Published on September 1st, 2024 | by Bryson "Boom" Paul

Event Planner Anne Benisch Transforms Planned Occasions Into Treasured Memories

Anne Benisch, who also goes by Annie Benisch, has built a successful career out of planning and managing events, parties, and important occasions. The Modesto, California business woman has long had a passion for organizing and event planning, as being able to connect people and create shared memories brings her no small amount of pride and joy. This love of connection-building and memory-making drives both her personal and professional life, and is the driving force behind her independent business, Planned By Anne.

Growing up surrounded by exceptional hosts and planners taught Anne Benisch one thing: if you want to be invited to the best parties, you should host some yourself. She’s taken that lesson and built a business with it. Through her business, Annie Benisch plans and coordinates everything from professional conferences, to holiday parties, to charity events, and much more. With a blend of hard work, creativity, and kindness, Benisch shows that professional success can be as fun as it is lucrative.

Origin of Excellence

Anne Benisch has been marked by success for most of her life. As a student at Modesto High School she excelled and earned her diploma as an International Baccalaureate graduate, while also performing competitively with her teams in her chosen sports of water polo and swimming. This excellence would continue in college at University of California, Davis, where she continued playing sports and served as the vice president of her sorority, Pi Beta Phi, before graduating with a Bachelor of the Arts in Political Science and Spanish.

Her love of event planning and leadership began early, inspired by her family. This early inspiration enchanted Benisch, who grew to love the steps in the process, large and small, that led to the creation of a warm and inviting atmosphere. This love would not immediately manifest into her own business, but would present a consistent through-line in her early career after graduating from college.

Organizing A Career

Annie Benisch’s career would begin in San Francisco, where she would test the waters in a number of industries to hone her event planning skills. The first launchpad for her success would come as at Sephora, where she organized a number of high profile events. These included not only the regional store director’s conferences, but the National Store Directors’ Conference in Las Vegas. Benisch’s talents and skills began to soar, and it wasn’t long before new opportunities arose to develop her career further.

Anne Benisch would go on to serve in a number of roles on her career path. After Sephora, she worked as the Associate Marketing Director for Stewart and Jasper Marketing, and has done work as an Event Planner for the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. She’s also helped found and run non-corporate events and festivals, including DOMO Walls, an international mural festival in Modesto, and the Make Dreams Real charity golf tournament in northern California.

However, her independent career through her business, Planned By Anne, is her passion and greatest success story. Through her business, she hopes to be a catalyst for creativity, change, and community spirit for both corporate and non-corporate entities.

Planned By Anne

Annie Benisch’s business is entirely focused on the event planning she’s so passionate about. Her event portfolio includes conferences, charity events, fundraiser parties, birthday parties, tournament events, staff retreats, and even a handful of weddings. Planned By Anne thrives at the intersection of creativity and logistics, where Benisch goes from considering the event’s purpose and theme, to tracking down vendors and securing the venues.

The defining moment of her independent career was one of her first solo events. The client wanted a large, multi-day corporate retreat, and was referred to her by a friend. The retreat would feature glamping tents, a professional high-end chef, and other quality components. It would become one of Anne Benisch’s first major solo successes, as the event came together seamlessly. Indeed, it was the proof case for the long term sustainability of Planned By Anne, and was the event that convinced Benisch of the value of her chosen career path.

The company’s success comes largely from Anne Benisch’s own core values and attributes, which have been defined and refined by her professional experiences. One of those traits is her drive to learn, grow, and develop new skills. From designing unique decorations, to curating menus, to securing entertainment, Benisch’s expertise in her industry is self-evident. Picking up a wide variety of tools and product proficiencies has made Anne Benisch widely skilled and able to adapt to any client’s needs and logistical challenges.

Her personal definition of success goes beyond mere revenue. Creating joyful memories and smiling faces is one of Anne Benisch’s metrics for success, paired with the flawless execution of every detail of each event she plans. In her words, “Success also means building strong, lasting relationships with clients and vendors, continuously learning and improving, and finding joy and satisfaction in each event I bring to life.”

Staying Ahead Of The Curve

As technology advances and the business world changes, it’s incredibly important to keep up to date on new innovations and trends. For an event planner, this is even more true, as small changes in culture, technology, and business expectations can have cascading effects on what themes, vendors, locations, and precautions can work for an event.

To stay current with event trends and continually seek out new ideas, Anne Benisch attends professional conferences every year and networks with peers in the organizational space. She plans over 80 events every year, which gives her many opportunities to collaborate with trusted vendors and experiment with new trends and approaches to various event types.

Balancing Work and Play

As fun as Anne Benisch’s work is and can be, it is still work. Achieving a healthy work-life balance is one of Benisch’s priorities, as it’s hard to be effective and creative when she’s burnt out and exhausted. In Benisch’s words, “[her] calendar is [her] best friend.” She takes care to schedule everything from downtime and exercise to professional commitments to keep her organized, on track, and balanced. She also prioritizes spending time with her friends and family, as the joy and support they offer to her life.

Anne Benisch’s entire career is built around the wonder of facilitating new memories, and she is excited to continue doing so for many years to come. Through her business, Planned By Anne, she hopes to expand her portfolio and her team to organize more, and more wonderful events for clients both in and outside the corporate business environment.

“By blending passion, organization, and meaningful connections, I keep both my personal and professional worlds in harmony, making each day fulfilling and fun,” Annie Benisch says.

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About the Author

Bryson "Boom" Paul Bryson "Boom" Paul is a well-known journalist and media correspondent. He has written for OC Weekly, LA Weekly, Dallas Observer, Hip Hop DX, The Source and more. Throughout 13-plus years, he has interviewed the biggest names in music, like Tyler the Creator, 50 Cent and Sean Paul.