This week we sit down and talk to Nadean Richards, the woman behind One Fine Collective, an omnichannel marketing platform and exhibition company that organises the One Fine Day Wedding Fair and the One Fine Baby Expo. Since 2012, Nadean has been turning the events industry on its head by providing creative and refreshing alternatives not only for visitors but also for the brands participating in their events as well. Originally set up to organise in-venue events, One Fine Collective has expanded as a response to the pandemic, establishing an online marketplace as well.
ISB: How did your love for photography pave the way for you to become an event organiser?
NR: I started my career as a Chartered Accountant working with KPMG and whilst in London I took the opportunity to learn photography at the University of London. After immersing myself in the wedding photography industry I noticed that there was a gap in the market for a stylish alternative to the traditional wedding expo. We’re a creative industry, yet all of the wedding expos were completely uninspiring! With a creative vision and a bucketload of industry contacts who were craving something different, I co-founded One Fine Day Wedding Fair in 2012. After having my first child shortly after, I noticed that there was that same gap for the type of baby expo I wanted to attend – a creative and stylish shopping exhibition that was full of big and boutique brands all under one roof, and One Fine Baby Expo was born in 2014.
ISB: How do you ensure that your events provide a unique and satisfactory experience for exhibitors and guests alike?
NR: Our events have always focused on celebrating life’s major milestones in a creative and aspirational way. When you walk into one of my events, I want all your senses to be firing. The stylish brands we work with are all curated by us and represent the best in the industry. Our goal is to bring Instagram to life, and our events are like no other wedding or baby expo; we’ve integrated our exhibitions and digital content seamlessly to create a truly omnichannel opportunity for brands to gain exposure – with physical exhibitions, a digital platform for marketing, and an online marketplace. Focus groups and surveys are a huge part of our planning process, and we’re always looking for opportunities to create incredible experiences at our events. The ultimate goal is for our vendors, to attract the right type of client that they want to do business with.
ISB: How has One Fine Collective been able to grow even at the height of the global pandemic?
NR: I used it as a huge motivator to grow our digital presence; fortunately our online marketplace had recently launched in 2019, and this scaled significantly during 2020. SEO became a huge focus for me, and I knuckled down on our digital strategy – developing relevant content which has contributed to huge growth in our website traffic; One Fine Baby is now one of the largest parenting platforms in Australia, with over 20 million page views a year, and One Fine Day is growing every month. This channel has become a huge source of growth for us, and a hugely successful platform for the brands who advertise with us.
ISB: How were you able to successfully take One Fine Day overseas, particularly to New York and London?
NR: Through conversations with some of our One Fine Day vendors in 2016, I noticed an opportunity to expand One Fine Collective internationally. New York and London Bridal Fashion Weeks are the pinnacles of the industry, yet our vendors were telling me their only options to exhibit were to either take part in huge, tacky bridal expos or showcase their collections from a hotel room. I decided to visit it for myself and ran the path of a buyer going to NYBFW. I saw there was a huge opportunity for a trade-only exhibition showcasing a curation of the best in Australian and international designers and accessory brands in a stylish, premium location, most importantly all under one roof. International expansion was definitely the steepest learning curve for me, and knowing what I do now, naivety was definitely a catalyst for succeeding.
ISB: What is your vision for One Fine Collective in the next couple of years?
NR: I’m always looking for the next opportunity to create something new – and if it’s never been done before, that excites me even more! Events are thriving in the post-COVID world, and we’re continuing to focus on growing our digital offerings. We’ve also just launched a podcast under the One Fine Baby brand called ‘Cold Coffee, Hot Mess’, targeting the mums we engage with at our events and online. There’s much more to come!
ISB: What is the most invaluable lesson you’ve learned in this business journey that you wish to share with other would-be entrepreneurs?
NR: Staying positive in the face of adversity is key. It’s a rollercoaster. Things will be exciting, busy, frustrating and hard but just know that one day, when you look backwards, all the dots that got you there will make sense. There is no magic formula, but do listen to your customers. They are a fountain of knowledge for innovation and opportunity.
