2004
K Alferio, CFEE, had ambitions of being in event production since she was a small child staging Saturday afternoon shows underneath her family's carport. It was her experiences with helping to produce the inaugural Super Derby Festival in Shreveport, Louisiana, however, where the festival producer inside her truly began to emerge.
Alferio's professional entry into the event field came in 1988 when she joined the staff of Georgia's Stone Mountain Park as Special Events and Public Relations Director. Working in this position for 10 years, Alferio produced a full slate of events from laser shows and historic festivals to concerts, cook-offs and art shows. She won numerous awards from the IFEA, the Southeast Tourism Society and multiple chambers of commerce for her innovative programming and advertising programs. Increasing annual sponsorships 345% annually for events, she proved her skills as a top negotiator as well as a visionary. Under her direction, events became a major force and revenue producer at the park.
Alferio became very involved in speaking at IFEA conferences, serving on the board of directors for IFEA and as IFEA's Chairperson in 2001. She shared her insights and working knowledge through her book "Media Relations: The Good, the Blah and the Ugly" (an IFEA publication on dealing with the media) and was a founding member and the first President of the Georgia's Festivals & Events Association.
In 1997, Alferio left Stone Mountain Park and opened her consulting firm, The Alferio Group. Among her clients were the Atlanta Journal Constitution and Blockbuster Video. In 1998, Alferio teamed up with fellow IFEA member Ira Rosen to produce the AAU Junior Olympic Games.
In 2000, Alferio was offered the chance to work the other side of events . . . from a corporate perspective. She joined the ranks of Capital One, directing special events and media productions. During her four year tenure, Alferio produced events around the world and worked on Capital One's venture into sports marketing through its sponsorship of the Capital One Bowl. She was honored as one of the corporation's top leaders, receiving a Circle of Excellence award for her event production skills and results.
Working in the corporate arena did not prove as satisfying to Alferio in comparison to the non-profit world of event production. In 2004, Alferio returned to her true and current calling, as she accepted the position of Executive Director for Richmond's CITYCELEBRATIONS.