About me
Tavar James is a marketing & events champion with a proven record across industries. He began his career in the hospitality industry, working for the world’s largest hotel chain, Marriott International. He developed a niche for excellent service and client obsession through to his final role in hospitality with Ritz-Carlton, where he led a team to deliver high-profile, luxury experiences.
Tavar then moved into leadership roles at Equitable Financial and Riskified, where he managed global events of all types from board meetings to incentive trips to annual forums for up to 3,000 attendees. His experience also includes executive retreats, SKOs, and marketing events. During his time at Equitable, he also saw the firm through its IPO which included a complete re-brand and calendar of events including IPO launch events and a roadshow.
in April of 2024, Tavar joined BetterUp as Head of Events & Experiences where he had oversight of events that supported the company’s mission to enhance human potential including their annual event, Uplift, bringing together almost 2,000 CxO’s, senior people management professionals, and industry luminaries such as Adam Grant, Brene Brown and top celebrity talents like Issa Rae, Tracee Ellis Ross, Seth Godin, and more.
Currently, Tavar is Vice President at BoomPop, overseeing the company’s Event Services Center of Excellence department. His team of 28+ planners and client service professionals are dedicated to creating world-class experiences for a wide portfolio of clients from startups to Fortune 500s. BoomPop provides event services through an AI-powered, next-generation, proprietary events platform.
Tavar’s ability to build high-performing teams and deliver results makes him a trusted partner to executives. His experience and career journey have earned him trust within the industry as an experienced thought leader, always ready and willing to share his expertise. His passion for the industry is unmatched and he hopes to forge a clearer, more equitable path for the next generation of event professionals.
