one another, collaborating on projects, sharing resources, and showing up for each other’s successes. What began as a conversation among seven women quickly revealed itself to be something the community had been ready for all along.

As the organization evolved, so did our understanding of what Quimper Events Collective could be. We hosted Mix & Meets that brought together people who might never have crossed paths otherwise. We launched collaborative marketing efforts, produced industry events, created educational opportunities, and began advocating for the importance of the visitor economy and creative industries within our region. Along the way, we discovered that while events may have been the reason people first came through the door, relationships were what kept them coming back.

Today, when I think about what makes me most proud, it isn’t a particular event, program, sponsorship, or milestone. It’s the web of relationships that now exists because people chose to show up. It’s the photographer who knows the florist. The caterer who knows the venue owner. The musician who knows the nonprofit director. The new business owner who immediately has a room full of people willing to answer questions, make introductions, and offer encouragement. Community can feel like an abstract concept until you watch it take shape in real time.

Quimper Events Collective was founded on the belief that strong relationships create strong businesses, and that strong businesses help create vibrant, resilient communities. That belief remains at the heart of everything we do. While the organization will continue to grow and evolve, my hope is that it never loses sight of the simple idea that brought seven women together in the first place: that we are better when we know one another, and stronger when we work together.

Alexis Arrabito
Founder