Lauren Stalnaker Bates

As an Event Technology Manager, I collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders across Marketing, Sales, and external agencies to deliver seamless, best-in-class event experiences for customers and partners.

In this role, I lead technology execution across the full event lifecycle—from pre-event planning through onsite production and post-event follow-up—for Stripe's flagship event, Sessions, as well as 7+ additional events annually. This work requires strong project management, strategic cross-functional collaboration, and vendor management to support seamless event execution at scale.

Key Responsibilities

• Event technology ownership: Lead the planning, implementation, and management of event technology platforms, including registration, event websites and on-demand pages, Call for Papers (CFP), and mobile applications.
• Onsite technology execution: Oversee onsite event technology operations, including attendee check-in, badge printing, mobile app support, and reporting.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Partner with internal stakeholders to gather requirements and communicate project plans, timelines, milestones, and deliverables.
• Quality assurance: Develop and execute QA processes and contingency plans to ensure seamless attendee experiences.
• Vendor management: Manage relationships with technology vendors and internal teams to ensure strong performance, integration, and delivery.
• Process improvement and innovation: Identify opportunities to improve event technology processes, tools, and attendee engagement.
• Documentation: Develop and maintain documentation for system architecture and workflows, including internal and external process docs.
• Project management: Participate in weekly workstream meetings, maintain workback schedules, and lead internal review and approval processes.
• Data and reporting: Use a data-driven approach to measure event performance and attendee engagement across stakeholders and workstreams.

Technologies used: Slack, Figma, Contentful, Google Workspace, BigMarker, Splash, Salesforce, Validar, Zuddl

Responsible for planning and executing event logistics for internal, customer and partner facing events such as conferences, trade shows, corporate functions, leadership meetings, corporate-sponsored community events, and other activities of similar significance and scope. Manages assigned events from pre-event planning discussions through post-event results evaluation.

As a part of my role, I am responsible for managing live and virtual events from start to end.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Responsible for all event technology from registration to onsite check-in and post-event reporting.
• Plans, organizes, executes, and analyzes results of an event project.
• Works with internal/external customers to identify and understand event goals and requirements.
• Creates individual event project plan, identifies key deliverables and milestones, and drives execution of the event to those milestones.
• Participates in event site selection. Conducts site/vendor/third-party visits as appropriate to identify particular event planning and execution requirements.
• Negotiates event contracts including amenities, hotel accommodations and special needs for the event and ensures all legal approvals are obtained.
• Develops and implements event registration processes, website and related activities to effectively distribute information and maximize participation.
• Provides project team leadership by engaging appropriate internal/external team resources, coordinating vendor/third-parties, outlining responsibilities and communicating event objectives.
• Provides onsite management of assigned events and work direction to extended internal/external team.
• Collects event feedback, conducts analysis and prepares an evaluation of each event. Utilizes event feedback for future event planning.

Technologies used: Cvent suite, Smartsheet, On24, Quickmobile, Salesforce, Ariba, Marketo

As a member of the Integrated Events team, I support Enterprise clients in project managing their event technology for a successful attendee experience.

Key responsibilities:

• Assist in event proposal presentations, as well as additional sales collateral
• Create, update and maintain event project plans and timelines
• Coordinate weekly calls and project meetings
• Understand client objectives to document success factors for their events as well as identifying areas of improvement for future events
• Act as a liaison between client, third-party vendors, and other internal project leads within Cvent
• Work with third-party vendors to quote, order and manage event specific materials
• Act as a resource and strategic event execution subject matter expert to internal teams
• Provide support and project management pre-event, onsite, and post-event

I work to support all product lines so that the client has one main point of contact for all technology contracted with Cvent. Building relationships with clients and understanding their needs is extremely important to their success, so we work with clients to identify and present the right products, services, and solutions to meet their needs.

Notable clients: General Dynamics, Cerner, Siemens, AWS, SAS, etc.