On this Worker Highlight, we sat down with Shallan Miller and talked about all issues occasion advertising, her path again to this function after the Covid-19 pandemic and her perspective on the significance of cultivating resilience, communication expertise, and holding an open thoughts.
Meet Shallan Miller
Shallan is a Senior Advertising and marketing Occasions Supervisor at Cloudera. She manages a variety of inside and exterior occasions. “You title it, I’ve labored on it.”
“Planning an occasion is much more than meets the attention.” Shallan shared.
The method usually begins with discovery calls – numerous them. It’s important, nonetheless, to know the scope, viewers measurement, and finances. Subsequent, we select the situation, supply venues, companion with lodges and determine all distributors. Then, there’s numerous planning and collaboration with a variety of inside stakeholders comparable to inventive model crew, gross sales, product advertising, subject advertising, demand gen, companion advertising, subject enablement, internet, company social accountability, executives, and extra. Final however not least, we’ve the times main as much as the occasion (that are usually probably the most intense), the precise on-site execution and naturally, post-event reporting.
“This was only a high-level overview!” Shallan mentioned. “There’s much more element behind the scenes to make even the smallest occasion attainable. We contact nearly each space of the enterprise to rework concepts into profitable experiences.”
Shallan is a part of a small however mighty occasions crew. The group began from the bottom up following the Covid pandemic and after the lifting of the mandatory restrictions. After the crew’s creation, they got down to construct a best-in-class occasions machine. “A number of of us hail from very massive corporations with extraordinarily excessive requirements. We wished to set that very same excessive bar right here at Cloudera,” she mentioned. “This is among the greatest occasions groups I’ve labored on – we set formidable objectives and all help one another to attain them. Everybody brings a novel set of abilities to the group and I’m actually proud to be a part of it.”
That is no small reward. It’s not a secret that yearly occasion coordination and occasion planning make high ten lists for many anxious jobs. Along with pent-up demand for occasions in a post-pandemic world and rising prices to supply them, occasion advertising groups should do extra with much less 12 months after 12 months. For this crew, it means considering creatively in a high-pressure setting to make the expertise really feel like occasions previous to the pandemic. “This can’t be finished with out an excellent crew that works nicely collectively,” Shallan added.
Navigating the pandemic with occasions on maintain, Shallan discovered Cloudera as life returned to regular.
Earlier than Cloudera, Shallan labored in occasions for over 18 years – 13 years at UnitedHealth Group, the most important healthcare firm within the US. “When the pandemic hit occasions got here to a screeching halt,” she mirrored. Given the state of affairs, the UnitedHealth Group requested Shallan to make use of her logistics expertise to steer the Covid-19 testing websites throughout California. On this function, Shallan led 88 occasion coordinators as they facilitated Covid testing throughout the state. After six months on this function, Shallan realized it wasn’t what she was obsessed with so she left the corporate and began working full-time constructing her new house. She didn’t escape logistics although! “I went about constructing our home in the identical method I mission handle occasions. I spotted nonetheless that development was VERY totally different than occasions and Covid restrictions made every part more durable”. Rapidly, Shallan realized that after company occasions began up once more, she wished to return to occasion planning!”
“Quickly after deciding to rejoin the workforce I interviewed with Cloudera and instantly liked his imaginative and prescient. I used to be impressed by how he wished to construct his crew and what occasions he wished to carry to life. I used to be intrigued to be part of it. It’s been a bit of over a 12 months and a half since then and it’s been fairly the journey!”
Origin story: Whereas working throughout industries, occasion advertising grew to become her ardour.
Shallan grew up in a small city in Minnesota and after school moved nearer to Minneapolis. She bought her begin in property administration as an workplace supervisor, the place she began coordinating company occasions. “There was nobody else to do it so I simply realized plan and execute them,” she mentioned. After buying some expertise, she transitioned into the retail business and labored for Macy’s company, working their occasions. In the course of the 2008 Recession, Shallan transitioned into the healthcare business and began as an occasion coordinator, working her method as much as Director of occasions at Optum. On this function she deliberate every part from gross sales kick-offs, third occasion occasions, government summits, incentive journeys, sports activities sponsorship occasions, business conferences, roadshows, and so forth.
“The occasion business shortly grew to become my ardour,” she mentioned. “In the course of the pandemic, I needed to do some soul-searching and actually take into account one other line of labor. On the time we didn’t know the way lengthy it might take for occasions to come back again or if it might ever be the identical.” Thankfully, it did come again, and in a giant method! “This kind of work is actually the place my coronary heart is,” she exclaimed. “I like bringing concepts to life and observing the attendee expertise. There’s numerous pleasure that comes with that. When attendees come up and thank me for an excellent occasion and share what they realized, I do know I’ve finished my job proper.”
Classes realized: It’s about staying nimble, discovering your voice, and open traces of communication.
When reflecting on her years in occasion advertising a number of issues stood out for Shallan:
Being Versatile: “It’s important to be okay with ambiguity,” she mentioned. “It’s important as a result of within the occasions world, particulars are continually altering and you’ve got to have the ability to adapt.”
Discovering Your Voice: “It’s actually vital to talk up so your voice is heard with authenticity,” she mentioned. “For instance, when planning an occasion, a stakeholder might have an concept they wish to implement, however from my expertise I might imagine it won’t work. It’s as much as me to share that perspective and rationale clearly. Nevertheless, it is usually vital to maintain an open thoughts. Generally, introducing new occasion ideas that possibly you didn’t consider is precisely how you discover new greatest practices”.
Staying Communicative: “Final however not least, holding traces of communication open is essential,” she provides. “Particularly when coordinating with others, it’s a must to guarantee all of the dots are linked.”
What’s subsequent?
In her break day Shallan and her husband like to journey, hold busy with family and friends and fine-tune their new home. After all, there’s at all times the subsequent sequence of Cloudera occasions to consider too. “I simply got here again from Evolve London which concluded our spring occasions calendar and we’re already ramping up planning for the autumn and winter. There’s by no means a uninteresting second, however I wouldn’t have it another method.”
We thanks Shallan for contributing to Cloudera and sharing your story!
