Alexandra Kirshner, 32, is the senior manager of partnerships and experiential marketing for SiriusXM and Pandora. She's based in Chicago.
What I do:
I produce custom sales, tent-pole, franchise and brand experiential events for Pandora (SXM) and its sponsors, delivering high-impact results and revenue-driven productions that bring music to life for all.
Why I love my job:
I get to see my ideas come to life from beginning to end. It really is very rewarding to watch clients, attendees and internal partners all enjoying themselves at something I’ve created with the goal in mind: to give everyone the best experience possible.
My career journey:
While doing freelance production in between auditioning for musical theater in NYC, I wound up working on a Pandora summer festival event with Bowery Presents. I met my former boss, Jessica Jennings, who hired me as a coordinator after that job and took me under her wing. The rest is history!
My greatest career accomplishment:
Getting featured in Connect x BizBash 40 Under 40 is a big career accomplishment!
How I helped my organization during COVID:
We were able to pivot to virtual events pretty quickly and are currently keeping our events business growing in that area. I’ve assisted with strategy to generate new sponsor offerings for our franchise and custom programs, while still showcasing our artists and exciting our fans. I’ve also solved for unique ways to get merchandise and swag into the hands of our listeners and virtual guests. It has been a journey!
My most memorable event experience in the past year:
Producing a virtual custom event for Ford F-150 with the regional Mexican band Los Dos Carnales, completely in Spanish. That event had one of our highest tune-in rates for a custom program! Also, producing our first back-to-in-person custom event with WynnBET & Gryffin in Arizona was a close second. Everyone was thrilled to be back.
Best advice I’ve ever received:
There is no "I" in "Team." It’s old and corny, but so true. In production, there is no way to do it all on your own, and having a team you can rely on is key. I may be biased, but I work with the best in the biz!
Impressive stats I’m responsible for:
In the past year, I have taken on a role to oversee the development of our custom event strategy and packaging, which is 40%-50% of our annual event revenue for Pandora events.
What’s next?
I am currently leading the charge in producing our first partnership event with the American Heart Association to promote women’s heart health. The event is slated to have an awesome lineup of female artists, with a live fashion show and other fun activations for guests to experience on-site. There is also a virtual show with a live charity component that will air in May.
What I do outside of work:
I‘ve been spending a lot of time exploring my new home city of Chicago with my sister and our dog. I am a Bravo-holic and a huge advocate of animal rescue. And every now and then, I’ll have a moment of nostalgia for a past life by going down a rabbit hole of musical theater clips on Instagram.
Dream vacation:
Doing a wine and pasta tour through Italy.
Favorite icebreaker line:
If you were to create a candle based on your own personal scent, what would it smell like?
Connect with Kirshner on LinkedIn.
“Connect x BizBash 40 Under 40” is sponsored by VDA, an experiential marketing and event design agency based in Massachusetts that specializes in custom live, virtual and hybrid experiences.
