How would you introduce yourself to a stranger?

Hi, I’m Gabrielle. President of Accel Events & Tents. Momma and wife. Canadian grateful to be living and working in Hawai‘i with my family for the past six years.

In the next 10 years, what do you hope to see in your industry?

I hope Hawai‘i continues to elevate itself as a world-class event destination. The pandemic brought the event vendor ecosystem together in a way we’d never seen before. I want us to harness that newfound collaboration to strengthen our industry’s collective talent, to further attract economic activity to the islands.

What do you love most about your job?

My job has taken me to every corner of the islands and allowed me to work with incredible people. Last year we serviced over 4,000 weddings, graduations, celebrations of life, and other deeply meaningful events at breathtaking venues across Hawai‘i. It’s sincerely a professional privilege to help Hawai‘i gather and celebrate.

What has been the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your career?

I’ve always worked in hospitality and events; these are year-round operations often with peak activity over weekends. The reality is that schedule is challenging for any family life. I try to prioritize instead of the pursuit of the elusive “balance.” It works MOST of the time, but sometimes it’s frankly a flop. My family supports me and knows I genuinely love what I do. I hope that inspires them in their own career pursuits.

What has been the biggest reward?

Rebuilding our company out of COVID. While Accel is 25 years old, the repeated shut down of the event industry was deeply crippling for a company with the warehouse and fleet infrastructure we maintain. When I started at the company two years ago, we were down to 10 employees and, slowly, we’ve been able to rebuild to over 100 again. Scaling has been deeply challenging but seeing us back to full operations again today feels tremendous. I’m proud of our team for getting us there!

How have you grown and pivoted in the past five years?

I’ve spent most of my career as an event planner and a venue manager. Pivoting to a vendor position—at the height of the pandemic—was both terrifying and exhilarating. I’ve actually been a customer of my own company, so I felt I could contribute a unique client experience to its management. I hope that translates as we continue the evolution of a bespoke customer and operational experience for our clients.