Masters the art of event planning

Being a longtime client of the company she purchased didn't necessarily give Lori James-Brownell, president and co-owner of AZA Events, an inside track on how to run it.

The veteran meeting and event planner had spent her career with corporations like Circle K and America West Airlines and was accustomed to collaborating with the former AZA ownership on large events that required creativity, ingenuity and a lot of legwork.

As an executive planner, event management companies were constantly soliciting her. After she bought AZA in 2001, James-Brownell had to learn how to do sales and the other ins and outs of the side of the industry that had been foreign to her.

"When I was a client, they'd come up with those ideas. Now, I had to do it," said James-Brownell, who admitted it took about two years to adjust. "The learning curve was huge. It was the hardest job I've ever had in my entire life."

James-Brownell has since found solid footing and grown AZA into a successful destination and event management firm that handles high-end and high-incentive programs for high-caliber clients and five-star resorts.

In her first year, sales totaled about $500,000. Today, it's a multi-million dollar business, with the average program costing $100,000-$200,000, and some extending into the half-million-dollar range, James-Brownell said. In addition to the Scottsdale headquarters, AZA opened a second office in San Diego in May.

The firm is a one-stop-shop for multiple-day conferences, retreats, reward packages and other corporate destination events. This encompasses ground transportation, excursions, team-building activities, on- and off-property themed events and entertainment. A huge part of her job is selling the Valley as a destination over the Caribbean, Mexico or other locales clients are considering.

Among her more elaborate projects was a Harry Potter-themed event that replicated the entire movie set-up. For another, at a client's request, she transformed a desert venue into a non-western setting with chandeliers and a barn that became an after-hours club.

And while everyone's having fun, the behind-the-scenes pressure is immense.

"When they come out here, they're yours for four or five days. Logistically, there's so much responsibility and stress. There's no room for error," James-Brownell said.

Competition is fierce, yet AZA has catapulted to elite air. However, this also means James-Brownell must continually raise the bar, especially with repeat clientele.

"You can't just have a cookout in the desert. You've got to have something they've never seen before," she said.

When inclement weather threatened an outdoor event in February, Brad Hecht, vice president, travel, at Motivation Excellence, Inc., was impressed with James-Brownwell's fast action that preserved a fun experience for 800 people. In less than 24 hours, she arranged for a large tent to shield everyone at a reasonable cost to Hecht's client.

"We gave her the ball, and she ran with it and she delivered 1,000 percent," said Hecht, whose meeting and group planning company is based in Schaumburg, Ill.

Hecht works with AZA on events that accommodate 200 to 2,000 people. He appreciates James-Brownell's approach that includes developing customized programming and flexibility.

"Others have more of a cookie-cutter concept. Lori comes up with a concept and makes it fit the client and work for the budget we have. It's hard to find companies like that," he said.

Kelli Fedewa, director of operations for Viktor Incentives and Meetings, does incentive programs and meetings all over the world. She said AZA's destination knowledge is "far beyond" any other destination management company she's used. Her programs range from 140 to 1,200 people.

"Even after a number of years, their ideas are very fresh and meaningful, not only to our clients but in keeping true to the destination," said Fedewa, whose company is based in Traverse City, Mich. "Canyon tour one day, hot air ballooning the next. ... The logistics of that can be quite an undertaking."

Dealing with the same representative through the whole process is rare with other companies but routine at AZA, which Fedewa likes.

"So many companies start you with one person and you're handed off to another, and that can create some challenges," she said. "But Lori is there all along the way, providing her expertise."

A native of Chicago, James-Brownell was an AZA client when she accepted the previous ownership's offer to sell her the firm, which started in 1991.

She calls her husband, Roger Brownell, who now serves as AZA co-owner and CFO, a savvy businessman who is "the love of my life, my best friend and great business partner."

James-Brownell's dedication to making others happy fuels her hands-on work ethic and passion for the job. Her rewards are the lasting memories she helped create.

"When they're sitting around a Thanksgiving table and saying, 'My gosh, remember this thing we did in Arizona? It was one of the best things we've done.' We affected someone's life," she said. "I like to make that difference in people's lives."

AZA Events

Where: 16700 N. Thompson Peak Parkway, Suite 250, Scottsdale

Employees: Five

Interesting stat: By 2016, the event planning industry is expected to grow to more than 60,000 jobs nationwide, according to Inside Business.

Details: 480-951-4526, azaevents.com