Who Is Wendy Porter?
Founder. Strategist. Event Marketer. Gardener. Traveler. Aussie Lover. Magic Maker.
"I’ve built brands, managed million-dollar budgets, and I still get goosebumps when the doors open and the lights go up."
A Strategic Mind with a Global Lens
I’m Wendy Porter — Founder and Chief Event Strategist of Wendy Porter Events (WPE), and a Fractional Head of Events for clients around the globe.
Since launching WPE in 2015, I’ve helped organizations design and deliver unforgettable event experiences that are equal parts strategic, emotional, and effective. I bring structure and soul, data and delight — the kind of work that helps brands Ignite Event Magic, while delivering The How Behind the Wow.
With over 25 years of corporate experience and a background that spans health care, direct marketing to consumers, eCommerce, and publishing, I’ve worked at nearly every layer of business — from executive boardrooms, to international strategy teams, to packed general sessions, to trade show floors.
High-Stakes Events. High-Impact Results.
“We don’t do ‘check-the-box.’ We do connection, emotion, and ROI.”
At WPE, I’ve led brand activations and events tied to major Minneapolis moments — including Super Bowl LII and the 2016 Ryder Cup — as well asnational and global conferences, like NAMICon 2023 for the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Our client roster includes UnitedHealthcare, Elevance Health, Change Healthcare, TripleTree Financial, NAMI, The Minneapolis Foundation, and the MN Super Bowl Host Committee — along with health tech companies like Inovalon/VigiLanz, Panda Health, and other early-stage startups. We’ve also supported The Competency Alliance / PetroSkills, delivering event strategy and execution within the energy sector.
Rounding out our experience, I served as Chief Events Officer for my alma mater, St. Olaf College, leading high-visibility campus events and engagement experiences for students, faculty, alumni, donors, and leadership.
All in, my team and I have orchestrated over 1,300 events, supported more than $200 million in budgets, and delivered experiences to over 1 million attendees. Whether I’m managing a complex multi-day event, a virtual user conference, or stepping in as a Fractional Head of Events, I help our clients deliver flawless experiences — and think bigger while we’re at it.
Corporate Credibility with Global Reach
Before launching WPE, I spent 13 years at UnitedHealthcare — most recently as Head of Events for the $60B Medicare & Retirement business. I led executive CEO leadership meetings, national sales conferences and incentives, broker customer events, Corporate Social Responsibility events, and sponsorship programs — and coordinated international events in the UK for the Evercare product.
Our Sponsorships included partners like AARP, iHeart Radio, LPL Financial, and the New England Patriots. We coordinated exhibits up to 13,000 square feet... with a semi-trailer in the booth that looked tiny. We partnered with the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) to support large-scale cause events, including the Revlon Women’s Run/Walk for Cancer in New York City — an effort that received national visibility with a feature on the Today Show.
After founding WPE, my agency continued to support UnitedHealthcare — managing the UHC activation at the AARP ROCKS concert with Steve Miller at the Minneapolis Armory, leading production for Community & State sales conferences at Disney in Florida, and executing regional broker roadshows across the Midwest during Medicare Open Enrollment.
Earlier in my career, I held leadership roles in direct marketing and eCommerce at Fingerhut and North American Membership Group (NAMG). At Fingerhut, I spearheaded international direct mail expansion into the UK and Argentina and developed strategies to drive orders from over 100 countries through Fingerhut.com. At NAMG, I led the expansion of the PGA Golf Club and Garden Club into the UK — blending content, community, and commerce to grow brand reach and customer engagement globally.
“The strategy has to travel — and so do I.”
Advocacy That Drives Change
When the live events industry was brought to a standstill during the pandemic, I didn’t wait for someone else to step up.
I formed the Live Events Coalition, MN Chapter and served as Vice Chair of Government Affairs and a National Board Member for the Washington DC based Live Events Coalition, lobbying over 200 members of Congress to fight for the survival of our industry. Our efforts helped pass a bill through the U.S. House (though it narrowly failed in the Senate) — and I was honored to share that story in The Wall Street Journal, on The Shepard Smith Show on CNBC, CBS, MPR, and more.
From 2019-2021, I also served as Co-Chair of the Minnesota Campaign for 5050 Women on Boards, raising over $120,000 to support gender equity in corporate board leadership.
Recognition is Nice. Results Matter More.
✔ InEvents – 50 Influential Female Voices in the Events Industry (2025)
✔ EventEx – 100 Most Influential People in US Events (2024)
✔ Smart Women in Meetings – Visionary Award (2024)
✔ BizBash – “Conferences that Captivate” (2023)
✔ Connect Corporate – 15 Over 50 (2020)
✔ MN Meetings & Events – Hall of Fame, Best Special Events Planner (2019)
… and more.
“The best recognition? When a client looks around after an event and simply says,
‘Well — that was flawless.’”
The European Chapter
Life Outside the Ballroom
When I’m not building event strategy or running a show site, you’ll find me walking my opinionated red merle Aussie, Sophie, attending a local art or antique show, or speaking German to the flowers in my award-winning Minneapolis garden. I also travel with my family frequently to Europe — my happy place — where I collect pottery, LOTS of garden, architecture, food and scenery photos, inspiration... and joy.
