Her Story
About Kelli
Kelli Webber is an accomplished events and marketing professional with more than 20 years of experience in event planning, sponsorship execution, project management, and relationship building. She currently serves as an Events Manager at Alliance Defending Freedom in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she brings extensive expertise in coordinating complex events and managing the many details required for successful execution. Her career began in in 1987 at Gerber Advertising as an Assistant Account Executive and then Account Executive before leaving Oregon to move to Wisconsin in 1999 where she transitioned to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where she developed and executed sports sponsorships, community events, consumer trade shows, and marketing initiatives. She later held roles with Northwestern Mutual, Gannett Wisconsin Media, and McClatchy, gaining experience in meeting planning, communications, advertising campaigns, corporate sponsorships, and professional sports partnerships. Throughout her career, Webber has demonstrated expertise in event logistics, including venue and hotel contract negotiations, catering and meeting-space coordination, registration management, speaker contracting, sponsorship activation, and sports contracts. At Gannett Wisconsin Media, she managed sponsorship programs across 11 USA Today Network Wisconsin markets and helped oversee professional sports agreements involving the Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Milwaukee Bucks, with sponsorship activations generating more than $2 million in revenue. Among her notable accomplishments is an Etsy Award for the Honoring Their Freedom program, which provided veterans with an opportunity to visit war memorials in Washington, D.C. Webber earned an A.A. in Business from Highland Community College and a B.S. in Marketing/Advertising from Emporia State University. Beyond her professional achievements, Webber is committed to service, relationships, and making a positive impact in the lives of others. She has participated in church mission trips, including a trip to Thailand focused on eye care and another to Tanzania for a pastor couples retreat. She attributes much of her success to the unwavering support of her husband, her daughters, family and a strong community of friends who encourage and inspire her. In both her personal and professional life, Webber values honesty, humility, hard work, and trust in her team. She believes in taking pride in her work, enjoying what she does, and approaching every opportunity with a willingness to serve, connect with others, and give her best.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Kelli
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the strong support system I have built around me. My husband has always supported me in everything I pursue, giving me the encouragement and confidence to keep moving forward. I am also grateful for my two beautiful, successful daughters and a wonderful community of friends who are always there to offer support, perspective, and encouragement. Their presence has played an important role in both my personal growth and professional success.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is to work hard, remain humble, trust your team, and take pride in what you do. I believe success comes from building strong relationships, staying adaptable, and being willing to pay attention to the details, especially when managing complex events. Most importantly, I’ve learned to trust the people around me, appreciate their strengths, and take pride in delivering work that makes a meaningful difference.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering the event industry is to be willing to work hard, pay close attention to detail, and embrace opportunities to meet and work with a wide variety of people. Event planning requires the ability to manage multiple responsibilities at once, stay organized, and keep a full plate moving forward. If you enjoy staying busy, working with others, and taking on new challenges, it can be a very rewarding and fulfilling career.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge in the event industry right now is securing venues that are available on the specific dates needed, especially with how active the events landscape has become since COVID-19. At the same time, I see tremendous opportunity in the many ways organizations can reach their audiences and communicate their messages. With so many channels and platforms available, there are more opportunities than ever to connect with people, create meaningful experiences, and make an impact through events.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me, both professionally and personally, are honesty, humility, and a strong work ethic. I believe in putting my head down, doing the work, and taking pride in what I do while also making sure I genuinely enjoy my work. I also place a great deal of importance on trust, especially when it comes to working with a team.
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