We’re excited to introduce this week’s Event 360 Teammate Spotlight. Enjoy a glimpse into the personal and professional life of Kari Johnson!
Position: Event Production Manager
Start Year: 2004 as event staff, 2013 in a full-time position
What job did you hold right before you came to work at Event 360? Prior to coming to Event 360 I worked with Special Events and Sponsorships at VEE Corporation — producers of live children’s entertainment. I worked with Big Bird, Elmo, Bear in the Big Blue House and many more furry friends.
Was there anything in particular that brought you to Event 360? I was getting ready to move across the country from Minnesota to Las Vegas to be with my love, Tony. Rather than move from the Midwest to the desert over the summer, Tony suggested that I go on tour with the Susan G. Komen 3-Day® like he had two years earlier. I submitted my resume and was hired to be the Bus Coordinator. The rest they say, is history.
If you weren’t working at Event 360 what would you be doing? I can’t imagine not being here! If pushed to answer this question, I’d hope I would be in a job where I know I am making a difference and doing soul filling work. I’ve thought about being a 911 dispatcher or working in emergency management. Someday I’d like to work on the Olympics and a presidential campaign.
Favorite part of your job? Oh my goodness! How do you narrow it down? I have so many favorite parts! I love the passionate, full of goodness team that I get to work with every day. I love the events we produce and the excitement that the participants get from being on our events. I love the variety of working from home and being on event. There are so many favorite parts!
What do you like to do in your free time? Free time throughout the year varies greatly, but right now my down time includes catching up on my DVR, traveling back to Minnesota to hang out with my new nephew, catching a live stage show, spin/surf/tramp class at the gym, and playing host to the plethora of people who come through Vegas.
Most memorable event experience? Over the past 12 years of working on the Komen 3-Day, there have been so many memorable experiences. Some of them are the uncontrollable laughter that comes from pure exhaustion, or the special connection you make with a participant that you get to see year after year, or the bonding that happens when the team works through a particularly hard event.
You’re showing off your hometown to a friend who has never been to visit before. What’s on your must see/do/eat list? If we are in Minnesota, where I was born and raised, the best must-see list for any friend is to visit/meet my Grandma! She makes the best pancakes you have ever had and is my most favorite person on earth. After that, I would show off our beautiful lakes, find a great spot for lunch, and then hopefully hit up one of the comedy clubs or shows in town followed by a cocktail at one of my favorite bars.
On event, what three things are we guaranteed to find in your bag? My event bag items vary based on the job I am doing on event. Besides the obvious work related items like my laptop and phone, you’d likely find lip balm, face/hand wipes, and my favorite pens/Sharpies.
One word to describe Event 360? Transformative.
