Building a Brand and Planning a Party
When Marketing and Brand Director, Alicia Ruemelin, joined Simantel six and a half years ago, she never imagined she’d be planning a huge party for the agency – or that the celebration would become one of her career highlights. But when the lead planner of Simantel’s 40(ish) anniversary party left the agency, the task naturally fell on Alicia’s desk. And she embraced the job and ran with it.
Alicia is a natural helper, a driver of big initiatives and a welcoming host – three personality traits that allowed her to soar as our Ish Fest event planner. Along with her proven leadership skills, she was able to grab the bull by the horns to lead the execution of Simantel’s biggest party yet. She and her team worked tirelessly with many of our own Simantelites – from the executive team to creative to Account Services – as well as people from the city, outside vendors and event planners, to put on the celebration of the decade. And when the day of the party finally came, it sparked feelings of pride and passion that were hard to beat.
In this interview, Misty and Alicia talk about Alicia’s road to Simantel, and how the stops along the way prepared her to excel in her role on our leadership team. They discuss what actually goes into planning an agency celebration – and even give a behind-the-scenes look at some of the things that didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to. You’ll hear all about how Ish Fest was a true manifestation of the “ish” that’s so key to our culture at Simantel. From the real reason behind the date of the party to a printing fail just days before the event, you’ll get the inside scoop from the very person who was so instrumental in making Ish Fest such a memorable night.
Sit back and listen to another fun, insightful conversation about what makes Simantel “Simantel” as part of this very special season celebrating our 40(ish) anniversary. Enjoy!
“I feel like this has always been inside me…the way I’m passionate about this kind of work. But to be with so many people that feel the exact same way… it’s like standing at a concert and looking around like, ‘Wow, everybody’s singing the song.” I feel like I was meant to do this. And I just feel like I’m amongst some of the best people.”
Alicia Ruemelin
Bonus Clip: Alicia Narrates Her Story
About Alicia Ruemelin
Alicia joined Simantel in 2016 and has 14 years of marketing experience in a variety of industries spanning both B2B and B2C brands. As Simantel’s Marketing and Brand Director, Alicia is responsible for all things Simantel branded and the agency’s business development strategy. This includes managing the agency’s website, content strategy and editorial calendar, marketing automation programs, social media strategies and so much more.
Alicia is a member of the Communication Committee for the Advertising and Marketing Independent Network (AMIN), an active board member of Impact Peoria, a member of our agency’s DEI Committee and a coach for Central Illinois Elite Volleyball Club. She even holds a gold medal from the 2003 USA Junior Olympics for volleyball…and it still sits in her nightstand to this day. When she’s not on the volleyball court, you can find her deep in the archives of Netflix documentaries or playing referee between her two daughters and pug Louie at snack time. Connect with Alicia on LinkedIn.