An interview with the Owner of Hub 925, An Urban Loft Venue in Orlando, Florida

Hello ladies and gentlemen! We just finished up another busy wedding season here at Hub 925, and now that we’re deep into the summer and before we crank back up again for our fall weddings, it’s time to get to know our Head Honcho, Cathy Cavins, Owner and Founder of Hub 925, An Urban Loft Venue located in the prestigious neighborhood of Doctor Phillips in Orlando, Florida. We’re actually located midway between 2 entertainment giants, Disney World and Universal Studios, so it’s a fabulous location to host parties, weddings and meetings alike! 

 

Cathy founded Hub 925 on September 25, 2015 (hence our name, Hub 925) with her good friend, Piper Hood, as a co-working and business meeting locale. Cathy’s background is actually design and building construction and because of Hub’s urban-chic styling influenced by Cathy’s background, the venue began getting many requests for private events in addition to business meetings and work-space. The venue has now grown into a premier wedding venue for Orlando offering full-service, all-inclusive weddings, known as The Trellis Weddings.  

 

Now, enough babbling from me on Hub’s history, let’s get on to the show – La Jefa herself, Cathy Cavins!

 

Brandon: Hello Cathy! For our readers at home, can you give us a little background on you? Where were you before Hub 925?

Cathy: Absolutely Brandon! After 35 years in the tough-guy field of design and construction as a construction business owner and Certified General Contractor, most recently building other wedding and event venues for Rosen Hotels & Resorts in Orlando (including the Rosen Centre Executive Ballroom, the Rosen Jewish Community Event Center, and the Clarion Conference Hall Addition), I have rediscovered my more feminine side, and with my oldest daughter’s wise vision (she’s a wedding planner and wedding planning app developer – EventSlayer), I am now fully focused on giving couples an amazing wedding experience here at Hub 925 called “The Trellis Weddings.”  

Brandon: Can you tell me a little bit about where the nick name “Pink Hard Hat” came from?

Cathy: Ha, ha, sure. Glenn Rosen (nephew of Harris Rosen and Director of Design and Construction for Rosen Hotels & Resorts) gave me that nickname after hearing numerous stories of what this good ‘ole gal was dealing with from good ‘ole boys working in the construction industry in the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s where women just weren’t accepted as part of the real workforce. Glenn thought I ought to write a book and call it “The Pink Hardhat” to share these stories. 

 

 

Brandon: Okay, so after 35 years in the construction industry, you segue into a new one. How did it all start? What made you put together ‘Hub 925’? 

Cathy: I was looking for a small, temporary office space for my construction company to rent between projects that was close to Rosen Hotels and where I lived. When I couldn’t find any, I teamed with my friend, Piper Hood, to open a “coworking” and meeting space in Dr. Phillips to meet an apparent need – to provide temporary workspace. Since I didn’t like the standard boring office design with acoustical ceilings, carpet and closed office doors, and I surely didn’t want to work in a space like that, we tore everything down and created an industrial chic styled space re-using furnishings originally designed by Trisha Poole of Design Poole Interiors of Winter Park. Most of the cool furniture you now see in Hub 925 – the reclaimed wood/iron bar, the Trellis, the Graffiti Tube – actually came from a tradeshow booth Trisha designed that was being dismantled after its use for a hospitality industry convention called BDNY (Boutique Design New York).  We felt so lucky and bought the whole booth and had it shipped in from California!

Brandon: What do you think strongly impacted your vision for Hub 925? Like, why is Hub 925 the way it is today based on your previous experience?

Cathy: I think dull spaces, like a typical office, bring forth dull ideas. The built environment can have a major impact on people and since we work so much of our lives, I felt our office environment needed to be something unique. And if we could share a unique space with others, all the better for everyone. Little did I know then that people would want to use Hub 925 for parties, much less weddings! It took my daughter, Claire, convincing me that young people really don’t want boring places – like a typical ballroom or golf course clubhouse – for weddings anymore either! Then, I got it.

Brandon: Now that you’re in the wedding and event industry, what keeps you in it? What wakes you up in the morning, and makes you look forward to another accomplishment in this industry?

Cathy: I just adore seeing happy people, and wedding days are one of the most happy and memorable days of anyone’s life. It’s just so exciting and rewarding to feel and be a part of someone else’s significant memories. I had one of our grooms come up to me at his wedding and thank me. I didn’t really know why until he said, “without you, we wouldn’t be able to be here having such a great time for our wedding.” He was really having fun – and that’s a major accomplishment!

Brandon: How different does this feel compared to everything else you’ve done before?

Cathy: Oh gosh, it’s like Night and Day! Construction is such a hard-line business and everyone involved seems just, well, Angry. It’s always high pressure – budget, schedule, contracts and arguments. I think since Hub 925 has such a unique vibe – a party vibe – we don’t get the bridezillas other wedding venues may get either. People who choose us really want to have a great time at their wedding, without all the stress. We’re an awesome looking venue, but just not a “fussy” looking venue!

 

Brandon: Let’s bring it to today. Hub 925 of today, how do you describe it in 3 words? 

Cathy: Of course: Stylish, Flexible, Uniquely Yours! Oh wait, that’s 4 words, but you get it.

Brandon: Finally, what do you hope to see for Hub 925 in the future?

Cathy: I hope to see more and more couples find us and experience what it’s like to get married “Under The Trellis” at Hub 925. Couples of all kinds and cultures. I just love learning about what people want for their weddings and events to make it special. We’ve had Asian tea wedding ceremonies, Moroccan weddings, LGBTQ weddings, weddings with dogs as ring-bearers, Indian Henna parties, and weddings where the brides wear black, not white! It’s such a different time – being standard just doesn’t fly anymore – I love it! 

 

Well that’s all folks! (Can I say that?) Thanks for joining us on another HubTalk! I’m your resident testosterone here at Hub 925, here to report to you all the exciting bits on Hub 925, and how we manage to mesh into two completely different categories of events, business and weddings! 

What questions do you have for Cathy? Are you hoping to begin your own expedition into the small business world, and are looking for some pointers? Do you aspire to have something tangibly yours in your own hands, created by your own decisions? At Hub 925, we’re a workplace where leading ladies take charge and show the guile and grit it takes to manage a business, so don’t hesitate to drop by and meet these wonderful people.