When Broadcasters Go Big: KBA’s 80th Anniversary Conference

When a national event planning team calls from out of state and says, “We’ve heard you’re the ones to talk to in Owensboro,” you smile, try to sound calm, and say, “Of course we are!” while quietly panicking a little inside. Because yeah, we totally do 500-guest corporate galas all the time. No big deal. Everything’s fine.

Hosted at the Owensboro Convention Center, the Kentucky Broadcaster's Association Annual Conference was our biggest event to date. With more than 500 guests, 50 centerpieces, a candlelit champagne sequin entryway, and an after party with a completely different vibe, it was the perfect chance to show what Something Borrowed can do beyond weddings.

Badass Meetings, the powerhouse team behind the conference, brought the production magic. They transformed the exhibit hall with rigging, staging, and lighting that made it look like something straight out of Hollywood. We handled the design details that made it sparkle with subtle Old Hollywood glam featuring white ostrich feathers, gold, and crystal throughout.

At first, the organizers weren’t sold on flowers, but we knew a space that size needed a touch of freshness. Enter Ivy Trellis, who created petite red carnation arrangements with strings of pearls that tied in beautifully with the theme and budget for 10 of the 50 tables. Our new chandelier centerpieces, beaded gold candleholders, and white ostrich feather arrangements were spread throughout the remaining 40 tables.

One of our favorite new design elements from this event was the candlelit hallway. Guests entered through a champagne sequin drape that opened into a glowing red carpet lined with candles on both sides.

A easy DIY to make a life preserver ring using a white foam wreath form, red tap, Gorilla Glue, and a little jute rope!

Then, the day before the event, we got a curveball: could we create an eye-catching “island” of décor to highlight the conference’s biggest giveaway, a cruise? Of course we could. With zero time to prime anything new, we pulled in our white pedestals and vintage luggage, used drapery in shades of blue as the “water,” grabbed a captain’s hat from Pearl’s prop tote, and made a quick buzz through local retailers for cruise-inspired finds like an anchor and netting.

The only thing we couldn’t find in town? A life preserver ring. So we DIY’d one the morning of the event with a white foam wreath form, red tape, Gorilla Glue, and a little jute rope. It might have been a last-minute fix, but it turned out to be one of our favorite little details of the weekend.

When the after party rolled around, the whole look flipped. Blue, white, and silver took center stage to celebrate KBA’s 80th anniversary. We designed balloon towers featuring shiny silver fringe, vinyl KBA logos, and oversized 80 numbers that made the perfect photo backdrop. And of course, Pearl made an appearance with her blue sparkle backdrop while Analea and Katelyn kept the crowd snapping selfies all night long.

One of our favorite parts of this event was connecting the dots. When the Badass Meetings team needed trusted local vendors, they came to us, and we knew exactly who to call. A DJ who can wake up a sleepy morning crowd? DJ Shay. A baker who can pull off a multi-tier masterpiece? Becca Bakes. Cold sparks for the fireworks moment? The Eric Group always delivers. Help getting those fireworks approved? Our friends at the City of Owensboro had it covered. Piano during cocktail hour? Colin MacQuerrie brought the class. Marquee letters for the after party? AlphaLit Western KY, obviously. And when it came to capturing it all, Dee Whitaker Media was behind the camera for two full days and somehow turned around a full album in 72 hours.

By the end of the weekend, our new friends from Badass Meetings were raving about their Owensboro experience and already talking about taking us with them to next year’s Kentucky conference. We made sure they knew these party people are always ready to travel.

Because once you’ve seen how we do corporate events, it’s hard to imagine doing one without us.

This event stretched us in all the best ways. It reminded us that growth doesn’t always come with a roadmap, and that when you own a business, sometimes you say yes first and figure it out along the way. We’re so proud of how far Something Borrowed has come and so grateful for opportunities that keep helping us grow into what we’re meant to be.

Vendors Featured

Planning: Badass Meetings

Design & Décor: Something Borrowed

Venue: Owensboro Convention Center

Floral: Ivy Trellis

DJ: DJ Shay

Cake: Becca Bakes

Cold Sparks: The Eric Group

Balloon Installations: Something Borrowed

Marquee Letters: AlphaLit Western KY

Piano: Colin MacQuerrie

Photography: Dee Whitaker Media

About the Author

Summer has been planning events since she could talk. From her sister’s Spongebob-themed birthday at age 7 to Hopkins County’s first (and only) “End of Middle School Blowout” (every ticket came with a free hot dog, and yes, the DJ brought a fog machine), she’s always had a knack for bringing people together and making it memorable.

In college, she hosted everything from sorority formals to nonprofit fundraisers, and today her experience spans hundreds of nonprofit and corporate events, concerts, festivals, and more weddings, birthdays, reunions and showers than she can count.

If you're looking for an event planner with an eye for detail, a heart for people, and just the right amount of bossiness to keep things running like clockwork, Summer’s your girl.