Photo: Courtesy of Trademark Events
How she got her start: "I’ve always had two very different interests: event planning and a love of technology. Very early in my career, I dabbled in the events space as a business development lead for Camp Navarro, an overnight festival venue in the Redwoods. I loved it but, always on the hunt for new experiences, I wanted to see if my sales and marketing chops could transfer into the technology industry. I held successful marketing positions at Xamarin, an app development company, where I led company events. Eventually, our company became so successful that we were acquired by Microsoft, where I expanded my role to work as a product marketing manager.
While at Xamarin and Microsoft, I worked closely with our agency partner at the time, Trademark Events. The team’s out-of-the-box thinking and cinematic approach to creating memorable, immersive experiences was unparalleled, and I’m happy to say I jumped off of my tech path to join my creative colleagues at Trademark Events and never looked back.
My background in sales and marketing, my earlier work with event venues, and my experience managing large events for Microsoft give me a unique perspective that helps me quickly understand the needs of Trademark’s technology clients, and create the perfect branding and storytelling elements to exceed their expectations and deliver on critical business metrics."
What innovation means to her: "It’s pivotal. I don’t think there can be any personal or professional growth without innovation, because everything in life needs constant change and progress. I’m interested in this concept of constant growth in every aspect of my life, but particularly in work, my clients need me to focus on innovation—always. Whether it’s knowing the hottest trends, restaurants, or hotels, as event producers we need to be at the forefront of innovation every day.
I think the best way to find inspiration and push the envelope is to simply seek out and absorb information. If you’re curious, you’ll always find new ways to feed your soul. In that regard, innovation can’t just be a cerebral endeavor; it needs to be internalized and be led by what’s in your heart as well. A desire to learn, a craving for new thinking."
What sets her work apart: "I’m a perpetual learner. You’ll never see me be complacent or two dimensional—ever. I'm fueled by the thrill of expansion. I’ve climbed corporate ladders, built my own luxury goods company, fostered children, and relentlessly championed human rights and empowerment for kids who needed advocates in the system. I’ve built educational and training programs from scratch to accelerate colleagues' career paths, and formalized sustainability programs to ensure we elevate our work as an agency. I apply that same curiosity and drive to each of the events I produce, which means my clients get more than an event producer. They get the Claudia effect."
At this Adobe event, three massive artist installations, called HYBYCOZOs, anchored the space and emitted multicolored projected shadows throughout the venue.Photo: Courtesy of Trademark Events
Memorable moments: "For the Adobe MAX Executive Experience, we created an unforgettable experience in LA’s Hudson Lofts to surprise and delight 350 of the world’s top trendsetters. Three massive artist installations, called HYBYCOZOs, anchored the space and emitted multicolored projected shadows throughout the venue. Two different custom portrait experiences let attendees promote their personal brand: A custom Vanity Fair-like photo studio produced light- and dark-hued duotone photo ops, and an aura-reading photo booth based on the 1970s camera built by Guy Coggins that captures the electromagnetic field (aura) around someone, telling their story through colors."
Her vision for the future of the event industry: "Some people believe that technology hinders human interaction, but I have a totally different perspective. Technology can enhance—not replace—meaningful connection. The next wave of events will integrate technology in new ways to help people connect. I think there will be an amalgamation of the two, enabling event attendees to feel very connected yet also be fully immersed in the tech world. With the rise of interactive technologies like AI and augmented reality, we have an amazing opportunity to help people feel deeply connected while immersing themselves in the world of technology."
