Cincy Chic

I actually met Amy and the Cincy Chic staffers at Night In White in April last year and it was fantastic! The event was so great and I only heard great things about Amy and Cincy Chic while I was there. Their publication is easy to read, interactive, and full of great information! I have attended multiple Cincy Chic events since and I have always been impressed. Most of their events sell out and people are dying to get to their events. Amy and her team have a great thing going for the women of the Greater Cincinnati Area.

I’ve attended two events hosted by Cincy Chic, and while both of them exposed me to several «boutique» type shops that I’d otherwise probably not visit, the logistics of the events could use some work. The first event was the Shop Hop in Hyde Park Square. Attendees were given a card with hints that led them to various boutiques in Hyde Park. Most of the participating boutiques had some sort of munchies and wine, which was a great touch, and it was fun to have a reason to go to all of the shops in one night. Problem was, the event was supposed to end at Tellers, and supposedly, we were going to get food and drink specials. There was also going to be a drawing for a prize basket at 9 that night, but most of us finished the «scavenger hunt» by about 7:30, and when we got to Teller’s, it was just a lot of the participants sitting around waiting for the drawing… no food or drink specials either, according to the waiter. So my girlfriends and I just decided to go elsewhere for dinner. OK event, but wish the final stop at Teller’s had been a little better planned out.
Today, I went to the Seasonably Chic Showcase at The Phoenix, and it was a HUGE letdown. The invitation said that the first 100 people would receive a «swag bag» worth more than $ 300. Probably should have been skeptical that they would have given away $ 30,000 worth of actual «goods,» but I fell for it and showed up around 9:30 for the event that started at 10. I was surprised to find a line of women waiting outside the entrance to the Phoenix. It was probably less than 40 degrees outside, and we were just waiting around outside… freezing. I realize the hosts probably needed time to get the event set up, but I would have expected them to have some other plan in place for us to wait indoors for the event to actually start, especially knowing that many people would show up early to be among the first «swag bag 100.» When we finally got in and got our swag bag, I was disappointed to find that it was mostly full of coupons (including one for $ 500 off of any plastic surgery procedure— seriously?!). We got a little mint and a bag clip, but definitely nothing worth waiting outside in the cold for. Again, today’s event brought together a lot of local shop owners, including people selling clothing, accessories, jewelry and even a few tasty treats, but the venue was crowded, and I left pretty soon after I got there. A waste of time in my opinion.
I think Cincy Chic is a great web site, and perhaps I’ve just been unlucky with the two events I’ve gone to, but I just can’t give them more than 2 stars based on what I’ve experienced.