Kristen Fraga, 30, works in Boca Raton, Florida, as meetings and event manager at DECO Productions. As a 2019 40 Under 40 honoree, Fraga discusses her passion for the events industry.
What I do: As the meetings and event manager at DECO Productions, I am responsible for creating and developing our newly added meeting management division within the company. I spearhead all business development and marketing initiatives and collaborate with our destination management team to offer clients a complete “one-stop shop” experience.
How I got here: I have been fortunate enough to gain experience within hotels, PR/marketing, tradeshows and most recently, destination management at DECO Productions. These experiences gave me the knowledge and tools I needed to become a successful meeting planner. By incorporating the many skills I learned throughout the years, I quickly made my way up from event coordinator to my current role.
Greatest career accomplishment: Last year I managed a program that grew by more than 50 percent in attendance from the previous year. The growth forced us to take the conference off property for the first time ever in its history, completely changing the dynamic and structure of the meeting. With a small increase in budget and only a few months to plan, we were tasked with providing the same high level of experience as previous years. With creative planning and accurate budgeting, I was able to work with the client to successfully deliver a top quality conference and attendee experience!
Impressive stats: I have been able to successfully save clients 25 to 50 percent in the costs of décor, rentals, transportation and activities, without compromising look or experience.
What I am working on now: I am excited to be working on integrating brand activations and the latest technology to our client’s conferences, summits and meetings. By doing so, this allows attendees to engage with one another while creating awareness of the brand and delivering clear and creative messaging—elevating the overall experience.
What I do outside of work: When I am not working you can find me at the gym, planning my wedding or studying/continuing my education for my CMP!
