Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Altieri and Jana Gimenez.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
We met through mutual friends, having drinks and playing cards on Friday evenings…what better way to meet your business partner! At the time, Christine was working in event design while balancing numerous event clients that had followed her from her previous position at an event firm. It was clear to her that it was time to start a company herself. Serendipitously, Jana was actively looking for an opportunity in the event production world. Even though she loved the Pops, the travel and time demands of orchestra management were not conducive to starting a family.
And the rest is history. We started out as just the two of us, and soon realized that we shared a work ethic and commitment to our clients that were well matched for running a company together. After a trial year, we wrote our mission statement and made it official. We’re proud to say that we’ve built a truly wonderful portfolio of clients, and a terrific team…it’s hard to believe there are now ten of us and we celebrate 10 years!
With more than twenty years working in all facets of the event planning business, Christine Altieri has become one of New England’s most renowned and respected event professionals. She’s done it all: catering, floral and room design, event property management; before working as an independent event consultant/event designer in 2001, she oversaw the corporate division of a large events firm. She’s since created custom-fit occasions for groups ranging from an intimate dozen to several thousand and takes great pride in her attention to detail, tireless work ethic, creative problem solving, and hands-on approach. A mother of two adult children, Adaline and Benjamin, Christine lives in Brookline with her husband, Chuck, where her off-hours are consumed with Iyengar yoga, a novel-in-progress, and her 100-pound chocolate lab, Logan.
As an event professional, Jana Gimenez has become known for her spirit, focus, and grace under pressure through even the most complex projects. Before joining the firm in 2006, she served as Operations Manager for the Boston Pops, producing hundreds of high-profile concerts and tours a year, including live TV shows on the Fourth of July, appearances at the Democratic National Convention and the Super Bowl, and four tours to Japan. An Alabama native and a classically trained composer, Jana brings an artistry and inventiveness to her planning philosophy. She enjoys a noisy home life in Melrose with her husband, Tony, a trumpet player, their lively daughter, Ella, and their ever-hungry dog Rocky. When she’s not working on her own songwriting, she hikes, cooks, and is an avid sports fan.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We started our partnership in 2006…just at the start of a recession, as it turned out. As a small business with a home base in Boston, we’ve learned that really knowing our city….venues, vendors, community leaders, business partners…helped us grow then, and continues to help us today. After working out of our homes (and coffee shops), we now have a terrific space in South Boston. But it was building those relationships in our beginning stages that enabled us to build the business.
As event planners, our challenge is not a single event, it is to always keep ourselves fresh and open and focused. It will always be to grow with the needs of our clients, whether through new design approaches, innovative technology, a fresh look at a repeating project, or a finger on the pulse of the latest trends. In addition to pulling together thousands of details (we often use the analogy of a puzzle, a 1000 pieces and we put them together!), it is our responsibility to stay current, thoughtful, and creative. Never complacent. You can’t phone it in with event planning.
AE Events – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
What sets us apart in the event industry is our mission statement…we are absolutely dedicated to reflecting the vision of our clients. Period. We want guests to leave an event having celebrated who the client is, knowing more about them, hearing their story. Whether that story is about a couple journeying to their wedding day, a company celebrating record annual sales, a nonprofit raising funds for the homeless, or a conference highlighting scientific innovation…we are dedicated to reflecting the spirit of the client in every guest interaction with the event. From start to finish.
The other thing that sets us apart is that we work with the full range of events: corporate, social, nonprofit, meetings, conferences, and concerts. We believe that the wealth of experience that we have already and that we continually gain from working with so many types of clients and events enriches all of them. It also enriches us and our team, because our days are never boring!
We are most proud of the way we bring the client’s vision to life…the way we run our events and our company…and that way is by building positive relationships. It takes a team to run an event, and there are so many moving parts that every one of them is vital. We build those relationships by being collaborative, because it benefits the event process from concept to execution. By being responsive, because it inspires confidence and open communication. And by being creative, because that’s what it takes to truly personalize each event.
AE Events is known for our customized approach to events. We believe that our clients see our commitment to them and to going the extra mile…as one recent client said, “pouring our hearts into their event.”
What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
Our proudest moment so far is winning Boston Magazine’s Best of Boston® 2015 – Best Wedding Coordinator. It was so validating and inspiring to have our work celebrated in this way in the city that we love. We’ve partnered with so many fantastic venues in Boston for our weddings: the MFA, State Room, the ICA, the Four Seasons, Cyclorama, Harvard Club, just a name a few, and it is such a joy to design celebrations in such widely-varying, interesting, stunning spaces. Boston is the best city in the world to get married!
Contact Info:
- Address: 546 East Broadway, Boston, MA 02127
- Website: aeevents.com
- Phone: 617-879-9779
- Email: info@aeevents.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aeevents/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aeeventsdesign/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/aeeventsdesign
Image Credit:
Ned Jackson Photography, Cambria Grace Photography, AE Events, Creative Katz, Johnson Photography, Matt Teuten, Rosie’s Place, Zev Fisher
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