During the four years between her graduation from the University of Arkansas in 2001 and launching Meritage Events in 2005, Texas-native Katie Day held several roles that taught her effective skills in client service, hospitality, and event planning—from working in public relations for a telecommunications firm based in Massachusetts and managing client events for a Dallas-based magazine to coordinating corporate gatherings for a Dallas destination management company. “Once I stepped into that corporate role, everything clicked,” says Day. “I knew exactly what I wanted to do and decided to launch my own company, bringing together everything I had learned to create Meritage Events.”
Now celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Meritage Events (which operates out of primary offices in Dallas and Austin) specializes in corporate events, incentive trips, meetings, conferences, sports hospitality, and event strategy/consulting. During those two decades, Day and her team have partnered with some of the top brands in luxury hospitality to craft events, such as The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, and Omni Hotels & Resorts. Such success isn’t only a result of this evident hard work, but it’s also a product of the positive workplace environment Day creates for her staff of event pros. “Our team culture is a huge part of what makes this work so meaningful to me,” she says. “We have fun together, celebrate each other, and don’t take ourselves too seriously. … We genuinely enjoy spending time together, and I’m grateful to work alongside people I not only respect but also truly care for. They’re like family to me.”
This well-oiled machine of planning know-how was on full display during the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix race held in October at the Circuit of The Americas racetrack near Austin, where Meritage Events produced a large-scale experiential hospitality program for racegoers. “This year marked our fifth year managing all the premium hospitality spaces at the track,” says Day. “[It] has become one of our favorite annual events. The venue hired us to oversee every detail of the VIP and premium experiences, from design and concept creation to implementation, logistics, and guest management.” Such a high-energy event created a buzzing atmosphere for attendees and planners alike, and Day says her team moved seamlessly from one step to the next. “It’s one of those projects that reminds me why I love what I do, watching something extraordinary come to life from nothing and being part of the joy that great events create.”
