A skillset that is often overlooked or undervalued in events.

Common sense business acumen. You need to understand how your team or department impacts the business. In internal events, we play an incredible role in talent acquisition, retention and recognition, so understanding how your event moves the company’s strategy forward makes you valuable and allows you a seat at the table. This also changes the optics of events. I wish more leaders would see the experiential industry as a true business tool, include it in their business strategy, and fight for it when looking for things to downsize or pull back on. 

An experiential marketing trend that has your attention.

Accessibility. The one great thing that came out of the pandemic by shifting experiences online is they made them accessible to many more individuals. As we bring experiences back in person, it affords us the opportunity to reshape live events to be more inclusive and diverse with the ability for more geographic locations to participate or by making accommodations for all to participate in an experience.

How can the industry do better at finding and supporting talent?

Help remove barriers. Many companies go to a skills-first approach when it comes to hiring talent. By removing career barriers like four-year degrees, we support economic equity and most definitely diversity. By clearing the obstacles, you get exposure to talent that would never walk through your doors the traditional way.

Who or what inspires you most?

Innovators and companies who are moving the dial to put great talent in the spotlight inspire me. GigOut and its leader, Nora Moore, is looking to change how we look at hiring. By providing a platform for creatives to showcase their “resumes,” she is disrupting the way we search for creative talent. It is where LinkedIn meets TikTok. 

Biggest opportunities ahead for the events industry.

Value-based events will be key in the event space for the foreseeable future. An event or experience is a reflection of a company. As a whole, what a company or an organization values will show up in their events—through content, like diverse speakers and meaningful conversations, and sustainability, as in reducing their carbon footprint.

How can organizations foster a culture of belonging?

I still struggle with a sense of belonging—am I asking too many questions, talking too much or too little? Do I sound unprofessional? We all desire to be part of something bigger than ourselves and when that connection is not there, the work can be painful. Trusting in the team is paramount, so organizations need to provide a safe place for their teams by creating different ways for individuals to have their voices heard. By giving individuals the space to contribute, they can trust that they are part of the team.

Your ‘aha, events are my passion’ moment.

It’s in a series of moments that all end in connecting people to people, people to communities and ideas, or people to locations.

A skillset that is often overlooked or undervalued in events.

Empathy. I think a lot of times people get into their heads about what an event person should be like, but I don’t think empathy is one of those things that’s immediately thought of. You have to be able to see things from a wide range of lenses. So, if you’re charged with creating a diverse panel or event, it’s making sure that you look at it from both a micro and macro level, and that you’re being sensitive to those nuances that may be missing. I think that’s something that really matters.

Biggest opportunities ahead for the events industry.

Creating authentic hybrid events and finding innovative ways to make them feel more innovative, inspiring and fresh. There’s a lot of opportunity to develop them in more meaningful ways. I know there are a lot of different platforms that are evolving and developing, but I think there’s so much opportunity that exists in that space, especially within the networking realm.

How can the industry do better at finding and supporting talent?

The pandemic created a shift in our mindset around perfectionism, and I think that embracing and nurturing moments of authenticity and vulnerability is key. A lot of times people get into this hustle mentality of always having to strive and do more, and to appear as “perfect.” Whereas the world has shifted into a place where there is a craving for people to be more authentic and vulnerable. An industry that allows people to “come as they are” is definitely a step in the right direction.

It’s also looking at people outside of the box and looking at things from a diverse perspective of personality type, embracing both introverts and extroverts, and all different types of personalities. It adds value to an environment. People tend to look for others who are very similar to themselves, but there’s so much magic that can happen when you look for people that are different than you, because they bring a different “special sauce” into the work.

An experiential trend that has your attention.

Creative networking. I’m a socially anti-social introverted extrovert. So, a lot of things usually depend on my mood and the energy. However, I always love an authentic networking moment. It’s one of the things that has been lost within the virtual landscape. I love bringing people back into a human space and just having them think as humans, and so I’m always really interested in platforms that allow people to network creatively.

A company that’s putting out inclusive, forward-thinking campaigns.

Nike. They put a lot of intentionality behind what they put out there and I like a lot of their inclusive marketing campaigns. A lot of times when people hear the word diversity or that they have to participate in diversity, they think of it as a one-way. But a lot of the Nike campaigns look beyond just checking the box off. I think that comes forth with how people respond to them. It’s kind of like character development—telling a story that will speak to and resonate with the audience that you’re trying to reach. That intentionality is huge.

How can organizations foster a culture of belonging?

Employee resource groups are helpful because people can get so caught up in the day-to-day monotony of work. When you create safe spaces of connection and community-building, that adds a different layer into the workspace. Having spaces of true engagement allows employees to feel a little bit more open to sharing and connecting, and really builds bridges of authenticity. When companies focus on establishing those things to take place, people feel valued. And I think that that really speaks volumes in terms of people feeling that they belong.

How can the industry do better at finding and supporting talent?

I love that this question was separated into finding and also supporting talent because they are different. “Finding” is: How do you show up at diverse talent fairs or schools or communities to hire? But then once they’re in the door, how do you make sure that they’re in the right environment to be successful? I think supporting talent has to do with ensuring leadership is diverse. I can speak from my experience. I didn’t see an Asian leader for the first five years of my career. I thought that meant I had to act and look a certain way if I ever wanted to be a leader. And then one day when I saw an Asian woman in leadership who looked like me, it suddenly up-leveled my work. So, I think investing in leadership can trickle down and actually help other talent feel like they can also be there one day in that seat.

How can organizations foster a culture of belonging?

Part of it is making sure people are invited to conversations and there is openness to listen to all ideas and test them out. Ideas can really come from anywhere, and if someone’s not even invited into the conversations, they’re not set up to succeed.

A professional achievement of which you’re most proud.

Last summer, I created inclusive language guidelines for LinkedIn’s marketing organization and hosted training sessions for over 900 marketers. In order for us to foster an inclusive brand and inclusive platform, it had to start with fostering inclusivity with one another as individuals. So, I created guidelines and hosted immersive internal trainings for our marketers around the world. We talked about: How do we create inclusive teams? How do we create inclusive work? How do we evaluate inclusive work? And it was really rooted in: Do we understand what it means to be inclusive, whether it’s intentional or unintentional? And it was powerful to get to spend so many months immersed in this and then get to share it with everyone.

Who or what inspires you most?

I always say, if there was a dream mentor, it would be Mindy Kaling for a couple different reasons. Mindy Kaling started out in an industry that was truly not made for her. She started out in the writer’s room as a diversity hire. No one thought anything of her, but she not only climbed through the industry, but has been so intentional in telling stories about underrepresented communities and creating multifaceted characters. And secondly, she stays authentically herself. She’s so fun, clever, lively and a little bit out there, which I think was different from a lot of the other white men that she was surrounded by in the writer’s room. But she continued to stay true to her voice, her personality, her authentic self. So, I try to remember that in my own work.

Advice you would give to others building a career in events.

Soak up everything. Take note of every detail and experience—whether it’s managing the timeline, giving feedback to your agencies, evaluating the guest list. Even when the tasks can be mundane, learning how to anticipate needs and remove friction will be transferable in everything you do. Once you have those first few years under your belt absorbing these moments, you will realize you have gained so many skills on how to create incredible moments for brands and consumers in other facets of marketing.

A professional achievement of which you’re most proud.

Certainly, a big proud moment was when I landed my current role at McDonald’s. It was a little bit of a pivot from my past work, but it captured me because it’s allowed me to bring my passion, expertise, and identity to the table. I had never really had the chance to bring my own experiences as an Asian-American woman into the world of marketing until now.

A skillset that is often overlooked or undervalued in events.

The ability to resolve issues quickly, to think ahead, and be willing to wear many hats. I’ve seen firsthand how this is such a valuable quality—sometimes you’re pulling up your sleeves to serve slushies, sometimes you jump in line to do crowd control, or you have to strategize a new production setup because materials you needed didn’t ship in time. The ability to mold, mend and adjust and not get flustered by the circumstances.

How can the industry do better at finding and supporting talent? 

Encourage companies, organizations and hiring managers to be open to the fact that people may not fit the exact criteria for the position that you’re filling and instead identify potential and the willingness to learn, because so much of this can be taught on the job. Value the person and who they are, and what they bring to the table. People deserve opportunities and you don’t want to miss out on an amazing candidate that could add value to your team if you don’t go in with an open mind. 

How can organizations foster a culture of belonging?

Sometimes bringing your authentic self to work is being able to acknowledge and recognize what else is happening around you and having empathy. I would also say by leading by example, by being vulnerable and authentic, even if sometimes it’s not pretty, you’re able to create space for the people you work with to do the same. Your authentic self is the highs and the lows—bringing the humor, being thoughtful and bringing energy. 

Biggest opportunities ahead for the events industry. 

We’ve seen a lot of this, and McDonald’s is doing this as well, but for me it’s collaborations with other mediums and brands, and seeing two brands come together or multiple brands come together. I love the opportunity to occupy new spaces and push boundaries of thinking. A few examples: Crocs and Balenciaga or Goldfish and Old Bay, and then how McDonald’s has worked with BTS, and all our Famous Orders, really. It pushes people out of their comfort zones, inspires creativity, and it’s a great way for people and brands to share knowledge.

An experiential trend that has your attention. 

The metaverse. We tiptoed into that space through a partnership with popular gaming collective, OfflineTV, and went even bigger for Lunar New Year with our McDonald’s “Hall of Zodiacs,” featuring artwork from fashion designer Humberto Leon. Even as a food brand, we can see a future where people can order food through a virtual experience like this. For us, it’s about play and creativity, but also leveraging a safe space for people to engage with us from home. 

A company that’s putting out inclusive, forward-thinking campaigns. 

I think McDonald’s does a really good job at thinking about what it means to be inclusive. How do we make sure that we’re speaking to people based on their nuanced experiences and backgrounds and identities? Obviously, it’s not perfect, and every brand can make improvements, but the intention and the spirit of that is there because the people that are working within the organization are representative of that. It’s a very open space for us to bring forward our perspectives and then that translates to campaigns.

A professional achievement of which you're most proud.

The ability to reach people at a greater scale. Whether through my social platforms and uplifting jobseekers, international students/foreign nationals or early in career professionals. That has been powerful for me. And it bleeds into the work I do. I lead marketing/demand gen and influencer programs for internal events, at Microsoft. I also work to ensure that our marketing materials also capture the employee audience for those events. But also, for external events – that people, employee or not are able to see themselves in our marketing materials. A lot of the time companies will go out of their way to incorporate external influencers and creators. And a lot of the time, they'll forget about including their own employees. Employees tell me they like being included or are happy that our marketing shows how multifaceted they are. Most recently for Microsoft Build, we had employees create their own “get ready with me”/”day in the life” content and it was well received. Employees expressed how they felt seen. So, being more inclusive of not only external but also focusing on the employee-creator.

A skillset that's often overlooked or undervalued in events.

The ability to stay focused on the audiences you’re actually creating an experience for, whether it's people who are going to attend an event or the people who are supposed to buy the product. Often marketers can be too focused on the stakeholders. And then, I do think the talents of your own employees are often overlooked to star in campaigns or contribute their skills to telling the story.

How can organizations foster a culture of belonging?

I think it goes above and beyond saying, “Bring your whole self to work.” Because not everyone wants to bring their whole self to work. What society has become now is that everybody has to show all sides of who they are all the time. And that becomes so exhausting, right? Think about social media, where people think the only way to create a community or to build a following is to be hyper vulnerable and share every single crevice of their life. A lot of people believe being vulnerable all the time is the only way to be yourself. I don't think that's true, and I don't think that cultivates a culture of belonging. I think belonging is giving your employees the power of choice and the ability to choose how and when they want to show up and supporting them in that decision.

Biggest opportunities ahead for the events industry.

The industry is starting to wake up to the power of creators. We're seeing it now with the rise of creators on platforms such as TikTok and the amount of ad spend that companies are allocating to creators on TikTok The industry is realizing how big the opportunity is to collaborate with people who have fostered/are fostering real communities and who have a strong and trusting following.

Who or what inspires you most?

It'll always and forever be my parents. My parents moved from Ghana to Botswana and raised my siblings and I there and it was a lot of sacrificing and starting from scratch. They sent us to the United States for higher education in hopes that we would have a better education thus leading to access to better opportunities and  from there, the ability to create better lives for ourselves. They continue to support me with love, faith and compassion. In times when I'm thinking I can't do something or I want to give up, I'll remember something they said or I'll call them, and they always have the right thing to say.

A professional achievement of which you’re most proud. 

I’m proud of my work from this year’s NAB Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This was my first year leading multiple key projects for the show, including designing two new lounge areas for the broadcast community, a new short-form content series called “NAB Sip and Speak Series,” two happy hours and a reception, as well as the marketing pieces for our broadcast audience. On top of that, I worked with our chief diversity officer to develop our first in-person Diversity Symposium to help broadcast organizations develop and foster corporate DEI strategies and embrace diverse representation in media, which is a topic that I am quite passionate about. Not only did I help program these panel discussions, but I also had the opportunity to lead one of the panels as a first-time moderator. 

How can the industry do better at finding and supporting talent? 

By embracing candidates with non-traditional professional backgrounds and versatile skillsets, and removing biased job requirements, like “agency experience.” Talent from smaller markets may not have access to very many agencies, so when agency experience is required or preferred, it creates a form of gatekeeping that only benefits those with access and/or in larger markets. It’s a cycle that leaves many talented creatives out of this amazing industry. Hiring talent from underrepresented communities and empowering them to make decisions will ultimately help brands create authentic cultural connections with their audience.

How can organizations foster a culture of belonging?

Start with hiring a diverse team and then don’t micromanage them. I’ve grown so much as a marketer in my current role and that’s in large part due to having a team that believes in me and trusts and supports me. They’re not concerned if I’m on a Zoom call in a turban and a sweatshirt or if I change my hair color every week or if I start my workday later, they know what I’m capable of and that I’m going to make things happen. Embrace the diversity and uniqueness of your team to enhance the workplace culture and brand.

Advice you would give to others building a career in events.

Go with your intuition, especially if you’re a person of color. When I was younger, I never wanted to share my opinions with the team because I was always worried about being loud and wrong. More times than not, either someone else in the room said what I was already thinking, or I realized later that my idea could have been the solution to a problem. Trust yourself and bring your unique perspective and experience to the table.

Who or what inspires you most? 

Issa Rae has inspired me the most, especially these past few years. She has done so much for Black creatives and really the Black community in general. From HBO’s “Insecure,” to creating very curated events for the Black creative community and even her MasterClass on TV writing. She’s inspired me to not limit myself and continue pursuing other creative paths too, like screenwriting and storytelling. 

A company that’s putting out inclusive, forward-thinking campaigns.

I really admire what Rihanna has done with her Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty brands. She’s completely disrupted the beauty and fashion industry by tearing down beauty norms and featuring models of all colors and sizes and genders. Especially with the Savage x Fenty fashion show that she premieres on Prime Video every season, it’s always so innovative and inclusive. I love that anyone can look at the Fenty campaigns and easily see themselves represented.

A professional achievement of which you’re most proud. 

Professionally, in a former role, I truly am so very proud of being able to work on ComplexCon, a project that I was able to be on from the beginning. It’s now a global cultural tentpole event and we accomplished that in the first couple of years. 

Personally, I am also so proud of the arts organization I co-founded, ARTNOIR. We formed a partnership with the Meatpacking District in New York City in 2021 and we built a pop-up gallery with artists of color, event programming and featured live performances in the Plaza. I think I’ve realized as a producer and a marketer, that I can contribute to and help build platforms for other creatives outside my industry.  

One thing you would change about the industry.

I would like to see companies and brands take a risk on new concepts that really create ways for attendees to engage and interact. I think from a brand storytelling perspective, there are so many creative ways to do that. We can go further and provide true takeaways that are intangible—not just physical items that a consumer might be walking away with. When we’re creating events, I tend to ask more questions than I have answers for, which I think truly helps push us all creatively. 

Biggest opportunities ahead for the events industry. 

How we engage with and share content, both from the on-site and a virtual perspective. I’m really interested in how new tech innovations are integrated. We went from clipboards to iPads, right? So, what’s the next iteration: What does registration and check-in look like if we’re doing touchless pay systems, and how does that impact the experience when you come into an event? I just attended an event for the Virgil Abloh-designed Louis Vuitton and Nike Air Force collaboration and they had the physical sneakers on display there, but they also had digital screens with 3D modeling and interactive ways for you to play with the product in a new way. The way tech is participating in experiences is really exciting. 

Advice you would give to others building a career in events.

I talk to a lot of people who either want to get in or are trying to transition into events and it’s important for people to recognize how there are so many transferable skillsets, from project management to budgeting and understanding how numbers work. 

You could be coming in from customer relations, and understand language around care is important for brand ambassador training or copy around an experience. The biggest piece of advice I impart is that events are not for the faint of heart. You have to understand the golden rule of events: If it can, it will.

Who or what inspires you most? 

My kids. My eldest has had the chance to see a few different events that I’ve worked on. I want them to understand that you can do anything. In some of these experiences we’re building, I explain that someone built this, someone worked on the design, and having them understand how far your imagination can get you and what’s possible when you use your creativity. I think that the next generation is coming into an era that is so amazing and the possibilities are endless. 

A company that’s putting out inclusive, forward-thinking campaigns. 

I am in love with our live “Bridgerton” experience, The Queen’s Ball. It’s a modern-day society ball, and it is so inclusive. We’re seeing that the attendee base is diverse and multi-generational; we have groups of friends, couples, people bringing their mamas and aunts and grandmas that are all preparing in advance and getting fully decked out to go to the ball. The gents are truly getting dapper as well. It’s beautiful and truly an experience for everyone to enjoy. 

A professional achievement of which you’re most proud.

Developing brand activations that really highlight the history of the brand. We’ve done that in several different capacities here at Tito’s. One example that I led was the creation of our BLDG 1 Bar, which is a rolling recreation of the original Stillhouse that Tito built back in the mid-nineties. I also curated the first iteration of Tito’s Stillhouse lounge activation, which is now on tour with the PGA. 

One thing you would change about the industry.

There’s no denying that a lot of industries need more people of color in leadership and middle management—especially in the marketing world. We have to be at the front edge of where consumers are going, and leadership teams should reflect what our American consumer base looks like, or at least the consumer base that a brand is trying to reach. Demographics are changing quickly. In 2019, the Hispanic population in Texas alone held $162 billion dollars in spending power. That consumer power is often times not accurately reflected the top level of marketing decision-making, even though there is a desire within many companies to have the insight there.

Biggest opportunities ahead for the events industry.

It’s music. Think about artists like J. Balvin, Bad Bunny, Drake, Rihanna—and a lot of other similar artists. For a long time, these artists and genres were categorized as R&B or Latin, in a lane away from Top 40. The consumer landscape is changing—Gen Z’s consumer trends are already looking a lot different than Gen X and the Millennials. Musical genres hip-hop and Latin that were considered niche are now normal on Billboard’s Adult Pop Charts. It’s very common to go to a major American festival where several of the artists sing in Spanish. To me, this really pulls back the blinder of: OK, how are brands really analyzing where their spend is? Because it no longer feels like it’s walled off by a defined demographic.   

A company that is putting out inclusive, forward-thinking campaigns.

Here at Tito’s we have done a ton of great work in the racial equity space from the ground up by giving budgets to many of our sales teams to go out and support local nonprofits. Truthfully, the campaigns that come to mind first center around my first love and main hobby. I’m an avid cyclist and have been racing bikes since I was a kid. I was always used to being one of the only people of color out there racing and riding. I’ve noticed a shift in the community of brands in the cycling scene and outdoor recreation space. Some national bike brands like Rocky Mountain, SRAM, Cannondale, Specialized and many others have really dug deep to make the outdoor sports world more equitable. Many of these companies have created great ambassador programs, grants and other avenues to make cycling a more accessible sport. It’s really great to see. 

Who or what inspires you most? 

I’m a community historian here in Austin. I take a lot of inspiration from real people that made change in their societies. There are many generations of Black people that have come before me who pushed really hard to make sure that I have a space as a human being that is more comfortable than they had.