Terri Taylor has been planning meetings and events for most of her career, perfecting the art in the legal, financial, and medical industries. In 2022, she landed the role of event manager for sales training, supporting 850 sales representatives at Natera, a global genetic testing company based in Austin, Texas. Being at the helm of 30 to 40 events annually keeps the work fresh, as the gatherings include new-hire trainings, a global sales meeting for 950, and a president’s club incentive trip.
“I find the medical aspect of what Natera does as a company fascinating, and salespeople are really fun to plan events for,” Taylor says. “I have many opportunities to implement creative event components and strategies. The overwhelming majority of my attendees are pleased to be at my events, [where] they truly feel like honored guests— and I am a very happy hostess!”
Taylor has coined the term “green smoothie” for her meetings philosophy. It describes her dedication to crafting events that are sustainable, reduce waste, and are as “smooth as possible for all involved,” she explains. “I want the experience to be seamless and enjoyable, and for no attendee to give a second thought as to how it is all happening.”
For example, when sourcing locations, Taylor considers where attendees are traveling from to decrease the number of people crossing three time zones. “Chicago and Denver are two great and centrally located cities that have good airports, significant hotel inventory, and multiple options for dining and activities,” she says.
After growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and graduating from University of Colorado Boulder, Taylor worked at nonprofit Downtown Denver Partnership, where she frequently pitched in to help with events—and greatly enjoyed it. “During that time, I also volunteered with a number of nonprofit organizations and always ended up on the committee coordinating the annual fundraiser,” says Taylor. Her first full-time planner role was with the law firm Holme Roberts & Owen of Denver in 2008, which merged with Bryan Cave (today Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner) of St. Louis in 2012.
Thirteen years later, Taylor believes the meetings and events industry is in a strong position. She says, “It feels like companies are doing events at a higher volume than ever before, recognizing the importance of in-person connection and offering quality and engaging experiences for attendees, which makes planning really fun.”
