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Berlin, Germany–based Roberta Odebrecht has been with K.I.T. Group GmbH — a PCO and association management company — for nearly 13 years. Prior to that, she had already experienced many different segments of the hospitality and events industry, working with diverse clients and in “wildly different parts of the world,” she said, from incentive groups at the Fiesta Americana Cancun hotel to serving as senior events planner at Nike Europe’s corporate headquarters in Hilversum, The Netherlands. At that job, she organized global retail events, booths at trade exhibitions, and product presentations for the European sales force.
“It is great to see clients and staff develop under my guidance. Above all, I think it is vital to share and promote best practices, to remain open to new ways of doing things, and to always keep a keen eye out for new opportunities.”
What do you do at K.I.T.?
K.I.T. is headquartered in Berlin and has worldwide offices in places as far afield as Paris, Abu Dhabi, and Beijing. As account director on the Team International, I support international associations to strategically plan and execute their global congresses and events of all sizes, shapes, and forms. Most of our clients are in the life sciences, but I am also fortunate enough to have major clients in the cultural sector. I have always believed that variety is the spice of life, and working across different segments allows us to cross-pollinate concepts and develop original yet proven solutions in new contexts.
What’s your favourite part of your job?
I love working with passionate people and being part of a great team. Organizing international conferences is a great experience that involves working with different cultures. It gives me the opportunity to apply my cross-cultural skills and my six languages. Our profession is so varied, and the array of challenging situations that we face offers us endless opportunities to create and build value both for our clients and for the K.I.T Group itself.
What’s your advice for early-career event professionals?
Take advantage of industry education programs such as CMP, DES, etc. Think big, strive for greatness — and never forget that the devil is in the details!
This article was excerpted from a Convene article written by Christopher Durso.