How did you get your start?

I fell into the events industry through working for a non-profit. You wear many hats and ended up planning board meetings for 30 people each month and moved onto Galas. I consider my first big girl job The Basilica. I remember by then boss asking me if I knew anyone interested in an events job and she remembers it as do you know anyone interested in an events job. 

I think what got me to the point where I am today are the relationships I have built over the years with vendors, volunteers and co workers. I have tried hard to who my value through each event that I produce. I make sure I am along side everyone else when we are picking up the trash or pouring the beer or hauling wood to make the fires at Holidazzle. My first year I became the fire master.

I always want to be a part of making the world a better place and I am very lucky to be able to do that through events. 

How do you plan for an event when you do not know what the weather will be like?

• Always have a risk management plan that includes weather and make sure all your vendors have a copy of it
• Talk to the Police, Fire and EMTs about their recommendations. 
• Plan ahead, where do people go, where does the talent go?

How do you push the boundaries?  

• When I say boundaries, it doesn’t always mean bringing in something crazy that no one has seem before. Say you have events with a long history, and you have a great team of folks who have been working on that same event for a long time. Help them think outside the box. What can we stop doing and what can we do that’s new? What are some new revenue streams? 
  • Why are we doing something that creates more work and what is the ROI? 
  • How can we look at the space differently? 
  • Why does the stage always need to go in the same place?
  • Yes we do need to do active shooter training and yes we should have the contact information for all the buildings surrounding the event in case someone decides to throw a party and watch the show on the roof and we don’t go into full active shooter mode.

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