Andie Putnam, CMP, 31, works in Chicago as senior manager, corporate events at MarkLogic. As a 2019 40 Under 40 honoree, Putnam discusses her passion for the events industry.
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What I do: I manage our annual proprietary events: MarkLogic World (technical user conference), Sales Kickoff and President’s Club incentive trip, as well as a handful of industry tradeshows. This includes everything from site selection, contract negotiation and budget management, through program design and on-site execution. Additionally, I manage custom programs and events that help speed up our sales cycle.
How I got here: I was studying marketing in college and started as an event coordinator intern at VeriSign in 2008, where I was mentored by a team of strong event professionals who quickly showed me the ropes. Seeing how my skillsets aligned with meeting planning, I immediately felt like this was what I was meant to do as a career.
Greatest career accomplishment: In 2014, I earned my Certified Meeting Planner designation.
Impressive stats: I saved $17,000 on meeting room rental fees in one contract and more than $100,000 on annual costs by streamlining our swag/giveaway process. I also saved more than $5,000 by bringing the room rate down $6 per night for 900 room nights.
What I do outside of work: I love trying new restaurants around Chicago, staying fit and hosting dinner parties for friends and family.
