From art history to event production, Alix Chapie found her groove in the events industry shortly after graduating from Oakland University, in Michigan. Working for a large, well-known gallery in Southfield, Alix began planning internal events and meetings. From there she found Special D Events and began working on location at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, in Detroit, where she worked directly with local sports teams managing their yearly visits, as well as donors on third-party events.
When Alix isn’t in the midst of an event she makes family her first priority, spending time with her husband of 10 years, Nick, their two children, and the family’s golden retriever.
Midwest Meetings: What was your first experience in the meeting/event industry?
Alix Chapie: My first experience in the industry would be at the art gallery I worked at right after college. We planned weekly auctioneer trainings for potential auctioneers who would travel in from all over the world. I assisted in the logistics of setting up the trainings (F&B, AV, room sets, etc.), as well as all of the materials, and making sure they had the correct paperwork to enter the country, work on cruise ships, and such. I helped with the VIP auctions held in the gallery. Those would involve set up, production, F&B, and assisting with bid numbers and check outs. My time at the gallery allowed me to be an artist handler where I would assist the artists with their needs while they were at the gallery. I met and created friendships with many of them over the years. That was the best part of working at the gallery!
MM: Tell us more about your current job.
AC: Currently, I plan between 5-10 meetings/conventions a year. This includes being a project manager on a program as well as being a team member on a larger program. We have a combination of large and small events we manage therefore sometimes you are on an event as the main planner handling all aspects of the event and sometimes you are on a team managing one aspect of the event. Over the years I have managed registration, onsite, logistics, AV & production, signage, F&B, and transportation.
MM: What is your approach to planning meeting and events?
Midwest Meetings: What was your first experience in the meeting/event industry?
Alix Chapie: My first experience in the industry would be at the art gallery I worked at right after college. We planned weekly auctioneer trainings for potential auctioneers who would travel in from all over the world. I assisted in the logistics of setting up the trainings (F&B, AV, room sets, etc.), as well as all of the materials, and making sure they had the correct paperwork to enter the country, work on cruise ships, and such. I helped with the VIP auctions held in the gallery. Those would involve set up, production, F&B, and assisting with bid numbers and check outs. My time at the gallery allowed me to be an artist handler where I would assist the artists with their needs while they were at the gallery. I met and created friendships with many of them over the years. That was the best part of working at the gallery!
MM: Tell us more about your current job.
AC: Currently, I plan between 5-10 meetings/conventions a year. This includes being a project manager on a program as well as being a team member on a larger program. We have a combination of large and small events we manage therefore sometimes you are on an event as the main planner handling all aspects of the event and sometimes you are on a team managing one aspect of the event. Over the years I have managed registration, onsite, logistics, AV & production, signage, F&B, and transportation.
MM: What is your approach to planning meeting and events?
 |  If I could plan any event it would be… A fashion show for a big designer during NYC Fashion week. There are so many moving parts and different aspects to it, I think it would be such an exciting and rewarding experience. To be able to bring a designer’s vision to life would be really cool. Plus, so many designers are getting so much more creative, you could really have fun with it! It would be hard to live without… My iPhone, especially while traveling and onsite at an event, it is crucial to have it with you! Not only for email and staying connected with your team, but we have all of our docs saved on Box or Dropbox and so basically your phone is really all you need to have all the most up-to-date documents for your event. |
AC: I try to stay as organized as possible and save everything! I want to be very transparent with my clients as well, so we both know what we are working on and everything is clear and organized. I try to take my time and not rush things.
MM: What is the most challenging meeting/event obstacle you have had to overcome? How did you do it?
AC: I was in charge of transportation for a large conference and had to time out exactly when the buses would arrive at the venue and how long it would take them to shuttle back and forth between the venue and hotel, how many people would ride the shuttles, etc. It was difficult to estimate this because of traffic as well as some attendees would choose to walk to the venue. Our client at the time wanted this timed out to the minute ahead of time, so it was really challenging trying to estimate, but our whole team came together, sat down, and worked together to figure it out the best we could and it all worked out in the end. The client was happy and so were we! That is one of the best things about working at SDE, we all work so great as a team, helping each other out and leaning on each other when we need to!
MM: To what do you attribute your success?
AC: Trying to remain positive and staying very organized has always helped me! I also try and be as open and honest with my clients as I can be. Once you develop that trust it makes everything so much easier! Also, just being nice and pleasant to people goes a long way!
MM: As a meeting/event planner, what is one meeting/event you try to get to each year and why? What makes this event important to you and your career?
AC: I did attend The Special Event conference in 2015 and it was really beneficial because not only did they have great learning sessions and networking, but they had special events at night which you could go to and see some of the latest and greatest special event ideas in action. It’s important to go to events like this to freshen up your creativity and the networking is always a bonus! We all take turns attending this event, so I hope to attend it again soon!
MM: How do you decompress after an event?
AC: Spending time with my family, especially my kids is really important. If I’m traveling for an event, coming home to them is the best. Taking them to do special things like park dates, movies, or library visits is really important – spending the most quality time with them is the best after an event! I also like to sneak a fresh manicure in there too and wine with my husband is a must!
If you would like to recommend an outstanding industry professional for future issues, send an email with their name, title, employer, and a brief description of why they should be featured to Editor@MidwestMeetings.com.
MM: What is the most challenging meeting/event obstacle you have had to overcome? How did you do it?
AC: I was in charge of transportation for a large conference and had to time out exactly when the buses would arrive at the venue and how long it would take them to shuttle back and forth between the venue and hotel, how many people would ride the shuttles, etc. It was difficult to estimate this because of traffic as well as some attendees would choose to walk to the venue. Our client at the time wanted this timed out to the minute ahead of time, so it was really challenging trying to estimate, but our whole team came together, sat down, and worked together to figure it out the best we could and it all worked out in the end. The client was happy and so were we! That is one of the best things about working at SDE, we all work so great as a team, helping each other out and leaning on each other when we need to!
MM: To what do you attribute your success?
AC: Trying to remain positive and staying very organized has always helped me! I also try and be as open and honest with my clients as I can be. Once you develop that trust it makes everything so much easier! Also, just being nice and pleasant to people goes a long way!
MM: As a meeting/event planner, what is one meeting/event you try to get to each year and why? What makes this event important to you and your career?
AC: I did attend The Special Event conference in 2015 and it was really beneficial because not only did they have great learning sessions and networking, but they had special events at night which you could go to and see some of the latest and greatest special event ideas in action. It’s important to go to events like this to freshen up your creativity and the networking is always a bonus! We all take turns attending this event, so I hope to attend it again soon!
MM: How do you decompress after an event?
AC: Spending time with my family, especially my kids is really important. If I’m traveling for an event, coming home to them is the best. Taking them to do special things like park dates, movies, or library visits is really important – spending the most quality time with them is the best after an event! I also like to sneak a fresh manicure in there too and wine with my husband is a must!
If you would like to recommend an outstanding industry professional for future issues, send an email with their name, title, employer, and a brief description of why they should be featured to Editor@MidwestMeetings.com.
