The Evolution of Event Technology: Lessons from a Millennial Executive, Rocio Aldana

The Intersection of Event Technology and Operations

When it comes to event technology, there’s no shortage of innovation. However, the real challenge often lies not in the tools themselves, but in how they are implemented, used, and understood by the people relying on them. In this discussion, we take a deep dive into the role of technology in event planning, with insights from Rocio, who brings extensive experience from the financial services industry into her work at Pholeo.

A Career Shaped by Technology and Adaptability

Rocio’s journey into event technology began in 2009, a turbulent time for the financial sector. She entered the industry at a moment when opportunities were scarce, but this also meant she had the flexibility to explore various facets of event planning and technology.

“My LinkedIn journey and resume show the traditional career ladder climb. I started as a catering coordinator, then moved into event management, eventually growing into a senior manager role, and was on track to become a director. But what’s not captured on paper is the incredible exposure I had to event technology from the start.”

As a millennial in a conservative financial services firm, Rocio was handed responsibilities in technology that many wouldn’t dream of today. Early on, she was tasked with managing video conferencing tools, at a time when platforms like Zoom weren’t yet a household name.

“One of the first things I did was initiate video conference calls. This was before Zoom even existed as a known entity. The first platform I used was Webex, and everyone at the firm despised it. The camera quality was grainy, it never worked seamlessly, and it was a pain to set up. I found myself connecting large, cumbersome video codex systems for international business calls at 4 or 5 AM, ensuring high-quality connections with China. By the end of my first year, I was hosting ‘lunch and learns’ to educate the firm on the nuances of web conferencing.”

This hands-on exposure laid the groundwork for a deep understanding of how technology could be leveraged to improve event operations.

Bridging the Gap Between Analog and Digital Processes

At the time, much of event planning and coordination was still heavily reliant on manual processes. One of Rocio’s early breakthroughs was transforming how her firm handled catering orders.

“I was a catering coordinator, and one of the first things I did was assess how orders were managed. It turned out that the entire system consisted of printed pieces of paper left in the kitchen. If an admin wanted to place an order, they’d write it down and hope it was seen. This often resulted in catering getting lost, leading to unnecessary spending and frustration.”

Recognizing the inefficiencies, Rocio introduced a shared calendar system to centralize catering orders and ensure accountability.

“I proposed using the same calendar tool that was already being used to book meetings. We added catering order details into it and introduced a simple system for tracking whether an order had been placed. We even experimented with color coding and nomenclature to indicate order status. To me, as a millennial, this seemed like common sense, but it was a massive shift for the firm.”

This seemingly small innovation had a ripple effect, leading to the digitization of other processes, such as conference room bookings. However, the transition wasn’t straightforward. Security and access control added layers of complexity, requiring careful structuring of shared calendars to comply with internal data privacy policies.

“Financial services firms have stringent access restrictions. The research department can’t see what investment banking is doing. HR needs to see everything, while investment management must remain siloed. Just setting up a shared calendar meant navigating all these security considerations, which was a learning experience in itself.”

Selecting the Right Technology for Event Operations

By 2016, event technology had evolved significantly, and Rocio found herself leading the research for a comprehensive event operations system when her firm moved offices.

“This was my first exposure to a true event operating system. We needed a tool that could manage conference center reservations, catering, audiovisual needs, and more. At face value, all the platforms we evaluated seemed similar—they all had a click-and-reserve calendar, a menu system, and a way to upload pricing. But once you dug deeper, the differences became apparent.”

She quickly learned that aesthetics didn’t always equate to functionality.

“One tool was beautiful. It looked like a shiny new iPhone. You could click and order catering in seconds. But on the back end, retrieving orders was a seven-click process. There was no financial reporting, and the catering module was actually a separate tool entirely. Had we not asked the right questions, we could have ended up with a multi-hundred-thousand-dollar system that wouldn’t have worked for us at all.”

In the end, they chose a system that met their needs, but the real challenge lay in change management.

The Challenge of Adoption and Change Management

Even the best technology is useless if people don’t use it correctly. Despite selecting an optimal system, Rocio found that the perception among stakeholders was that the tool was flawed.

“The tool was fine. It worked exactly as intended. But without the right training and user buy-in, it was perceived as broken. Eventually, IT took over the RFP process and spent two years vetting alternatives—only to come back and select the same tool we had originally chosen.”

The Future of Event Tech: Balancing Innovation with Usability

The challenge in event technology today is finding balance.

“In a world of Jack-of-all-trades tools, we are seeing an upswing in complexity. The best way forward is to be a master of one. Meeting and event planning will always be needed—just like taxes, booze, and death. People will always gather, so having the right tools to organize events makes sense.”

One of the biggest hurdles in food and beverage planning is the inconsistency in pricing and taxation across different regions.

“You can’t even plan an event in Illinois and assume your taxes, service charges, and gratuities will be consistent. Avocado prices fluctuate from $1 to $5 overnight. Now apply that to large-scale catering budgets. We need agility in our tools, and we need transparency.”

Pholeo is tackling these issues by offering a streamlined approach to food and beverage management.

“Our new category feature lets planners assign specific taxes, service fees, and admin fees upfront—eliminating guesswork. Previously, I would have to create a new Excel template for every venue and manually confirm tax structures. Now, I can set it once in Pholeo, and my team doesn’t have to worry about breaking the spreadsheet.”

With real-time updates and streamlined tracking, Pholeo empowers event planners to navigate evolving pricing and taxation structures without unnecessary complexity.

Event Tech Evolution & Beyond

Event technology continues to evolve, but the key to success remains the same: balancing cutting-edge innovation with user-friendly implementation. As AI and automation grow, Pholeo is committed to not only developing robust tools but also ensuring they are intuitive and accessible.

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