Sunny Dae, 31, is senior events and production manager for The Creative Collective NYC and CultureCon. She's based in New York and California.
My career journey: "My dad has had a restaurant since before I was born and a catering company for over 25 years, so I grew up in the service industry. After graduating college, I had many careers—on a pear farm, as a flight attendant, at a television network—but like the Beyoncé song says, ultimately I 'found my way back' to the events space.
I was working on the desk of the CMO of Live Nation and my boss (one of the most generous women I know) told me that the experiential agency responsible for Live Nation’s B2B activations was looking for a coordinator—the only catch was that they were based in New York. Little did she know, just a couple of weeks prior, I’d made a vision board highlighting my goal to move to New York within a year to work in the event industry. The timing of the coordinator role felt so divine, and I moved to New York just a few months later and have been working in the experiential space ever since."
Started in 2017, CultureCon brings together creative types, influencers, and entrepreneurs for panel discussions, workshops, and activations covering a mix of business, politics, entertainment, and pop culture.Photo: Bexx Francis
My greatest career accomplishment: "My greatest career accomplishment was project managing CultureCon at Home in 2021. It was a digital conference (we had to pivot from our in-person event due to COVID). It was a huge undertaking in that we built an entire virtual campus with multiple 'stages,' a small-business market featuring local Black small-business owners, a live Q&A, and a chat functionality.
Whereas in-person events are relegated to physical footprints, the virtual world is limitless, making dreaming and execution both exciting and overwhelming. We had to be very creative with integrating the cultural nuances that CultureCon is known for. We commissioned art from Hank Willis Thomas and replicated some of his iconic statues on our digital campus. We found a Black Chicago string quartet who repurposed iconic hip-hop songs on strings; guests entered the site to the sounds of Beyoncé, Juvenile, and Cameo.
Our extensive speaker list included Michael B. Jordan, Naomi Campbell, Quinta Brunson, and Billy Porter. The best part of this experience is that it was completely free for guests, and we welcomed over 20,000 unique attendees from over 100 countries around the world."
This past year, Dae project managed CultureCon’s first-ever two-day conference in Brooklyn.Photo: Calligrafist Photography
The advice I would give my younger self: "Don’t be afraid to share your POV. Fresh perspective is paramount, especially when trends shift as quickly as they do. Stay up to date on what is happening in the zeitgeist, and speak up if you have ideas that you know will make the meeting or event feel fresh, innovative, and exciting."
Impressive stats I'm responsible for: "This past year, I project managed CultureCon’s first-ever two-day conference in Brooklyn. We welcomed over 6,500 guests across the weekend, featuring two stages with programming from over 100 speakers, 35 brand and community partners, and representation from over 25 small businesses."
My leadership style: "My team tells me I am 'kind but stern.' I am direct and specific in my communication and feedback, yet respectful and constructive. I make sure to acknowledge and celebrate good work. Additionally, I am an advocate for people finding the process and workflow that works best for them, especially during peak event season when hours are long and stress is high. So, if that means taking an hour or two to log off in the afternoon to rest and recalibrate, by all means do that! The most significant quality I hope to instill in my team is that you can lead with genuine care, kindness, and respect."
What's next: "While I’ll still be available for event planning and project management work this year, I hope my love for storytelling begins to take on a new form as I try my hand at set design for photos, TV, and film. Additionally, this is the year I will officially conquer my fear of water, and I plan to jump off of boats into beautiful ocean waters all summer 2024."
