Jeanette Stensgaard speaks on including meetings in company strategy
With more than 18 years in the meetings industry, Jeanette Stensgaard, MBA, CMP, HMCC, and Smart Women in Meetings award winner 2023 has entered the independent meetings world as the Chief Brilliance Officer for ShePlans Co. With a passion for revitalizing the ways companies build meetings and events into their overall business strategy, Stensgaard promises ShePlans Co. will offer meaningful, customized services bolstering the company’s long-term success.
“Not a lot of places have meetings as a part of their strategic plan. My hope is that She Plans Co. will really implement some strategic planning in meetings.”
— Jeanette Stensgaard, chief brilliance officer, ShePlans Co.
Q: How did you first get involved in the meetings and events industry?
A: I kind of fell into it, which I think is the story for a lot of people. I started with the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds as their administrative assistant. There was a woman there who was running their meetings and needed some help. I learned a lot from her, she was so wonderful.
I just fell in love with the logistics of it and putting all the little pieces together to see this great big picture–the feeling of accomplishment at the end.
Q: What are some of the reasons you decided to enter the independent meeting field and start ShePlans Co.?
A: I have been in this industry for going on 18 years and most of my career has been in nonprofits or membership organizations. While I have a heart for nonprofits and I love meaningful missions, there’s really not a whole lot of room to grow there. I wanted the opportunity to really be involved in the hospitality industry and get some of these younger generations really excited about what hospitality can be.
Q: Why is meeting planning so important for businesses?
A: I really thrive on looking at a business as a whole and figuring out how meetings can affect your business outcomes. Not a lot of places have meetings as a part of their strategic plan. My hope is that She Plans Co. will really implement some strategic planning in meetings.
Q: What are some of the ways ShePlans Co. can help with rethinking event strategies?
A: One of the biggest ways is just looking at, “Where do we see ourselves in 10 years? How do we get there?” Those are the biggest questions you ask in your strategic planning process. When you look at [our work with] the Kidney Cancer Association, a door opened where they needed some budget cutting. ShePlans Co. needed an opportunity for growth, and it just aligned. [We] are on a contract basis now to do their meetings and I still get to be part of a really meaningful and important mission.
Read More: 2023 Smart Women in Meetings: Stellar Performer
Q: What were some of the strategies applied when working with the Kidney Cancer Association?
A: We are very data-driven. We are collecting data from every point, from registration all the way to reconciliation. We are going to have that data about who’s attending, why they’re attending, really take those strips [of data] and those survey pieces and build those out to a five-year plan. We are also going to make sure we are getting those registrants who are truly going to make a difference in [the company’s] industry. ShePlans Co. really focuses on making sure we understand who the attendees are and making sure they have more than one reason to attend.
Q: What can we expect in the meetings and events industry for 2024?
A: We’ve really got to start looking at experience as something big. Bringing in those different ways of engagement. People have gotten their education online. That is not why they’re going to our meetings or events. They want to go and have an experience; they want to feel something.
Read More: The Story Behind Smart Women in Meetings Awards Gala 2023
