Rancho Palos Verdes, California, United States
With over two decades of expertise in global event management, I have masterfully organized and executed highly acclaimed, large-scale sporting events for Vans, magnetizing both the company and the world's most elite athletes. Skillfully blending business growth with athletic distinction, I elevate brand visibility and fortify the company's standing in the global marketplace. My career highlights include: ► Directed the inaugural Vans Pipe Masters, a three-year project culminating in a groundbreaking event with record prize purses, 20M+ webcast views, and a pivotal role in boosting the surf category to the top five in the United States. ► Spearheaded the Vans Park Series, generating multimillion-dollar revenue and securing 55 million online impressions. Facilitated funding to construct five skateparks in five years, leaving them behind to benefit local communities. ► Led all efforts to organize and execute the Vans Cup at Tahoe, one of the most prestigious snowboarding events of its time, attracting the world's best snowboarders and propelling many athletes toward Olympic competitions. ► Executed the world-renowned Vans Pool Party, an annual deep bowl showdown featuring iconic athletes such as Tony Hawk and Lizzie Armanto, consistently reaching peak in-person attendance levels. Throughout my career, I have excelled in forging partnerships, coordinating high-performing teams, and executing events that not only shatter attendance records but captivate tens of millions of online viewers. Driven by my passion for elevating premier, elite brands to industry prominence, I am deeply committed to delivering extraordinary and memorable experiences. My areas of expertise include: Global Event Planning & Management | Live Event Planning & Production | Sponsorships & Activations | Onsite Event Management | Business Partnerships | Multimillion-Dollar Budget Management | Vendor Planning & Management | Contracts & Negotiations | Sports & Event Marketing | Marketing Communications | Project Management | Strategic Planning | Cross-Functional Leadership
I was promoted to oversee the platforms for 16 globally mandated events, spanning skate, surf, snow, and BMX across North America, EMEA, and APAC. During this time, I evaluated and selected production companies and played an integral role in contract negotiations. Additionally, I partnered with regional marketing leads and production companies to drive consistent messaging while still regionalizing events to cater to local audiences. Along the way, I monitored progress and managed multimillion-dollar event budgets. Finally, I drove the seamless execution of all onsite event operations while directing cross-functional teams to deliver extraordinary experiences for both athletes and fans. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: ► Directed operations for the inaugural Vans Pipe Masters, the world's top surfing event, driving a 3-year project to launch the 12-day event with record-setting prize purses. Achieved 20M webcast views and elevated the surf category to the top 5 in the US. ► Drove the execution of the Vans Park Series, a new competitive discipline that paved the way for skateboarding's inclusion in the Olympic games. Generated multimillion-dollar revenue and an unprecedented 55 million views across social media, the company’s most successful property to date. ► Secured funding to build 5 skateparks in 5 years via relationships with media and municipalities in Sweden, Brazil, France, Canada, and the U.S., leaving the skateparks behind to benefit local communities. ► Pioneered a new event format and prize parity model to establish equal footing for men and women in surf and skate, resulting in Vans becoming the first action sports entity to offer dual-gender prize parity across all global events since 2018. ► Guided the execution of ~40 major professional and open competitions, providing participants a viable path into professional sports. ► Revamped the brand's image by spearheading a comprehensive brand strategy, including defining the brand vision, mission, and position.
I was hired as an events manager to lead all operations for Vans-owned events. I was later promoted to oversee one team member and a production company, driving all event logistics, schedules, and timelines for both Vans-owned and title-sponsored events. KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS: ► Led Vans interactive activation arena to become a highly favored attraction throughout the years as a Dew Tour partner. Directed the Vans activation including planning and logistics for this annual action sports tour. ► Planned and executed the annual Vans Downtown Showdown skateboarding event and competition, leading it to become Vans most engaging street skating event. ►Organized and executed the Vans Cup at Tahoe, one of the largest and most prestigious snowboarding events of its time. Attracted the world's best snowboarders and showcased their talent on a global stage, with many featured athletes going on to compete in the Olympics. ►Led teams to execute the world-renowned Vans Pool Party at the Vans indoor skatepark, an annual deep bowl competition that attracted some of the world's most talented skaters and featured legends such as Tony Hawk and Lizzie Armanto. ► Orchestrated the execution of the Vans activation at Metallica's Orion Music + More Festival for multiple consecutive years, incorporating innovative elements such as a custom-built ramp on which the band could skate. The event’s success resulted in a special invitation to replicate the experience for the Foo Fighters at the Cal Jam festival. ► Drove the activation for the Born Free Motorcycle show, a highly anticipated event sponsored by Vans since 2011, featuring iconic skateboarders including Steve Caballero, Christian Hosoi, Jeff Grossi, and Lance Mountain. ► Directed all operations for the title-sponsored Vans US Open and Surfing event, for 4 years, overseeing the surf, skate, and BMX events. Planned and executed the layout and built a concrete skatepark for a 9-day event that drew up to 35K per day.
In this role, I spearheaded the planning and execution of large-scale action sports events for large-scale clients including Vans. By conceptualizing and executing a diverse array of exciting and innovative events, I delivered engaging experiences that attracted top athletes, industry leaders, and fans from around the world.