March 7, 2025

Congratulations to Lindsay Krause, VEMM, EDEIS on being named one of the event Industries 2025 Women to Watch!

March 4, 2025

Lindsay Krause, VEMM, EDEIS  participated in a panel discussion, “Ask the Planners Anything!” at the Sales and Service Summit with Tina-Marie Wassman of TNC Events, LLC and Maureen Kelley of Association Management Resources (AMR).

March 3, 2025

An enthusiastic welcome to Bri Oldham, Special D Events new Sales and Marketing Coordinator!

February 19, 2025

Carol Galle moderating an insightful panel discussion at Big Events, Big Impact: How Detroit Sets the Standard for Service Excellence!

February 3, 2025

Kelly Woo and Sherri Sitkauskas, were thrilled to participate as interviewers for Grand Valley State University’s (GVSU) Hospitality and Tourism Management program career-prep course. At Special D Events, we love mentoring the next generation of event and hospitality professionals!

December 30, 2024

Michigan Meetings + Events magazine shares our 2025 business event trends.

November 1, 2024

Congratulations are in order to Evan Hazlett for his promotion to Meeting and Event Manager!

November 1, 2024

Special D Events is very excited to welcome Allie Matuzak to our team as Operations Assistant!

September 6, 2024

Check out what inspires our COO, Lindsay Krause!

September 3, 2024

Congratulations to our President and CEO Carol Galle for being named one of the 2024 Meeting professionals of the year by SMART Meetings Magazine.

July 23, 2024

One of our Meeting and Event Managers, Sherri Sitkauskas, was reinstated as an Ann Arbor Certified Tourism Ambassador (CTA)! This means she’s got top-notch knowledge and skills to make every visitor’s experience in Ann Arbor fantastic. Special D Events is looking forward utilizing Sherri’s in-depth knowledge about local attractions, history, and hospitality practices to help share everything that makes Ann Arbor special.

May 13, 2024

Special D Events is happy to announce that Arianna Bowman has joined our team as a Meeting and Event Intern!

March 25, 2024

Special D Events is excited to announce that Emily Haan has joined us as our newest Meeting and Event Manager!

February 22, 2024

CEO, Carol Galle, moderated an industry panel in Detroit, “Big Events, Big Impact: Keeping Detroit Competitive with Innovation, Talent and Branding” bringing together community leaders to discuss workforce development, innovation and branding in the events industry. The event was presented by Detroit Events Council, MPI Michigan, ILEA Detroit and Detroit NACE.

December 20, 2023

Special D Events COO, Lindsay Krause recently became certified as an Event DEI Strategist through PCMA. There are only about 160 planners with this certification nationwide!

November 30, 2023

Client New Day Foundation raised $170,000 net for the mission at their Celebrity Lip Sync Battle planned by Special D Events.

September 27, 2023

At the Michigan Meeting Professionals International Fall Symposium, Carol Galle and Lindsay Krause (CEO and COO) were utilized as moderators.

August 22, 2023

Both Carol Galle and Lindsay Krause (CEO and COO) were highlighted in Michigan Meetings and Event‘s fall edition focused on All American Charm

August 17, 2023

COO, Lindsay Krause, was featured in an article by HopSkip discussing how the challenges of the pandemic have shaped meetings and events.

August 2, 2023

CEO, Carol Galle, served as moderator for the Detroit Events Council discussion “Meet Green” aimed at addressing how local suppliers are addressing sustainability in daily operations.

May 15, 2023

Special D Events is excited to welcome our newest Meeting & Event Manager, Camille Wilson, to the team! We’re so excited to have you Camille!

April 14, 2023

Celebrate Ev Hazlett’s promotion to Meeting and Event Coordinator!

March 2, 2023

Both Kelly Woo and Lindsay Krause were tapped for their thought leadership at Detroit Meetings Marketplace and Kelly served as a panelist presenting on “Transforming your Meeting into an Experience”.

February 15, 2023

CEO, Carol Galle, moderated a Detroit Events Council panel for event industry leaders to discuss the area’s biggest upcoming events. (NFL Draft, NCAA Final Four, North American International Auto Show, Detroit Grand Prix, and the Rocket Mortgage Classic)

January 13, 2023

 Midwest Steel held a national virtual conference where our COO Lindsay Krause participated as the panel moderator.

September 1, 2022

Celebrate Kelly Woo’s promotion with us! We’re confident she will continue to thrive at Special D Events as our new Senior Meeting & Event Manager.

September 1, 2022

Lindsay Krause is taking on a brand new position at Special D Events as our very first Chief Operating Officer!

August 1, 2022

Big news this month!! Please help us welcome Matt Rossi back to the team as our Business Development Manager!

July 29, 2022

CEO, Carol Galle, shares her thoughts on inflation in an interview with WXYZ.

July 11, 2022

Welcome, Evan Hazlett! Special D Events is excited to welcome Evan to our team as a Meeting and Event Assistant!

March 4, 2022

Special D Events is happy to announce that Jennifer Talik has joined our team as a Meeting and Event Manager!

December 6, 2021

Welcome Sherri Sitkauskas! Sherri joins Special D Events as our newest Meeting and Event Manager!

November 2, 2021

As our CEO, Carol Galle, observes “it’s not just restaurants that are short-staffed these days–it’s the entire hospitality industry”. So where is everyone? Carol shares how changing jobs, expectations, and people are affecting the labor shortage on page 10 in the latest issue of Michigan Meeting + Events magazine!

September 16, 2021

BizBash recognized Special D Events’ CEO Carol Galle as one of the 500 most influential event professionals in U.S. for 2021. Carol was one of only 50 event professionals named to the Event Management and Consulting list and the only trailblazer in Michigan in this category.

August 1, 2021

We are so happy to announce that Bridgette Anderson is back on our team as a Senior Meeting and Event Manager!

July 7, 2021

And…. he’s back! So glad to have Christopher Holman return to Special D Events as a Meeting and Event Coordinator.

May 27, 2021

Special D Events has an open Meeting/Event manager position! Visit our Careers page to learn more!

May 10, 2021

She’s back! So excited to welcome Kelly Woo, CMP, back to the team as a Meeting and Event Manager!

March 25, 2021

Positive but Realistic: On episode three of Ketura Brandes’ podcast, our CEO talks about the how she planned to bridge the gap between 2020 and 2021 by setting realistic expectations and goals.

March 24, 2021

Carol Galle speaks with The Fun Factor on why The Right Entertainment Is The Key To Online Engagement.

March 18, 2021

Skating to What is Needed?: On episode two of Ketura Brandes’ podcast, our CEO shares her thoughts on the importance of fulfilling our client’s needs and business purpose through virtual meetings.

March 11, 2021

Prone to Pivot: Our CEO, Carol Galle, sits down with fellow CEO Ketura  Brandes to discuss how our business has changed as we acknowledge the one-year anniversary of the pandemic. Our core value “roll with it” has been put to the test, but we’ve found a way to continue to gather with purpose.

January 25, 2021

Are virtual events here to stay? Special D Events’ president/CEO talks with the @DetroitFreePress about our COVID pivot and future of online events.

January 7, 2021

Our CEO shares her thoughts with Inc Magazine on hiring candidates with employment gaps.

December 10, 2020

Our CEO talks about the “New Normal” and navigating the evolving event landscape in the wake of a global pandemic in the December issue of Michigan Meetings + Events.

September 1, 2020

We’ve upped our game! True skills competency is only achieved through both experience and education. So, all of our event managers and leadership at Special D Events spent this summer obtaining individual certifications in Virtual Event and Meeting Management (VEMM) through the Event Leadership Institute.

If you want to host a successful virtual event, minimize the technical risks, increase engagement, and ensure your content and attendee data is secure, we’ve got your back.

August 11, 2020

March 18, 2020

Special D Events has been selected as a Michigan Meetings + Events Best of 2020 Readers’ Choice finalist!

February 25, 2020

Special D Events welcomes Ben Krause, our new administrative support co-op!

February 12, 2020

This week our CEO, Carol Galle, celebrates her third year as a member of Entrepreneurs’​ Organization. So much value. So many contacts. Thanks EO and Women of EO!

December 13, 2019

President & CEO, Carol Galle, shares how it’s the meeting planner’s responsibility to design a program that not only engages attendees, but also supports their networking efforts, in the most recent post to the Entrepreuneur Organization’s Octane Blog.

November 26, 2019

She passed! Help us congratulate our newest certified event professional, Kelly Woo, CMP

November 12, 2019

Samantha Flowers talks with the Trade Show News Network about the importance of the on-site emergency action plan and how it can prepare staff members with the details they need to act quickly, click here to learn more about how you can include emergency planning in your event planning schedule.

November 5, 2019

Our Director of Meeting & Events, Lindsay Krause, along with other Michigan event pros offer insights on how they stay focus and effectively execute plans with clients. Check it out here (pages 22-23)!

November 5, 2019

Our CEO, Carol Wolfe Galle, shares expert advice on how meaningful dialog can help change the dynamics of how effective an event can be on page 18 of the latest issue of Michigan Meetings + Events.

October 21, 2019

Congratulations to our President & CEO Carol Galle, CMP for being nominated by BizBash as one of the industry’s most influential event professionals! It’s an honor to be recognized. We wouldn’t be where we are today without our amazing team & clients. THANK YOU!

September 5, 2019

SDE is excited to announce that we have joined the Michigan SGMP! We are enthusiastic about the additional education, training, and industry relationships this membership will bring to our team and clients!

September 2, 2019

Special D Events is excited to announce that we are officially one of the newest partners of Meetings Michigan, we are thrilled to be part of the family! 

August 29, 2019

Congratulations Kelly Woo on your nomination and being one of the top three finalists at the #roseawards25! We are so proud of you!

August 28, 2019

Love this advice from planner Kayla Wurst: Give the power to the people. Event engagement leads to successful events. Read more on page 64 in the summer edition of  Michigan Meetings & Events magazine.

August 16, 2019

Find out how Carol Wolfe Galle has recruited 6 of our planners in this New York Times article all about recruiting in today’s small business job market.

July 19, 2019

Special D Events is proud to sponsor three engaging breakouts at #orgpro2019.

July 18, 2019

In support of female founders everywhere! Carol Galle, president and CEO of Special D Events, talks with Fem Founder about what inspired her to become an entrepreneur, plans for the future, and everything in between. #WomenOfEO

July 1, 2019

Kayla Wurst shares some expert advice on how event engagement leads to successful experiences on page 64 in the summer issue of Michigan Meetings + Events.

June 25, 2019

Our CEO, Carol Wolfe Galle, is participating in conversations at the United Nations this week. She’ll be joining a group of global entrepreneurs to discuss how business owners can support UN sustainability goals such as ensuring that all children have the ability to complete free primary and secondary schooling.

According to the UN, more than half of children and adolescents worldwide are not meeting minimum proficiency standards in reading and mathematics. Disparities in education along the lines of gender, urban-rural location and other dimensions still run deep.

June 6, 2019

#LeadLikeAWoman – Our fiercely inspiring leader, Carol Galle, talks leadership!

June 4, 2019

Alix Chapie is interviewed by Midwest Meetings in their summer 2019 issue!

June 3, 2019

Congratulations to our high school co-op Lundyn Williams who is graduating this month and heading to the University of Michigan! We will miss you! Best of luck in your next adventure! #goblue

May 28, 2019

SDE is proud to announce that we have become an ADMEI-certified DMC. We are the only certified DMC in Detroit. ADMEI establishes DMC standards and best practices, supports excellence and ethical business, and practices and promotes the value of destination management companies to the meetings industry.

May 17, 2019

Our very own Kayla Wurst sits down with Comerica’s VP and Senior Marketing Manager, Shelly Pisors, during the Comerica Detroit podcast to discuss our decades-long relationship with Comerica and our role in coordinating their Women’s Business Symposium!

April 30, 2019

Special D Events’ President and CEO, Carol Galle, shares Expert Advice on Additional Gratuities with Michigan Meetings + Events.

April 25, 2019

Special D Events subsidiary The Anniversary Company unveils new website!

April 23, 2019

Special D Events featured in the Event Showcase section of Michigan Meetings + Events spring issue!

December 30, 2018

Kelly Dickinson-Woo shares a story on how constructing a sweet surprise helped overcome a challenge and led to one of her greatest success stories in Successful Meetings magazine.

December 4, 2018

Alix Chapie and Shanthi Sivanandham discuss how SDE incorporates Sustainable Practices and Hannah Wong talks about A Day in the Life of Active Planners in the Winter Issue of Michigan Meetings + Events Magazine!

July 24, 2018

Sarah Elliott joins the staff at Special D Events as Meeting & Events Coordinator.

July 23, 2018

Lindsay Krause has been promoted to Director of Meetings and Events and Isabella Pizzo has been promoted to Meeting & Events Coordinator within the SDE family. Congrats Lindsay and Isabella!

June 29, 2018

Special D Events featured as The Faces of Strategic Meetings & Events in dbusiness magazine!

April 2, 2018

Welcome Samantha Flowers, our newest Meeting and Event Manager.

March 26, 2018

Jennifer Riggs joins the staff at Special D Events as the new Administrative Assistant.

March 12, 2018

March 6, 2018

Special D Events named a finalist in the 2018 Best Meeting Planning Company by Michigan Meeting + Events magazine.

March 1, 2018

Proud sponsor of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s Detroit Policy Conference.

January 24, 2018

Kelly Dickinson-Woo in the news/offers tips on how to handle the unexpected.

January 15, 2018

Proud to sign on as sponsor for Alternatives for Girls’ 2018 Role Model Dinner.

September 5, 2017

Welcome our new Meeting & Events intern, Christopher Holman.

August 28, 2017

Welcome Matt Rossi, Special D Events’ Business Development Manager.

August 7, 2017

Welcome Shanthi Sivanandham, our newest Meeting and Event Manager.

July 12, 2017

Meeting and Event Manager Hannah Wong receives her CMP! Yay Hannah!

July 5, 2017

Lindsay Krause in the news.

June 29, 2017

A special congratulations to our President and CEO Carol Galle for receiving the Lynne Shivers Leadership Award!

May 16, 2017

President and CEO Carol Galle featured in blog, “Best Practices for Project Management.”

May 15, 2017

Carol Galle shares some best practices for project management with Workzone.

April 27, 2017

Happy 25th Anniversary Special D Events!

April 3, 2017

Special D Events named a finalist in the 2017 Best Meeting Planning Company by Michigan Meeting + Events magazine

February 8, 2017

Lindsay Krause in the news/discusses how to ensure guest satisfaction by accommodating their dietary restrictions.

February 2, 2017

May 9, 2016

April 24, 2016

Welcome to our newest staff member Andrea Hanson. Andrea will be helping us with Meeting & Event planning and our Sales and Marketing!

October 30, 2015

Special D Events is proud to announce that the company has received a MarCom Gold Award for its logo redesign.

MarCom Awards is an international creative competition for any individual or company involved in the concept, writing and design of print, visual, audio and web materials and programs. Entries come from corporate marketing and communication departments, creative agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies and freelancers. The MarCom competition has grown to perhaps the largest of its kind in the world with approximately 6,000 entries per year.

September 16, 2015

Welcome to our newest staff member Natalie Shankin. We know she will make a great Office Assistant and addition to our amazing team!

July 21, 2015

Special D Events staff are now DXF Certified ‪Detroit‬Ambassadors!

July 2, 2015

Listen to our CEO Carol Wolfe Galle speaking to Michigan Business Network about our services & numerous ways attendees can give back to your community.

April 13, 2015

Special D Events welcomes Hannah Wong as our newest Meeting and Event Assistant.

April 9, 2015

Our CEO, Carol Galle, was quoted in Sales & Marketing Management Magazine! Click here to see the full article.

March 16, 2015

Special D Events is a finalist again this year for Best Meeting Planning Company by Michigan Meeting + Events magazine. We were the only Metro Detroit nominee!

February 4, 2015

Maria Geller joins the staff at Special D Events as a Meeting and Event Manager.

December 22, 2014

We’re growing; we’re moving! Special D Events is happy to announce we are now located at 535 Woodward Heights, Ferndale, MI 48220.

October 6, 2014

The leaves are falling, the season is changing, and so is Special D Events! We are pleased to reveal the rebranding of Special D Events through our new logo and website. We are excited about our fresh new look and hope you enjoy the updated free resources on our website. We value your input, so comments and feedback are most welcome.

Here’s a little more information about our fresh, new look:

Why this logo? •  It’s a stylistic representation of 4 “D” shaped chairs and is meant to convey meetings / gatherings / collaboration. •  It represents our 4 core lines of business (meetings, special events, trade shows and corporate anniversaries).

Why these colors? •  The green and blue bridge the gap from our old to new logo. •  Orange and gray were added because they are current/contemporary. •  The orange also reflects an element of fun and creativity. •  The green also supports Special D Event’s people/profit/planet mission and desired reputation for environmentally-friendly events.

May 1, 2014

Michigan Meetings + Events magazine asked Michigan’s top planners where they find inspiration. Special D Events very own Carol Galle was chosen to provide her thoughts. Read all about her insight and source of inspiration here.

April 24, 2014

Our very resourceful Meetings Assistant, Kelly Woo, was quoted in Biz Bash, with her advice on what she always packs in her event emergency kits! Check out the article for her advice.

April 14, 2014

Kathryn Kowalski joins the staff at Special D Events as an Event Planner. Join us in welcoming Kathryn!

April 9, 2014

Special D Events is a finalist once again for Michigan Meetings + Events’ 2014 Readers’ Choice Best Event Planning Company. Congratulations to the team!

February 1, 2014

Kayla Johns, a recent graduate of Central Michigan University, joins the staff at Special D Events as Meetings Assistant.

January 1, 2014

Karen Carlton joins the staff at Special D Events as the new Operations Manager.

April 1, 2013

Holly Pangrcic joins Special D Events as Administrative Manager and Kim Tassie joins as Marketing and Communications Manager.

March 26, 2013

Special D Events named as finalist for Best Event Planning Company and Best Exhibit/Trade Show Company by Michigan Meetings + Events Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards.

March 2, 2013

Special D Events President Carol Galle is named to the 2013 Michigan Meeting Planner Hall of Fame by Michigan Meetings + Events Magazine

February 26, 2013

Kelly Woo joins the staff as Meetings Assistant

January 3, 2013

Alix Chapie has been promoted to Meeting & Events Planner within the SDE family.

January 1, 2013

Erin Fontana joins the staff at Special D Events as Meeting & Events Manager.

June 1, 2012

Special D Events President Carol Galle is presenting “Seven Cool Event Technologies on the Cheap” today with Karl Siegert of MVP Collaborative at the University Event Planners Annual Education Conference.

April 1, 2012

Special D Events is celebrating its 20th anniversary! We are creating an historical archive. If you have photos of the SDE staff at our events you would like to share, please email them to administrator@specialdevents.com. Thanks!

March 1, 2012

Hour Detroit magazine covered our latest Alternative for Girls event.  Check out the photos here>>

February 10, 2012

SDE President Carol Galle was quoted in a recent article in Crain’s Detroit Business pertaining to the ongoing renovation of Cobo Hall.

February 2, 2012

Molly Hawkins was interviewed by the Clawson Patch, discussing the key to throwing a great Super Bowl Party. Read the article here>>