Photo: Courtesy of Deanna Nwosu
How she got her start: Nwosu started on the association side in 2007 after graduating from college. "I was undecided on a career before going to school—but while in undergrad, I got involved in planning events for different student organizations, and I was hooked."
Throughout her career, Nwosu has worked on multiple sides of the industry, as both a supplier and planner for social, association, and corporate events. While taking a hiatus to raise her kids, she continued working part-time at a local event venue to keep her skills current.
"Now I am a program manager at REI in the employee events and recognition department," she says. "While I’ve spent my whole career on the logistics side, I’m now focused more on the content strategy for our signature events and always-on programming for employees."
What innovation means to her: "Innovation means not being afraid to fail—or at the very least, not letting any fear stop you," she says. "It’s also a spirit of curiosity in your day-to-day life, in business outside of your industry and, of course, within your daily work. It’s constantly asking 'why,' even if your role is only focused on the 'how.'"
How she stays inspired: For inspiration, Nwosu likes looking outside of the event industry and thinking about how different strategies or ideas can apply to an event. "Oftentimes this can help spark unique ideas completely unrelated to the initial inspiration. Just the practice of playing pretend gets the creative juices flowing," she says.
Career highlights: "I’m grateful for my time working with Neil Leeson and having the privilege of helping him with several NFL Hall of Fame induction parties," Nwosu says.
Her favorite thing about the event industry: "We create memories. You cannot put a price tag on that," she says. "What we create leaves an impression that can not only educate and entertain, but that can also inspire lasting impact on people and communities."
This feature is sponsored by Hubilo, a leading virtual and hybrid event platform built to drive engagement, with clients including Deloitte, Coca-Cola, Amazon Web Services, and more.
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