Team
About
Urban Elegance
Amanda Dawson
Co-founder and Event Consultant
Amanda is Principal owner of Urban Elegance, LLC. Her passion for people has earned her the reputation of delivering unparalleled customer service. She’s a graduate of Howard University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. An experienced event planner and coordinator, Amanda: has a gift for creating beautifully styled, well-tailored events. She works with customers to create memorable experiences that simply reflect their needs and taste.
For over 15 years, her background in IT Project Management has led her to manage complex programs, meetings, conferences, workshops and events for federal agencies. In 2008 when she co-founded Urban Elegance with Nikki Hendricks she jumped into full-scale services by curating upscale events. Using her gift for creating well-tailored events, her attention to detail, ability to multi-task, knowledge of contract negotiations, creative problem solving, and ability to stay calm under pressure.
She has leveraged her experience planning different events to creating a coordination style that is unique. She specializes in personalizing diverse events for each client and handling stressful event situations with grace. Her signature is creative and tasteful designs with incredible attention to detail and structured and logistical event flow. Executing her customers’ concepts flawlessly while maintaining a calm, helpful demeanor is central to Amanda’s event planning approach. Making sure her customers feel relaxed and confident throughout the entire schedule process is most satisfying. Developing a personal relationship with each customer is what she believes is the key to making each event extra special.
When not coordinating an event, Amanda enjoys the creativity that comes with hosting a dinner party or game night at her home in Maryland, cooking a flavorful meal, traveling and always seeking new adventures.
Nikki Hendricks
Co-founder and Event Consultant
Nikki Hendricks is an event planner and co-founder of Urban Elegance, LLC. She and her partner Amanda Dawson founded the company in November 2008. With an enthusiastic energy, attention to detail and strong communication skills, she has the ability to connect with others in a way that captivates an audience. Along with her partner, they have formed an event planning company that is dedicated to fulfilling their clients’ needs whether planning a corporate event or social gathering.
Nikki is a native Washingtonian and attended Howard University. Throughout her career she has worked in the private, public, and non-profit sectors. She has over 12 years of project management experience that spans across the telecommunications, fashion and healthcare. With her very diverse background, much of her experience has been geared toward the management of personnel and projects.
As an entrepreneur, she takes on many roles for the success of the company that has heightened the abilities she has acquired over her working career. They include acting as a liaison for clients; analyzing budgets; managing contracts between clients and vendors; handling multiple projects simultaneously; tracking projects and budgets from the beginning to the end of each cycle; working within tight deadlines and interacting with a number entities to achieve an end goal.
As an event planner she believes it is important to find creative ways to meet an end goal and to understand the thoughts and feelings of others in order to create a harmonious working relationship. Her strengths allow her to see the potential in others and the ideas that clients bring to meetings, which helps Urban Elegance bring the ideas to life. Her passion and dedication to providing a quality experience is the reason Urban Elegance has repeat clients.
The past year was transformative for the events industry, turning in-person events into virtual undertakings was no small fete. Here’s a special spotlight on two virtual events we’ve recently hosted and how it changed our outlook on what’s possible.