Corinthian Events
We built six retail storefronts inside an empty room, for the VF Corporation investor meeting that won a national award
I got to plan the VF Corporation Investor Day meeting alongside Elizabeth Trofatter, a spectacular event planner and one of my mentors while I was at Corinthian. She led the event and I supported her. The client was VF Corporation, the parent company behind the world's leading portfolio of active-lifestyle brands, including Vans, The North Face, and Timberland. Once a year, VF brings its investors together for an onsite meeting, and as such the stakes are high. It was the annual moment for investors to see the business up close vs just hearing about it in a bland meeting. Here's what made it particularly interesting for any planner. A normal investor meeting is general sessions, breakouts, staging, AV. This one was all that, but because VF's value is its portfolio of retail brands, each brand needed to show up as itself. So we had every brand build its own pop-up shop inside the event space. That meant six to eight individual storefronts, each with its own look, its own design language, its own actual merchandise on the floor. Vans had to feel like Vans. The North Face had to feel like The North Face. It also meant working with each brand's individual teams who felt the pressure of showing up well for investors. To add more complexity, the venue was a pure blank space. No power, no rigging, no lighting, no AV. Everything that made the room function, and everything that made six different brands feel like six different stores, had to be brought in and built from scratch. The event was a huge success. It won the ADMEI Excellence Award for Excellence in Meeting Services, recognition from the industry's own association for events built and run at the highest standard. Elizabeth led it and delivered, as she always did, and I got to learn from her which was a gift.
Transformed Student Performance Space into World-Class Gala (and back) in 24 Hours
The New England Conservatory needed to showcase their newly built student performance building through an impressive springtime gala that would engage donors and reinforce their brand as a premier Boston institution. This gala needed to deliver a flawless experience for major donors and Board members while celebrating a significant capital investment. It was a logistical behemoth where we transformed the student playing space into a world class gala in 24 hours (yes, just 24 hours), because the student playing schedules could not be disturbed. Think moving trucks full of furniture circling Boston all day. The evening began with a full orchestra and opera performance, and then guests transitioned to 3 simultaneously stunning dinners. The dinners were held in student practice rooms that were entirely transformed through lighting, florals and decor. The transformation was jaw dropping. As the lead planner, I owned all the project including the design, vendor coordination, timeline management, and on-site logistics from load-in to load-out. Working closely with NEC's team on the guest list and program, I took full responsibility for the operational execution. I was greatly supported by Victoria Pache, my second in command. The gala was a resounding success. We welcomed hundreds of guests, exceeded the fundraising goal for the Conservatory, and received glowing feedback from the Board. The event demonstrated that with meticulous planning and flawless execution, even the most challenging logistical constraints can be overcome to deliver an exceptional experience.
