A great deal has happened since Stephanie Sadri was selected as the Up-and-Coming Meeting Professional for Colorado Meetings + Events’ 2016 Hall of Fame. It was an on-point prediction as Sadri has moved up the volunteer ranks of Meeting Professionals International Rocky Mountain Chapter (MPIRMC), serving as president from 2021 to 2022, and moved on from her role as manager of global accounts at HelmsBriscoe to director of meetings and events for the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA).
Her relationship with ACSA began in 2017 through a craft distiller friend who was involved in the organization. “I started by supporting their convention, and from there continued to support their events as a third party,” Sadri says. “In 2022, they asked me to come on the staff full time. The work we do really makes a difference in the craft spirits industry, which is made up of a lot of small businesses making impacts in their communities.”
A catering and event operations background helped Sadri transition into the ACSA role, which involves organizing board retreats, regional programs, an annual convention, and a corn-based whiskey competition in partnership with the National Corn Association.
“We also have our own spirits competition with over 500 spirits from across the country, 50 judges, and many, many glasses,” she says. “In addition, we did our first consumer-facing event in 2023, the American Craft Spirits Festival, which we will continue to do annually.”
ACSA’s meetings and events are held across the country, keeping Sadri on the road. “The only event that has a consistent home is our legislative fly-in in Washington, D.C.,” she shares. “There are some states I can’t hold certain events in due to state liquor laws.”
Sadri is equally passionate about MPIRMC, an organization she joined in 2013, and quickly jumped in serving as chair of the golf tournament in 2014 and filling an unexpired board term. “It snowballed from there,” she admits. “I felt so lucky to have a seat at the table with people who I admire, respect, and are industry leaders. I wanted to be a part of the hospitality evolution, and the only way to do that is to be involved.”
