Meet the Newest Members of the Zynger Events Team !

27 Nov Meet the Newest Members of the Zynger Events Team !

Q AND A WITH AUSTEN HARMON AND FANNY KAHLAT

It’s been an incredible year of growth here at Zynger Events. We celebrated our 11th Anniversary and we added two new members to the team. They have been instrumental in helping Ryan and the rest of the team produce some of our greatest events this year.

Austen Harmon, Junior Event Manager, and Fanny Kahlat, Event Intern, share a lot in common–they are both dedicated to the art of event design and production and they are both now part of the team that creates unforgettable memories for you and your guests. We caught up with them between events for a quick chat.

ZE: What prepared you for this wild and wonderful profession?

Austen: I grew up in Traverse City, Michigan, where I obsessed with theater and film. This led me to Columbia College Chicago. It’s the largest theater school in the world. I absolutely loved stage design and management, but never thought I could do it professionally. Low and behold, five years later and I’m an event professional creating magical environments every day!

Fanny: I was born and raised in France where I studied event communication and digital marketing. There is so much happening in this field that I wanted to broaden my horizons. I spent one year in Washington D.C. where I perfected my English. Then, I bought my plane ticket to Los Angeles where I attended UCLA for a dual degree in Event Communication and Digital Marketing/General Business Studies with concentration in marketing. As a recent graduate, I have the opportunity to use my knowledge and work in a field I value.

ZE: How did you become involved in events?

Austen: I had been working in Los Angeles doing set décor for the entertainment industry. No longer happy to just be designing, I wanted to take on more leadership roles. It was that stage manager in me who had been dying to come out. I’ve always joked to my friends when I was little that my dream job was to be an event planner because I am so OCD. I always end up trying to be the leader in whatever group assignment I was working on. I took a chance and applied to an event company and I have been in events ever since.

Fanny: I discovered event production while I was doing internships in France. It fascinates me. I have always loved to create yet was very interested in the logistics of taking something from A to Z. Events are the perfect combination of creativity and structure.

ZE: What is your role at Zynger Events?

Austen: I am a junior event manager at Zynger Events. I help in the planning of events from making rooming lists to overseeing table set ups.

Fanny: As intern, I assist full-time staff with day-to-day operations, event planning, manage projects for events and assist with the set-up and breakdown of events. I am also in charge of social media and the website.

ZE: So, tell us, what’s a fun fact about yourself you’d like us all to know?

Austen: I played rugby for all four years of high school. We were a 5-time state champions and at one point, we were undefeated for more than 120 games. It was a great experience in team work that I carry with me today. A few of my teammates went on to play in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil! On the complete other end of the spectrum, I enjoy the quiet artistry of punch needle embroidery!

Fanny: Before moving to Los Angeles, I did a two-month road trip across the United States. From Washington D.C., to Los Angeles, stopping in all the most beautiful National Parks. The United States has so much to show off, such as the Rocky Mountains, Arches, Death Valley, and the Grand Canyon. My favorites were Brice Canyon and Monument Valley for their majestic views, and impressive rock formations that would appear out of nowhere from the previously flat landscapes.

Now that you know more about Austen and Fanny, the next time you see them at one of your fabulous events produced by Zynger Events, you’ll feel like old friends. Be sure to say hello!