Anthology - 2011 Winter Gift Guide

C onve rsation

JOSE VILLA

Alison Hotchkiss describes her-
self as a natural group leader; it is a char-
acteristic that has no doubt served her well in her
career. “I always had an interest in getting friends
together—whether it was organizing a ski trip,
dinner party, or weekend getaway,” she notes.
Immediately after college, she landed a gig with
a corporate event planner. In essence, she
was paid to do what she loves: plan group gath-
erings. “I realized I had found my calling,”
says Alison. She went on to work with an event
designer, a florist, a caterer, and several wedding
planners. In 2003, she hung her own shingle—
launching Alison Events, which specializes in
events and weddings. The San Francisco resident
travels often for her job, having coordinated over
100 destination weddings. She even wrote
a book on such festivities: Destination Wedding
Planner: The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Wed-
ding from Afar. Around the holidays though, Alison
observes that “it’s nice to stay close to home and
spend more time with friends and family.”