Meet Carole: Our Newest Sales & Catering Manager We’re thrilled to introduce Carole Astley, the newest addition to our Sales & Catering team! Having Carole on board feels like a homecoming, as we’ve worked with her on the planner side for many years. Carole’s journey in event management began at the Portland Oregon Visitors Association, where she worked as a Convention Services Manager. However, her passion for organizing events started much earlier. As a young girl, she could often be found throwing birthday parties for her many childhood pets—complete with handmade posters and fruit and veggie trays. As she got older, she discovered just how much she loved event planning, eagerly volunteering to organize gatherings for family, friends, and even her local community. Over the years, Carole has been part of several prestigious event management teams, including roles as Suite Manager for the Portland Trail Blazers, Director at Travel Oregon, and Events Manager at Oregon Dental Association, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association and Update Management. Her impressive career has spanned everything from large-scale conferences to high-profile fundraisers, and now, we’re lucky to have her as our Sales & Catering Manager at SCC. We recently sat down with Carole to dive into her passion for events, her career journey, and what excites her most about her new role. Here’s what we learned: From Passion to Profession: Carole’s Path into Events Carole’s love for event planning began with volunteering for community events wherever she could. She actively sought out opportunities to get involved, knowing that each experience would help her grow. Eventually, this hands-on approach led to a professional career—she was in the right places at the right times, meeting the right people. Some of her most memorable events include the Tualatin Crawfish Festival Parade, which she organized for many years, and TEDxSalem, an event hosted right here at The Salem Convention Center. She not only served on the planning committee but also worked as a speaker coach and backstage coordinator, ensuring everything ran smoothly before speakers took the stage. Why She Transitioned to the Venue Side Although Carole loved her previous roles, she was ready for a new challenge—one that would allow her to apply her event expertise from a different perspective. She explains: 'I have planned a lot of events, conferences, golf tournaments, and fundraisers for many years, and I was ready for a different type of challenge. I had done it for so long and was still passionate about it, but I knew I wanted to work on a different side of the business while still utilizing my event planning skills. The opportunity to collaborate more closely with the Salem community, which I love so much, is truly an added bonus!” A Day in the Life of a Sales & Catering Manager Carole’s mornings at SCC begin with a walkthrough of the venue, greeting clients and ensuring every detail is in place. She then checks in with our banquet staff to see how the day’s events are running before diving into her calls and emails with prospective clients. Her responsibilities include: Working with meeting and event planners to help them find the perfect space at SCC. Submitting bids for RFPs for large conferences we could potentially host. Helping local families secure a venue for their social events, such as weddings and Quinceañeras. Carole particularly enjoys working on Quinceañeras, sharing: 'It’s so fun to see the whole family involved with all the details, and I really enjoy helping make it a special event for everyone!' Problem-Solving with a Team Mentality When challenges arise, Carole takes a client-first approach, putting herself in their shoes to determine the best solution. She loves creative problem-solving and collaborating with the SCC team, knowing that their combined experience makes every event a success. 'The SCC team truly has seen everything in our 20 years of being open, so they always offer up great ideas based on their experience,' she says. Her favorite part of working at SCC? The team itself. 'The SCC team is truly the very best in the industry! Clients who have had events here know how positive and customer-service-oriented our staff is—but what’s special is that this mindset carries over behind the scenes as well.' Beyond the Event Floor: Carole’s Hobbies & Advice for Newcomers Outside of work, you’ll likely find Carole skiing at Timberline Lodge, Hoodoo, or Willamette Pass, cycling through Riverfront and Minto Brown Parks, or supporting her kids in their many extracurricular activities, from dance and theater to football, track, and cross country. For those looking to break into the events industry, her advice is simple: 'The events industry has so many amazing opportunities, so don’t be afraid to jump right in with a job that sounds the most interesting to you.' Excited for the Future at SCC As Carole settles into her role, she’s looking forward to being an even bigger part of the community—not just through hosting events at SCC but also by promoting Salem at tradeshows and industry events. She’s excited to showcase everything our city has to offer and to help make each event at SCC truly unforgettable. We are beyond lucky to have someone as efficient, considerate, and kind as Carole on our team, and we can’t wait to see the incredible work she’ll do!
