Gianna Verdoni

About Gianna Verdoni

Great events do more than bring people together—they spark action, strengthen brands, and…

Experience

1. Senior Event Planner

   Merri-Makers

   Mar 2016 — Present · Brick, NJ, US

   I\'m privileged to lead event planning and operations at Mallard Island Yacht Club, part of the prestigious Merri-Makers Catering family. Working at this stunning waterfront venue, I bring visions to life through corporate events, weddings, galas, and fundraisers. I love that every day brings new creative challenges as I oversee everything from marketing, initial sales, and site management to the final magical moments of each event. I’ve been affiliated with Merri Makers in various roles since 2008.Since taking on this role full-time in 2020, I\'ve:• Grown our annual sales by 24%, building genuine client relationships and thoughtfully curating experiences that consistently exceed expectations.• Led a marketing transformation that boosted bookings by 32%- I\'m particularly proud of how we\'ve showcased our venue\'s unique charm through social media storytelling and compelling content.• Built an incredible reputation reflected in our 4.8-5-star ratings across 360+ reviews. Being named \"The Best of the Best\" by The Knot is a valued recognition of our team\'s dedication.• Orchestrated countless memorable moments by leading an amazing team of 40 staff and 10 vendors per event, managing 50+ high-value events annually ranging from $35K to $100K+.• Welcomed exciting new corporate and higher education partners, including IEW Construction, JFK Medical Center, and Ocean County College.• Pioneered hybrid sales and events during Covid, keeping the sales pipeline strong and ensuring special moments could still be shared even when guests couldn\'t be together in person.

Education

• Rutgers University

  Master of Science, Education, Higher Education

  2009 — 2011

• Villanova University

  Bachelor of Science, Marketing & Business Administration, Marketing

  2001 — 2005

Skills

• Event Management
• Leadership Development
• Wellness Coaching
• Community Outreach
• Fitness
• Strategy
• Customer Service
• Time Management
• Entrepreneurship
• Program Development
• Team Building
• Management
• Student Affairs
• Marketing Communications
• Facebook
• Public Relations
• Marketing
• Microsoft Excel
• Powerpoint
• Advertising
• Higher Education
• Wealth Accumulation
• Volunteer Management
• Training
• Research
• Coaching
• Fundraising
• Press Releases
• Microsoft Office
• Sales
• Event Planning
• Student Development
• Student Engagement
• Public Speaking
• Recruiting
• Leadership
• Student Leadership
• Nonprofits
• Social Media
• Social Networking