Strategic. Immersive. Customer-centric.
I’m the event architect.
As an event marketing strategist, I design experiences that bring bold ideas to life - and leave your audience with something to remember.
The Barclay Collective is an event marketing consultancy founded by Christal Carrasquilla, an event marketing strategist with 20 years of experience driving strategy and execution for high-impact brand experiences.
The Barclay Collective partners with brands to develop and deliver events that connect strategy to execution, seamlessly. From audience insight to onsite delivery, every touchpoint is built to engage.
Core services include:
Strategy + Consulting – Event marketing strategy grounded in business goals, customer insight, and brand clarity.
Experiential + Brand Engagement – Executive events, activations, internal programs, and campaigns designed to spark connection.
End-to-End Production – Full-scale event planning, vendor and budget management, and on-site execution for corporate events, sales kickoffs, and trade shows.
At the center of every project led by The Barclay Collective are three guiding pillars.
Strategy, experience, and a customer-centric lens work together to shape events that resonate, deliver results, and reflect the brand at its best.
Strategy
Business-first thinking that aligns every detail to your brand, your goals, and your audience.
Nothing is random. Everything is intentional.
Experience
Design, storytelling, and marketing work together to create events that don’t just look good - they feel right and land with purpose.
Customer-Centric
Build environments with empathy and business savvy, crafted around how people think, move, and engage. Insight-driven, never assumption-driven.
How I Work
Grounded Leadership. Clear collaboration.
Some clients bring me in to lead owning the strategy and building experiences from the ground up.
Others want a collaborative partner who can drop in, co-create, and move work forward with clarity and care.
I adapt to the rhythm of the team, but I never abandon the strategy. Whether I’m building the plan or helping bring it to life, I lead with intention, flexibility, and a focus on delivering work that actually works.
That same intention applies to sustainability. I look for smart, practical ways to reduce waste - from using low-toxicity inks and modular materials that can be rebuilt, to donating items locally after an event - without sacrificing experience or impact.
Services Offered:
Event Strategy + Consulting
Help clients define the event vision and messaging framework before anything is built or planned.
• Strategy alignment with business goals
• Roadmaps and format planning
• Executive alignment and goal setting
• Post-event analysis and reporting
End-to-End Event Production
Execute branded experiences from planning through onsite delivery.
• Timeline development, logistics, and vendor coordination
• Onsite leadership, run-of-show, and execution
• Brand environment consistency across all touch points
• End-to-end project ownership
Brand + Experiential Campaigns
Create immersive visual and narrative-led experiences that move people and elevate brands.
• Visual design architecture and brand themes
• Experiential storytelling and creative direction
• Audience engagement strategies and immersive activation
• Integrated marketing campaigns and communications
• Assistance with asset creation (social, web, invites, etc.)
• Cross-functional alignment and execution
Executive + VIP Experiences
Design and curate high-touch programs tailored for senior stakeholders, internal influencers and key decision-makers.
• Roundtables, VIP cocktail receptions, and hosted dinners
• Thought leadership outreach and guest talent coordination
• White-glove logistics and communications
• Pre- and post-event engagement strategy
Sales Kickoffs (SKOs) + Internal Events
Create internal experiences that drive alignment, motivation, and message clarity from leadership keynotes to employee engagement.
• Agenda design and speaker coordination
• BEO planning and venue coordination
• Sourcing and managing offsite international venues
• Cross-functional content and theme development
Sponsorship Activation + Tradeshow Strategy
Maximizing presence at 3rd-party events with strategic positioning, booth design, cross-functional coordination and audience engagement through targeted exhibit strategy.
• Creative and targeted design strategy
• Audience engagement strategy and sponsor message alignment
• Lead generation and follow-up planning
• Sourcing or collaborating with creative agencies
Strategy in Action: Event Case Studies
Immersive Environments: Vantiva’s Portfolio Inspired by How People Live
When show floors started to feel the same, the experience needed to be reimagined. Christal designed a series of booth and meeting spaces inspired by real-life environments - modern homes, garden lounges, and Parisian flats - each tied to a specific customer persona and product narrative.
Created immersive booth/meeting designs across Europe and North America
Integrated storytelling touchpoints tied to AI and product launches
Became the new standard for the global portfolio in 2024
Results:
Increased event attendance 34% YoY
Increased quality leads 14% YoY
From RSVP to ROI: Designing a VIP Experience that Delivers
To reach senior decision-makers beyond the chaos of the show floor, Christal created a premium offsite experience for Vantiva: a C-suite panel and elegant cocktail reception infused with brand storytelling.
Programmed panel with 6 global execs
Curated a branded cocktail journey
Managed creative, logistics, and on-site execution
Results:
83% RSVP attendance
Direct follow-ups with positive feedback from key partners & guests
Renewed investment in offsite executive events
From Concept to Crowd: A Community-Driven Activation for #STEMgirls
Christal founded this one-day experience, #STEMgirlsruletheworld, to help girls of color see themselves in STEM. Thanks to the help of Women of AT&T, other AT&T employee resource groups, and the dedication from friends and colleagues who saw this important need, she was able to make this happen. With immersive workshops, inspiring mentors, and powerful giveaways, we turned learning into excitement - and representation into reality.
Designed full-day event for girls aged 10–17
Led programming, logistics, speaker sourcing, and giveaways
Partnered across tech, media, and education sectors
Results:
Standing-room only
All the girls were inspired, educated and given a gift daypack filled with giveaways donated from AT&T partners - several won devices!
Built visibility for STEM careers among underrepresented youth
Behind The Barclay Collective
After two decades leading event strategy, marketing, and brand experience for global companies, I launched The Barclay Collective to do work that’s more intentional, more human, and more effective.
I’ve spent my career designing events that aren’t just beautiful, but built to move people and move business. From trade shows and summits to product launches and SKOs, I bring grounded leadership, creative strategy, and deep cultural insight to every project, whether I’m shaping the full experience or stepping in as a strategic partner.
My work spans local activations in Atlanta, national programs across cities Dallas, Denver, Miami, and Washington DC, and international stages from Bangkok to Paris. Much of that work has been inside the tech industry, partnering with fast-moving teams to bring complex ideas to life through strategy-led experiences.
My cultural marketing background has been a guiding force, helping me approach every audience with clarity, intention, and respect. I’m also a photographer, and I believe how we see the world shapes how we design for it.
I created this consultancy to give brands access to thoughtful, senior-level support without the fluff or the learning curve. Every project I take on is built with intention, brought to life through immersive design, and grounded in the needs of the audience it’s built for.
That’s the kind of work that sticks.
Let's Talk
Let's Talk
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