Professional bio, experience,
and how I like to work.
Everything below is the working version of my resume — bio, career history, skills, the platforms I run events on, and the best ways to reach me. A print-friendly version is one click away.
Joyce Walker Stef
Joyce Walker Stef is an event planner and producer with twelve years of experience designing weddings, corporate summits, galas, and product launches across four continents. She began her career coordinating logistics for nonprofit fundraisers in Chicago, spent three years producing large-scale corporate conferences, and in 2016 founded her own boutique planning practice.
Since then, she has produced events for audiences ranging from twenty to twelve hundred guests — from an intimate cliffside wedding in Tulum to a three-day executive summit in Dubai. She is known among clients and vendors alike for staying calm under pressure, building contingency plans nobody ends up needing, and treating every guest experience as the actual point of the work.
Joyce holds a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation and a Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) certification, and is fluent in English and conversational Spanish. She is based in Chicago and travels internationally for roughly a third of her engagements each year.
At a Glance
Current Role
Founder & Lead Planner, Joyce Walker Stef Events
Based In
Chicago, IL — available worldwide
Certifications
CMP, CSEP
Languages
English (native), Spanish (conversational)
Experience
Founder & Lead Planner
Joyce Walker Stef Events · Chicago, ILIndependent boutique planning practice producing weddings, galas, and corporate events for clients across North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Manages full event lifecycle from initial concept through day-of execution and post-event reporting.
Senior Event Producer
Meridian Events Co. · Chicago, ILLed production for corporate conferences and fundraising galas of 300–1,500 guests. Owned vendor negotiation, run-of-show design, and on-site production teams of up to twenty staff.
Event Coordinator
Lakeside Arts Foundation · Chicago, ILCoordinated logistics for the foundation's annual gala and quarterly donor events, managing vendor contracts, guest lists, and volunteer teams.
Education
B.A., Hospitality & Event ManagementUniversity of Illinois at Chicago, 2010
Certifications
Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
Events Industry Council
Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP)
International Live Events Association
What I bring to every event.
These are the muscles I use on every project, regardless of size — the difference between a good event and a great one usually comes down to how well these are executed together.
Technologies I plan on.
A working toolkit built up over a decade — registration and event-management systems, CRMs, and the everyday software that keeps a production team in sync.
Stova
Event registration, badging & management
CRM360
Client & vendor relationship management
Cvent
Venue sourcing & site diagramming
Salesforce
Pipeline & client account tracking
HubSpot
Email marketing & client communications
Eventbrite
Ticketing for public & hybrid events
RSVPify
Guest list & RSVP management
Zoom Events
Hybrid & virtual event production
Asana
Production timelines & task tracking
Monday.com
Vendor & team workflow boards
QuickBooks
Budgeting & vendor invoicing
Canva
Mood boards, signage & run-of-show decks
Ways to reach me.
Location
Chicago, IL — available worldwide for travel engagements