DallasMeetup Executive Organizer Spotlight: Lacey Garner

DallasMeetup Executive Organizer Lacey Garner

DallasMeetup: Who are you and what is your day job?

Lacey: I’m Lacey Garner, Senior Program Manager at Razorfish / Publicis Groupe. My focus is cross-functional project management, orchestrating large-scale initiatives across multiple channels and disciplines. I primarily embed within our Integrated Strategy department, driving deep audience intelligence and strategic alignment for Samsung USA. Essentially, I make sure complex strategy gets turned into smooth operational execution across matrixed teams.

Why did you join DallasMeetup’s Executive Organizing team?

I wanted to help cultivate a business community in DFW that feels authentic rather than transactional. Traditional networking often devolves into trading elevator pitches, but I believe the real value comes from building lasting relationships, sharing expertise, and opening doors for others. Being on the organizing team lets me directly shape spaces where people can form meaningful professional ties.

For someone attending DallasMeetup for the first time, how should they show up to get the most value?

Treat the room like a collaborative conversation rather than a sales floor. Lead with curiosity: ask people what projects energize them, what challenges they're solving, or what brought them out.

When you shift your goal from "making a pitch" to "learning about someone else," the pressure disappears. Be generous with your own perspectives, follow up with the people you click with, and remember that every long-term business connection starts with a simple, genuine interaction.

What cohort or event has been your favorite thus far and why?

Honestly, all of them! Each event brings just enough variation in topics and crowds to keep things fresh and interesting every single time, but there's always that familiar core group of familiar faces in the room. It gives you the best of both worlds: fresh perspectives and new introductions alongside familiar friends you look forward to catching up with.

What trends are you seeing in your industry or cohort that attendees should be paying attention to?

In the enterprise strategy world, target audiences are no longer monolithic; granular audience segmentation and behavior mapping are driving everything. Brands need deeper insight into who they are speaking to before launching multi-channel efforts. Alongside that, success depends heavily on cross-departmental integration. The leaders winning today are the ones breaking down silos between strategy, media, and creative execution to build cohesive experiences.