From ideation to final execution, an editor’s work goes largely unseen.
The recent Academy Awards made history by introducing a brand-new category in its nearly 100-year run: the inaugural Oscar for casting director. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) had never recognized the professionals responsible for choosing the talent who bring movies to life, the ones who envision which actors will make it easy for us to slip into their characters’ stories on the screen, who go to live on in our memories.
Michelle Russell
Editor in Chief
Perhaps it took AMPAS all this time to shine a light on casting directors because their work, although foundational to the result, goes unseen. Sound familiar? Your audiences only see the final outcomes of all your planning, negotiating, arranging, choosing, and agonizing over details. Rarely are those exceptional efforts publicly acknowledged — except, of course, during the Visionary Awards, PCMA’s version of the Oscars.
An editor’s work also goes unseen. We work in the background to help craft the best version of each story you read in each issue. I chose “Behind the Scenes” as the name of this column when I became editor in chief 23 years ago for that reason. I figured I would use this space to share our back story: how an issue got put together, why we chose certain topics, and how we hoped it would help inform your work and elevate your roles.
When the late, great Pete Shure took a chance on me all those years ago, I had only been at Convene for a few months — I was still learning about the events industry. My plan was to observe and report on what I heard from the professionals who were moving the events business forward. And while I think as an industry we still struggle to convey how events help shape the world, I’ve never lost my initial deep appreciation for the knowledge exchange, the inspiration, and the community that events foster.
Nor did I ever graduate from the learning phase. Being curious has kept me coming back for more, issue after issue, story after story. I’m so grateful to all the people who have shared their experiences and insights with me and my team so that we can pass them along to you. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have worked alongside talented fellow writers, editors, and designers at Point Five, in addition to wonderful colleagues over the years.
It feels like the right time for me to go from behind the scenes to exit curtain left. I’ve made the bittersweet decision to leave Convene to take more time for myself and my family. My goal is to keep contributing to the industry, however that takes shape — I’m taking a cue from Claire Smith, who shared her own loose retirement plans with me and her belief in the momentum of change.
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I find myself in a casting director role of sorts, helping to find the right talent to take Convene forward. I’ll be staying on for the next few months for a smooth transition. The next time you see this column in our June issue, it will be to introduce Convene’s new editor in chief, who no doubt will come to love being here as much as I have.
‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’
Dr. Seuss said it best — a big perk of being on the Convene editorial team is the opportunity to travel and experience the destinations that play host to all kinds of events. Earlier this year, Deputy Editor Barbara Palmer was hosted by Visit Palm Springs to experience that destination’s own motion picture awards gala.
And Managing Digital Editor Kate Mulcrone got a taste of Spokane’s unique culture, thanks to participating in a creative spin on a venue tour — in this issue’s Innovative Meetings.
Michelle Russell is editor in chief of Convene.
