Sally formed the company in 1987 originally in London, England then moved to the US in 2005. Over the past three decades, she has produced events in over 30 countries throughout Europe, USA, Africa, South America and Asia.

Her personal accolades include International Event Producer of the Year by Event Solutions Magazine, Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Live Events Association (ILEA), Business Leader Magazines Top 50 Women Extraordinaire Award,  Special Event Magazines Top 25 Greatest Industry Influencers of the past 25 years. In 2018 she was the recipient of the Special Events Industry Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to the Special Event Industry.

Sally is the founder of AEP, Academic Event Professional Conference, now in its 15^th year and she chaired the Special Event Industry Certification (CSEP) examination restructure committee. She is a founding board member of Roger Daltrey & Pete Townshend’s Teen Cancer America organization.

She lives in Cary, NC with her husband Grant Berry, who is a professional caddie on the PGA Tour.

Susan joined the Special Event Company in 2015 as Chief Operating Officer and was promoted to President in 2021.  Her exceptional leadership and financial knowledge has been key to the growth of our Company as our markets continue to grow, change, and evolve. 

Susan began her career with KPMG as a Certified Public Accountant and has held leadership positions in several industries including events and tradeshows, financial institutions, non-profits and more for the last 30+ years.  Her expertise extends across business strategies, organizational development, operations, corporate finance and employee enrichment.  Her dedication and enthusiasm to our team is contagious and strives to make The Special Event Company the best it can be. 

Sara Ellis has a background in business policy and procedure and more than fifteen years of experience in the event industry, including eleven with The Special Event Company. In Sara’s role as Director of Finance, her primary responsibilities include preparing client and vendor contracts, creating, maintaining and reconciling program budgets, and managing company financials. Before joining TSEC, Sara got started in the events industry with pharmaceutical meeting planning and charity events while traveling with the PGA Tour. Sara holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Go Heels!!) and is a native of Dunn, N.C.

Ciara Connolly joined The Special Event Company as the Director of Operations, with over 23 years of global experience in building and creating event management teams. As a seasoned and award-winning events professional, Ciara’s background includes operational excellence and best practices. Ciara was previously based in NYC and London, and locally with BASF Corporation for eight years in RTP. 

Jonathan Chevalley is a highly experienced executive producer specializing in corporate events and technical services. With a diverse background in production, he has worked in various capacities, including Audio Engineer, Monitor Engineer, Technical Director, Production Manager, and Tour Manager. His dedication to providing quality service and professionalism ensures that every client and show receives the utmost attention to detail.

Over the years, Jonathan has contributed to some of the most high-profile events in the country, such as the Presidential Inauguration, Concert for Valor, July 4th at the White House, and numerous other concerts, festivals, conferences, and special events. This wealth of experience has helped him develop an unparalleled understanding of the intricacies of event production, making him an invaluable asset to any project.

Jonathan’s commitment to excellence can be traced back to his service in the United States Army. As an armed forces member, he completed two tours supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. This experience instilled in him the importance of discipline, teamwork, and resilience—qualities that have carried over into his work in the production world.

As an executive producer, Jonathan oversees all aspects of technical services for corporate events. This includes managing sound, lighting, staging, and audiovisual solutions to ensure that each event runs flawlessly and exceeds client expectations. His hands-on approach and comprehensive understanding of event production enable him to anticipate and address challenges proactively, leading to seamless and memorable experiences for all attendees.

Jonathan Chevalley’s unique combination of technical expertise, industry experience and unwavering commitment to excellence has made him a sought-after professional in the event production field. As he continues to work on high-profile events and forge strong relationships with clients, Jonathan solidifies his reputation as a leader who consistently delivers outstanding results.

Kevin Moore brings 16 years of production and design experience to The Special Event Company.

Imaginative storytelling and using different mediums to bring a story, event, or product to life is his passion and what fuels him to constantly push the limits of what can be produced for our clients.

He started his career editing feature films, working alongside site veteran editors, and learning how to manage the entire flow of a film’s post-production process. This helped develop the critical skill set of keeping the project’s big picture in mind while diving into the detailed task that ties everything together.

Kevin is a very experienced video producer in live event and conference video production and content development for CE and non-CE events. Working in partnership with schools like Stanford, UMPC and the University of Baltimore, The Rand Institute, and the largest CE event for chiropractors in the United States featuring 25 speakers, 60 vendors and over 3,000 attendees.

Kevin has conducted and filmed over 2,000 interviews over his career and is a master at making anyone feel comfortable in front of the camera.

Building a unique concept from start to finish while keeping the client’s message at the forefront, whether in videos, print, soft goods, digital presentations, or interactive experiences, drives Kevin. At the same time, he makes sure the story is delivered in a clear and unified fashion.

Annie has lived in North Carolina for 20 years and is in Asheville. She has two children in the early stages of adulthood. Her free time is spent exploring the beautiful Western North Carolina Region, doing yoga, and enjoying healthy foods and the culture of the Asheville area.

With 20+ years of experience in the events industry, Tracy brings a level of detail to planning meetings and events that are unmatched. Tracy excels in asking the right questions and getting clients to open up about their programming needs; she leaves no stone unturned. To Tracy, the details always matter!

Having owned her own social event planning company for several years, transitioning to the corporate world was a challenge for which she was ready. As Executive Producer, Tracy plans multiple programs simultaneously, including budgeting, sourcing, coordination, organizational/communication skills, and leading teams. Tracy is versed in live and virtual events with any level of client she’s assigned, including executives and senior management. Tracy has been called the “one who gets things done.”

Tracy hails from OH and is a graduate of Bowling Green State University (Go Falcons!) and has called NC home for the last 25 years. She and her husband are huge foodies and can be found checking out new and exciting area restaurants during their downtime.

Heather comes to us with a wealth of agency, non-profit and corporate experience working with various organizations, such as ProQuest, GlaxoSmithKline, NC Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and Syngenta. She has managed continuing education conferences, tradeshows, media summits, receptions, product launches and milestone corporate and association celebrations.

Heather has 20 years of experience working with both the development and creative design aspects of projects. Most recently, she was the Senior Producer for an alumni celebration for Princeton University and the Academic Event Professional Conference, bringing together planners from universities across the country for the most successful conference in its 15-year history.

Heather is a North Carolina native and holds a BA in Journalism from Elon University. She lives in Cary with her husband and twin daughters.

Maryann Smith joined The Special Event Company in August of 2022 with 20 plus years of progressive experience in the food and beverage industry. As the food and beverage specialist, Maryann brings experience in organizing food and beverage and an excellent knowledge of food allergens and food safety guidelines. She is Serv Safe Certified and Fare Check Food Allergy Certified.

Maryann was raised in Cary, North Carolina and moved to Raleigh to attend North Carolina State University. She graduated Cum Laude from NC State (Go Wolfpack) with a degree in Public and Interpersonal Communication and a minor in Anthropology. After college Maryann moved on to planning weddings and large corporate events for a Chapel Hill based restaurant group. In 2014, she was hired to a high-end sector of Compass Group, Flik Hospitality, where she was contracted as the Catering Director for a large corporate portfolio. There she spent eight years as a trusted partner in planning large corporate events and catering for the portfolio.

Meridith Walters comes to The Special Event Company with an extensive background in corporate marketing and public relations, including prominent roles with VF Corporation and Thomasville Furniture. During that time, she worked on events for New York Fashion Week and High Point Furniture Market, as well as numerous trade shows and retail activations.

Her entrepreneurial spirit eventually inspired her to launch a commercial and event photography studio. Meridith has served more than ten years on the Board of Directors of the International Live Events Association, including a 2-year term as the President of the Raleigh-Durham Chapter, while concurrently earning the esteemed Certified Special Events Professional designation (CSEP).

Over the past ten years, Meridith transitioned from photography to event production, specializing in program development, stage management, and live entertainment. With more than two decades of experience in the live events industry, clients note Meridith’s infectious positivity, unbounded energy, and steadfast reliability among the significant assets that she brings to every production.

Steve has spent the last 36 years in the Special Event Industry. For many years, he owned a special event production company focused on producing large festivals, concerts, and corporate and non-profit events. Steve was Director of University Events and Ceremonies at his alma mater, the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, from 2006 until he retired in 2022.

There, he produced events for donors and alumni, galas, groundbreakings and building dedications, presidential inaugurations, commencements, convocations, events for prospective students, heads of state and visiting dignitaries, fundraisers, homecomings, conferences, and live internet virtual programs. Branding, messaging, storytelling, clear outcomes, meeting ROI goals and treating every event as a business are hallmarks of a successful business. Steve graduated from the Protocol School of Washington, earning the Protocol Officer Certificate.

Hampton has a diverse background in production in Recording Studios, TV broadcasts, Live Events, Musical Theater, Virtual Events, Hybrid Events, and Esports productions.

He is continually working on his depth of knowledge in Audio, Video, and Networking.

He looks forward to working in the changing landscape of clients’ production needs, pushing for innovation and new experiences.

A seasoned event strategist and sought-after expert on higher education and healthcare philanthropy, leadership development, and innovative solutions, Karen S. Cochran, CFRE, is the founder and chief philanthropic innovator for consulting group Philanthropy Innovators. After leading and mentoring teams that have directly raised more than $1 billion during her three-decade career, Cochran launched Philanthropy Innovators to help organizations reimagine what’s possible in fundraising and advancement.

Cochran worked with the Duke team that delivered the inaugural Coach K/Fuqua School of Business Leadership Conference—and led the team that created the Duke MBA International Retreats. These global retreats, held in key international cities, galvanized business school alums and strengthened the Fuqua brand by featuring highly sought-after faculty and industry leaders. In addition, she served in multiple leadership roles at the Duke Cancer Institute. She secured the largest single-family donation in the organization’s history—a cumulative $34.5 million that transformed brain tumor research and patient care. Cochran also provided vision and leadership for the institute’s $200-million comprehensive campaign spanning seven years.

Today, Cochran specializes in organizational strategy, innovative practices, and leadership development to help teams reimagine what’s possible in higher education and the non-profit sector.