Tacy Infante is known for her red curls and her can-do attitude. As the vice president and co-owner of Meritage Events in Austin, Infante has won numerous awards—including her recent induction into the Hall of Fame of the International Live Events Association Austin chapter. “Professionally, I have been in the events industry for over 25 years, but my skill for planning events came at an early age—my high school parties were legendary,” she says.
Meritage Events began in 2005 with a vision that Infante describes as filling a creativity void in the corporate events world. This year, she and her team are seeing trends with ceiling decor, color blocking, and anything related to early-2000s aesthetics. “[Clients want] loud colors and weird installs to draw attention,” she says. “Think immersive and funky activations like at Meow Wolf or Wonder Bar.”
Aside from enjoying the creative side of her career, Infante says the best part of her job is watching her team grow. “As cheesy as it sounds, we have the best team, and I love getting to assist them so they can achieve their goals,” she says.
In addition to her work with live events at Meritage Events, Infante also champions emerging talents and acts as a voice for those who might be overlooked. “My involvement extends to serving on the Visit Austin Foundation board, where efforts are directed toward fostering education, job training, and career prospects in the hospitality industry,” she says. “Additionally, I am a board member of the Texas Live Events Coalition, dedicated to advocating for professionals in the live events sector and influencing laws and policies that shape our diverse industry.”
Looking back over her career, she offers this advice to new planners: “Undercutting your services not only hurts your bottom line, but it also devalues event professionals as a whole. Value your time and worth, and charge for it! Don’t be afraid to make
a profit: You are a professional.”