Elle Chan, 54, is the co-founder and CEO of experiential marketing agency TRADEMARK and a member of Chief. She's based in New York.
A quote from her nomination: "Elle has a keen understanding of why companies host events—inspiring attendees to act, to believe, and to commit to a brand or a product is often at the heart of a company’s strategy. Elle understands that events create a canvas for grasping an audience’s attention, creating meaningful relationships, and delivering messages that sell products, build loyalty, and create growth."
How she got here: "The first stop in my career was Lucasfilm, one of the world's most influential production companies—particularly through its innovation in special effects, CGI, lighting, sound design, and editing techniques. In this creative playground, I learned to bring stories to life through inspiring productions. I learned the art of imagining new experiences through film and live events. I wanted to bring these techniques to the world of corporate events, which were pretty uninspiring at the time. In 1998, TRADEMARK was born.
The spirit of innovation and making the impossible possible is the heart of TRADEMARK. Pushing boundaries, learning new techniques, and delivering experiences that move people and benefit clients is the core of what I do, surrounded by the best and brightest in the industry. I have the best job in the world."
Her most memorable event: "Some events inspire us all. We produced a fundraising event for a nonprofit organization, charity: water, a highly regarded nonprofit whose mission is to bring clean drinking water to people in developing countries.
We needed to motivate donors to support the cause. To immerse them in the plight of Ethiopian villagers, we took the audience into the villagers’ arduous trek, up to six hours a day, to collect (often dirty) water. To do so, we told the story of Abrehet Gebreyohannes on her exhausting daily search for water, illustrated through a concept we called 'The Gift of Time.'
To bring Abrehet’s story to life, we used specially designed 360-degree camera rigs to document her journey. At the gala, we surrounded attendees with her story on a bespoke 276-by-20-foot circular LED screen, dubbed 'The Halo,' which was suspended above them. As the evening progressed, attendees accompanied Abrehet, step by laborious step. The effect inspired action, and the gala exceeded expectations, raising over $7 million, a charity: water record. Donors funded more than 500 clean water projects and gave back 28.4 million hours to impoverished villagers. Inspiring."
A specific improvement she's made: "One of the most impactful improvements is the use of technology. We’re surrounded by innovations such as AI, holographics, and new projection or sound tech. It can be mesmerizing, but using it to reach our clients’ goals has to remain paramount. Our job is to reach attendees, deliver messages, and inspire action that benefits the host companies. We embrace all new tech, but new tech must always be a means to that end.
Second, being one of the few Asian American, female founders in the events space, I constantly strive to open doors and usher DEI hiring into the industry. Every link in the events supply chain has interesting leaders who come from incredibly diverse backgrounds. The more we can embrace this diversity, the greater access we have to new perspectives and insights, and the richer our event experiences will be."
Her ideal day OOO: "I’ve had the opportunity to travel the world and experience a wide variety of cultures, cuisines, and experiences. I love bringing these experiences into the kitchen and cooking for friends and family."
The career advice she'd give her younger self: "Be open to learning. Cherish your successes and your failures because they both teach you things. Run toward challenges, things you don’t yet know, and new experiences. Embrace everyone—even the quirkiest or toughest colleagues—because every person you connect with offers an opportunity for shared learning and personal growth."
