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Event Planner

Events: Samantha Swaim Fundraising, LLC, Portland, OR
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Do you want to become an Events Planner?

Are you a creative, organized, project-oriented person who knows the importance of “sweating the small stuff” but never appears to “break a sweat”? Do you have the ability to build consensus, set goals and design and execute a plan of action to meet those goals? If so, your cool under pressure, can-do attitude may be just what it takes to become an event planner. Join Samantha Swaim for a VocationVacations® event planner career mentorship and see what goes on before the guests arrive and what makes for a successful event.

Raised in Southern California, Samantha Swaim attended the University of San Diego where she studied theater and communications. “Theater was my passion, particularly the management side and production elements,” she explains. After graduating from college, Samantha ran her own theater company, but later moved on to working in television production for The GRAMMY Awards.

Samantha worked directly with the president of The GRAMMYS who soon recognized her organizational and management skills and enlisted her help in coordinating events for the many non-profits the company supported. Her theater production and management skills came into play in her new role as an event planner and would ultimately lead Samantha to starting her own event company in Los Angeles specializing in working with non-profits. When Samantha relocated to Portland, Oregon, she went on to found Samantha Swaim Fundraising, LLC, in 2004.

Samantha continues to specialize in events for non-profits finding it very rewarding to support organizations that do such amazing work. She and her team work with the staff, board and volunteers of non-profits to create exciting fundraising events customized to fit the needs of the organization and reach their financial goals. They provide both direction and hands-on assistance for events including auctions, pledge-based activities (walks, runs, bike rides, etc.), social functions (cocktail parties, lunches, breakfasts, fashion shows etc.) and conferences.

From national organizations like the American Heart Association to Oregon-based groups including Basic Rights Oregon and the Portland Women’s Crisis Line, Samantha combines creative new ideas with strategic fund-raising practices to support and meet the visions of her clients. She is totally committed to doing whatever it takes to make an event successful and her client happy with the results. She continues to expand her staff and services and is always looking for new ideas and practices. Samantha is a member of the ISES - International Special Events Society and WVDO the Willamette Valley Development Officers.

What does Samantha think are the keys to a successful fundraising event? “Effectively connecting and engaging with the audience and understanding the ‘human economics’ is critical,” believes Samantha. “You need to both educate and motivate your audience to capture their support.”

Samantha loves what she does and is eager to help others interested in exploring a career as an event planner. “If you are interested in this business, you should identify what type of events you are most interested in and what you are good at doing; spend some hands-on time behind the scenes and on the floor of events; and study the industry trends – i.e. the impact of social networking on marketing, publicizing and educating people about organizations and events.”

Event planning provides many opportunities to exercise your creativity and stretch your ability to remain calm under any circumstances. “It is important to believe that if something goes wrong it can be fixed,” stresses Samantha. Grace under fire is the mantra of a successful event planner.

While on your Event Planner VocationVacations® career mentorship with Samantha Swaim, activities will include some or all of the following:
  • Develop a logistics plan that includes traffic flows, timelines, and run of show
  • Identify staffing needs for day of event execution
  • Create theme concepts in design and program execution
  • Act as a lead to manage guest check-in
  • Write script notes and provide AV with staffing needs
  • Develop a room layout
  • Run through dress rehearsal
  • Spot auction sales in partnership with auctioneer
  • Manage food and beverage service needs
  • Participate in AV prep meeting, auctioneer prep meeting, and catering meeting
  • Decorate displays for silent auction
  • Pull bid sheets and oversee silent auction wrap up
The Event Planner VocationVacations® career mentorship with Samantha Swaim includes:
  • Two days of one-on-one mentorship in your dream job as an Event Planner
  • The opportunity to participate in a total of one hour of pre- and post- VocationVacations career coaching from an accredited, affiliated VocationVacations career coach
  • A pocket-size VocationVacations journal so you can document your dream job coming to reality
  • Light lunches with your mentor

Available: Based on mentor’s availability – NOTE: Ideally the two days would consist of the day before the event and the day of the event.

Price: $1049 Per Person

Book This Career Mentorship



Suggested Accommodations

Courtyard City Center By Marriott

Hotel Lucia

(Not included in the price of your VocationVacations® dream job holiday)

Other activities and tourist destinations while on your VocationVacations® adventure:

  • Portland Oregon Visitors Association
    An information resource for vacation, meeting, convention and travel planning in Portland, Oregon and the greater northwest.
  • Travel Oregon
    This site is designed to give you your bearings, but we encourage you to approach Oregon the way Oregonians do, with a sense of humor and adventure. For the most authentic Oregon experience, be kind to the environment when you visit.

Reservation, Cancellation and Rescheduling Rules and Conditions:

Full payment of the VocationVacations dream job holiday is required to make a reservation. A $100 non-refundable fee is assessed if a VocationVacations experience is cancelled or rescheduled prior to 14-days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday, based on the approved availability of the mentor to reschedule. A VocationVacations adventure cannot be rescheduled and is non-refundable if cancelled within 14 days of the scheduled VocationVacations holiday. Written notification of cancellation or rescheduling is required in all cases. In the US, Grounded Nomads, LLC and VocationVacations holidays encourage all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling. In the UK, Grounded Nomads, Ltd and VocationVacations holidays must require all customers to acquire travel insurance to cover any unforeseen expenses due to cancellation or rescheduling and provide verification of such travel insurance to Grounded Nomads, Ltd.