Former White House event planner offers networking tips
It's not every month that members of the Schaumburg Business Association hear about White House briefings and protocol for state dinners.
But that was the case Tuesday, when Laura Schwartz, former director of events for the Clinton administration, addressed their morning networking event.
Over her years in the White House, Schwartz planned more than 1,000 events, including 18 official state dinners. Before that, she served as Midwest press secretary and director of television for the administration. She showed video clips from her career, including a shot of President Bill Clinton describing how she told everyone on staff what to do.
“We called her ‘Laura Sarge,'” Clinton said.
Schwartz captivated the crowd with her behind the scenes glimpses of the White House, including some of the deals that grew out of White House events.
“Some of the things she has been involved in are unbelievable,” said Gary Rabine, of the Schaumburg-based Rabine Group. “It's exciting to have her here, and informative.”
For example, she told how filmmaker Steven Spielberg was seated at a state dinner with producer Jeffrey Katzenberg and music mogul David Geffen. Thirteen days later, they followed up on their discussion and ended up starting a movie production studio together, DreamWorks.
“It says a lot about what we can get out of those seemingly social occasions,” Schwartz said. “We don't all go to state dinners, but we do go to conferences.”
Schwartz was invited to speak, in part, because of the publication of her 2010 book, “Eat, Drink and Succeed.” In it, she gives specific examples of how to ratchet up networking opportunities for businesses.
“The chamber of commerce is her perfect audience,” said Tonya Lamia, president of the Schaumburg Business Association. “She has tangible ways to capitalize on different opportunities you have within your business world and personal life.”
In fact, Schwartz maintained that in this economic climate, the lines between the business and personal life have blurred. She stressed that networking power at social events is unlimited, if guests do their research, bring knowledge to share and know their own worth.
Opportunities are “right there in front of us,” Schwarz said. “It's about finding events; it's not about being optional. These may be opportunities to take it to the next level.”
Schwartz described herself as a product of the chamber of commerce. Her parents, who were in attendance, owned a small photography company in Plymouth, Wis., and their lives revolved around networking events as ways to promote the business.
She began working in the White House at the age of 19, answering phones, and worked her way up from there. She was named director of events in 1997. Since leaving the White House, Schwartz has served as a television correspondent for CBS News, the Larry King Live Show and Fox News.
In 2001, she formed her own company, White House Strategies, in which she shares inside tips and techniques with Fortune 500 companies as well as chamber members.