His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama
In 2012, Loyola University Chicago played host to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, for a one-day whirlwind visit that included four events in 3 different venues, an audience of 9,000 (half of whom have never been to the campus) and over 300 staff and volunteers. With only 6-months notice, we created multiple marketing campaigns, transportation accommodations, registration sites, security plans, set designs, and media plans, all of which had to be approved by the Department of State, who provides the security detail for the Dalai Lama and who didn’t meet with us until one month before the event. Every individual involved in the event, from guests to staff had to pass varying levels of background checks. The day went off without a single hitch, with the Department of State staff telling us afterwards that they had never worked with a more organized group of event planners.