How do you manage the complex supply chain involved in high-profile events and ensure all moving parts align?

As Head of Events for large brands I manage a company’s most high-profile, complex events that often require a team of cross-functional stakeholders and agency partners plus additional freelancers, vendors and venues. The first key to success is building relationships before you are actually working together. I do a great deal of research by reviewing capabilities presentations, attending events that agencies produce, check references, and make site visits. When I send out an RFP, I know which vendors fit for my client’s events. I’m very lucky to have built a wealth of knowledge about agencies and venues, while simultaneously recognizing risks and weaknesses that can be addressed up front before a contract is signed.

Managing internal teams demands leadership by example and setting a team culture. The agencies and freelancers are extended members of the team and I make sure to meet weekly with their leadership to check in on how our teams are collaborating and if needed, make any adjustments. I think it is critical to have clearly established timelines with breakpoints so nobody is caught off guard. I subscribe to the RAPID model for team management so that there is one clear decision-maker and one clear performer of each task. This helps reduce churn and clarifies who needs to be included in meetings and decisions.

How have you adapted your strategies to accommodate for the rise in virtual and hybrid events?

You must know your business and attendee goals and consider the macroeconomic environment and any historical data from previous events. The intersection of these four buckets is where you find your event strategy. This means that for any given event, you may be optimizing for something different. For example, you may have a need to get the most senior executives in a room, which requires a different strategy from an event where you want great reach for a brand launch.

Once you have clarity on both your and the value for your attendees, you can focus on tactics. Teams often get lost here because they move straight to tactics or straight to the “how” rather than “why.” My role is help them optimize their strategy and establish key performance indicators and then facilitate execution.

Currently, executive events are mostly IRL and need high-touch, curated experiences to attract attendance. During COVID, I used Zoom to connect with CEOs in SoftBank Vision Fund’s portfolio, offering a close-knit group and expert insights under Chatham House Rules. Now, virtual events aren’t effective for reaching these CEOs. It’s crucial to consider all variables and revisit strategies quarterly.

What are some key strategies you employ to ensure inclusivity and diversity in your events?

I’m passionate about planning inclusive events that build community and promote career advancement for underrepresented groups. To avoid tokenism, I recommend taking a diverse approach to your planning right at the inception of planning. I love asking for volunteers to join the planning team or sit on a “steering committee” to offer a diverse opinion and often get insights I would have overlooked otherwise.

I also recommend asking your vendors about their DEI standards and considering hiring diverse vendors. By building the event with a diverse internal and external team, you are weaving diversity into the fabric of the event and attendees will feel that through the experience.

It’s important to have a variety of speakers—not just from different genders—but also different personality types, ages and styles. I am a fan of community-circle or un-conference-driven breakout sessions that allow attendees to self-organize and contribute to the content. A recent study showed that event planners believe attendees only go to breakout sessions 40% of the time. So, a little diversity could help the content resonate.

Oftentimes, if I see that one group is not well represented, I have my clients’ executives send invites directly to our that group of attendees and/or subsidize attendance to get more of that particular group’s representation.

Can you share a memorable experience where you had to navigate a crisis and how you managed to keep everything on track?

Event planning often comes with high-pressure situations and last-minute changes. Recently, I supported a client where one of the three LED panels on a 70’ screen went black during rehearsal. Receiving mixed messages about the issue, I called a meeting with the AV company and hotel. It turned out the AV lead was unqualified and providing inaccurate information. I requested a replacement, and the AV company sent a more capable lead with backup equipment. Meanwhile, we ran a simu-rehearsal in another ballroom. The main screen was ready for the show, and I negotiated a 50% discount for the client due to the issue. I also shared this experience with my industry peers to warn them about this venue and AV team. Event planners are a tight-knit community, always looking out for each other.

As someone who is a certified interior designer and sommelier, what advice would you give to aspiring planners about developing interdisciplinary skills?

Certifications themselves won’t guarantee you a successful career, but can help you establish a niche or learn deeply about a subject that may help you professionally. Having a growth mindset is critical. I received my Court Master Sommelier certification when I was planning on having an event-planning company in Napa, before I went in-house at Google. My goal was to build my credibility with the winery venues I knew and that I could function better if I knew the ins and outs of the wine business. It was really fun, challenging, and I learned so much in an adjacent field to Event Planning that has been an enduring skill I can use in my career and everyday life. Similarly, interior design was another skill that was fun to learn and has helped me professionally even though it’s an adjacent discipline.

Aspiring planners need to consider specialization within a niche for yourself, or becoming a generalist. It simply comes down to your passions, personality and your fit to either approach. I wrote an entire chapter about this in my book, “The Art of Event Planning” and encourage people to check that out!

What impact has integrating wellness practices into your event-planning process had on the success of your events?

I believe building mental strength is just as important as physical exercise and in the high-stress field of event planning, it’s a necessity if you want an enduring career. A Google executive once shared this phrase: “Stress + Rest = Growth” at an all-company kickoff and I’ve never forgotten it. Just like our computers need to reboot from time to time and our muscles need a rest day, we make much better decisions and think more creatively when we take pauses to sleep, spend time in nature, meditate, take a vacation, spend time with friends and family and even attend events or do things that inspire. I am a high energy person and not inclined to rest, but I find I get my inspiration and think more strategically when spending time away from the day-to-day tasks and my computer. It is a discipline to take rest but important to plan for it. Even when onsite at an event, I will plan shifts for my team and me so that everyone has a chance to sleep and we are therefore making better decisions, and performing better because of it.