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With more than six-decades of combined professional experience, our all-star team is passionate about creating fresh and successful events.
We’re fun too!
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Samantha Smith
Samantha The Founder & Visionary
Samantha Smith is the guiding thinker and dynamic force of her namesake company. Recognizing a need in the corporate world for “event planning with a twist,” she successfully merged content with logistics to launch Samantha Smith Productions in 2003. Today, with an ever-expanding roster of clients, Samantha steers SSP in perpetually forward motion.With more than 15 years experience as a communications and operations executive producing large-scale events, Samantha previously led the Communications, Operations and Marketing departments at Old Navy from its inception up through the company’s greatest growth period—when it became the first retail brand ever to reach $1 billion in sales in less than four years.
Driven by a clear and focused vision, Samantha’s goal is to bring content to life in every SSP-produced event, no matter how big or small. By constantly breaking the mold for what a corporate meeting should be, Samantha develops fresh and effective strategies to bring people together to learn in fun and inspiring environments.
And at every step of the process, Samantha’s guiding energy delivers her own rare blend of savvy content knowledge, smart creativity, responsible innovation, and thorough logistical thinking.
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Lois Silva
Lois The Negotiator
With an honorary Law Degree from Samantha Smith Productions, Lois Silva negotiates our clients’ hotel contracts with more knowledge and conviction than most corporate attorneys. She’s our very own “Art of the Deal” businesswoman…and she doesn’t bite!Lois is also our resident venue search expert. When we need the perfect hotel, count on Lois to find it!
As a 15-year veteran of Gap and Old Navy, Lois developed communication strategies and innovative message platforms to support company objectives.
Lois was the first gal to join Samantha Smith Productions at its inception in 2003.
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Danielle Spinetta
Danielle The Lifeline
Danielle Spinetta brings content to life through logistics. Her fresh, exciting, and creative ideas add oomph and energy to every event’s content strategy, while her flawless execution of on-site logistics puts the exclamation point on each SSP-produced event.When faced with a seemingly impossible logistical challenge, Danielle solves it with grace and ingenuity, without ever missing the smallest detail, and without ever breaking a sweat. Which proves that her ongoing search for that perfectly comfortable, yet fashionable, pair of shoes has paid off!
Danielle joined SSP after 14 years in retail management and corporate communications, including stints at The Gap and Old Navy.
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Steele Smith
Steele The Web Master
Steele Smith is SSP’s event web development and conference registration expert. With standards as high as Samantha’s, he leaves no doubt that a quest for excellence runs in the family!Prior to joining Samantha Smith Productions, Steele managed both public and private events as the Venue Manager for the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California.
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Merideth Flading
Merideth The “Incentiveprenuer”
Merideth Flading is SSP’s entrepreneur in charge of large-scale, annual recognition and incentive events. That’s why we call her our very own “Incentiveprenuer.”Merideth not only develops creative incentive programs to motivate and reward our clients’ employees, she also gets to travel to some of the most glamorous resorts in the world. Lucky gal.
A former Tony-award-worthy stage diva of many roles, Merideth draws from her theatrical experience to produce large-scale performance elements for SSP-produced events.
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Melanie Mercier
Melanie The Storyteller
Melanie Mercier is our resident storyteller. By infusing every event with a compelling narrative, she makes our clients shine both on-stage and off.Melanie can write a killer speech, or develop a tagline sweet enough to make a marketing genius weep with envy. Her expertise and attention to detail ensure that a client’s message is consistently woven into every aspect of an event, even down to the décor.
Melanie brings more than 15 years experience in retail management, corporate communications, and event management for several Fortune 500 companies, including Gap Inc.
Originally from New Orleans, Melanie is a true Southern belle who brings all that jazz to SSP.
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Jane Berman
Jane The Foundation
With her focus on logistics, as well as the planning and execution of all ongoing non-profit events, Jane Berman is the foundation layer of Samantha Smith Productions.She is also our resident environmentalist and eco-friendly event planner. With a “green” outlook that incorporates sustainable merchandise and environmental awareness into our events, Jane continually encourages our team and clients to eat and drink our way toward healthier, more fully organic lifestyles.
With many years experience in events and organization planning, Jane’s addition to our team ensures that we are never green with envy. Go Jane!
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Sara Delman
Sara The Interpreter
Fluent in Spanish, and a seasoned world-traveler, Sara Delman is poised to take Samantha Smith Productions international! Through her extensive and adventurous travels across the globe, Sara enthusiastically brings back the latest ideas and trends for our events.Sara assists in managing all the tiny but important details that make our events sizzle with style. And with her previous experience in the restaurant and catering industry, it’s no mystery that Sara can help us slice, dice, and sauté the perfect tasty meal!
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Elizabeth Burke
Elizabeth The Glue
The superglue that binds the SSP team into a single all-star unit, Elizabeth Burke considers no task either too large or too small to tackle.An energetic recent graduate of San Francisco State, Elizabeth is also our “First Lady of the Office,” holding down the fort day-in and day-out, whether our team is traveling…or hunkered down at our home base.
And because Elizabeth is the friendly voice answering your phone calls, you’ll never have to press “0” when you dial SSP!
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Heather Ferrai
Heather Our Go-To Gal
Our new millennium text messenger, the newest member of the SSP all-stars, Heather Ferrai joins our all-star team with a degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo’s College of Recreation, Parks, and Tourism Administration.But her degree and impressive 4.0 GPA aside, event planning — with all its trimmings — is in Heather’s blood. Her love for directing school activities began in junior high, and continued unabated throughout college.
At SSP, Heather’s expanding roles include coordinating event décor and promotional gifts, and providing project management support. Heather is the backbone support of the entire SSP team.