Expert Events, LLC

The American Ireland Fund
Expert Events has worked with the American Ireland Fund for 10 years.  Our first task was to establish a golf outing.  This outing is now the largest outing the Fund produces utilizing three to four courses and hosting over 250 golfers annually.  Sharon McCullough currently serves as the regional representative for the AIF and in addition to planning all the events for them is responsible for fundraising and stewardship.  The base of AIF events has been expanded over the past two years and now includes two events per year for a young professional group and other cultural events throughout the year.  For a complete list of events and event descriptions, see here 

Project HOPE
Expert Events worked with Project HOPE on its 50^th anniversary.  Beginning with a strategic planning session, we outlined the scope of events and materials and then worked with them to produce a series of events in New York City in November 2008.  The gala included members of three U.S. Presidential families and a host of international entertainment and décor that reinforced Project HOPE’s mission and roots.  We also coordinated a luncheon at the United Nations with Dr. Sanjay Gupta and assisted with an exhibit and several long-term collateral pieces.  For more information, see here.  In September 2009, we produced a reception and silent auction, sponsored by BB&T Wealth, showcasing artwork from the Shanghai Children’s Hospital.  Currently we are working on a 2010 Gala in Washington, D.C.

Pace University Centennial  
The staff at Pace University asked Expert Events to work with them to plan and implement the University’s Centennial in 2006.  We provided a strategic plan following a goal-setting session.   The anniversary year was initiated with separate events on each of Pace’s three campuses, involving the students, faculty and staff and energizing the community for the anniversary year.  Events throughout the year focused on Pace’s motto: Opportunity, and included a kick-off address by former President Bill Clinton, sessions with academic leaders, and a five-year commemoration of 9/11 and Pace’s roll in helping to re-build Lower Manhattan.  This commemoration was a three-day conference featuring panels of experts in health, government, and culture; “town meeting” format radio broadcasts and analysis with cable station NY1, a pre-screening of a film called Project Rebirth, and keynote addresses by government and literary leaders, including David Gergen, Doris Kearns Goodwin, and Lee Hamilton.  We produced each of these events, handled all special arrangements for dignitaries, including security and Secret Service, and provided the staff, crew and stage management for each event.
 Before we finished our contract for the Centennial, we conducted an assessment for them of all their event operations that included evaluating their operations and making recommendations to improve efficiency and realize cost savings.  For more on Pace University's Centennial, see here. 

Columbia University: Commencement & Donor Dinner
Expert Events assisted Columbia University with several milestone programs from July 2001 through
October 2002.  We worked with the 250^th Anniversary planning team on events and programs that included academic seminars with world leaders, outdoor performances (student performing arts and headliner concert) for over 10,000 people, and merchandising. 
We provided consulting services for planning and a team of on-site professionals for executing the events.  Expert Events also provided planning and implementation services for the University’s Commencement, the College Class Day, and a special series of performances by the Royal Shakespeare Company at the Apollo Theatre.
In addition, we assisted the Office of Presidential and Development Events with the Inauguration of Columbia’s current president that included academic symposia, a ceremony at which U.N Secretary General Kofi Annan was the featured speaker, and an event at Lincoln Center.  For more information on the Columbia 250 events, see here