Member Spotlight: Kelli Farrington

Current role:

Event Program Manager, Corteva Agriscience

What is the best thing about the meeting and events industry?

In my opinion, the best thing about the meeting & events industry is the sense of connection you get working in it. It is a unique industry where the vendors and suppliers that you work with become friends and will have your back in situations. I feel like you do not get that in other industries.

What do you hope to gain from your MPI membership?

I am hoping to connect and network with more people in the meeting & events industry. I am also hoping to get to know more people in the Indiana network. My previous role, I would travel and work in different cities around the world. My new role is based in Indianapolis and I love that I get to do more work here.

What is your proudest professional accomplishment to date?

My proudest professional accomplishment to date is being the lead planner for my client at the largest Oncology conference in the world. I had a team of 9 planners onsite for 10 days organizing hundreds of meetings & events. It was a crazy program, but so satisfying once completed.

What do you enjoy most in your current role at work?

I went from being in an agency to working in-house. What I am enjoying most about my new role being an in-house planner is having a seat at the table and helping make the decisions of where/when/what/why/how. It’s a new position to be in and I love it!

What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t working? 

I live in downtown Indianapolis and love the “city” life. My husband and I enjoy taking our dog Miller on walks down the cultural trail & Mass Ave. We also love spending time with our family & friends and enjoying concerts & sporting events! We are very excited for the city to open back up once this pandemic passes so we can enjoy all our favorite restaurants and bars.

Something people don’t know about you:

My father is also in the Indianapolis hospitality industry (Phil Ray – GM of the JW Marriott Indianapolis) and he used to work at the Plaza Hotel in New York City. When we first moved back to the East Coast, we had to live in the hotel and I was a real-life Eloise 😊