Creating signature experiences for teams with Cassidy
Creating signature experiences for teams with Cassidy
Nate Johnson · 12/15/2023
In the often-unseen world of event planning, where success lies in the orchestration of behind-the-scenes planning, we at BoomPop are launching a series to shed light on the intricacies and opportunities of event planning.
Our inaugural feature spotlights Cassidy Rapoport, who has been an accomplished Event Designer at BoomPop since June 2023.
Cultivating an event planning passion
Cassidy has an extensive event planning background, with over 8 years of experience. She has used her skills for her entire professional career.
“Originally when I first graduated I knew I really enjoyed planning events. So, during my first job out of college, as soon as I could, I switched to the events team and haven’t looked back since,” says Cassidy. “I have worked in a variety of industries and event types. I worked at non-profits, for-profits, in industries ranging from health and wellness to professional services, with events ranging from 5 person roundtables to 1200 person conferences.”
While Cassidy has planned vastly different event experiences during her career, one thing has stayed consistent throughout: Cassidy’s motivation and passion for planning events.
“My favorite thing about event planning is that it merges logic and puzzles with human connection,” Cassidy says. “We spend most of our time working in spreadsheets, figuring out itineraries, working to stay in budgets, but at the end of the day what we’re really doing is bringing people together for a common purpose, to laugh or learn or celebrate or whatever the event calls for. As an event designer, you are a catalyst for human connection which I think is pretty cool.”
Why corporate events
With her range of experience, Cassidy could do event planning work in any field she likes, but to her, corporate event planning is special.
“I enjoy planning corporate events because we spend most of our time at work, so being able to find ways to bring people together in a corporate setting I think is a special thing to do every day,” says Cassidy. “I like corporate because you get to focus on the connection on site, curating moments for people who experience something short-term, but walk away with a lasting memory.”
Cassidy’s corporate event expertise has allowed her to create signature experiences for employees, which to Cassidy is one of the most fun parts of the job.
“My favorite event I planned was for a data company who really wanted to focus on celebrating their employees and reward them for all their hard work,” said Cassidy. “They got swag, had really nice meals, did a cooking class, all with the intent of rewarding their team.”
What are some event planner tips & tricks
Regardless of the type of event, Cassidy has some rules and guidelines that anyone can use for planning a great corporate event. “One way that I view an event as successful is when attendees walk away with the intangible stories of how much they enjoyed their offsite. Many times we measure success with data and quantifiable outcomes, but the memories and experiences that attendees walk away with is something you can't put a number on. I also think there is a huge value in a seamless itinerary.”
Cassidy adds, “The number one thing I would stress is balance in your itinerary. People like to plan and never take breaks, but there is beauty in a well balanced itinerary where people feel fulfilled at the end of the week, but not exhausted or overplanned. The down time that allows attendees to connect in a less organized way is important.”
If this seems like a daunting task to you, well, that’s because it is. This is why, according to Cassidy, it’s important to have someone solely focusing on planning the event.
“One big misconception of being an event planner is people don't realize how much of the role is project management and how much time we spend in planning software and budgets. When people think of event planning, they usually think of what they see when they show up to an event, they don’t think of the months of work that goes into making that day happen,” says Cassidy.
Why use an external event planner
Fortunately, a major part of event expertise is having someone in your corner to take the stress away from planning.
“The biggest value of having an event planner is taking all the worry off your plate. We are the ones keeping you on track, organizing your itinerary, making sure you’re on budget, taking all the research off your plate and the back and forth with vendors. The workload and expertise combined allow us to deliver a really great event with not much of a lift on the client’s end,” says Cassidy. “My biggest skill as an event planner is making the client feel comfortable always being on track. I take on the responsibility of the big picture and all the pieces that come together to get there.”
Here at BoomPop, we have a mission of making everyone on your team feel valued and like they belong through creating spectacular company culture. Event Designers such as Cassidy are a part of our wonderful events team who do what they love doing while taking care of clients’ needs and transform a stressful task into a fun and memorable experience. Most importantly, you get to enjoy the experience alongside your team.
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