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“President Clinton would clear anything on his
schedule in order to stop by the White House tour
and surprise the families,” she says.
“Being part of creating that experience was
truly more relevant and impactful for myself than
anything else. There was never press for it, but you
could see how creating an experience like that tour
and time with the President, they weren’t thinking
about the next doctor’s appointment or what lies
ahead the next day.”
This experience really ingrained in Schwartz the
power of creating experiences through events.
“We always talk about ROI – return on investment
– that’s how a company determines if they’re going
to continue a program, a fund or a project,” she says.
“But if you look instead at the ROE – return on
experience – it’s a completely different measurement.
“When you keep an ROE in focus that’s when
you give the most and learn the most. For an annual
event, the person that comes back is wonderful, but
the person that comes back with three more friends
– that’s when you’ve truly achieved.”
Scandal and the power of events
During her time at the White House, Schwartz also
encountered some challenging times, including the
notorious Monica Lewinsky scandal.
“It was tough during the Monica Lewinsky period,
I’ll totally acknowledge that,” she says.
When media attention was high, one of the
strategies to stay on message was events.
“President Clinton was very instructive that
he had a job to do and to stick to that no matter
what other noise was happening,” says Schwartz.
“It was through events that we communicated
that message.”
1. Laura Schwartz
speaking at The
Business of Events
2019. Credit:
Camera Creations
2. Schwartz briefing
President Clinton
prior to filming a
cameo for the movie
A Child’s Wish
3. Schwartz prepping
for a State Dinner at
the White House
4. Schwartz briefing
the First Lady
Hillary Clinton
5. Schwartz with her
book Eat, Drink and
Succeed. Credit:
Camera Creations
5
“President Clinton was very
instructive that he had a job to do
and to stick to that no matter what
other noise was happening.”
– Laura Schwartz
4
3
Schwartz admits she had to think creatively
in order to get that message across. She recalls
receiving a “heads up” that a member of the press
was going to ask a disruptive question.
“You never try to curtail the press, but did I bring
in a brass quintet to play after the president was
done with his remarks so that nothing could be
heard? Yes, I did that,” she says.
“I made sure that the President didn’t take long
walks past the press and I flipped the stage to
accommodate that.”
Among the lessons Schwartz learnt from her time
as director of events at the White House, was the
power of events in communicating a message.
She says when you focus on the key objectives
and the guest experience, an event can take on
much more than “amazing lighting, fabulous video
and great sound”.
“You give it a whole life that really transcends
the ballroom you’re in or the festival grounds or the
boardroom, and it will live on far beyond those walls
and for a very long time.” n
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