Who/ what inspired you to go into event planning?
My Grandma is my inspiration for going into the event industry. She taught me the importance of being a great Hostess, taking care of people and setting a nice table. Instead of talking about school or sports, we would talk about what color palette we wanted to go with for the Christmas dinner table. Believe it or not I was actually on my way to attending Law School, but my Grandma’s voice was ringing in my ear telling me to just follow my passion and do what I love. I haven’t looked back since! My Grandma is 98 years young now, and we still set the table together.
Tell us one thing we might not learn about you right away?
I grew up competitive horseback riding, specifically Dressage which is a highly skilled and unique form of riding, kind of similar to ballet or gymnastics for a horse. My horses name was Maurice Cheval, named after Maurice Chevalier (Cheval means Horse in French). I don’t talk about this part of my life very often because I miss it too much!
What do you love the most about what you do?
I love that there is no ceiling in what we do. It is amazing that we can curate an experience for a Client or a creative décor look that pushes boundaries or communicates a message. It’s about so much more than a pretty centerpiece these days. There is so much variety and no two events are ever the same.
Where did you grow up?
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
What is your event gone wrong horror story?
Can I plead the fifth? Only kidding … I have been really, really lucky. From being on the hotel side planning social and corporate events to now being on the DMC side, I have truly loved working with all of my Clients. The worst moment at an event was probably when an inappropriate scene from a movie started playing on every single TV monitor in the entire venue. It was definitely one of those moments where you wish the floor was quicksand. Luckily, everyone was too busy having fun to notice 😊
What made you interested in participating in ILEA?
The educational and developmental aspects of ILEA made me interested in participating. I’ve found that each time I attend an ILEA event I learn something new. To me this is really powerful and actually priceless. Love a good networking event, but when I can walk away with a new or different perspective I know I’m investing my time well and ILEA does this for me.
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