Energy, creativity drive festival director

By Kristen Poland
Staff Writer

Angel Postell’s first public relations job was not technically in public relations at all. Knowing it would be challenging to find a traditional public relations job right out of college, Postell accepted an administrative assistant position with an architectural firm in Florida, on the condition that they would allow her to experiment with marketing and public relations for the company in addition to doing her administrative work. Working early mornings and late nights allowed her to put together a comprehensive public relations program for the company, as well as complete all her administrative tasks. 

“I developed a marketing plan, sent out press releases to national media and got them recognition in national magazines,” Postell said. “They saw the results of what I was doing.”

Seeing the value of her work, the company relieved her of some of her administrative duties in order to allow her to concentrate on public relations. When she left the company, they hired a full-time public relations/marketing director — a position that previously did not exist.

That determination, energy and creativity characterizes Postell’s work as she has a history of taking on new and challenging projects, organizations and companies including her most recent venture as executive director of the Charleston Food + Wine Festival.

Working for the Jacksonville, Fla. Convention and Visitors Bureau, Postell sought to garner the city national attention by appealing to top-tier media outlets. She invited outside media to experience Jacksonville but instead of planning the usual dinners and walking tours, Postell took reporters on an adventure around Jacksonville that included pottery-making and a healing workshop. She wanted reporters to remember the city.

“I tried to find things to do in the city that no one had ever heard of,” Postell said.

After three years in Jacksonville, Postell felt her hometown beckoning and moved back to Charleston. A short stint with the Charleston Regional Convention and Visitors Bureau eventually led to a full-time position with the newly opened South Carolina Aquarium. Postell calls her job at the Aquarium one of the most challenging and rewarding positions she’s held. Crisis communication played a big part, as well as finding ways to reinvent the Aquarium’s appeal in order to captivate the media.

“After a tough day, I’d go downstairs and see kids playing and learning and I’d think, ‘That’s what it was all about,’” Postell said.

After four years with the Aquarium, Postell wanted to move on to something new so she launched her own company, Home Team Communications Inc., which specialized in representing artists, retail establishments, restaurants, festivals and small professional businesses. One of her clients was the Charleston Food + Wine Festival.

Postell’s relationship with the festival began as a volunteer on the committee that initially formed it in 2006. When the board approached her about accepting the account professionally, she said so, “reluctantly.” She loved her business and knew the festival would demand a great deal of her time. But she also loved the idea of creating a successful festival.

“I didn’t want it to fail,” Postell said.  

After the festival’s inaugural year in 2006, the board offered Postell the full-time position of executive director. While Postell has learned a few things about food and wine the last couple of years, she’s also received an education in event planning.

“I’ve learned about toilets and trash, Marion Square, permits, tents, rentals — things I never in my life thought I’d have to learn,” Postell said. “I have to deal with so many people on so many levels. It’s a balancing act. We build a mini-city from the ground up.”

This year’s festival is Feb. 28-March 2. The most noticeable change from last year will be more space in the culinary village in order to give festival-goers more breathing and browsing room than they’ve had in past years.

“Last year, we doubled our events but not our staff. This year we’re scaling back but we’re making every event the very best it can be,” Postell said. “In the culinary village, we’ve doubled the space, but not the vendors. The walk space between vendors will be bigger and we have set ticketed times for morning and evening when people can attend. This will allow people to have more of a one-on-one experience with the chefs, giving them the ability to ask questions.”

With the festival quickly approaching, Postell is still working the early mornings and late nights that were so crucial in the beginning of her career. However, she’s come a long way from her days as an administrative assistant. She feels at home in her current position and said she’s like to remain festival director for as long as she feels she can continue to make a positive impact on the festival.

“I’m thrilled to see this become a viable festival for the city,” Postell said. “The festival is in its infant or toddler stage. I’d like to see it walk.”

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