Inspiring people, changing behaviors and making a difference in people’s is the drive behind Rachel Ramos’ actions. A wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister and a friend, as she describes herself, she is also a 4000 successful event organizer with focus on sustainability and the impact her events have on her community and market. Rachel is Director Brazil for the Event Design Collective (EDCo) since April 2019.
When you deliver an excellent event, you can impact many lives
Professional background and event scene in Brazil
EDCo: What ignited your love for events? 
RR: In 1997 I used to work as a volunteer in a great Youth Conference. I just loved all the planning and busy agenda. Dealing with people was also something that I really enjoyed. Later, I had just finished my post degree in Human Resources Management, when an institution of musicians got in contact. They reached me through the Youth Conference I had helped organize and asked if I wanted to help them organize their event. We only had 3 (three) months ahead and a lot of challenges, but I thought that was my opportunity. It was a great experience and since then our company has more than 4,000 events planned and organized.
EDCo: What inspires you in your activity?
RR: The possibility to create new things, to reach many people and most importantly, to make a difference in these people’s lives. When you deliver an excellent event, you can impact many lives. Events are always related to change of behavior. Working with events puts us in a position with a lot of power and responsibility to make this happen in a special way.
events are still a very important tool to promote, educate, change people and things
EDCo: How is the event scene in Brazil?
RR: We have gone through a very hard time. Our economy is in a very bad shape. We never had a lot of investments in our industry but nowadays it is even worse. However, I believe we are a great market and there are opportunities because in spite of all these difficulties events are still a very important tool to promote, educate, change people and things.
Getting in touch with EDCo and the CED program
EDCo: How did you find out about EDCo and its CED program?
RR: In 2018 we went as a family to live in the USA and we affiliated to MPI as soon as we got there. Trough MPI I learned for the 1st time about EDCo. In June I participated at WEC in Indianapolis and I met Roel. I had a great 1st impression about the Program. It was something I’ve been looking for. The way they could simplify and make the event process visual, was really something worth learning more about. I filled my registration to participate in the Level 3 CED Program in Montréal and we had a great experience and a wonderful group there.
From left to right: Ruud Janssen, Alissa Hurley, Rachel Ramos and Roel Frissen
EDCo: Why did you decided to follow the CED program and what are your thoughts after having finished it?
RR: I think the Event Design is an important tool to keep events relevant. Especially nowadays when many changes are happening very, very fast. It reached my expectations and it changed the way I think about my business and events.
EDCo: What did you enjoy most about it?
RR: The simplicity, objectiveness of the concept. Even how obvious the ideas are. All those things are very important. In a world in which we have access to so much information, being able to explain something in short words or pictures is really something that matters.
About the impact on peers, profession and community
EDCo: How does this program help your peers?
RR: I believe in the concept of sustainability and that whatever I do in my business affects my community and the market I am in. So I believe the Program made me be a better Event Designer (or Event Planner) and it most certainly affects my clients, suppliers and team.
they should invest in the EDC course because it is something in which results are visible in a very short time
EDCo: What would you say to a friend who would think about following this program?
RR: I would say that if they were interested in getting at another level of planning and thinking about events, they should invest in the course because it is something in which results are visible in a very short time. This methodology allows us to understand and explain some difficult issues and challenges in our area in a much easier way. It transforms something complex in something easy to explain. The methodology reduces the gap between what you have and what you need to achieve and it makes our goals more tangible.
EDCo: What made you decide to become a part of the EDCo team?
RR: I saw it as an opportunity. Being in the events industry for more than 20 years I realized that I should think about my career through another perspective. And I saw in the EDCo License a possibility to make it happen.
I think that is what makes sense about life. Living for something beyond ourselves.
EDCo: And last, but not least, who are you, Rachel Ramos as a person? Tell me a little bit about yourself.
RR: Rachel Ramos is a wife of a great guy, Nehemias Ramos. A mother of two beautiful children, Ana Rachel e Joao Filipe. A daughter and a sister of 4 beautiful women, a friend. I’m a simple person with a lot of gratitude for everything I already experienced in my life. I really love my life and my family. Watching movies and traveling is another thing I love. Also, love to have a good meal (who doesn’t right?) with great companions. We are a family with many friends. My house is always full and busy with my friends and my kids’ friends because I think that is what makes sense about life. Living for something beyond ourselves.
Rachel Ramos with her family