While in college pursuing an undergraduate degree in communications and journalism, Robin Lickliter had envisioned a possible future as a magazine writer or sports broadcaster. But still unsure about her direction and feeling restless, she made the fortuitous decision to seize the opportunity to study abroad after winning a scholarship for Semester at Sea, an educational program that offers college students the opportunity to study abroad while traveling around the world on a ship. 

While onboard, she met Annie Peiser, who introduced her to the vibrant world of events and live marketing and would become a lifelong friend and mentor. After graduating college, Lickliter moved to New York City to work alongside Peiser at a digital design agency that specialized in producing large-scale conferences, setting her on a path that would ultimately lead to her joining global brand and live experience company Sparks in 2004. In 2018, she was named its first female C-level executive in the agency’s near 100-year existence. 

“This path was not linear and there were stops in advertising, PR and traditional marketing along the way, but I’ve spent the majority of my career in the live brand experience space, and I love it,” Lickliter said. “Creating and navigating live productions while connecting people in ways they wouldn’t normally experience is rewarding on so many levels.” 

Now, as the award-winning agency’s chief experience officer, Lickliter oversees all facets of its newly formed Events + Experiences division, including client relationship management, financials, business operations, and team growth. She has worked with a host of top brands, including Anheuser-Busch, AWS, Netflix, Booking.com, Salesforce, T-Mobile, Shopify, and Google, for which she delivered many award-winning programs such as Zeitgeist, Google I/O, and Google CES. 
 
We had a chance to catch up with this inspiring industry leader to hear about her passion for impactful event experiences, why Sparks has remained her professional home for more than 20 years, and how being open to making mistakes, learning and growing from those experiences are key ingredients in becoming a stronger, more empathetic and trusted leader.  

Tell us about your current role – what exactly is a Chief Experience Officer? 

I’m responsible for overseeing all facets of Sparks’ newly formed Experience Division, which is composed of three teams: Event Execution/Production/Operations, Strategy, and Sponsorship. Over the past year, after Spark’s acquisition by Freeman, I’ve been knee-deep in the integration, bringing two very large agencies together, and scaling our business nearly two times. It’s been hard work, and I’ve learned a lot.  

I serve as an executive leader within the organization, driving and establishing culture, process and change and am responsible for supporting the growth of the business, thought leadership in the industry, and scalability of the teams. I am so proud of our trajectory and agency growth. Recently being named ADWEEK’s Experiential Agency of the Year on top of receiving a bronze Stevie Award for Women in Business for “Woman of the Year - Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations” have been major career highlights.  

What have been your biggest lessons and what have you learned about yourself since assuming your leadership role? 

I’ve certainly learned a lot over the years from falling down and pulling myself back up but I’m not sorry about it. I actually think it’s made me a stronger leader with more empathy and accountability. Using (and owning) mistakes should be self-reflection and teaching moments.  

In recent years, I’ve learned how to better recognize imposter syndrome (which is real) and also when I’m becoming a bad version of myself, which is a terrible feeling when all eyes are on me as a leader. Honestly, I think leaders should be learning lessons every day, especially in today’s unique multi-generational workforce environment. I was able to see early on in my career that realizing you can still be a very important person in the room even when you bring in others who are smarter than you is the ultimate leadership skill — it unlocks the power of collaboration, teamwork, and ultimately, success. 

What do you think are the biggest challenges of being a female leader in the live events industry? 

I see our industry as one that’s closing the gender gap. Female leadership is present in our space and I’m very proud of that. When you see yourself in the solution you have hope for the future. That being said, dealing with gender biases and stereotypes will always be a challenge. Women who are bold and assertive in their industries can be labeled as “too aggressive” or “unlikable,” whereas men with the same traits are often praised for their leadership. This double standard can make it harder for women to gain the respect they deserve.  

Many industries, especially tech, finance, and STEM, still lack visible female role models. It can be difficult to navigate a space where you don’t see many women at the top and having fewer mentors who understand the unique hurdles you face as a woman disruptor can feel isolating. Elf Beauty’s ‘Change the Board Game’ was one of my favorites this year. And of course, there is the ongoing struggle with work-life balance and societal expectations. Women are often expected to handle a larger share of caregiving responsibilities, which can make it difficult to focus fully on career growth or a disruptive business venture.  

You have been with Sparks for more than 20 years. What is it about your company’s culture that has kept you so loyal? 

I landed at Sparks completely by accident; I was working in the fashion industry at the time and just needed out. I would have never guessed it would end up being my career home. I had an incredible opportunity to build the Events + Experience division from the ground up, fueled by a little company called Google, winning one of their first marketing RFPs (literally, ever) for Zeitgeist, a program we still produce today, among many others in our 20-year tenure. 

The work, the growth, and the evolution have all been fast, furious, and rewarding, but more than anything it’s the people. This work family is more than I could have ever imagined I’d have the opportunity to be a part of. Hard-working, smart, humble, roll-your-sleeves-up squad that keeps it light and lives by our Code Ten, including No. 10: Work Should be Fun! Because life is short, and we spend a lot of it working. I am forever grateful for this lifetime of friends, colleagues, mentors, and work family.  

Who have been your biggest mentors in the industry? 

The journey is never achieved alone. I like to think of “mentorship” more holistically: mentors, partners in crime, and people who truly inspire you. I was very fortunate to meet some extraordinary humans very early in my career that have remained friends and mentors along the way. Gary Bolles and Heidi Kleinmaus, who I met in 2004 producing Google Zeitgeist, became fast friends and helped me navigate Silicon Valley, and Ronda Carnegie, at the time head of TED partnerships and founder of TEDWomen, I still have the pleasure to work with today. Clients who have become true partners and friends over the years include Tara Back, Andrew Rossi, Betsy Fox, Lesley Scott, and Jess Byrndza, to name a few.

And of course, there’s my insanely talented leadership team, some of whom have been with me since day one: Sally Maturana, Elena Nicolaidis, Amanda McKillip, Cindy Bell, Judy Lentz, Meggan Bechtol, Tina Honer (to name just a few!),  who I depend on daily for grounding and growth.  

What is the best advice you’ve ever received? 

“Go see the world. It will change everything.” When I was 20, I traveled around the globe on Semester at Sea and it changed my life forever. Coming from very humble beginnings, growing up in a very rural area without exposure to a lot of culture or diversity, I’ve always been a self-starter and am self-made. Special thanks to my late grandfather for believing in me and providing me with the means to make it possible. He sent me a check for $1,000 for the application, which started the process and led to a scholarship, and [the quote above] was the note in the envelope. 

Also “Be the person people see.” A lesson learned and better understood now with a little help from my friend Joan Kuhl, who specializes in championing inclusive and equitable leadership, working to change the way women rise and thrive. There is a misconception that leaders are always strong and confident, but imposter syndrome is real, I think even more so for women, so understanding it and having tactics to help turn off that “evil DJ” are invaluable.  

Why should more women in the business events industry mentor other women? 

In the early days of my career, the event marketing industry was overwhelmingly male, particularly in leadership roles. As more women entered the field, and our client base shifted, it became clear that our industry needed to evolve. About 15 years ago I decided to take action, co-founding Women in Events (WIE) to connect, inspire, and acknowledge women in our industry with our now CMO, Kristy Elisano. Externally, in partnership with the Experiential Marketing Summit, we created an annual event where women across the industry come together to share ideas, overcome challenges, and celebrate successes. Internally we launched WIE as an employee resource group, meeting monthly to discuss the barriers to growth women face. These conversations have been instrumental in driving initiatives that support women’s advancement within our agency. Both programs continue to thrive today.  

Tell us something that few people know about you: 

• I eloped after 20 days at City Hall in New York; didn’t tell anyone for two years and have been married to my forever ride or die for 22 years. Don’t worry, we weren’t strangers!  
• I’ve been to all the continents except Antarctica and Australia. 
• I grew up in the woods on 20 acres and had pigs, horses, cows, and chickens as friends (along with my younger brother).  
• I am a found object junky; I love consignment, flea markets, and upcycled treasures.
• Music is my love language and my husband is a killer DJ. Lucky me! 

Know a dynamic female event industry leader who deserves some time in the spotlight? Reach out to lisa.savas@informa.com and danica.tormohlen@informa.com.

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