Insider
Q&A: Laura Schwartz
As the former White House director of events, Laura Schwartz has a captivating story to tell. Brittney Levinson sat down with the author and professional speaker at The Business of Events in Sydney to hear all about her fascinating career.
1
L
aura Schwartz was 19 years old when she began volunteering at the White House during Bill Clinton’s presidency. From starting out answering phones, Schwartz used her engaging personality and a hint of persuasion to become Clinton’s Midwest Press Secretary, then director of television and, ultimately, director of events. In this role, Schwartz oversaw a number of high-profile events and faced some equally public challenges. From this she has learnt invaluable lessons, which she now shares with audiences through her book, Eat, Drink and Succeed, and in her current role as a professional MC and speaker.
Most memorable events When asked about her most memorable events at the White House, Schwartz says two events come to mind. The first, because of the “sheer enormity” of it, was America’s millennium celebration on December 31, 1999. 40 Spice May 2019
2
“At the direction of the President and Mrs Clinton, we took on a really great evolution from old to new,” she recalls. “We spent a year honouring the past, looking at the present and imagining the future. It wasn’t just a one off; it was a year of building towards a celebration.” The momentous occasion was celebrated in a number of ways, including a dinner at the White House with the likes of Rosa Parks, Will Smith and Bono on the guest list. “This was not just a dinner, we called it the Creators Dinner and it was a terrific nod to the past and future,” says Schwartz. She says while the White House is a magnificent building with an amazing history attached to it, it is still a venue. “Many of those people had been to the White House before, so it’s about taking this venue and making it look different,” says Schwartz. “Instead of eating in just the State Dining Room, you ate in the Red Room, the Blue Room, the Green Room and the State Dining Room. We enclosed the Rose Garden into a tent and Chelsea [Clinton] hosted a dinner in there. It was a wonderful way to transform the White House as venue, both with the guests that were invited and the atmosphere that was created.” Later, guests attended a concert and celebration at The Lincoln Memorial, before returning to the White House for another event.“Basically, it was 24 hours of events and people working together which was really extraordinary,” says Schwartz. On a more personal note, Schwartz also recalls special White House tours with The Children’s Miracle Network, a charity organisation for seriously ill children, as one of her most memorable events.