Event Marketer Summer 2023 - 112

EXPERIENTIAL IN COLOR
PRIYA GUPTA >> Senior Manager-Global Events | Unity
The Bragging Rights: Working 15 years across digital marketing and events in technology, Gupta is
passionate about creating memorable experiences and helping drive business results for organizations. At
Unity, she plans events for audiences ranging from 50 to 10,000 and is most proud of how her small, mighty
team of six is tackling Unite, the brand's flagship user conference coming to Amsterdam in November for
more than 1,500 attendees. Before Unity, Gupta worked at Facebook, AdRoll, TechCrunch and Hopin. She
serves on the board of directors for the San Francisco Women's Political Committee and loves traveling,
running and finding new taco eateries.
" Every experience,
whether it's good or bad,
is valuable-even if it's
hard to see that in the
moment. I encourage
people to take risks and
switch things up because
that's the only way you'll
grow and meet interesting
people along the way. "
What do you love about this industry?
What I love most about this industry is that it emphasizes the importance of face-to-face human connection.
We know that the events industry has been through a roller coaster the past three years. The energy I
get from being in a room with others brings me joy and helps spark my creative thinking.
Who or what inspires you?
Nothing makes me tick more than meeting people from different backgrounds and walks of life. Whether it's
at a coffee shop, on the show floor of an event or a dinner party with strangers, the best part of these gatherings
is learning something new from someone. One of my favorite memories is from a work trip in Tel Aviv
in 2018. I made friends with a stranger at an event, and she invited me to her weekly Friday Shabbat dinner
with her friends. Even though I'm an extrovert and it's easy for me to have conversations with strangers, I
found myself nervous going into the dinner since I didn't know anyone. Luckily, it ended up being one of
the most memorable evenings I've had to date.
What traits do you admire in a manager?
I admire empowerment, experience and humility in a boss, or anyone in leadership. When I'm in a room with my boss, I try my best to observe how
they operate. How do they command a room? What best practices are they bringing to the table? How are they helping me grow? Do they uplift and
empower their direct reports?
HIANN LEE PRUM >> Art Director | Factory 360
The Bragging Rights: Prum loves graphic design but would say creating an event is even more special,
from ideating the initial pitch to producing and attending the event. Seeing attendees experiencing and
excitedly taking pictures of designs created by the team is fulfilling for them. Prum is responsible for leading
projects at Factory 360 with bold, colorful visuals and specializes in brand identity, wayfinding, signage,
invitations, menus, microsites and production design. Colleagues name Prum " a trailblazer in the experiential
space " and " an inspiring example of how diverse perspectives can enrich the event marketing industry, "
as they've worked with a variety of clients, including Nike, Etsy, Molson Coors, Grubhub and Unilever. One
of their career highlights is collaborating with the Instagram team on an @shop pop-up in New York City,
which showcased 13 independent and minority-owned brands.
Who or what inspires you?
Korean Americans and Asian Americans have been instrumental in shaping my personal growth and
continue to inspire me to this day by blazing a trail of success and breaking barriers.
Your walk-up song:
" Vroom Vroom, " by Charli XCX
What traits do you admire in a manager?
My boss is a great creative director, leader and mentor who not only instills confidence in her creative team,
but also understands the importance of helping all of us grow. She's not only helped me understand what award-winning work means, but has also
taught me how to be a better designer and even a presenter and writer. She's a great listener and always has great feedback for me and the team. She
puts her trust into me, too, and believes that I can produce good work.
Book or podcast recommendation?
As a Korean American, I have found representation in Michelle Zauner's band, Japanese Breakfast. Growing up, I didn't see a lot of people who
looked like me in the media, so it was refreshing to see someone who shared my background making music and art that I enjoyed. When Zauner
published her book " Crying in H Mart, " I felt a strong connection to her story and would highly recommend it to any Korean American woman who
may be struggling with their identity. It's important to have diverse voices and stories in all forms of media.
eventmarketer.com
SUMMER 2023 EVENT MARKETER
112

http://www.eventmarketer.com

Event Marketer Summer 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Event Marketer Summer 2023