

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine DiCarlo.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It’s no surprise to me or to my family and friends, that I am an Event Producer and always on the go. I have always been extremely organized and a “planner.” It wasn’t until grad school that I found how I could combine my personality traits with my creative passion and social skills. This story is one of my favorites to tell when I am talking to interns or guest speaking on different panels or at various schools.
My first event was for the Father of Public Relations. I was finishing up my master’s degree from Emerson College and joined the PR Society. I was hooked and knew that this was the profession for me. When I graduated I started volunteering at various events in and around the city. And it was at a celebrity golf tournament that I met my first real client.
I was a fore-caddie. So glamorous right? My job was to inform the golfers where their golf balls had landed on the fairway. Only thing was I didn’t really pay attention to where they landed. What I did do was read the names of the golfers and their respective companies on the carts.
I talked to everyone and eventually met a man who was the CEO of a very large brokerage firm that hosted many events. I will never forget the look on his face when he asked me if I could come in an interview with his team and I responded that I would love to but I was taking off for Paris for two weeks with my best friend and would it be okay if I just called him when I returned.
Two weeks later I was in his office interviewing with him, a retired professional Boston Bruin and a golf pro. The week after that I was in LA learning “all” I needed to know about producing a 13-week televised celebrity golf tournament. That was my first “real” event and I produced it annually for six years.
I was fortunate to be working with professional athletes and doing everything from logistics management to team outfit coordination (I like to call that my first styling gig!) to sponsorship and branding. This is truly how my business started and it took off from there.
Front Row Associates (original business name) was formed and I started managing and producing events for various athletes and the Foundations or causes they supported. My attention to detail and success rate, not being star struck, and the athlete referrals created my niche. One of my referrals was to Denis Leary. Then the real fun began.
The events I produced for Denis and his Leary Firefighters Foundation were huge in scale (tens of thousands of people) and with a multitude of moving parts. So I got started in Boston but really grew my company and scope of services in NYC. The events were high profile, energizing, exciting and great career boosters and they supported a terrific and relevant cause.
They also introduced me to many others in the industry – actors, producers, corporations all who needed event support and preferred the one on one attention they got from me as opposed to working with a large agency. I am embarrassed and proud to admit I never did any self-promoting or marketing. In fact, I only created a website maybe about 6 years ago. My workload was a result of word of mouth and I liked it that way.
The business has changed. Social media has a large play in that. Today we promote, market, brand, and tag just about everything we can. I realized a couple of years ago that my business, my brand was really about me. My creativity, my expertise, my style and my attention to detail.
The majority of my clients call me CD and as a result a little over two years ago I rebranded as CD Events Co. Everything I do is about creating a brand, building a lifestyle, showcasing an image that my clients want, and now I put my name (and reputation) on it.
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?
I absolutely love what I do and both the joys and challenges that my job brings every day. I know many people think of me as a party planner and that my job is so fun and glamorous and many times – it is. I travel, I meet new people all the time and I have had the privilege of working on some truly great and life-changing initiatives. But I wouldn’t be honest if I said it was all a piece of cake.
I think besides the regular stress of meeting deadlines and truly mastering time management, three of the biggest struggles for me have been getting started, staying true to my brand and staying small.
Getting started applies to really anyone trying it on their own. I found myself producing events and running a small business. Sometimes there as not enough time to do both, but learning to outsource and delegate were huge factors in finding that balance.
Staying true to my brand is something I learned a lot later in my career. There were months when I would be happy with any new project just to make payroll, but I was unhappy with the work or objective of the event. If I am unhappy or bored I think it shows in my work.
Now, I truly evaluate any new prospective event or project. How do we keep the event integrity and the objectives fresh and significant? Do I believe in the client and their event? My business is not about me; it’s about my clients but I do curate what I am selling and how I will make it work for everyone.
The last struggle is something I still battle with today. I call myself a boutique agency which means two things – we are small and we offer a much more curated and personal level of service. Some days, I would love having a big team or various department heads that could help get it all done.
Larger agencies have larger bandwidth and resources resulting in a larger pool of clients and more revenue. But they can also have larger challenges, more responsibility, and bigger obstacles. I have stayed small to maintain a healthy work-life balance and to stay true to my clients.
CD Events Co – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
CD Events Co specializes in production, logistics management, event styling and strategic development for both corporate and non-profit clients. While Boston is our primary marketplace, we have designed and produced events all over the country including Atlanta, Dallas, Las Vegas, New Orleans, New York, Phoenix, Seattle and Washington DC.
Our client list is diverse and is represented by a blue-chip group of celebrities, non-profit organizations and corporations such as the African Children’s Choir, Denis Leary and The Leary Firefighters Foundation, Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation, EMC, FX Networks, Kendall Square Association, Microsoft, the NHL, New England Venture Capital Association, Paul Pierce and the Truth Fund, The Players’ Tribune, Tufts Medical Center, Usher, the USO and many more.
We create a comprehensive event plan and strategy for each and specialize in meticulous attention to detail and project organization Our experience ranges from producing events for as little as 50 to as large as 17,000 and our niche is definitely higher profile productions such as a made-for-television 13 week celebrity golf tournament, numerous fundraisers for both local and national celebrities and athletes, grand openings, premieres, marketing and event strategy campaigns for corporate buy-outs and national league productions.
Although my client base is broad, I realize I am most known for my work with various athletes and actors. We produced Denis Leary’s “Celebrity Hat Trick” for four years in Massachusetts and was instrumental in this celebrity charity hockey game’s conception and execution by bringing in celebrities like Kiefer Sutherland, Tim Robbins, Elizabeth Hurley, and Michael J. Fox to skate with legends like Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, and Cam Neely.
These type of events get a lot of attention. My success with them landed me and the Leary Firefighters Foundation a role on CBS’ The Apprentice bringing much-added awareness to the cause and to my work. I have also worked with the Jonas Brothers, Usher and Wyclef Jean while producing a charity benefit concert in Atlanta for an NHL All-Star Weekend celebration.
Again the profile of these events helped propel my career and are some of the accomplishments I am most proud of as a company. What sets my company apart more than anything are two things: 1. my attention to detail is my calling card. My husband says that it’s great for work, less so at home and 2. given the size of our company, my hands are in every element of what we do. That’s a personal touch that larger companies cannot offer.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I have had many proud moments in my career but there is one that really stands out. In November 2008, I was awarded three Challenge Coins from senior military officers. One of the coins I was received directly from Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman, Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for my work with the Department of Defense in the annual “Salute to Our Troops” program I helped to conceive, develop and execute on behalf of Microsoft and to benefit the USO at Radio City Music Hall.
A Challenge Coin is the military’s method of honoring exemplary service. My work on this program also won me another major production for Microsoft. I was now responsible for the overall creative concept and theme, planning and production of a four day, 900+ attendee conference for Microsoft’s US Public Sector.This was another turning point in my career. And immediately after in 2008, I was voted as one of Boston Magazine’s “75 most influential people.” Even though this happened ten years ago, it’s an accolade that I will always cherish.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://www.cdeventsco.com
- Phone: 857-264-1762
- Email: christine@cdeventsco.com
- Instagram: @cdeventsco
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cdeventsco/
Image Credit:
Ben Porway, Allie Prater, Elise Guilfoyle, Juan Carlos Briceno
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