Podcast: The Work-Life Balance Reset, with Melissa Vilders of SAP

Melissa Vilders, Director-Events Strategy and Experience, SAP Global Events

Letting go and trusting the process can be hard for event profs, particularly those who identify as Type A, but Melissa Vilders says they’re essential habits to managing the chaos and stress that events can produce.

Over the course of her 15-plus-year career in event marketing, Vilders, director-events strategy and experience for SAP Global Events, has figured out the work-life balance formula that fits her life and encourages fellow marketers to lean into self-care and “enjoy the boring moments.”

In this “Event Peeps” podcast episode, Vilders shares her passion for events and drive to constantly elevate the attendee experience, whether it’s at SAP’s Success Connect or other flagship programs. She identifies her top four career learnings gathered from her start managing soccer sponsorships in France to then working in sales to now managing international h.r. customer events.

A member of the 2024 B-to-B Dream Team, Vilders also delves into what it means to be a compassionate leader to foster a supportive team environment, as well as the growing importance of wellness spaces in events. From her perspective, small mindset shifts all come together to create more impactful, inclusive events, without sacrificing one’s personal well-being.

“I don’t foresee myself ever leaving the event industry, if I’m being quite honest. I just love it so much,” Vilders says. “I don’t even want to say job, I think it’s a career and something that makes you feel so alive, and it’s so gratifying.”