DRUMROLL PLEASE ... November's Member Spotlight Goes to Erica D'Alessandro
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Erica D'Alessandro, CSEP, is the founder of Pretty Healthy Mama, a company that empowers women to create healthier environments for themselves and their families. These environments are created through high quality, safe and healthy company relationships and engagements.
Erica has been a hospitality professional officially since 2005, unofficially since 1999. With 16 years in the hospitality sector, Erica is more than deserving of our November Member Spotlight. Let's take a moment to learn more about Erica D'Alessandro, CSEP:
What motivated you to start a career in this industry?
I planned my first event when I was in the second grade. The teacher asked us to write a story about our ultimate field trip. And whoever had the best story, we would go on their trip. So (this was before the internet), I decided we should go to Old World Wisconsin and the Magic Pumpkin Patch. I looked up the numbers for both of these places and asked questions like, "If we bring my whole class, can we get a discount on the ticket price?" "Where do we park busses?" "Can we bring our own lunches or do we eat lunch there?" We went on my trip!
What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You're never going to win if you don't enter.
I was doing an incentive program in Bangkok, Thailand, and the hotel setup team was putting out the tables and chairs around the pool deck for the opening party. All of the setup team was looking up at the blue, beautiful sky and shaking their head. We had no idea why they were doing that. When we asked one of the team members, they said "because it's going to rain." We didn't believe them because there was no indication in the sky. When we called our contact at the airport and at the meteorology department, they confirmed that indeed a storm was coming in. This is when I learned to always trust the locals.
What do you find most inspiring about the industry right now?
I have always been a huge cheerleader of "Co-Opetition" — the concept that the more information, secret sauce, info we share, the better events will be, therefore the happier the world will be. I love right now that the entire industry has become a common think tank where we all share what's working and are helping each other. The days of territorial info-hoarding seem to be over. And for that, I'm grateful and inspired.
What is one thing you would like to see change in the industry?
I wish we could spend more time helping the non-titled meeting planner. Plan Your Meetings (now part of MPI) was key for making sure the folks who "did what we do" without the training or community could learn the best practices and industry standards. When the economy goes back to more "normal," I think we will be seeing an influx of those types of super-hybrid, catch-all roles, so we need to make sure all of us continue to speak the same language and have the same high standards.
Being a member of the MPI Potomac chapter has helped me through this time of transition and growth by keeping my skills sharp, my relationships close and opportunities abundant. When I got laid off from a DC-based DMC, I immediately looked to my MPIPC peers (Natalie Thomas, B Murphy, Shelli Vasser Gilliam) who have proven to be lifesavers!
