Cvent Head of Global Events: PTO Matters! Embrace Career Turns!🔥w/Rachel Andrews | Ep. 451

Event folks like to joke about chaos, but Jay Schwedelson and Rachel Andrews get into what it actually takes to build a career inside that chaos. Rachel shares how she went from school events and holiday parties to leading a massive global events program, why “embrace the suck” is secretly great career advice, and what is really changing for attendees on-site. They also talk about burnout, boundaries, and how to build networking formats that do not make introverts want to hide by the coffee station. ㅤ Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn and check out Cvent CONNECT in Nashville , her “big family reunion” style industry event that brings together event pros and event technologists from across the world. ㅤ Best Moments: (01:45) Rachel’s oldest-child energy, early love of bringing people together, and the moment she realized she wanted the events side, not PR. (05:10) How saying yes to “small” assignments like a company holiday party turned into a 15-year path to leading events at a huge brand. (08:05) Why attendees keep begging for “more networking” and how Rachel designs formats that actually work for introverts and ambiverts. (11:15) The problem with topic tables that go nowhere and how facilitators and “influencer hosts” can make roundtables worth showing up for. (14:10) Rachel’s honest take on burnout, the myth of “do more with less,” and why she fiercely protects PTO and being present with her family. (17:20) What 1,000 last-minute registrations revealed about attendee behavior and how she is feeling about event budgets and growth heading into 2026. ㅤ Check out Jay’s YOUTUBE Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@schwedelson Check out Jay’s TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@schwedelson Check Out Jay's INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/jayschwedelson/