The Crazy World of Calleen MEET OUR EXPERT IN HAUNTED FORESTS, MAKEUP, AND EVENT DESIGN
their centerpiece design, and their entrance moments?’ ‘How did they make that happen?’ Growing up, I couldn’t get away from it, so I decided that I loved it!” Calleen’s upbringing launched her into her future. After majoring in theatrical production design and studying costumes, makeup, set design, and studio art in college, she embarked on a roller coaster career in the event business. These are just a few of the jobs she’s held in the last few decades: • Event Planner for the City and County of Denver – Calleen hosted galas, philanthropic events, and community outreach projects, including the city’s famous haunted house. • Promotional Products Director of Operations and Logistics – Calleen’s team shipped boxes of branded merchandise worldwide for corporate events. • Wedding Event Designer – Calleen traveled the country coordinating million-dollar wedding bashes for the rich and famous. • Cosmetics Representative and Event Designer – Calleen crisscrossed the Western U.S., hosting branding events for partners like NARS and Dior. • Haunted Forest Logistics Coordinator – Calleen designed scares and coordinated actors at one of the spookiest venues in Washington. “Most of my life has been spent trying to figure out how to create things from a drawing or a design,” Calleen says. “Then I find out whether those things are practical and how much they will cost to build.” Calleen is the first member of Eventique’s growing creative services department. Working side-by-side with Vice President of Creative and Strategy Eric Wielander, she adds her personal polish to nearly every event Eventique produces. “My job is to ensure your brand is being conveyed thoughtfully and that the purpose of your event is communicated in a way that keeps people excited about your brand or keeps it memorable for them,” she says. “Those are the things I’m most passionate about.” When you rely on Eventique to coordinate your next event, you can rest assured your plan’s final stages will be scrutinized by expert eyes — either Eric’s or Calleen’s.
For Event Designer Calleen Audrey, the most fascinating part of working at Eventique is meeting her clients’ celebrity talent. “It’s kind of surreal,” she says. “... When we were working on the Olena Zelenska Foundation Launch, for example, I didn’t go down to the main level — I was up above the action on the mezzanine, looking down — but I could see some crazy things. Matt Damon walked up the stairs less than 20 feet away from me! At the time I thought, ‘Wow, this is fun.’” Part of Calleen’s job is remaining polished and professional around superstars, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t fangirling inside. When Eventique planned an event featuring actress Sofia Carson, she couldn’t wait to tell her nieces, who are Disney channel superfans. Working with star power is relatively new for Calleen, but she mastered the other aspects of event planning decades ago. Before joining the Eventique team in September 2022, she had what she describes as a “ridiculous career journey.” It started when she was a precocious 14-year-old living in Seattle, and her mother — an active member of local Masonic organizations — enlisted her help planning galas, conventions, and conferences. “I grew up going to themed parties and galas, and each of them had a purpose,” Calleen says. “As much as I didn’t like having to be there when I was a kid — because I had to dress up and play ‘family time’ while there were eyes on me — those events still gave me a sense of wonder and excitement. I wanted to know, ‘What is this theme?’ ‘How did they convey it with their food,
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