Member Spotlight :: LaShanta Gripper

LaShanta Gripper

Sales Manager  |  Indiana State Fair Commission

LaShanta Gripper

Indiana State Fair Commission

1202 East 38th Street

Indianapolis, IN  46205

Phone: 317 . 927 . 7523

• Check out the website:
• http://www.in.gov/statefair/

• Follow them on Twitter:
• https://twitter.com/IndyStateFair

Please "Like" on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/IndianaStateFair

• What is your title and position at your current company? My official title is Sales Manager. I’m responsible for leasing 17+ venues year round to local companies within various markets.

• What does your company do? How is it different than others like it? We host the 6^th largest state fair in the world annually as well as play host to over 300 different types of events annually within our 250+ acre complex. We are the only venue in the state that can offer 17+ flexible venues for any type of function, expo or show. This includes several livestock shows as well. It’s simply amazing to watch our team set-up multiple shows each and every day.

• How many years have you been in the industry? Over 20 years.

• What was your very first job? Working for Carlton Cards in the Castleton Square Mall.

• What lead you in into the event industry? I wanted to be a housekeeper in order to make good tips, so I interviewed at the Courtyard by Marriott at 82^nd & Allisonville Road. I walked in dressed in a 3-piece suit and management ended up offering me a front office clerk position. I accepted that same day and continued to work my way up from there.

• Why did you decide to join ISES? I was looking for a way to connect with industry leaders that could give me insight on how to plan better events as well as make connections to get the word out about what the fairgrounds has to offer to any and every meeting planner. The local chapter president, Mike King, also reached out to me in order to invite me to my first luncheon. It was awesome!!

• What are you looking to gain out of our ISES membership and how can we help you achieve that? I want to ensure that I get the word out that the Indiana State Fairgrounds is not just in existence to host the fair. We want to increase awareness as to how many great venues we have at our complex that offers all the comforts of modern today. I also want to make great connections by networking and hopefully lending my support to serve on committees.  

• What is your most memorable event? Why? Most recently, we hosted the 5^th Annual Face of Hope Breakfast sponsored by Little Red Door Cancer Agency in our Agriculture/Horticulture Building. The team of this wonderful agency made a wonderful ideal come to life in an amazing way. I know that utilizing the fairgrounds was completely out of their comfort zone, but they allowed themselves to trust in our ISF team and it worked out perfectly!! They re-booked for 2013!!

• What’s one thing most people don’t know about you? I have always wanted to be a registered nurse, so I’m going back to school now in order to make it happen. I also love to sing.

• If you were not in the event industry, what would be your dream job? A registered nurse. I have wanted to be a nurse ever since I was 7 years old.