MCW Events is all about making moments matter. And we’re lucky enough to be connected with some of the best moment makers in the events industry. Dana Pake is a designer of human connections, passionate about creating engaging and inspiring programs, and agreed to share some event industry wisdom.

How did you get started in the Event Planning industry?

I fell in love with events while working as a PR associate on the MSN 8 campaign. (I’m old, I know.) I watched the launch event come together in Central Park while I was planning an editorial round table at the Plaza across the street. I vividly remember seeing the experiential marketing action coming together and thinking, “THAT! That’s what I want to do.” I realized there’s no other channel like events that immerses people in the brand – 360 degrees. I hung up my “smile and dial” hat and traded it for events soon after. I cut my teeth in events working for a for-profit university online lead gen company, working on all offline programs, namely trade shows. But I really sharpened my “event planner saw” at Tableau Software, where I joined in the early days to lead production on the Tableau Customer Conference, known as the super bowl of data events. Hands-down the highlight of my career.

What’s an event planning/production tool you can’t live without?

Pinterest. It’s where I find inspiration in the most unlikely places. And it’s a helpful, low-barrier, low-cost, yet highly effective solution for walking clients through an attendee experience.

What was something you wish you’d known before you began planning events?

Two things:

1. Planning always takes more time than you think. Event planners are at the mercy of so many different stakeholders (both internally and externally). Your ideal timeline frequently doesn’t jive with internal teams’ ability to arrive at critical decisions to move your program forward. Often, external partners’ availability and turn-times are compressed as a consequence.

2. Planning is about problem-solving and preparing for the unplanned.

What’s one of your favorite event moments?

So many to choose from! The one most personally meaningful was the 2020 Democratic National Convention Caucuses. I was part of the production team that brought the caucuses online to a virtual format for the first time. With a fully remote team spread across the country and time zones. In less than 11 days. I acted as a producer and a show caller with Nancy Pelosi and Madeline Albright in my hands. I had never called a show before then. Gulp. I proved that I could do challenging things in a short amount of time. And as a team, we proved that virtual caucuses can be more engaging and democratize reach in a way that IRL caucuses couldn’t. This was a production filled with many first times. There was no playbook for an all-remote DNC production. We were creating it along the way. The results? Our efforts contributed to increasing caucus participation by nearly a hundredfold. And I walked away a more confident and committed practitioner.

What’s your favorite donut?

Mighty-O Raspberry Riot with raspberry glaze. Without question.