Gretchen brings over twenty years of experience across hospitality, live events, experiential entertainment, and marketing, grounded in one belief: great experiences begin long before guests walk through the door and stay with them long after they leave. She started in service and hospitality, where she began developing a strong instinct for guest experience, atmosphere, and all the fine details that make people feel truly welcome. With this knowledge and passion for engaging the community, she founded an events company serving women of the LGBTQ+ community, producing large-scale gatherings, stage performances, and creative activations centered on connection, visibility, and empowerment. At Lincoln Park Zoo, Gretchen helped shape the programming and storytelling behind new and legacy events like Zoo Lights, using immersive and interactive entertainment to grow attendance, engagement, and affinity. At F1 Arcade, she developed the storytelling and tone of voice to help a high-energy, immersive concept feel clear, compelling and welcoming to guests before they ever arrived. Today, as Vice President of Marketing & Sales at Live Art International, she works at the heart of interactive entertainment, bringing exciting, creative, and immersive performances and activations to life across Chicagoland and the US. Her background in hospitality, event production, promotion, marketing strategy, and event sales comes together in work that looks beyond the agenda, focusing on the full guest journey and turning one-time visits into long-lasting memories.