Rachel Jarosz, 34, works in Traverse City, Michigan, as signature events coordinator at Hagerty. As a 2017 40 Under 40 honoree, Jarosz discusses her passion for the events industry.
*Connect with Jarosz on Twitter and Instagram.
What I do: For the past four years, I planned and executed corporate meetings and events for a multitude of clients for Events North. I led my clients through the planning process and managed key pieces for them such as creative concepts, registration, venue management and on-site execution. In February, I transitioned to the signature events team with Hagerty, a global leader of collector car and boat insurance. My role involves assisting with the planning of 10 national events Hagerty supports.
How I got here: I spent time in group sales positions in the hotel industry (a few times), held leadership roles in the retail world and put all the experiences together when I started with Events North. I discovered my true passion for the meetings and events industry while working there. Then Hagerty sought me out for my newest role.
My greatest career accomplishment: In 2016, I was invited to join the advisory board for Central Michigan University’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services Administration. My role is to provide ideas, updates, and trends from the recreation and event management perspective and to assist with the development of curriculum to meet industry needs.
Impressive stat: On the Events North team, I successfully grew a solid book of business that helped the company double its client portfolio and annual revenue.
A specific improvement I’ve made: When I started, several of my clients were spending thousands of dollars on printing fees for attendee materials. Over the last four years, I have successfully led them through the transition to paperless meetings and conferences. Mobile apps have been key to this transition, and clients were able to spend those dollars in more effective areas of the event budget. One client took the cost savings and invested in their attendees by purchasing tablets for each of them.
What I do outside of work: Outside of the meetings and events world, I am a mom of two boys under the age of 5. Free time is spent outdoors as much as possible on hikes, at the beach or anything to burn the endless energy of my boys.
Five phrases that identify me: Wife; mom; leader; organizer; baseball fan
