Raised in Hawaii, Andrea Hennings says the hospitality industry was a big part of her childhood. It was a natural fit for her when she joined the Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island, where she worked for many years as the group salesperson.
During the Great Recession in 2009, Hennings decided to take a leap, leaving her stable job to start her own company in California. That’s when she discovered her love for doing comprehensive, precise meeting planning. Instead of just focusing on one location, she delighted in opening the world to her clients.
Around 2012, when a client was adamant Hennings oversee meeting planning for an event that covered all the details, Hennings realized she was meant to start Down to the Details, a full-service global planning company for conferences, meetings, and events. Hennings says the company’s mission is to provide the best client service. This includes offering realistic event planning within a given budget, staying up to date on what is new to the market, and following the latest trends.
Hennings is proud of the reputation she has built as a business. “We’re recognized in the industry as a friend to both suppliers and planners,” she explains. “It has been an important journey to make sure we balance what is needed on both sides, while making sure that we’re a resource that our clients can trust.”
What does it take to be a successful meeting planner? “Bring patience, because you’re going to need to roll with things, pivot, and come up with solutions.” Hennings notes that it’s important to know how to handle the unexpected by being prepared with different ideas in case you need to execute on something different than what you originally planned.
And while she has been able to give the world to her clients when planning their events, she has been able to experience that world for herself, too. “I love to travel, so this job is a dream because I’ve explored destinations around the world. I’m really lucky, and I remind myself of that every day,” says Hennings.
