Event Architects To Know in 2024 - Kristen Verdeaux, Harvard Law School and Boston University
Kristen Verdeaux, of Harvard Law School and Boston University, discusses how she builds and plans meetings and events in the evolving hospitality landscape of 2024.
Luke Whalin
Mar 14, 2024
Welcome to the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series, where we highlight event professionals making waves across the events industry to share lessons learned and raise awareness of their invaluable contributions.
Name: Kristen Verdeaux
Company Name: Harvard Law School and Boston College
Job Title: Managing Director
Can you briefly tell us about your background in event planning and how you got started in the industry?
One of my summer jobs during a college break was to be a resident assistant for the Boston Ballet Summer Dance Program. I made many good connections working there and landed a full-time job right out of college in the development department.
From there, I dove into the world of special events and discovered my love for event planning. From there, I worked in various non-profits in the Boston area, including Harvard Graduate School of Education, Boston Children's Hospital, Massachusetts Medical Society, and currently, Harvard Law School, where I plan global events and conferences.
How do you go about selecting the perfect hotel or venue? What factors weigh most heavily in your decision?
The number one factor to me is location, followed very closely by budget. I oftentimes hone in on a specific location and then determine the venues and hotels that fit in where we want to be. With my current organization, selecting a place that has things to do around it is absolutely key and I would imagine this goes for a lot of planners too!
What does the initial planning phase of securing a venue look like for you? Could you walk us through your initial steps?
The initial planning phase for me after the budget and location are set is ideally setting up site visits. Sometimes, due to the global nature of our events, I do not get to go on sites and rely heavily on local partners for input. Once a proposal is received, I review all the meeting spaces carefully to make sure they can accommodate our group. I also review sleeping rooms, star ratings, menus, Wi-Fi capabilities, and concessions to see if everything falls into place. I map out the flow of meeting rooms to eating and break areas as well. Once this all aligns, I move into the contracting stage.
Do you use frameworks, templates, or other tools/documents to help you stay organized and manage the event planning process?
We have different tabs within each database to manage the people, budget, marketing as well as planning timeline.
Do you have any specific strategies or insights for enhancing the attendee experience at your events?
To us, it's all about service delivery. Because our attendees travel from all over the world to attend our events, sometimes they forget things, get sick, and need help, and we are right there to assist with all of those things. Our team arrives early no matter where we go so we can familiarize ourselves with the location thus being able to direct someone to the nearest pharmacy or coffee shop. We want people to feel like they are being well taken care of holistically.
Effective communication is crucial in any planning process. How do you ensure you and your event stakeholders are always on the same page?
Emails and Zoom calls. We make sure those who need to know, know in plenty of time. We always determine what the info is that needs to be communicated and how to best do that (and when) as a team.
We always do a risk assessment for the location and work closely with the local partner on this as well. I make sure everyone knows whom to go to if there is an emergency and where we can be found. Making sure staff are present and accessible is key.
What are the typical steps you take in the post-event phase?
Attendee surveys, thank yous and closeouts (vendors, local hosts, etc.), budget reconciliation and post-event "what worked, what could we do better".
What advice would you offer someone just starting their career in the meetings and events industry?
Ask all the questions! Don't be afraid to speak up and ask to shadow planners - especially onsite. I'm a firm believer in immersive learning, so being able to be at an event to see how one runs is a great starting point for anyone interested in the events industry. I often tell my students to volunteer for student-run organizations so they can get in on the ground and work on planning events and programs.