Shani Ben-Shlaush, CMP, 29, works in Washington, D.C., as experience marketing manager at Neustar Inc. As a 2017 40 Under 40 honoree, Ben-Shlaush discusses her passion for the events industry.
*Connect with Ben-Shlaush on Twitter and Instagram.
What I do: I am responsible for managing a multimillion-dollar budget that goes across various buying centers and verticals. It is my responsibility to accurately allocate these dollars across partnerships, customer experiences and industry sponsorships. I work closely with each internal stakeholder to develop a strategy, maximize our reach and make each front-facing interaction unique, memorable and personalized.
How I got here: During my sophomore year of college I landed an internship in the marketing department of Leading Authorities, a speakers bureau headquartered in Washington, D.C. I had already declared myself a government/politics major, but it didn’t take long to realize marketing and events was my true calling. I spent six years improving Leading Authorities’ reach in the U.S. while also launching their presence in Europe and Asia. In 2015, I made the switch to corporate events managing trade shows and customer experiences worldwide.
My greatest career accomplishment: In 2016, I developed and managed Neustar’s first-ever customer road show for our compliance team that visited four different cities and influenced $2 million in revenue.
Impressive stats: In 2016, I managed 30-plus international and domestic programs that influenced over $15 million in revenue. By strategically budgeting across all experiences, I was able to save more than $100,000 the same year. I was also able to secure nine earned speaking opportunities for my company to share our thought leadership with industry peers.
A specific improvement I’ve made: In 2015, I was responsible for launching our first-ever Battle of the Paddle Invitational, which is a pingpong tournament that pins ad agencies against ad tech firms to ultimately declare an industry champion. The immense success of this experience has made this a highly anticipated annual event.
What I do outside of work: I entertain a secret passion for fashion by sewing clothing. It’s taken a lot of YouTube videos to get to where I am, but I hope to open an Etsy store in the near future.
Phrases that identify me: Planner; taco enthusiast; crossword aficionado
