Brandi N. Gaines Carson

About Brandi N. Gaines Carson

Known for transforming event ecosystems into multimillion-dollar revenue engines that accelerate pipeline and customer expansion. I have extensive experience leading large-scale events that align with business goals, optimize revenue, and engage diverse audiences across corporate and social sectors. Over the course of my career, I have been enlisted as a trusted strategic event advisor for private industry, government, and non-profit clients.Being a forward-thinking leader, I have consistently innovated event solutions that drive collaboration between sales, marketing, product, and executive teams. I deliver high-impact event strategies that increase profitability, enhance client satisfaction, and understand the organization\'s key business goals.As a compassionate and motivational professional, I strive to inspire my teams, fostering their career growth and professional and personal development. I provide value as a company resource and have consistently achieved recognition, including awards and promotions, for my commitment to excellence in event management and team leadership.A few of my career highlights include:• Spearheaded the development of a comprehensive matrix for event, sales and marketing teams, which improved cross-functional collaboration and increased efficiency.• Enhanced a 12-month webinar program by reducing attrition by more than 20% contributing to higher engagement and client retention.• Orchestrated a high-profile fundraising event that raised $1M and attracted 1.7K attendees, leveraging strategic partnerships and extensive networking.• Cultivated a referral-driven business model, securing 85% of clients through referrals and by reducing annual marketing costs by 75%.• Eventex Awards Jury Member | Global Experiential Marketing AwardsYou don’t make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas. — Shirley Chisholm

Experience

1. Head of Global Events

   Catalyst Inc

   Sep 2023 — Present

   Own the strategy, roadmap, and execution for Catalyst’s B2B global event product portfolio—including flagship conferences and a yearlong webinar program. Partner cross-functionally with Sales, Marketing, Product, and Revenue Operations to build event products that drive revenue, strengthen market positioning, and elevate Catalyst’s thought leadership while leading a team of 5 specialized Event Professionals. Key Commercial Outcomes include:• Revenue Growth: Engineered the event portfolio as a revenue-generating product line, optimizing pricing and sponsorship models to deliver $4M+ in annual revenue and accelerating pipeline conversion.• Engagement + Retention: Built a 12-month webinar calendar aligned to GTM priorities, increasing attendance by ~20% and reaching 94% utilization, strengthening client engagement and retention.• Sponsorship Expansion: Launched new sponsorship offerings that generated $300K in net-new, non-forecasted revenue in one quarter, attracting brands such as Target, KPMG, and Pfizer.• Content + Brand Elevation: Curated high-impact speaker programming featuring Carolyn Wanga, Mellody Hobson, Kenji Yoshino, Melonie Parker, and Secretary Hillary Clinton; conceptualized and launched a new Breakout Award to fuel pipeline for the Catalyst Awards.• Operational Scalability: Developed a unified GTM matrix across Sales, Marketing, and Operations, improving cross-functional efficiency by 50%+ and enabling seamless execution through multiple organizational restructurings.

Education

• The George Washington University School of Business

  Master of Science - MS, Tourism, Hospitality and Event Management

  2006 — 2008

• Spelman College

  Bachelor of Arts, Economics, Minor: Management & Organization

  2002 — 2006

Skills

• Logistics
• Training
• Marketing
• Corporate Events
• Budgeting
• Internal Communications
• Management
• Communication Development
• Leadership
• Communications Strategy
• Event Execution
• Nonprofits
• Sponsorship
• Special Events
• Nonprofit Organizations
• Project Management
• Event Planning
• Public Speaking
• Project Planning
• Strategic Communications
• Planning
• Entertainment
• Budgets
• Conferences
• Event Management
• Strategic Planning
• Program Management