When Cindy Lo started Red Velvet Events 5 years ago, she did so with the mission to Outplan, Outplay and Outparty!  Since then, Cindy has grown RVE into the type of company that delivers the exact events our clients want, every time.  Cindy has been planning events for as long as she can remember… not just at past companies like Trilogy Software or at the University of Texas, but even back in her childhood days of church functions and school meetings.  Cindy’s passion for details and logistics, along with a level of energy unmatched by anyone we’ve ever met, apparently goes back that far too.  With hundreds of events under Cindy’s belt, her biggest challenge is coming up with new creative angles and unusual ways to improve RVE operations and really wow our clients.   When she’s not busy juggling client deadlines and meeting with vendors, you can find her spending time with her husband, daughter and two crazy dogs.

Erin Althaus is our Certified Wedding Coordinator, which means that she is in charge of making sure that all of our weddings aren’t only beautiful – they are also stress-free and fun for her brides and grooms.  Having planned countless weddings both at RVE and before that, at Lucky Sixpence Wedding Coordinating, Erin’s experience doesn’t end there – she has been managing both special and corporate events for over 8 years.  On the occasional weekend when Erin isn’t organizing a unique celebration, you can usually find her running after her young son and daughter, engaging in some “retail therapy,” or curling up with a good book.

Julia Mercado assists us with event planning and management, writes proposals, and does anything and everything in between.  She’s used to keeping up her energy at all times and says it comes from her experience as a first grade teacher.  We think the many cups of coffee she drinks also helps.  Julia loves developing relationships with clients and has a unique gift – she can sense urgency and take care of the emergencies that occur in even the most well-planned events without alarming our clients… all they see is a successful end product.

Monica Rios manages the Red Velvet Events office and assists us with all kinds of events.  She was deemed a perfect fit for the team as soon as we discovered her deep passion for organization and, dare we say, office supplies.  Monica learned to multitask with a smile in several roles, from Starbucks barista, to Resident Assistant at UT, to doing marketing for the University of Texas Athletics department.  These days, she mixes her RVE work with travel, volunteering with high school kids, and keeping up on all of the latest music and movies.  Speaking of which, don’t be surprised if Monica incorporates the occasional movie quote or song lyric into everyday conversation!

Emily Sheppard is the newest addition to the RVE team as our Summer 2008 Intern. She survived the multiple rounds of interviews and started just in time to witness two large-scale production events that we thought for sure would either scare her away or keep her super motivated in wanting to learn more about the industry. Thankfully it was the latter. Emily is currently studying Business Marketing at Texas State University. If you don’t find her hanging out with her friends and family on the lake, you may see her on the field taking charge of the Texas State Cheerleading team.

Sara Wheiles may still be finishing up her degree at the University of Texas, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have plenty of event experience under her belt!  A natural-born multi-tasker and prioritizer, Sara gets her energy from having a job that is constantly changing and keeping her on her toes.  Her experience in Public Relations and the restaurant industry means Sara also understands what it means to be a professional, and to stay focused under pressure.  Of course, she also understands the value of “decompressing” too – when not working or studying, she can usually be found at the gym or spending time with friends, family, or her lovable yellow lab.