Influential Woman · Live Events

Harley Hendrix

Managing Director, Hall des Lumières

New York, NY

1Award received

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Certifications from MIT Degree Certifications from Stanford Degree Certifications from Cornell Degree Certifications from UVA Cert Certifications from MIT Cert Certifications from Stanford Cert Certifications from Cornell Cert Certifications from UVA Cert Personal Thank You from President Biden

Her Story

About Harley

With over 20 years in the live events industry, I work as a live event producer and venue manager, handling absolutely everything from booking the venue to figuring out the production needs for every client and then making their event happen to meet expectations. I wear many hats in my role, managing events that vary in size from 150 to 1,500 people at my current venue, though for festivals I've worked with crowds up to 50,000 attendees, which requires a huge production team. Throughout my career, I've earned certifications from prestigious institutions including MIT, Stanford, Cornell, and UVA, and I've even received a personal thank you from President Biden. As a cancer survivor who has persevered through numerous challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic, I've learned that surviving in this industry, especially in New York City, requires dedication and resilience. I attribute my success to perseverance and delivering quality, and I believe that people won't remember what you've said, but they'll remember how you made them feel.

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Harley

01What do you attribute your success to?

I attribute my success to perseverance and delivering quality. Having been in this industry for over 20 years and surviving through challenges like COVID-19, which hit the events industry so hard, I've learned that staying power and consistently delivering high-quality work are what keep you going. It's about pushing through the difficult times and never compromising on the quality of what you deliver to your clients.

02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice I ever received was that people won't remember what you've said, but they'll remember how you made them feel. This has been a guiding principle throughout my career in live events, where creating meaningful experiences and emotional connections with clients and audiences is everything.

03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?

My advice to young women entering the events industry is to be transparent and authentic. The event landscape is changing so much now that technology has advanced so much, so it's important to just be authentic in producing the event and connecting with the audience. Don't try to be something you're not. Focus on creating genuine connections and authentic experiences, because that's what really matters in this field.

04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?

I think one of the biggest opportunities in my field right now are the immersive events and how technology is just growing so quickly, especially with AI. But this is also a challenge at the same time, because you have to learn all kinds of new tech and you have to integrate it into your events. The rapid advancement of technology, particularly AI, is transforming the events industry, creating exciting new possibilities for immersive experiences while also requiring constant learning and adaptation to stay current.

05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

The values most important to me in my work and personal life are honesty, trustworthiness, and transparency. These principles guide everything I do, both professionally in managing events and producing experiences for clients, and personally in my relationships with friends and family. Being truthful and transparent builds the foundation of trust that's essential in this industry.

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