Lauren Layton Smith
Director, New Business & Strategy at Sequence Events- Claim this Profile
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Bio
Shaan Sheth
Lauren is a dynamic talent. Her multi faceted background working across various marketing functions made her a valued asset at Insperience. She managed our Field Operations organization, which encompassed activation operations and events. This role required her to communicate and collaborate across functions, and Lauren quickly gained the respect of her peers through her work ethic. Working at a startup inside of a large company is no easy task as priorities constantly shift, and Lauren was able to successfully manage and adapt quickly to any change. No task is too small or too big for Lauren and she approaches business problems with a solution focused mindset. Lauren would be an incredible addition to any team.
Zsuzsa Novak
‘Unbelievably efficient’ is the phrase that sums up Lauren and her work. As Head of Marketing at Rebel Labs, I had the distinct pleasure to work with Lauren on our official Launch Party. This party was no small feat. We were looking to entertain hundreds of guests on two levels. The event included valet parking, catering, live cooking demonstrations, a full bar set up both in our offices and on the rooftop, and a DJ that literally kept our guests on the beat. In addition, we hired a videographer, 3 photographers, and a red carpet correspondent to capture the experience. Late night emails or early morning calls, throughout the weeks of setting everything up, Lauren was always available and always delightful. Ordering signs, coordinating pick-ups, hiring staff, I knew I could rely on her no matter the task. Aside from being responsive and reliable, Lauren was so easy to work with: she really understood the look and feel of the experience I was looking to create, yet had great insights and wonderful suggestions to add. I was so impressed with not only how detail oriented Lauren was, but also with her problem solving skills, can-do attitude, and sense of humor as we juggled dozens of balls at once during our intense prep time. Thanks to her dedication and flawless execution, our event was a great success. If you want to work with the best in the business, look no further and hire Lauren. I could not recommend her more highly!
Shaan Sheth
Lauren is a dynamic talent. Her multi faceted background working across various marketing functions made her a valued asset at Insperience. She managed our Field Operations organization, which encompassed activation operations and events. This role required her to communicate and collaborate across functions, and Lauren quickly gained the respect of her peers through her work ethic. Working at a startup inside of a large company is no easy task as priorities constantly shift, and Lauren was able to successfully manage and adapt quickly to any change. No task is too small or too big for Lauren and she approaches business problems with a solution focused mindset. Lauren would be an incredible addition to any team.
Zsuzsa Novak
‘Unbelievably efficient’ is the phrase that sums up Lauren and her work. As Head of Marketing at Rebel Labs, I had the distinct pleasure to work with Lauren on our official Launch Party. This party was no small feat. We were looking to entertain hundreds of guests on two levels. The event included valet parking, catering, live cooking demonstrations, a full bar set up both in our offices and on the rooftop, and a DJ that literally kept our guests on the beat. In addition, we hired a videographer, 3 photographers, and a red carpet correspondent to capture the experience. Late night emails or early morning calls, throughout the weeks of setting everything up, Lauren was always available and always delightful. Ordering signs, coordinating pick-ups, hiring staff, I knew I could rely on her no matter the task. Aside from being responsive and reliable, Lauren was so easy to work with: she really understood the look and feel of the experience I was looking to create, yet had great insights and wonderful suggestions to add. I was so impressed with not only how detail oriented Lauren was, but also with her problem solving skills, can-do attitude, and sense of humor as we juggled dozens of balls at once during our intense prep time. Thanks to her dedication and flawless execution, our event was a great success. If you want to work with the best in the business, look no further and hire Lauren. I could not recommend her more highly!
Shaan Sheth
Lauren is a dynamic talent. Her multi faceted background working across various marketing functions made her a valued asset at Insperience. She managed our Field Operations organization, which encompassed activation operations and events. This role required her to communicate and collaborate across functions, and Lauren quickly gained the respect of her peers through her work ethic. Working at a startup inside of a large company is no easy task as priorities constantly shift, and Lauren was able to successfully manage and adapt quickly to any change. No task is too small or too big for Lauren and she approaches business problems with a solution focused mindset. Lauren would be an incredible addition to any team.
Zsuzsa Novak
‘Unbelievably efficient’ is the phrase that sums up Lauren and her work. As Head of Marketing at Rebel Labs, I had the distinct pleasure to work with Lauren on our official Launch Party. This party was no small feat. We were looking to entertain hundreds of guests on two levels. The event included valet parking, catering, live cooking demonstrations, a full bar set up both in our offices and on the rooftop, and a DJ that literally kept our guests on the beat. In addition, we hired a videographer, 3 photographers, and a red carpet correspondent to capture the experience. Late night emails or early morning calls, throughout the weeks of setting everything up, Lauren was always available and always delightful. Ordering signs, coordinating pick-ups, hiring staff, I knew I could rely on her no matter the task. Aside from being responsive and reliable, Lauren was so easy to work with: she really understood the look and feel of the experience I was looking to create, yet had great insights and wonderful suggestions to add. I was so impressed with not only how detail oriented Lauren was, but also with her problem solving skills, can-do attitude, and sense of humor as we juggled dozens of balls at once during our intense prep time. Thanks to her dedication and flawless execution, our event was a great success. If you want to work with the best in the business, look no further and hire Lauren. I could not recommend her more highly!
Shaan Sheth
Lauren is a dynamic talent. Her multi faceted background working across various marketing functions made her a valued asset at Insperience. She managed our Field Operations organization, which encompassed activation operations and events. This role required her to communicate and collaborate across functions, and Lauren quickly gained the respect of her peers through her work ethic. Working at a startup inside of a large company is no easy task as priorities constantly shift, and Lauren was able to successfully manage and adapt quickly to any change. No task is too small or too big for Lauren and she approaches business problems with a solution focused mindset. Lauren would be an incredible addition to any team.
Zsuzsa Novak
‘Unbelievably efficient’ is the phrase that sums up Lauren and her work. As Head of Marketing at Rebel Labs, I had the distinct pleasure to work with Lauren on our official Launch Party. This party was no small feat. We were looking to entertain hundreds of guests on two levels. The event included valet parking, catering, live cooking demonstrations, a full bar set up both in our offices and on the rooftop, and a DJ that literally kept our guests on the beat. In addition, we hired a videographer, 3 photographers, and a red carpet correspondent to capture the experience. Late night emails or early morning calls, throughout the weeks of setting everything up, Lauren was always available and always delightful. Ordering signs, coordinating pick-ups, hiring staff, I knew I could rely on her no matter the task. Aside from being responsive and reliable, Lauren was so easy to work with: she really understood the look and feel of the experience I was looking to create, yet had great insights and wonderful suggestions to add. I was so impressed with not only how detail oriented Lauren was, but also with her problem solving skills, can-do attitude, and sense of humor as we juggled dozens of balls at once during our intense prep time. Thanks to her dedication and flawless execution, our event was a great success. If you want to work with the best in the business, look no further and hire Lauren. I could not recommend her more highly!
Experience
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Sequence Events
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United States
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Events Services
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1 - 100 Employee
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Director, New Business & Strategy
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Nov 2021 - Present
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Strategic Events Consultant
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Jun 2021 - Nov 2021
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Simms Restaurants
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United States
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Restaurants
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1 - 100 Employee
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Director of Celebrations
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Jun 2021 - Present
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Lolo Weddings & Events
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Greater Los Angeles Area
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Owner and Chief Event Planner
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Apr 2015 - Present
www.loloweddingsandevents.com www.loloweddingsandevents.com
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Store No. 8
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United States
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Retail
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100 - 200 Employee
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Director, Events and Activation Operations - Insperience
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Jul 2019 - Feb 2021
Insperience, formerly Spatialand, is a V-Commerce startup focused on creating next generation merchandising experiences. Insperience's team of storytellers, technologists and retail experts believe VR’s ability to fuse the emotional bonds between consumers and brands has the potential to reinvent the customer journey. It is the second portfolio company to launch from Store N°8, Walmart’s incubator dedicated to uncovering ideas that will transform the future of commerce Insperience, formerly Spatialand, is a V-Commerce startup focused on creating next generation merchandising experiences. Insperience's team of storytellers, technologists and retail experts believe VR’s ability to fuse the emotional bonds between consumers and brands has the potential to reinvent the customer journey. It is the second portfolio company to launch from Store N°8, Walmart’s incubator dedicated to uncovering ideas that will transform the future of commerce
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The Wonderful Company
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United States
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Food and Beverage Manufacturing
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700 & Above Employee
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Director, Events Management
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2017 - 2018
Managed high-profile meetings and events for executive leadership across all companies within the Wonderful Company family. Examples include the Annual Executive Meeting in Los Angeles and Florence, Italy (200 top executives), annual holiday party (1,000 people), summer event (800 people), employee engagement events, trade media public relations events, Wonderful Education events, political fundraisers, and annual retreats for various departments and companies. Budgets ranged from $1,500-$1.75M. Served as a subject matter expert on event planning best practices and trained and managed event coordinator and staff. Excellently created experiential events with a key eye for design and overall theme. Effectively analyzed and reported on event outcomes including post-event surveys, summary of expenses and debriefs with vendors and key constituents to ensure continuous improvement. Show less
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UCLA Anderson School of Management
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United States
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Events Manager
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2014 - 2017
-Managed 300+ events annually worldwide for the Anderson School of Management, the Dean's Office, Development and Alumni Relations including conferences, reunions, award dinners, networking functions, and high-level donor fundraisers. Major markets include Los Angeles, New York, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, and Chicago. -Provided supervision and direction on all logistical elements of event planning from development to execution. Trained event staff and managed event coordinators. -Worked with clients to guide expectations and ensure successful set-up and implementation. -Developed cost-effective budgets, tracked guest lists, and provided on-site management. Secured necessary rentals and services such as furniture, audio/visual equipment, photography and decor. -Tracked metrics on attendee engagement and provided analysis, activity and development reports. -Managed annual events budget and ensured reconciliation of all expenses to vendors. Show less
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The Wharton School
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United States
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Higher Education
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700 & Above Employee
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Associate Director of Special Events
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2010 - 2014
-Organized, managed, supported and executed all logistical arrangements for high visibility prospect, donor, and alumni events both domestically and internationally that supported the goals and objectives of the Wharton School. The execution of these events required collaboration with development officers, faculty, the Office of the Dean as well as other university departments -Assisted in the stewardship and cultivation of clients including Wharton alumni, high-end donors and VIPs by organizing major institutional events. Responsible for problem-solving and implementing solutions during all phases of planning.Event Statistics:-Lead planner for 50+ total events in FY13-Traveled internationally for 15+ events in FY13-Managed and designed registration websites for all our events via Cvent (a software platform for event planners)-Oversaw email marketing campaigns for events, generated registration reports and surveys, and monitored the overall user experience of Cvent -Responsible for the training of all staff across the floor on all aspects related to Cvent and troubleshooted any questions. Served as the Wharton representative to Cvent personnel.-Lead planner for all logistical and coordinating aspects between Board Chairmen, Faculty and Staff for international midyear board meetings of our three international executive alumni boards, most recently in Tokyo, Japan.-Successfully led the first Wharton Women in Business Conference which received record attendance levels and praise from alumnae and is now an annual school conference. -Oversaw the planning and execution of the first event and fundraising dinner for the newly formed Penn Wharton Public Policy Initiative Event in Washington D.C. Required coordination with the Penn Office of Government & Community Affairs.-Planned the Lifelong Learning Tour in Mumbai, Hong Kong, San Francisco and Tel Aviv Show less
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Speaker and Event Coordinator
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2010 - 2010
o Created, managed, and handled the formation of a speaker database and approval process for internal and external requests, and enforced the policies and guidelines of the Wharton School related thereof. Handled all strategic planning and coordination of the Wharton Leadership Lecture speaker series and the Michael L. Tarnopol Dean’s Lecture series.o Provided event support and prep materials for the Wharton Combined Board Meetings, Dean’s Faculty Reception, and Graduation eventso Managed planning aspects of the Global Alumni Forums including speakers and faculty information, sponsorships, event logistics, as well as schedules and descriptions of panels and classes; serve as liaison for the Wharton School and production company of Forum programs and literature; maintain contact database for all speakers and panelists for Forumso Research and draft written correspondence on behalf of Dean Robertson Show less
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United States Senate
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Legislative Offices
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700 & Above Employee
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Legislative Correspondent/Assistant to the Chief of Staff, Senator Dianne Feinstein
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2007 - 2009
o Handled meetings and schedule of Chief of Staff as well as personal correspondence o Organized weekly constituent breakfasts for 200+ Californians o Assisted with the preparations of the 2009 Inaugural Ceremonies for Barack Obama o Assist U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein in making informed legislative decisions relating to Senate rules, ethics, and voting reform especially pertaining to the 2008 general election o Conducted research, handled constituent correspondence, and wrote briefs to aid senior legislative aides with policy requests for U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein o Made direct co-sponsorship requests to Senator Feinstein, including co-sponsorship recommendation for Yellow Ribbon Integration program and the Chi Mui Post Office. o Directed hiring for entry level positions and High School Senate Pages as well as managed highly competitive internship program, including hiring, training and supervision, to ensure that interns were effective staff members while receiving substantive public policy experience. Show less
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London Civic Forum
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United Kingdom
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Non-profit Organizations
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1 - 100 Employee
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Internship
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2006 - 2006
o Focus was on Communications and Event Support o Assisted in the co-ordination of the Civic Forums events to include networking groups and Council Meetings regarding the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. o Helped maintain Civic Forum database information, including members, media contacts, mailing lists etc. o Assisted in the production of the Members e-bulletin, membership packs and fact sheets. o Focus was on Communications and Event Support o Assisted in the co-ordination of the Civic Forums events to include networking groups and Council Meetings regarding the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. o Helped maintain Civic Forum database information, including members, media contacts, mailing lists etc. o Assisted in the production of the Members e-bulletin, membership packs and fact sheets.
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Education
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Villanova University
Bachelor of Arts (BA), Political Science -
University of Pennsylvania
Non-Profit Administration
Community
