Cathy Mariano, CMP, HMCC, is a 39-year-old strategic account director at Bishop-McCann. She's based in San Francisco.
What I do:
I work closely with a portfolio of pharmaceutical clients as their key strategic meeting management partner, and am responsible for the growth, management, retention and satisfaction of these accounts. I also lead an internal operations team with a primary goal of supporting them in flawlessly planning and executing client meetings, events and/or incentives. My day-to-day involves strategic account discussions, setting standard operating procedures, educating staff on best practices, collaborating with other departments for successful execution and seeking out additional projects within my client group.
Why I love my job:
My job allows me to build positive, long-lasting relationships with people from all walks of life. I love that I can consistently problem-solve while being empowered to make an impact for my company and those around me, all while creating memorable experiences in a collaborative, meaningful way!
My career journey:
My career started with Hyatt Hotels nearly two decades ago as a corporate management trainee, where I turned my interest in food and beverage into my love for the hospitality industry today. I worked in several operations and events positions before joining Bishop-McCann almost five years ago as a program manager. Bishop-McCann provided me further professional growth opportunities as the director of operations for their San Francisco office, and now as a strategic account director within the pharmaceutical group.
My greatest career accomplishment:
I am proud to have been awarded Manager of the Year for three separate hotels in three different positions during my tenure with Hyatt Hotels. It taught me that dedication, tenacity, teachability and determination for excellence do not go unnoticed.
How I helped my organization during COVID:
During the beginning stages of COVID, I was tasked with providing oversight for one of our office closures, exploring virtual meeting platforms, researching virtual attendee engagements and determining how to meet ever-changing client needs. As everyone became more comfortable with meetings and events in this new environment, I focused on seeking out client business in different formats and growing the volume of meetings with our existing client base. At the same time, I was working closely with my team on executing virtual and hybrid meetings, so I could be “on the ground” to collaborate on solutions and strategize how to provide the best experience possible. While the types of meetings we executed were different from what we were accustomed to, we turned these challenges into positive outcomes.
While doing this, we built strong client relationships and demonstrated the value we provide to our clients—our talented team. I focused on taking every opportunity to inspire my colleagues and keep the team motivated. From weekly Zoom meetings to random popsicle deliveries on a hot summer day, I felt that it was important to stay connected and remind my team how much they were valued. My role and responsibilities also changed during this time, but with a challenger mindset, I continued to make the best of every obstacle I was presented. I continued learning and trusted that I was the right person in the right seat, capable of making a difference for our team.
The time I averted a complete event disaster:
While I was a convention services manager, we had a large sales kick-off meeting for a repeat client at the hotel. Halfway through day two of the meeting, we recognized there was a foul smell coming through the air vents and water leaking into the ballroom because of an external city-led construction project above our space. We had to evacuate the entire meeting space, shift to a “grab and go” lunch for the attendees and spend the afternoon strategizing with leadership to determine what our next steps should be. There were still nearly three days of content ahead with a meeting space that was not in occupiable condition.
While part of our hotel team was assessing the conditions of the space and resolving the external cause, I focused on finding alternative solutions for our client in hopes of accomplishing their goal of completing the rest of their meeting. I strategized with our sales team, and we reached out to all the local hotels within a reasonable distance to inquire about space availability. We expedited RFPs and negotiated contracts on behalf of the client based on the meeting specifications within hours. While leading our hotel team to ensure that everyone involved was working cohesively toward the same goal, I coordinated all the food and beverage, transportation and attendee communications.
In the end, we relocated this meeting to two different hotels—one day at one hotel and the next at another. During that two-day period, we resolved the external cause, fully cleaned our meeting space and eliminated the external issue that was causing the foul smell. The group eventually returned to our hotel on the last day to finish their meeting. We created banners, and had the hotel team line up by the front door as well as down the path to their meeting space to welcome all of our attendees back. Ultimately, we were able to accomplish the full sales kick-off meeting and divert a complete event disaster into a unique, memorable experience for the attendees. The client, attendees, and company’s leadership were extremely pleased with the results.
My most memorable event experience in the past year:
I’m most proud of our team who worked tirelessly this past year to develop creative solutions for our clients. This past summer, we were tasked with a series of nine meetings ranging from 50 to 370 attendees for five separate business units. Due to the pandemic regulations at the time, all meetings were intended to be fully virtual. When there was a change in the regulations, the client’s leadership decided they wanted to allow the business units to “go live” with their teams as an option.
We shifted to a mix of fully virtual and hybrid meetings. We sourced and negotiated contracts for venues, rebuilt the registration process and attendee communications, and managed all logistics with only eight weeks of planning time. We transformed what was intended to be nine large, virtual meetings into 75 small, regional, hybrid meetings with a fully virtual component for those who did not want to travel. Our team was driven, motivated and agile through all the pivots to create joy for our client!
Best advice I’ve ever received:
Strive for constant improvement, not perfection.
Impressive stats I’m responsible for:
I led a team that increased the attendee experience survey Net Promoter Score from 7.5 to 9.2, with a 9% to 18% improvement across all six metrics/categories, while increasing survey participation by 200% for a client with 70-plus programs annually.
What’s next?
My team and I are looking forward to an active year managing a variety of in-person, hybrid and virtual events for a more diversified client profile. Technology will continue to play a huge role in meetings, events and attendee experience, so I’m excited to learn more about all the existing and untapped capabilities we can offer to craft meaningful solutions.
What I do outside of work:
As a mother of three, my time is spent dedicated to their growth and to providing as many opportunities as possible for them to explore the world through their experiences. When not working, you’ll likely find me mountain biking or hiking on a local trail as I love to spend as much time outdoors as possible. I also love to “wine down” with a nice red wine while trying new recipes in my kitchen.
Dream vacation:
Japan! I love that it’s a destination filled with deep cultural history and beautiful natural landscapes, all while being the futuristic technology capital of the world. My vacation would begin in Tokyo to visit all the iconic attractions, including Tsukiji Fish Market to experience the early live auctions and freshest seafood tastings. I would take a day trip to Osaka Castle, especially if it is during the cherry blossom season. Then I would take the bullet train to Kyoto and spend a few days in the historical city full of shrines and temples. Japanese cuisine is one of my favorites, not only in flavor but in its attention to details, so I would be eating and drinking my way through all the stops.
Favorite icebreaker line:
What’s your favorite holiday or tradition?
Connect with Mariano on LinkedIn.
“Connect x BizBash 40 Under 40” is sponsored by VDA, an experiential marketing and event design agency based in Massachusetts that specializes in custom live, virtual and hybrid experiences.
