Event Manager

As an Event Manager for Seakeeper, I handle all our events from point A to point Z. That means that I negotiate the event costs, research venues, finalize contracts, create staff schedules, book team accommodations where necessary, outsource and manage all service orders (including flooring, electrical, furniture rental, Wi-Fi, freight handling, etc.) as well as labor, storage, inventory, and shipping logistics for all of our booth displays and materials. After an event ends, I organize and oversee the teardown of the booth and logistics for materials. Working together with our Demo Boat Captains, I also approve and coordinate logistics for our demo boats and sea trial schedules. As events are occurring through the year, there are often multiple events at different stages meaning that on any given day, I move from show to show performing multiple tasks as needed.

I was producing tradeshows for the beauty industry.

May 16, 2016

Changes are inevitable in 5 years for anyone, and it is no different for a young, successful company that continues to thrive and grow every day. When I started working for Seakeeper, I would say that it felt like we were constantly trying to catch up with the growth we were experiencing. I felt like there was a little bit of chaos in every department due to the constant changes, which I attribute to our fast-paced growth. We were younger and needed to grow into our body, sort of speak. In the past few years, we have worked really hard to get ahead of the changes and have managed to find a base structure that accommodates our never-ending growth. Because of this, things feel more organized at Seakeeper, responsibilities are well-defined, and although we are still growing and changing, it feels like we are now better-equipped to not only handle, but also welcome, these changes.

In terms of events, working with overseas show organizers has always been a challenge. Having a little bit of a language barrier, trying to make sense of different show regulations, logistics, etc. is a challenge that makes me a bit nervous, but also one that I welcome because of the learning potential and excitement that it provides me.

Being able to switch gears when COVID-19 first hit in 2020 and events were cancelled all over the world. Having said that show business is my passion, every cancelled event felt like a dagger in my heart and I’m not trying to be dramatic LOL… it really was personal to me. But with all that happening, being able to take the opportunity I was given to take on different responsibilities in the Marketing department, including the dealer website listings, eCommerce site, inventory and purchasing of Seakeeper promotional material – although a bit confusing at first – I learned and grew to appreciate the experience and I am proud of that.

The culture. I love and appreciate everyone in our Seakeeper family. From marketing, sales, accounting, logistics, warehouse, engineering and upper management, everyone is always willing to help with a big smile and kind words no matter what the problem is. That, to me, is priceless.

Working with smaller events can sometimes be more challenging than working with bigger, more established events. Smaller events, like fishing tournaments and small, newer boat shows, sometime lack organization and structure. This often makes logistics and itinerary details a bit of a mystery. The only way to overcome the lack of information is more communication so, I often just send emails or pick up the phone to make sure our sales team has as many details as possible going into an event.

Because we are always so busy and there is so much to learn about Seakeeper, it might seem like we are just throwing you into a lion’s den without the tools you need to fend for yourself at first. If you feel like that, do not panic, we are all here to help you. There are no wrong questions and everyone you ask will either give you the answer or direct you to a person who will – we got you!

I have to say Maggie Meredith, from the beginning I admired her as a person and a manager. I believe she has a gift to always make people feel appreciated. As a manager, she is honest and I’ve always admired her ability to listen and give constructive criticism. I definitely view her as a role model as a person and as a manager.

I do. “Train your mind to see good in every situation.” I mostly say it to my kids. While they are still young, things sometimes might seem like things are just not working out for them and the world is trying to put them down, i.e. getting a “mean teacher,” not getting a class with their best friend, etc. Seeing the positive in a given situation helped me stay calm during tough situations in my life, and I hope that passing that down to my children will help them as life is full of challenges no matter how much I try to protect them.

Some people at Seakeeper know this but most don’t know that my blood line Is 72% of Inka descent, which has earned me the title of Inka Princess with my husband, haha. My Grandparents still live in the Andes Mountains of Peru and we try to visit them there as often as possible.