Meet Event Planner Alicja Burek of Alicja Events, LTD.

August 5th, 2015 | hereschicago

Jim Grillo, CMP of HeresChicago.com interviews Alicja Burek of Alicja Events, LTD. for this month’s Meet an Event Planner segment.

How did you get into event planning?

Since early childhood I developed an interest for fashion events and social functions making clothes and organizing “royal balls” for my Barbie dolls.  Right after college I started modeling career, which gave me exposure to various events and functions. However, I started to notice redundancies and aspects of each event and how they could be improved to a higher quality standard. Working behind the stage was more tempting than being on the stage. My first event was a fundraiser for my brother, who lost his house, belongings and business in the fire.

Who has been the biggest influence in your life?

I meet people, who inspire and influence me every day. However I must say that my parents have been the biggest influence of all. They taught me that nothing in life comes easy and we have to work really hard in order to achieve set goals. Also to believe in ourselves no matter what and never give up.

What kinds of things really make you laugh?

I love comedies …but Mr. Bean is the winner in the laugh category. I also enjoy a good joke.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?

I was born and raised in Europe and I always loved to travel. There are many places that I love to go back to. I’ve always loved the city but nothing calms me down and resets as much as spending my free time surrounded by nature.

Who is your best friend? What do you like about him/her?

My best fiend’s name is Saba. I truly believe that we are soul mates. We love to travel and go on road trips together.  No matter if we laugh, fight or cry we can always find a great way to spend free time together.  We are both passionate, hard working girls that like to have good time from time to time.

What is your favorite movie of all time? Why so?

The beauty of nature and harmony in Avatar made it one of my favorite ones.

What’s your biggest goal in life right now?

We all know that setting up measurable goals is an inevitable part of the growing process. My biggest goal right now is to grow my company by producing unforgettable, well-planned and organized events.  Each event has to be better than the previous one.

What is your favorite way to spend a Saturday?

I love active lifestyle. Favorite way to spend Saturday would be with friends biking, hiking, going to a movie theater, or skydiving.

Do you have any pet peeves?

I have couple pet peeves. One is: people who blame anything but themselves for their failure.  Another one is: drivers who don’t use their turn signal and use horn too much while driving.

What was your family like growing up?

I must say that I was lucky to grow up in a full house with both parents and 4 siblings.  My childhood always reminds me of a big house with a big yard, where I could play war or other games with my siblings and friends. It also reminds me of fun, road trips and family holidays but also of all the chores assigned by my strict dad.

What were you like as a kid?

Growing up I was a tomboy, hanging out mostly with the boys, fighting with my brother about clothes and not paying attention to all the scars and bruises. It was right in high school when I started discovering the beauty of being a girl.

What should I know about you that I’d never think to ask about?

On one hand I am still the tomboy who loves to drive fast cars especially the ones with manual transmission, on the other hand I am well-behaved girl who plays piano and does runway shows from time to time.

Did you—or do you—have a nickname? What’s the story behind it?

My nickname comes from my childhood. I was always very curious and wanted to know everything so my sister started calling me a spy.

Alicja Burek is the founder of Alicja Events, Ltd. and can be reached at: 

www.alicjaevents.com
info@alicjaevents.com
(P) 773-616-3107
524 W Devon
Park Ridge, IL 60068