http://www.lasso.io | The event industry is nothing short of intense and competitive. There is no question that it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to make some of the most memorable experiences come to life. In this industry, women drive critical value and inspiration to ensure a successful event, but unfortunately we don’t always get the chance to recognize them in the way we know they deserve.

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LASSO!Announces!the!Top!Women!in!the!Event!Production!Industry!for!2018!
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“A!woman!is!the!full!circle.!Within!her!is!the!power!to!create,!nurture!and!transform.”!!
9Diane!Mariechild!
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The!event!industry!is!nothing!short!of!intense!and!competitive.!There!is!no!question!that!it!
takes!a!lot!of!hard!work!and!dedication!to!make!some!of!the!most!memorable!experiences!
come!to!life.!In!this!industry,!women!drive!critical!value!and!inspiration!to!ensure!a!successful!
event,!but!unfortunately!we!don’t!always!get!the!chance!to!recognize!them!in!the!way!we!know!
they!deserve.!!
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Here!at!LASSO,!we!want!to!acknowledge!some!of!the!most!hard9working!and!talented!women!
in!this!industry,!which!is!why!we!have!established!our!first!annual!“Top!Women!in!the!Event!
Production!Industry”!awards.!To!begin,!we!asked!our!vast!network!of!the!very!best!event!
production!companies!for!nominations!on!who!THEY!thought!should!be!recognized,!and!the!
response!was!nothing!short!of!spectacular.!We!are!excited!to!share!with!you!the!powerhouse!
women!that!were!nominated!due!to!their!positive!impact!on!the!growth!and!the!success!of!
their!team.!We!were!overwhelmed!to!find!that!many!of!the!individuals!we!contacted!had!such!
glowing!words!for!their!well9deserved!colleagues.!!
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Out!of!all!the!nominees!that!will!be!recognized!this!year,!we’ve!selected!three!distinguished!
women!in!the!industry!in!three!distinct!categories.!We!would!like!to!congratulate!the!following!
women!on!being!awarded!as!this!year’s!top!woman!in!your!category!!Join!us!in!celebrating!the!
following!women!in!event!production:!!
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• Top!Woman!Entrepreneur!in!Event!Production:!Tinslee!Poor,!Co9Owner/Operator!@!
The!Grayscale!Agency!
• Top!Executive!in!Event!Production:!Melanie!Reed,!VP!of!Operations!@!Alford!Media!
Services!
• Top!Woman!in!Event!Production:!Alexis!Sturgess,!Project!Manager!&!Production!
Coordinator!@!On!Point!Creative!
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Following!this!year’s!winners,!we!will!be!highlighting!all!of!the!amazing!women!nominated!this!
year!!
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Highlights!from!our!2018!Winners:!!
Tinslee!Poor,!Co9Owner/Operator!@!The!Grayscale!Agency:!
Top!Woman!Entrepreneur!in!Production!
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The!Grayscale!Agency!was!created!to!be!different!than!other!
event!production!and!staffing!agencies!–!from!the!ground!up.!
Tinslee!Poor,!Co9Owner!and!Operator!of!The!Grayscale!Agency,!
knew!that!the!event!industry!was!missing!one!of!it’s!most!
valuable!foundational!pieces;!an!actual!CARE!and!CONCERN!for!
the!success!of!events.!“She!had!grown!tired!of!hearing!stories!
of!great!event!staff!being!given!zero!direction!and!
encouragement.!She!noticed!that!clients!were!suffering!due!to!
the!lack!of!agency!oversight,”!Tinslee’s!Co9Owner,!Eric!Alder,!
told!us!when!nominating!her!for!this!award.!
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With!a!heart!for!the!production!industry!and!her!crew,!Tinslee!truly!believes!that!she!can!
change!this!industry!for!the!better.!And,!so!far,!she!has!been!incredibly!successful!at!doing!so!!
“She!has!built!a!huge!portfolio!of!clients!by!caring!for!their!needs.!She!has!personally!met!every!
single!person!that!she!staffs!clients!with,!and!that’s!unheard!of!in!the!event!production!and!
staffing!industry,”!Eric!continues.!!!
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Her!determination!to!build!an!agency!that!cares!has!allowed!her!company’s!rosters!to!fill!up!
with!hundreds!of!staff!members!who!can!attest!to!the!compassionate!environment!that!she!
has!set!and!continues!to!maintain.!After!the!tragic!Las!Vegas!Route!91!Massacre,!Tinslee!made!
it!her!priority!to!enforce!safety!protocol!and!went!out!of!her!way!to!ensure!her!entire!staff!was!
comfortable!before!going!back!to!work!at!events!on!the!Las!Vegas!Strip.!“She!is!one!of!the!most!
caring,!hard!working,!and!selfless!business!owners!I’ve!ever!met,”!concluded!Eric.!!
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The!key!ingredient!to!the!success!of!any!business!is!having!a!passion!for!the!industry!and!a!love!
for!the!team!that!keeps!your!company!going.!Much!of!Tinslee’s!success!is!due!to!her!
compassion!and!a!dream!to!improve!the!state!of!the!industry!she!loves.!For!that!reason,!we’ve!
named!Ms.!Tinslee!Poor!as!this!year’s!“Top!Woman!Entrepreneur!in!Event!Production.”!!
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Melanie!Reed,!Vice!President!of!Operations!@!Alford!Media!Services:!
Top!Woman!Executive!in!Production!
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Melanie!Reed!serves!as!the!Vice!President!of!Business!
Operations!at!Alford!Media!Services,!a!boutique!event!support!
company!with!over!85!employees.!She!has!nearly!three!decades!
(29!years!)!of!event!industry!experience!and!acts!as!the!primary!
interface!between!Alford!Media!and!their!$2B+!parent!
company.!Melanie!oversees!several!critical!business!
departments!including!accounting,!purchasing,!human!
resources,!IT,!marketing,!communications,!scheduling,!travel,!
cross!rental,!product!innovation,!office!management,!and!
operations.!Anyone!else!say!WOW!to!that!?!
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“She!has!been!the!driving!force!for!numerous!‘game9changing’!innovations!at!Alford!including;!
Digital!Show!Kit,!Alford!Access!Client!Portal,!RFID,!and!Lunch9and9Learn!training!sessions,”!said!
Steve!Alford,!President!of!Alford!Media!Services.!On!top!of!her!extensive!responsibilities,!
Melanie!serves!as!a!member!of!the!Advisory!Board!of!Freeman’s!Women!in!Development!
Organization.!!
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“Melanie!is!an!active!protector!of!the!culture!at!Alford!Media!Services!and!under!her!
leadership,!the!company’s!future!is!in!great!hands.”!concluded!Steve.!Such!significant!work!
deserves!strong!recognition!and!celebration,!which!is!why!she!was!selected!to!be!this!year’s!
“Top!Woman!Executive!in!Production.”!Please!join!us!in!congratulating!Melanie!and!thanking!
her!for!all!her!amazing!work!!!
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Alexis!Sturgess,!Project!Manager!/!Production!Coordinator!@!On!Point!Creative:!
Top!Woman!in!Production!
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Alexis!Sturgess!is!the!Production!Coordinator!at!On!Point!
Creative!(OPC),!an!experiential!design!and!fabrication!agency!
specializing!in!all!things!production!–!from!music!festivals!to!
film,!TV,!both!large!and!small!events,!trade!shows,!and!more.!
OPC!is!a!women9owned!business!whose!motto!is!to!dream,!
design,!and!deliver.!Alexis!holds!over!7!years!of!event!industry!
experience.!OPC’s!Founder!&!CEO,!Kristen!Sheehan,!had!
glowing!words!to!say!about!Alexis,!so!it!was!clear!that!we!had!
to!choose!her!for!our!“Top!Woman!in!Production”!award.!!

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“Alexis’s!dedication!to!our!company,!long!hours,!and!efforts!to!consistently!keep!event!crews!
happy!while!saving!on!budgets!is!exemplary!and!almost!impossible!to!find!these!days.!She!is!
self!starting,!with!a!laser9focused!work!ethic!that!far!outshines!the!standard!in!the!event!
industry,”!said!Kristen,!Founder!&!CEO!of!OPC.!
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We!all!know!how!important!it!is!to!keep!event!crews!happy.!Quality!crews!are!the!backbone!of!
any!successful!event.!However,!many!companies!struggle!with!doing!this!while!also!properly!
managing!and!not!exceeding!their!budgets.!This!is!a!challenge!that!Alexis!conquers!every!single!
day!at!OPC!and!we!couldn’t!be!more!excited!to!celebrate!all!of!her!hard!work!and!dedication!to!
both!her!company,!and!the!event!production!industry!with!this!award.!!
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All!of!the!Remarkable!Nominees!
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We!would!be!amiss!if!we!didn’t!acknowledge!all!of!the!amazing!women!nominated!for!the!“Top!
Women!in!the!Event!Production!Industry”!awards.!These!women!should!be!celebrated!
alongside!our!winners!due!to!their!years!of!experience,!dedication,!and!the!positive!impact!they!
have!had!on!the!event!industry.!Please!join!us!in!recognizing!the!following!women:!
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Brittney!Escovedo,!CEO!&!Founder!@!Beyond!8!
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Beyond!8!is!an!innovative!boutique!event!production!
agency.!They!specialize!in!fashion,!tech,!restaurant,!
nightlife,!and!music9related!activations.!With!over!a!
decade!of!event!industry!experience,!Brittney!Escovedo,!
Founder!&!CEO,!is!the!mastermind!behind!Beyond!8.!If!
you!check!out!Beyond!8’s!robust!client!list,!there’s!no!
question!that!she!has!positively!impacted!the!growth!
and!development!of!her!business.!!
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“Brittney!is!beyond!one!of!the!hardest!working!people!I!know!in!the!industry.!Not!only!has!her!
events!made!history,!but!she!has!also!personally!helped!me!accomplish!so!many!goals!while!
working!for!her.!She!is!caring,!kind,!and!goes!above!and!beyond!for!all!of!her!clients,!no!matter!
the!size!of!the!event,”!said!Dawn!Martin,!Production!Manager!at!Beyond!8.!!
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As!a!woman!in!this!industry,!it’s!essential!to!not!only!ensure!successful!and!profitable!events,!
but!it’s!almost!more!important!to!have!a!positive!impact!on!other!women!trying!to!make!their!

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own!way!in!event!production.!Brittney!has!successfully!been!able!to!accomplish!both!of!these!
lofty!objectives.!It!is!this!kind!of!dedication!that!makes!the!event!industry!so!unique.!
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Christina!Tscherteu,!Meetings!&!Event!Manager!@!OneSource!Worldwide!
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In!the!event!industry,!having!superior!customer!service!is!
fundamental!to!long!lasting!company!success.!OneSource!
Worldwide,!a!full9service!corporate!meeting!&!event9planning!firm,!
makes!this!a!priority!in!their!business.!This!is!just!one!reason!why!
Christina!Tscherteu,!OneSource’s!Meetings!&!Event!Manager,!was!
nominated!for!these!awards.!With!over!7!years!of!experience,!
Christina!demonstrates!outstanding!customer!service!every!single!
day!along!with!an!unparalleled!level!of!commitment!to!the!needs!
and!often9complex!expectations!of!her!clients.!She!does!all!of!this!
without!hesitation.!!
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“She!works!tirelessly!and!is!often!traveling!back!to!back!from!one!week9long!client!event!to!
another!multi9day!pop9up!meeting!in!different!time!zone.!She!deserves!this!acknowledgment,”!
says!Courtney!Patterson,!Meetings!Manager,!Live!and!Web!Registration!Producer!at!OneSource!
Worldwide.!!
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Claudia!Zervos,!General!Manager!@!Global!Management!Services,!Inc.!
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Another!woman!we’d!like!to!acknowledge!is!Claudia!Zervos.!
Claudia!is!the!General!Manager!of!Global!Management!
Services,!a!premier!event!and!meeting!planning!company.!With!
over!9!years!of!event!industry!experience,!Claudia!is!said!to!be!
meticulous!in!her!delivery!of!services!to!the!exacting!standards!
of!Fortune!500!company!clients.!!
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Hanson!Ansary,!President!&!CEO!of!Maxxus!Group,!which!is!the!parent!company!of!Global!
Media!Services!said,!“Ms.!Zervos!is!one!of!the!most!creative!professionals!in!this!industry!with!a!
keen!sense!of!what!would!appeal!to!a!particular!client.!She!is!a!joy!to!work!with!in!every!
respect.!She!is!a!rare!breed.”!Such!individuality!and!commitment!to!success!are!just!two!
reasons!why!Claudia!deserves!to!be!recognized!as!an!exceptional!woman!in!event!production.!
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Erica!Helphand,!Managing!Partner!&!COO!@!OP3!
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Erica!has!been!a!recognized!leader!in!the!Peer9to9Peer!event!space!for!
the!last!20!years.!She!has!over!350!events!under!her!belt!and!has!been!
with!OP3,!an!event!company!helping!clients!produce!dynamic!
fundraising!events,!since!they!started!in!2002.!However,!beyond!her!
immense!experience,!it’s!her!work!ethic!and!ability!to!both!drive!and!
support!her!team!that!ensures!every!event!is!executed!well.!!
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“Erica!has!helped!raise!more!than!$577!million!dollars!for!her!clients!supporting!more!than!
433,000!participants,”!said!Cathy!Kestler!from!CK!Consulting.!“Beyond!her!immense!experience,!
it’s!her!love!of!events!that!inspired!me!to!nominate!her.!Erica!loves!this!work!because!it’s!an!
opportunity!for!her!to!learn!as!much!as!she!teaches.!She!loves!it!because!it!requires!her!to!find!
new!ways!to!delight!participants.!She!loves!it!because!there’s!nothing!more!breathtaking!than!
pulling!off!an!event!that’s!as9close9to9perfect!as!an!event!can!get.!She!loves!this!work!not!
because!she!thinks!she!can!change!the!world,!but!because!she!knows!she!can.”!!
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Way!to!go!Erica!!While!she!is!extraordinarily!humble!about!her!accomplishments,!make!no!
mistake!that!Erica!is!the!best!advocate!an!event!could!have!on!its!side.!Her!passion!is!what!
makes!the!impossible!seem!possible!when!it!comes!to!her!events.!We!couldn’t!be!happier!to!
acknowledge!Erica!for!all!she!has!contributed!to!this!industry!thus!far!and!we!cannot!wait!to!
see!what!is!in!store!for!her!and!her!teams!moving!forward!!
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Georgia!Holland,!Sr.!Event!Producer!@!Encore!Creative!
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Encore!Creative’s!Senior!Event!Producer,!Georgia!Holland,!“is!fierce,”!
says!Stefanie!Lerner,!CEO.!Encore!Creative!started!over!36!years!ago!and!
has!evolved!into!one!of!the!premier!event!production!and!design!
companies!in!the!US!and!international!scene.!!
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With!over!12!years!of!industry!experience,!Georgia!has!mastered!the!art!
of!creative!development!and!design!as!well!as!the!ability!to!work!through!
complicated!event!logistics!in!order!to!execute!the!best!events!9!all!while!
giving!her!clients,!suppliers,!contractors,!entertainers!and!more,!her!full!
attention.!!
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“On!top!of!that,!she!leads!our!department!of!producers!and!is!responsible!for!training,!quality!
control,!inspiring,!and!nurturing!–!while!still!making!sure!we’re!profitable!too.!She!is!truly!a!gift!

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of!loyalty,!dedication,!and!excellence!to!me,!our!company,!and!our!clients,”!concluded!Stefanie.!
Great!job!Georgia!and!let!us!all!thank!you!for!everything!you!do!!
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Hyacinth!Belcher,!President!&!CEO!@!Onstage!Systems!
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Another!“Wonder!Woman”!who!deserves!the!spotlight!is!
Hyacinth!Belcher,!the!President!and!CEO!of!Onstage!Systems,!a!
full9service!event!solutions!and!event!production!company.!You!
can!see!her!positive,!warm!approach!to!running!the!business!
when!you!visit!their!website:!“We!would!like!our!clients!to!view!
Onstage!Systems!as!we!view!ourselves,!as!part!of!your!family!!
Nothing!is!more!important!to!us!than!the!comfort!of!our!clients!
when!developing!a!project.!The!trust!in!allowing!us!to!be!a!part!of!
your!vision!is!key!to!a!perfectly!executed!event.”!!
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Hyacinth!has!over!20!years!of!event!industry!experience.!“Hyacinth’s!guidance,!vision,!and!
passion!for!the!entertainment!industry!has!grown!Onstage!Systems!in!the!DFW!area!and!
abroad!to!greater!heights.!Her!ability!to!be!a!problem!solver!is!the!key!to!the!company’s!
success.!She!is!a!tremendous!credit!to!the!industry,”!said!Darryl!Morant,!Audio!Production!
Manager!at!Onstage!Systems.!Hyacinth!is!a!role!model!to!all!men!and!women!in!the!event!
production!industry.!!
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Maya!Devassy!Tarach,!Owner!&!Event!Planner!@!Preoccupied!Bride!
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Maya!Tarach!is!the!Owner!of!Preoccupied!Bride,!a!wedding!and!
event!planning!company!for!busy!people.!Her!business!was!inspired!
by!the!planning!of!her!own!Indian9Polish!wedding!where!her!love!of!
the!entire!process!inspired!her!to!become!a!certified!wedding!
planner!and!do!it!for!other!busy!couples!in!Chicago.!Her!goal!is!to!
provide!dream!weddings!for!people!who!are!crunched!on!time.!!!
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Dave!Florczak!from!A!Posh!Production!said:!“We!worked!with!Maya!
on!a!large!collaboration!wedding,!and!though!she!is!newer!to!the!industry,!she!was!more!
communicative!and!easier!to!work!with!than!most!other!planners!we!have!worked!with.”!Let’s!
all!congratulate!Maya!on!all!of!her!outstanding!work!!We!know!it’s!not!easy!taking!on!the!stress!
for!a!wedding!couple,!but!she!does!this!every!single!day,!without!complaint.!!
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Melissa!Ferguson,!Manage!of!Event!Operations!@!Encore!Event!Technologies!at!the!Marriott!
Marquis!Chicago!
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Another!successful!event!professional!we’d!like!to!acknowledge!is!
Melissa!Ferguson.!She!has!been!in!the!event!industry!for!over!20!
years!and!throughout!that!time,!has!worn!many!hats.!“Melissa!has!
persevered!through!the!challenges!the!industry!has!thrown!at!her.!
She!deserves!recognition,”!said!Justin!Olson!from!Sound!Investment!
AV.!!
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Melissa!exemplifies!the!key!traits!that!every!event!professional!
should!aspire!to.!Her!hard!work!has!paid!off!and!she!now!holds!a!
distinguished!role!as!the!Manager!of!Event!Operations!for!Encore!
Event!Technologies!at!the!Marriott!Marquis!Chicago.!We!are!honored!to!recognize!Melissa!for!
her!hard!work!and!dedication.!
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Meredith!Francsis,!Technical!Producer!@!Kehoe!Designs!
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Meredith!Francsis!serves!as!a!Technical!Producer!for!Kehoe!
Designs,!a!full9service!event!design!and!décor!company.!
Meredith’s!colleague,!Jacqueline!Tran,!said,!“Meredith!is!an!
invaluable!team!member!at!Kehoe!Designs.!Meredith!is!a!
master!of!leading!the!technical!team!to!create!massive!events!
with!spectacular!visuals.!She!uses!her!exceptional!video,!audio,!
and!lighting!design!technical!experience!to!create!technically!
complex!events!with!command!and!grace.!By!understanding!
the!technical!capabilities,!she!brings!out!the!best!from!her!team!of!technicians.!She!is!in!her!
element!when!creating!an!immersive!event!environment!by!completely!transforming!a!20,000!
sq.!ft.!event!space!into!an!‘under!the!sea’!themed!night!club!or!creating!the!perfect!gala!
experience!where!each!necessity!is!anticipated!by!understanding!what!the!client!needs!before!
they!recognize!it!themselves.”!
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Meredith!is!constantly!bringing!new!elements!of!surprise!to!an!event,!whether!it’s!having!a!
person!pop!out!of!a!stage!or!having!the!entire!drape!line!disappear!with!a!full!room!kabuki!
system.!Her!attention!to!detail,!unwavering!support!to!both!clients!and!colleagues!and!positive!
attitude!continually!enhance!Kehoe!Design’s!organization.!Her!growth,!both!personally!and!
professionally!make!her!such!an!important!person!to!acknowledge!when!it!comes!to!women!
positively!impacting!the!event!industry.!!

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Suzanne!Neve,!CEO!@!Florida!Festivals!&!Events!Association!(FFEA)!
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The!Florida!Festivals!and!Events!Association's!mission!is!to!promote!
and!strengthen!the!festival,!event!and!fair!industry!in!Florida.!FFEA!is!
a!leading!resource!for!events!professionals!and!organizations!in!
Florida.!!
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“Suzanne!brings!those!producing!events!together!through!FFEA,!
creating!long9lasting!partnerships!between!members,”!said!Angel!
Narlinger,!VP!at!Rebeka’s!Dreams!Entertainment!&!Production!
Services.!!
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Prior!to!accepting!the!position!at!FFEA,!Suzanne!spent!five!years!
directing!events!for!the!Northern!Palm!Beach!County!Chamber!of!Commerce.!As!CEO!of!FFEA,!
she!is!responsible!for!all!operational!aspects!of!FFEA.!We!are!all!very!grateful!for!her!efforts!to!
connect,!educate,!and!advocate!for!the!event!production!professionals!in!Florida!and!beyond.!
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Valerie!Ulrich,!Vice!President!Special!Events!and!Conferences!@!First!Republic!Bank!
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Valerie!Ulrich!is!the!Vice!President!Special!Events!and!Conferences!
at!First!Republic!Bank,!a!private!bank!with!service!at!the!forefront.!
With!over!24!years!of!event!industry!experience,!Valerie!embodies!
everything!that!her!company!values!such!as!exceptional!client!
services,!integrity,!and!hard!work.!!
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A!colleague!said,!“Valerie!has!been!driving!a!tremendous!level!of!
innovation,!excellence!and!the!incredible!ability!to!manage!
complex!events!and!conferences.!Her!level!of!professionalism!has!
been!inspiring.”!!
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First!Republic!Bank’s!motto!states,!“it’s!a!privilege!to!serve!you”.!Well,!it’s!also!a!privilege!to!
recognize!such!an!accomplished!event!industry!professional!like!Valerie!!
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10. www.LASSO.io
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As!we!wrap!up!this!year’s!“Top!Women!in!the!Event!Production!Industry”!awards!and!
acknowledgements,!we!want!to!thank!everyone!that!nominated!these!influential!and!
inspirational!top9performers.!These!women!continue!to!shape!the!event!production!industry!
for!the!better.!We!were!blown!away!by!the!nominations!that!came!through!and!it’s!been!an!
honor!showcasing!these!fine!women!for!you!this!year.!!
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About!LASSO:!Built&with&and&loved&by&the&very&best&event&companies.&!
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LASSO!helps!live!event!companies!automate!labor!workflows!and!better!manage!their!
contingent,!project9based,!mobile!event!crew!or!staff.!LASSO’s!end9to9end!workforce!
management!and!mobile!app!solutions!cater!to!the!specific!needs!found!within!event!services!
and!offers!all!of!the!necessary!tools!within!one!integrated!platform!–!from!recruitment!to!
electronic!signature,!onboarding,!skill!set!management,!scheduling,!communication,!time9
tracking,!travel!management,!vendor!management,!payroll,!and!more.!Event!companies,!both!
small!and!large,!trust!LASSO!to!help!them!make!more!informed!scheduling!and!event!decisions!
as!well!as!eliminate!costly,!labor9intensive!crewing!processes.!!
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Learn!more!and!Request!a!Demo!at!www.lasso.io.!
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