Ashley Clement grew up in Golden, Colorado with two younger brothers and her parents. After attending Golden High School, she decided to go to Colorado State University. During her freshmen year, she decided to get two bachelor degrees: Business Marketing and Psychology. About 3 years in, she decided she was really passionate about event planning. Ashley interned at the Budweiser Events Center to get a better understanding of events. After that internship, she applied for an internship with Conference Services at Colorado State University. After one year of interning at Conference Services, they hired her on full-time as a Conference Coordinator during my last semester. While working at Conference Services, Ashley decided to pursue her Master’s in Management Practice. One of the requirements for the Master’s program was to complete an apprenticeship. Since she had such a good working relationship with FLEXX Productions, she decided to apply for an apprenticeship with FLEXX. It was a great semester!
Ashley worked at CSU’s Conference Services for 4 summers and then accepted a position recently with the University of Chicago managing the summer conference program. Although she loves snowboarding and hated to leave FLEXX, she loves her new position in Chicago.
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Q: What were your favorite projects you worked on while at Conference Services at CSU?
Ashley: One of my favorite conferences at CSU was Bike MS. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society puts on various bike events across the US to help people affected by MS by providing programs and services that assist those with MS and their families. FLEXX Productions had a large part in this event by providing all the tents (around 80!), tables, chairs, generators and much more to make this event happen at CSU. My main role was to organize the housing by creating a housing website and take in all the reservations. This is such an awesome organization and cause that being a part of it was truly inspiring.
Q: How and when did you start working with FLEXX?
Ashley: I started working with FLEXX Productions during my internship at CSU in 2008. One of my first full-time conferences was Education Testing Services, which required a great deal of coordination with FLEXX Productions. We had two large tents, hundreds of feet of pipe and drape, hundreds of chairs, tables and various lighting. Without FLEXX, there was no way I could have coordinated such an intense and complex conference. It was then that I decided I would try to use FLEXX whenever possible!
Q: Do you have any memorable FLEXX moments?
Ashley: I would have to say Phil dressed up in a pink bunny suit is pretty memorable. The FLEXX Halloween Party was SO much fun a couple of years back.
Q: We know you’re off to Chicago for a fantastic and exciting new job! What will you be doing there?
Ashley: I am the new Summer Conference Manager at University of Chicago. I am responsible for administration, planning, leading staff direction, marketing and the overall coordination for the Summer Conference Services Program. I handle all new business inquiries, arrange site tours, initiate contracts for all summer programs, and arrange all housing, dining and meeting logistics for summer conferences. I am very proud to represent the University of Chicago to external conferences as well as be a liaison for UChicago conferences for summer arrangements including housing, dining, meeting space, and transportation.
Q: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
Ashley: Well I did enjoy snowboarding but then I moved to the windy city. So now I enjoy morning walks on Lake Michigan with my beagle, touring all the museums and fun places to visit in Chicago, and trying new restaurants. Most of all I enjoy traveling to see family and friends!
Q: If you were a crayon in a box of 64, what color would you be and why?
Ashley: First of all, who knows these by heart?? So after googling the 64 colors I would have to say mine is Wisteria. It is my favorite because all of you will have to go look it up to see what color it is.
Q: If you had to choose just ONE word to describe your experience with FLEXX, what would it be?
Ashley: THANKFUL – I am so thankful to have worked with such a great company. Everyone at FLEXX is great and they are all positive to be around. I am thankful for all their help and advice with events and thankful for the apprenticeship they provided me.
Ashley: P.S. Phil- Jessie needs a raise– Just kidding! She paid me to say that! 😉
Ashley, you have been a super star client! Thank you for being so awesome and being a member of the FLEXX family. We are so excited to see all of the amazing things you will bring to the great city of Chicago!
