Cassie LaMere: 5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Run A Live Event, Conference Or Convention
Prioritize the Guest Experience: Identify what is essential to the guest experience you are looking to provide and work backward from there. You want your guests to feel well cared for, appreciated, and engaged. By reverse-engineering your event, you can map out touch points and key opportunities to demonstrate that the guest experience is at the cornerstone of every decision you make.
As a part of our series about “5 Things You Need To Know To Successfully Run a Live Event”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Cassie LaMere.
Blending a lifelong passion for exceptional event curation with a keen eye for detail, Cassie LaMere stands as a paragon in luxury event planning. As the Founder and Creative Director of Cassie LaMere Events, she has redefined the art of creating memorable experiences, merging meticulous design with a flair for the extraordinary.
Her innate desire to transform every occasion into a cherished memory has been the cornerstone of her 15-year career. This journey has seen her evolve from a zealous entertainer into a venerated architect of bespoke events, celebrated for her commitment to excellence and innovation. Each event is a tapestry of unique experiences woven with the threads of Cassie’s diverse expertise across various sectors. This holistic approach ensures that every aspect of the event, from conception to execution, resonates with the client’s vision and exceeds their expectations.
Cassie’s leadership extends beyond the realm of event planning. Her firm, a namesake testament to her dedication, is a collective of skilled designers and coordinators who share her enthusiasm for crafting joyous moments. Their work transcends the ordinary, creating luxury experiences that not only meet but anticipate the discerning standards of their clientele. Cassie’s influence extends into the community through her active involvement and recognition in various prestigious circles. Her accolades include being a finalist and nominee in the Austin Under 40 Awards, a Center for Child Protection board member, and a celebrated participant in numerous philanthropic and industry events. Visit www.cassielamereevents.com for more information.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your “childhood backstory”?
Looking back through childhood photos and videos, I realize I was born ready to entertain. My mom tells me stories about how I was insistent on making holidays and special occasions a big event; I created menus, suggested attire, baked cakes for celebrations, and designed my own table decor. Growing up in a small town where there was limited access to arts and culture, I was drawn to anything that allowed me to be creative. I found myself seeking out information about artists, entertainers, and destinations from around the world, which furthered my enthusiasm for many of the sources of inspiration that still influence me to this day. Even at a young age, I pursued opportunities to plan and design experiences for others.
Can you tell us the story of what led you to this particular career path?
Given my innate desire to always want to make occasions special and over the top, it was only natural that I ended up in a creative role within the events industry. As a young adult, I experienced a significant amount of loss in a short period of time. I witnessed families grieve not only their loved ones but the milestones and memories that they would not get to share with them. It was this formidable time that influenced my drive and commitment to helping others seize opportunities to gather and celebrate. For me, it’s about so much more than just planning a beautiful event. My mission is to help our hosts and guests savor a life well lived through intentional, custom experiences that will become lifelong highlights. I feel fortunate that I can now look back at that challenging time and recognize how adversity helped define my purpose.
It has been said that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about a mistake you made when you were first starting and the lesson you learned from that?
Reflecting on my journey, I realize one crucial misstep I made early on was not focusing enough on building my personal brand. For years, I crafted exclusive events for top-tier luxury brands, pouring my heart and soul into creating spectacular experiences. However, I overlooked the importance of making my own mark within the industry. It’s common to bundle your identity with your work, especially in event planning, where we’re focused on being behind the scenes, helping our clients and hosts shine. The game changed when I launched my own company. Suddenly, I was on a thrilling mission to carve out a unique space for Cassie LaMere as an event planner, showcasing my distinctive vision and expertise. Now, I’m in this exhilarating race to elevate our brand to reflect the extensive experience I have gained over the tenure of my career as a seasoned event planner. It feels like a sprint to the top, but every step is filled with learning and growth!
Is there a particular book, podcast, or film that made a significant impact on you? Can you share a story or explain why it resonated with you so much?
I will be forever inspired by the iconic party scenes from classic films such as An American in Paris, Sabrina, and The Great Gatsby- to name a few. Will Guidara’s book, Unreasonable Hospitality, has had a significant impact on both my business and personal endeavors. Will wrote, “There’s no more powerful incentive to give great hospitality than to be on the receiving end of it.” This quote struck a chord, as it illustrates why I passionately pursue opportunities to immerse myself in experiences where I can observe exceptional hospitality with an insatiable curiosity and desire to learn from others. In order for me to understand and exceed our clients’ discerning expectations, I first have to have an intimate understanding of the bar that has been set and then- how to raise it. Will’s ability to recount the importance of exceptional hospitality experiences and how they leave an indelible mark on guests articulates a principle of our work that is sometimes difficult to put into words.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
There are so many! The quote that I reflect on most often is, “Don’t be surprised at how quickly the universe will move once you’ve decided.” I remember soul-searching over the decision to start my own company for many months: it was only when I decided to take the risk that I felt the universe started to reveal opportunities to me along that path. I’ve had several examples of this in my life and career. As an event planner and “Type A” person, I can often fall into the habit of over-analyzing decisions. This critical, thorough approach is what has made me successful at my job, but it can also have an adverse effect when it comes to growth opportunities where there are major unknowns. I have found that when I make a decision, it frees me up to visualize the possibilities and figure out the rest along the way. It’s only natural to want to have all of the information to weigh the pros and cons and have a well-defined plan (trust me, I’m a planner!), but sometimes I think simply starting can lead to momentum, and that helps clarify the details as you go.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. For the benefit of our readers, can you tell us a bit about your experience organizing events?
My training began at an early age, and after earning dual degrees in event coordination and marketing, I spent many of the 15+ years of my career working in-house for some celebrated luxury brands overseeing their experiential events. In 2018, I launched Cassie LaMere Events as an evolution of my journey in the industry and seized the opportunity to build a boutique luxury event planning company known for creating events for an elite group of brands and individuals. After being dedicated to a singular brand for so many years, I have savored this new chapter where we have the opportunity to work on a diverse range of projects in the corporate lifestyle, social, and wedding space. Currently, I am enthusiastic about sharing my insights as a seasoned event and entertaining expert with the party-loving community, with a goal to inspire others to celebrate all types of occasions and feel confident in hosting.
Are you running any exciting events in the near future? We’d love to hear about it. What do you want attendees to bring back with them after they attend your event?
I always want to leave people better than we found them. Events are a powerful way of connecting people, and the best events make an impression that lasts well beyond the occasion. I believe that our memories are rooted in experiences, and when people look back on their lives, I want them to reflect fondly on the moments when they gathered, celebrated, and made core memories with each other. My hope is our guests will say, “Remember that time when we…” and recall stories of the moments our events facilitated that, in my opinion, define a life well lived.
Currently, we are in the final stages of designing and planning a multi-day wedding weekend for a very special client that is sure to be a marquee celebration for the Cassie LaMere Events team. After working on this event for a year and a half, we are brimming with excitement to see the vision come to life and for everyone to experience the incredible details that we have dreamt up for this event.
In your opinion, what is an example of a company that has done a fantastic job creating live events? What specifically impresses you? What can one do to replicate that?
I am consistently impressed by and often geek out on, Ralph Lauren’s events. I appreciate their approach to world creation and admire how cohesively every single detail of their events is executed. Their event organizers have a very clear understanding of the identity of the brand and the lifestyle of their consumers. Through a variety of mediums, Ralph’s live events encapsulate the signature style of a storied fashion house. I admire how they’ve created extensions of their brand outside of the traditional fashion and retail environment through curated pop-up experiences that are aligned with high-profile events such as Wimbledon or Milan Design Week.
What are the common mistakes you have seen people make when they try to run an event? What can be done to avoid those errors?
There’s a difference between an event being “branded” and “on-brand.” We often see companies make the mistake of taking a branded approach to their events, where their logo is splashed on everything, and there’s not much thought that goes into the guest experience other than relying on the cache of the brand. Yes, these events will attract attendees by name alone, but it’s common that the experience itself will be generic or underwhelming. In our experience, as both planners and event guests, these events aren’t ultimately effective for the intended impact and do not do much to create a lasting impression on attendees.
Events that are on-brand have thoughtfully incorporated details that speak to the values and personality of the brand and immerse a guest in the world of the brand to gain a clear understanding of its identity. At these events, guests establish an affinity for the brand because they have formed a connection with what it represents. Because the hosts built an experience that spoke to the audience and conveyed the brand’s story, guests are able to walk away with key messaging points that resonate with them. I believe there are a lot of nuances and layers that go into successfully achieving this outcome. For example, if the company is a passionate advocate for sustainability, then it’s essential that the event experience demonstrates their commitment. Mindful, on brand details would include considering the materials that are being utilized throughout the event, how the event is reducing waste, and what opportunities are available to exhibit thought leadership to help further the mission.
People also often underestimate the amount of work and logistics that are required to ensure a successful event. Our job as event planners is to make everything look effortless, but behind the scenes, there is a complex ecosystem of vendors and moving parts that have been orchestrated to ensure a seamless and frictionless experience for guests. We see situations like this happen all of the time where people dive into planning an event, get in over their heads, and then need to bring in outside help to rescue the event or fix major issues.
I find that a lot of professionals operate in silos and don’t integrate their vendors as early as they should. It’s important to take a holistic approach to event planning and facilitate partners communicating with each other about their respective scope early on in order to troubleshoot any issues that may arise or overlap that need to be addressed. Having a clearly defined and cohesive plan allows everyone to operate from the same playbook, and you will feel the result of that teamwork at the event, as opposed to feeling disjointed or chaotic.
It’s important to prioritize the moment over the photo. We have seen examples of hosts directing photo and video teams to capture content in a way that imposes on, or gets in the way of, the guest experience. For an event to feel authentic, you want these moments to happen organically and not give the impression that they’re staged or forced. Guests can feel that energy at an event. We are all for capturing content and understand it’s a meaningful marketing asset that brings a return for the resources dedicated to an event experience. I would recommend keeping in mind that the best images are those where you can see the pure joy in guests’ faces as they are engaging with the experience and often, the moments in between are the most magical, which talented photographers and videographers will be able to capture.
Are there any essential tools or software that you think an event organizer needs to know about?
We have been integrating text communication platforms where our team can quickly push out timely messages to event teams and guests. I believe that it’s important to diversify your communications strategy leading up to and during an event, and these tools are allowing us to effectively distribute key information to our audiences.
Ok. Thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our discussion. An in-person event can have a certain electric energy. What does it take to create an engaging and memorable event? What are the “Five Things You Need To Know To Successfully Run a Live Event” and why?
1. Down to Every Detail: The most successful events are planned meticulously, down to every detail. Trust me, the details matter, and in the words of Walt Disney, “People can feel perfection.” Our events differentiate themselves because of the intentionality and purpose that informs all of our decisions. Personalization, customization, storytelling, and authenticity all shine through when you mind the details, big and small.
2. Expect the Unexpected: Even with all the planning and preparation, inevitably, an unexpected situation will arise. What’s important is that you proactively prepare for these scenarios in advance, identifying ways to troubleshoot to eliminate or mitigate these issues. From there, on the reactive side, clearly define best practices for how to respond to incidents so you can quickly and effectively address them onsite.
3. Entertainment is Key: Don’t underestimate the power of Entertainment to transform an event! Regardless of whether it’s a corporate, social, or wedding event, thoughtfully orchestrated Entertainment always brings the wow factor and greatly contributes to not only the energy, but the overall enjoyment of the event. As a bonus, Entertainment is one of the most dynamic ways to create share-worthy moments if you’re looking for social media visibility.
4. Prioritize the Guest Experience: Identify what is essential to the guest experience you are looking to provide and work backward from there. You want your guests to feel well cared for, appreciated, and engaged. By reverse-engineering your event, you can map out touch points and key opportunities to demonstrate that the guest experience is at the cornerstone of every decision you make.
5. Know Your Audience: We have seen so many events fall flat because they didn’t know or understand their audience. It’s not just about creating an amazing event; it’s about creating the right event for the intended audience. Make sure you have an intimate understanding of their likes, dislikes, and what matters to your guests. If you offer them an experience that doesn’t speak to their interests, unfortunately, the event won’t have the intended impact and will be seen as an ineffective use of resources.
Let’s imagine that someone reading this interview has an idea for a live event that they would like to develop. What are the first few steps that you would recommend that they take?
Define your goals for the event, put together a framework for key details, including time of year, city, and estimated guest count, and engage a planner! We find that clients often feel that they have to have an idea fully baked before they engage us on a project and frequently bring on a planner too late into the process. I would advocate for bringing in a planner as early on as possible. Part of the value that we can bring to an event is concept development, which helps guide the decision-making process and assists clients with navigating how to go about creating a vision for the event. We want our clients to receive the full benefit of our expertise and experience, from assisting with contract negotiations and selecting a venue to hand-selecting the right team of vendors and developing a realistic timeline, all of which will set an event up for success and support the desired outcome. If a planner is brought in after foundational decisions are made, it can sometimes be more difficult to “right the ship” and recover from those missteps if it’s determined that those plans are not conducive to the desired event experience.
Super. We are nearly done. Here are our final questions. You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I am passionate about normalizing alternative celebrations. It’s common for us as a society to aspire to certain event milestones and occasions in a person’s life and subscribe to a formula for what those events should look like. I believe that every person’s journey is vastly different, and it’s important that we identify opportunities to mark those meaningful moments in someone’s life, regardless of how different or unconventional they might be, to craft experiences that are authentic to their story. There are no rules — reinventing events is at the core of how we approach our work, and while we honor traditions, we also believe in creating space to customize an experience to what’s personal to the host(s). Achievements such as starting a business, welcoming a fur baby, honoring wellness journeys, and a commitment to self-love are all reasons to celebrate!
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them.
I hope to someday have the opportunity to meet and collaborate with Aerin Lauder. In my eyes, she is an arbiter of taste, and I admire how she has found a way to embrace her heritage and family traditions while still forging a path that feels authentic and personal to her. I find her leadership, eye for style, and grace to be inspiring and set an example that I aspire to. I love that she seeks beauty in her everyday life, fostering opportunities to gather and celebrate in a thoughtfully designed setting that facilitates meaningful connections.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.