Jessica Jones

I started my career 15 years ago in the hospitality field, working in hotels and learning the event industry from the bottom to the top. I worked my way through hotel event planning, gaining deep experience in creating memorable experiences for guests. Eventually, I transitioned into corporate event and meeting planning in the finance industry, where I now plan high-end client experiences for Wells Fargo on a national scale, managing events for up to 1,200 attendees. What sets me apart is my focus on the experiential and the client experience. I don't just plan an event or a meeting - I think about what the attendee will experience and what that lasting memory will be, touching on all the senses: what you smell, touch, feel, and see. That's what makes things truly memorable. I earned my Master's degree in Public Relations in 2015 while working full-time, and this year I achieved my CMP certification as a Certified Meeting Planner. I'm a member of MPI, a meeting planner organization. One of my greatest accomplishments was helping the bank close a really huge deal because of what clients experienced at one of my events. On a personal level, I'm incredibly proud of mentoring a younger person coming out of college, helping guide them to their right path and finding a job where they're happy and thriving. I'm passionate about this profession because it allows you to utilize your creativity, organization, and strategy in ways people don't always realize. I also recognize that there are not a lot of Black women in the professional space of meeting planning and events, so being a mentor and an example of what could be for other women to follow is really important to me. In the next five years, I hope to be leading an organization at a director or VP level, driving the event strategy.