About Me

How did a bookwormish wallflower like me ever end up as editor of a magazine dedicated to special events and meetings and all the glitz, glam and excitement they’re known for?  And even more puzzling, why do I love it so much?

Here’s my theory.  It’s Mrs. Carlson’s fault. She was my theater teacher in high school. She was about 87 years old and had more wrinkles than a Chinese Shar-Pei.  She typecast me in every major production that our fledgling troupe of thespians foisted upon the public.   I was always, always the old lady. If it was Pygmalion, I was Henry Higgins’ rich, aristocratic mother.  If it was You Can’t Take it With You,  I was the boyfriend’s rich, snobby mother. I began to get a complex, wondering if I was doomed to grow from old age, to, well, old age.

But Mrs. Carlson helped me see what I really loved about theatre. It was the timing, the costumes, the sets and the unfolding drama. It was choreography, design, light and people weaving in and out of each other’s story lines. And it was laughter, tears and finally, applause.
 
It was an event.
 
So I slogged through my college education, ending up with an English degree (and theater minor), dutifully taught high school English for a grand total of six months and ended up in various corporate marketing jobs for the next 25 or so years.
 
I didn’t know at that time that I’d find myself planning events and meetings, from huge customer bashes with thousands of people, to sales meetings of 20 people. But there was something familiar about the thrill of filling an empty space with beautiful props, planning where the action would happen, and imagining how people would flow through the room.
 
It was, I realized, theater.
 
No wonder I’ve always been drawn to events and meetings. I can’t wait for the moment when the lights go dim, and the key players make their entrances. I love the hours spent hovering over fabrics, tying themes together with a multitude of details and making sure the stage is set for a perfect performance.
 
And now, through a great stroke of luck, that experience has come full circle. Not only do I get to play with words every day (my other great love), but I am writing about—and am part of—the magical world of events and meetings.
 
It couldn’t be more perfect. Thank you, Mrs. Carlson, wherever you are.