SOUTHERN C SUMMIT – CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

With a talent for making the ordinary extraordinary Kimberly Schlegel Whitman has taken her original and clever take on parties and created an entrepreneurial empire. While planning her own Idlewild Debutante Ball in Dallas, Texas, Kimberly found an undiscovered opportunity—a lack of quality goods for party rentals. In 1998, a quick thinking Kimberly launched her own event company, RSVP Soiree Luxury Event Rentals, and, after building up a wonderful business, sold it in 2006. She also took the century old RSVP Social Calendar online in 1999 and continues to maintain this comprehensive list of Dallas’ finest charitable events at www.RSVPcalendar.com. Kimberly’s success in this field led to the publication of six books on entertaining, countless television appearances, a daily radio segment on Dallas’ number one morning show and a spot as co-host of KTXD’s live daily television talk show, Texas Living. In 2011, she became the Editor-at-Large of Southern Living Magazine, the seventh-largest monthly paid consumer magazine in the nation.

Kimberly’s most recent book, Wedding Inspiration (Gibbs-Smith, $40.00) shares an intimate look at beautiful weddings with stylish flair. In the book, experts in the wedding and event planning industries share opinions and advice on some of the most important elements of a wedding- the invitations, gown, cake, venue, and more. This book provides an unforgettable collection of inspiration and ideas for planning the perfect wedding.

Kimberly’s book, The Party Planner: An Expert Organizing Guide for Entertaining (Gibbs-Smith, $24.99) organizes the process of planning and hosting a party, from the earliest inception to working with a budget, choosing a venue, hiring catering and musicians, creating a guest list and invitations, decorating, seating, stocking a bar, photography, entertainment, favors and attire– in essence, organizing every last detail for hosting a successful party for any occasion. The inspiring photographs and binder format are a great way to stay organized when making plans to entertain. Find more inspiration in “Kim’s Whims” which are scattered throughout the book. With this book, Kimberly holds your hand through creating a fun-filled soiree without stress.

Tablescapes: Setting the Table with Style (Gibbs-Smith, $39.95), is a book that brings focus to adding beauty to time spent with family and friends. This book brings Kimberly’s passion for setting the table to life with over thirty tablescapes that are meant to inspire. The book includes tips and hints on invitations, seating of guests, and up-to-date rules of etiquette. Whether you’re designing an intimate setting with a few close friends or a table for more than a hundred guests, Tablescapes includes a list of resources for finding the perfect items to create your table setting.

The project closest to Kimberly’s heart is The Wedding Workbook: A Time Saving Guide for the Busy Bride (Gibbs-Smith, $24.95). The Wedding Workbook offers every bride-to-be a tool for staying organized while planning her big day. The workbook is designed to hold contracts and other official documents, but it is also filled with beautiful places to fill out all of the information about the bride’s gown, wedding party, reception site décor, ceremony flowers and much more. It is a great keepsake that can be pulled out on a future anniversary to reminisce.

Kimberly’s passion for pets is evident in her entertaining book exclusively for dog lovers, Dog Parties: Entertaining Your Party Animal (Gibbs-Smith, $19.95). Dog Parties is the essential new party planning guide that offers entertaining ideas for throwing any posh pup a fabulous soiree. From a birthday party to a “Howl-o-ween” party to an afternoon art gallery opening, Dog Parties offers great tips for planning and executing every detail of a party for your pooch.

Kimberly’s first book, The Pleasure of Your Company: Entertaining in High Style (Gibbs-Smith, $34.95) remains high on every hostess’s list of party resources. It is filled with tips and photographs from over thirty events from across the country. Kimberly shares not only her own ideas for entertaining, but also features tips from her favorite hosting mentors. From a gala evening to an intimate seated dinner, the book is a never-ending source of inspiration.

Kimberly and her flourishing business have been featured in national publications such as Vanity Fair, Elle, Vogue, Town and Country, Southern Living, Better Homes Gardens, Real Simple, Self, Businessweek, Traditional Home, Canadian House and Home, Animal Fair, Southern Lady, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, Martha Stewart’s Blueprint, Doggie Aficionado, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many more. She has been featured in the books, “Texas Women” and “Texans and Their Pets.” Kimberly has been coroneted an “Entertaining Expert,” a “Style Expert,” an “Etiquette Expert,” and an “Arbiter of Taste and Style” on the following television programs: The Today Show, Access Hollywood, CBS The Early Show, Hallmark Home and Family, The Nate Berkus Show, The Tyra Banks Show, Fine Living and HGTV, WB in the Morning, Designing America, Designing Texas, Good Morning Texas, Good Day Dallas, Good Day Atlanta, Good Day LA, NBC’s iVillage Live and many more. She was also a featured event planner on the Style Network’s hit show “Whose Wedding is it Anyway?” She has hosted lifestyle segments for MSN, The Montage Resorts, Southern Living, Fine Living, Designing America, Designing Texas, The Bridal Guide and more! She also loves interviewing celebrities on the red carpets from film premiers to awards shows.

By now you probably think you know everything there is to know about her, but I bet you didn’t guess that she has been to Flower School in Paris, Trapeze School in Santa Monica and went on a year long trip around the world with her family when she was a teenager.

Kimberly is a graduate of Southern Methodist University with an Honors degree in Art History. She continued to study art connoisseurship at Christie’s in New York after completing her degree. Her community involvements are numerous and include: Kappa Alpha Theta Sorority (Beta Sigma Chapter), Dallas Symphony Orchestra League Debutante, Idlewild Debutante and The National Debutante Cotillion. Kimberly donates her time to many charitable organizations including The Board of the American Red Cross, co-chair of North Texas Food Bank’s Food 4 Kids Program and a member of the NTFB Board, The Advisory Board of New Friends New Life, and was honored with the Volunteer of the Year Award by the American Heart Association. She was the recipient of Northwood University’s Distinguished Women’s Award, the Virginia Chandler Dykes Leadership Award from TWU, The Women Who Make A Difference Award from The Little Flower Organization of New York, and the Women that Soar award. Kimberly resides in Dallas, Texas with her real estate developer husband, Justin, their son, JR, and daughter Millie Stuart.