Craig D'AmicoPhoto: Courtesy of CDE
How he got his start: D'Amico reflects on a number of unique moments that led him to his current career. "Being introduced to theater in grade school sparked my passion to ultimately study theater (acting) and directing at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. This laid the foundation for the various directions my career would take," he explains. While spending his early career working on Broadway, he discovered a passion for working on events in between shows.
"It was the perfect job in between theater gigs, as well as being another creative outlet and felt like an extension of being in the theater. I worked with various event designers and production firms, and produced events for top financial institutions," he remembers. Soon, D'Amico began teaching acting and leading theater workshops throughout the country, which led to a role as creative education director of a nonprofit arts organization.
"This allowed me to combine my love of theater arts and production with my experience in the event industry. It was an opportunity to produce a client conference in less than two weeks, for a tech start-up that was the catalyst for what today is CDE," he says. "That company, 17 years later, is still among the amazing roster of clients and relationships that I’m fortunate to continue doing business with."
What innovation means to him: "Change is the constant. The world around us is always moving forward, and I think it’s important to get connected to that energy and let it guide you," he says. "Innovation means energy in forward motion. It means taking ordinary components and using them in extraordinary ways. It means taking risks with a willingness to fail, and taking everyday items or perspectives and using or seeing them in new ways. Innovation takes imagination and guts."
What sets his work apart: D'Amico draws from his theater background to keep storytelling at the forefront of his work. "We strongly understand the elements—whether it be physical or emotional—that are important to how and why people are moved," he says. "We approach each experience like a director would a play, using the structure of a story to create the world. The environment is brought to life by the level of specificity and detail that evokes an emotional response. It’s that attention that allows the individuals to be affected. Simply put, we understand the audience and how to take them on a particular journey—and we set the stage for that experience."
Connection is key, he adds. "The importance of connection is something I learned very early on in my career as an actor, and has carried into this career. Our relationships have strong connections and a level of authenticity, whether that’s with our team, with our vendors, or with our clients."
How he stays inspired: "It can be as simple as going for a walk, eating at a favorite restaurant, or being outside nature," he says. "I have a daily morning routine of meditation or journaling and starting my day with a quote or a podcast of interest and focusing on the present moment."
D'Amico also makes it a point to take downtime, and to travel and experience other cultures. "Architecture, music, and theater resonate strongly as a constant source, as well as great, thought-provoking conversations with individuals I admire and respect," he says. "I also love me some Disney World!" 
For the Spain-themed client appreciation event, "choreographed entertainment was hand-crafted to each act’s environment; music was the soundtrack to the evening with over 120 entertainers comprising 22 acts of nonstop energy," says D'Amico. "Authentic gourmet food was abundant, from paella and tortillas to Spanish mussels, clams, pollo a la Riojana, and cured olives, along with churros, Spanish sliders, empanadas, and signature drinks."
Career highlights: D'Amico believes his career highlights are still ahead of him—but cites two events that stand out in his mind. The first was for a longtime client in the HR software space, who wanted to revamp their annual client appreciation party into something more unique, authentic, and transformative. The result? A Spain-inspired event that celebrated the country's three top festivals. Held in San Diego's Balboa Park, "the concept immersed their guests into the story, allowing the five senses to captivate their attention in addition to offering something aspirational," he says.
D'Amico centered the experience around Spain's Patio Festival, "creating a town center atmosphere allowing experiential encounters with vignettes that told stories of the people who lived in that neighborhood—a painter, musician, and sculptor," he says, adding that there were balconies filled with local Spanish flowers, along with a nightclub space and a creative artists' studio.
"Guests could engage in moments of rest and relaxation, conversation and love, flamenco and free expression—with the specificity of each piece of decor to add to its authenticity," he continues. "This proved that with all these elements working together—great storytelling, attention to detail, and evoking the five senses throughout—an experience can have greater value and leave lasting impressions more than a singular event."
Another event he's particularly proud of? A fully outdoor conference his team produced for 2,300 attendees at the LA Coliseum, which he notes was planned and executed in just under four months. "Building the infrastructure to be able to create an intimate experience in such a large outdoor space was important," he notes, adding that his team had to figure out power for all the structures, along with additional lighting, internet hotspots, and more.
The event featured several firsts: It was the first time the LA Coliseum had hosted an outdoor conference, and the first time the client had hosted their event in a stadium-like venue. D'Amico and his team also had to consider the elements—not just bad weather, but also temperature and sunlight. The result was a 100,000-square-foot expo experience, a main stage, various ancillary lounges and breakout sessions, and much more. The team also decided to host the evening client appreciation party at the same location, which involved flipping the space in less than 2.5 hours from a conference setup to a themed after-party.
"The attendee’s experience was a top priority in helping them navigate the venue, as well as providing them with locations and opportunities to connect with each other," says D'Amico. "We could not have created any of these experiences without the trust of our client, or the relationships and trust for vendors, partners, and teams that we have been working with for over a decade. It’s all those people and teams coming together that make it possible."
His favorite thing about the event industry: "The event industry is important to the fabric of our society," says D'Amico. "I am not just talking about a pretty party; I am talking about a shared experience. Humans are hardwired to gather. Science indicates when people share a moment collectively there is a deeper emotional impact, and it can be the catalyst to affect change—however big or small that may be."
The last few years have only reinforced the importance of events, he says, along with "how important it is to continue to allow and create spaces for people to gather. I am extremely grateful to be a part of that."
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