A spacious, quiet event room opens its doors, and people begin to file neatly into seats. Each person looks at the table in front of them, a pen, a notebook, a program, maybe a name card. People chat, walk over to the next table to greet a face they haven’t seen in a while. The event hasn’t started, but everything is coming together.
How did it all get done? Who helped ensure each detail was coordinated so everyone in the room could experience the event in the same way?
As FP&M’s first-ever Event Manager, Jessica Hamm is focused on elevating the attendee experience for some of the division’s biggest moments. Since joining FP&M in 2024, she has created a system built on an approach that goes beyond simple logistics. She has shaped a system that prioritizes attendees and adding engaging details — the small touches that make a gathering memorable. For Jessica, a successful event isn’t just about checking off tasks but creating an atmosphere where people feel truly welcomed.
“It’s going through every single step and looking at it through their lens in advance,” Jessica said.
Her portfolio ranges from coordinating complex construction tours and project team celebrations to managing the division’s internal leadership and all-staff meetings. By establishing FP&M’s first documented internal standards for capital building milestone events, Jessica provides a reliable framework for cross-divisional use. Additionally, she manages an annual calendar of events while remaining flexible enough to manage high-impact projects as they arise.
Jessica approaches every project by matching the right format to the right content for the right audience. At the center of her work is defining each event’s goals and finding the best way to achieve them. She carefully considers what purpose fits each gathering and crafts a plan that aligns.
Her intricate planning sets the tone for each event. Still, she feels nothing compares to experiencing it in real time.
“I love the energy of the people in the room,” she said. “I love when the event starts, and there’s that first welcome message, and it’s now in action.”
This excitement is paired with a never-ending list of possibilities on the day of an event. Preparation and flexibility are key as Jessica works to execute each task, pivoting if necessary and communicating with various stakeholders.
Even when she isn’t able to physically be in attendance, Jessica’s development of day-of-show documents containing information about timing, equipment, set-up and more, allows events she manages to run smoothly. Having a singular collaborative document with various voices involved solves many issues before they even occur.
“Somebody could theoretically pick it up and run with it because it’s documented,” she said.
Jessica’s planning process goes beyond the basics, incorporating new, creative details that make the attendee experience memorable and meaningful. For the Morgridge Hall internal project team celebration, she introduced the idea of commemorative stickers as a way to honor the group’s work. They were a hit, serving as a lasting symbol of the team’s contribution to the building.
“People like those tangible reminders of projects they worked on,” she said. “We’re carrying that appreciation forward, turning it into a visual reminder of the team’s shared history and the milestones they’ve achieved together.”
In Jessica’s development of the role, she has generated templates to help others in event management positions around campus, helping them through situations they may not be familiar with, such as groundbreakings for new buildings. She aims for these templates to inform and assist others while still allowing them to take the lead on these complex events.
“Having a new building might be a once-in-a-career opportunity for an event planner,” Jessica said. “It’s an incredible privilege to help shape the ceremonies around it. But where do you start with a campus as large and complex as ours? It can be a daunting project.”
In a division so large and diverse, it can be a challenge to plan even smaller scale events. Taking all sources of information and making it work to create a great event is a part of Jessica’s job that she finds satisfying.
“To make it successful, you go back to the goal and make sure we’re achieving that,” she said. “But still have the attendees walk away feeling good about the time they spent.”
Want to learn more about events? More information is available on the FP&M Departments web page. You can get in touch with Jessica Hamm at jessicahamm@wisc.edu.
by Alyna Hildenbrand
Alyna Hildenbrand is a strategic communications student intern with FP&M Marketing & Communications. She is a senior at UW-Madison majoring in Journalism with a certificate in Sports Communication. Alyna has been working at FP&M since March 2026.