Cory Lewis, 35, is the senior manager of experiential marketing for Dell Technologies. She's based in Jacksonville Beach, Fla.
What I do:
I lead and learn from a diverse team of experts responsible for ideating, designing and executing experiences across the Dell Technologies flagship event portfolio. Together we manage and design breakthrough event creative from the overarching visual identity to keynote stage content to digital marketing assets to communications. We deliver best-in-class attendee experiences fueled by innovate technology and white glove customer services; we bring together the full Dell Technologies partner ecosystem to celebrate and connect with attendees; and we’re data-obsessed—we analyze everything to develop actionable strategies that get the right people in the right place at the right time.
Why I love my job:
Maybe it’s the relentless drive to innovate and pivot—no event or day or minute is ever the same—or the calm in the chaos when the Day 1 keynote stage lights go up. Or maybe it’s the too-loud laughs when it all starts to go sideways but turns out just right. Maybe it’s all of those things, but mostly it’s the people. I’m so lucky to be part of such a radical, talented and supportive crew that really takes care of each other on and off the clock.
My career journey:
After traveling, living and working around the world for years (with a wild spread of jobs from interior restaurant design to artist relations to hotel management to that one-week stint as a potato farmer), I returned to America in 2012 with a desire to really ground my career with an organization I believed in, somewhere with the opportunity to combine my marketing and event skillsets and learn how to take it all to the next level. I landed at Dell Technologies almost immediately, and for the past decade have continued to do just that!
My greatest career accomplishment:
Here are the first two that come to mind. Early in my career, I created an audience acquisition function that had previously not existed, but has been adopted by the business and continues to produce results for events today. It’s a workstream dedicated to audience growth strategy, including pass price-setting, targeting, persona development, digital marketing, sales enablement and revenue generation. I’m also really (maybe even prematurely) proud of the automated digital marketing dashboard my team is launching in the coming weeks—for the first time, we’ll have detailed creative insights we can use to adapt campaigns and creative in real-time.
How I helped my organization during COVID:
You think you can only be in so many war rooms at once, but in March 2020 my team and I were responsible for the digital announcement that both Dell Technologies World and our SXSW Experience were going virtual. On the same day. After that, besides jovially yelling "pivot!" in most meetings and managing to maintain positive attitudes and momentum on tasks and programs that continuously changed gears, my background in digital events and digital marketing allowed me to support teams across the org and all kinds of new/different events as they shifted to digital—from website-build consults to full GTM strategies.
The time I averted a complete event disaster:
There are so many stories to share, but I’ve got a borderline embarrassing one that’s a #neverforget. Imagine that the expo floor is opening in 12 minutes—but for the past three hours you’ve been huddling or laying on the carpet at the center/entrance of the show with the top technical folks from every vendor on-site, staring at what is supposed to be your best activation to date—an interactive social media wall that’s Jason Bourne-ish and live broadcast theater—that looks nothing like the test runs. All the content is misshapen and colliding, and now it’s 10 minutes to open.
In a last-ditch effort to make it right, you Google some bizarre chain of search terms like “content + wonky + sizing + issues…” and shout "press control minus, minus!" Everyone stops, silent, critical—you’ve yelled the most basic thing at a group of super-smart techies. But it works. And then the laughs. And then the vacuuming; always the vacuuming.
My most memorable event experience in the past year:
We had an amazing record at TroubleMaker studios and the set for Alita: Battle Angel was still on the lot—we spent lots of snack and cell time pacing around a post-apocalyptic world. I am so excited for new stories and the return to in-person experiences in 2022!
Best advice I’ve ever received:
“Anything that can go wrong won’t if you have the right plan,” from an old manager, current mentor. This made me always consider multiple paths to support, build or solve a problem. If I build five timelines and the sixth sticks, at least I’ve got the right mindset and am prepared to shift. This has definitely helped me adapt over the last two years, especially since contingency planning is no longer a nice to have—it’s a requirement.
Impressive stats I’m responsible for:
- Over $175,000 savings with in-kind media and services negotiation (B2B event)
- A 130% increase in event attendance YoY (B2C event)
- #1 SOV for Dell Technologies Brand (B2C event)
- A $3 million increase in pass sale revenue YoY (B2B event)
What’s next?
The great reinvent with the return to in-person! So excited to build two-way content and fresh experiences that are relevant to audiences now. We’re working on some super-cool attendee-generated connects, new show flows/floorplans, moving to new venues and planning for surprise keynote reveals. C’mon 2022!
What I do outside of work:
I’m almost always outside, wandering in the woods or getting wet with my three wild kids, partner and puppy named Cake. I also support events for a local NFP, SurfearNegra, an organization that’s dedicated to welcoming new surfers to the sport.
Dream vacation:
Next I want to scuba with whale sharks—the best case would be to see them near Cebu in the Philippines to also experience a Sardine run!
Favorite icebreaker line:
Depends on the crowd, but I love: Have you ever danced like no one was watching and gotten caught?
Connect with Lewis on LinkedIn and Twitter.
“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.
