ABOUT
KERRY LEE DOEHR
"supercalifragilisticexpialidociously splendid"
THE FAST PASS
thrills in record time
From seating guests at one of her family’s four Santa Barbara restaurants at age three to producing over 2,000 events worldwide, Kerry Doehr has lived and breathed hospitality her entire life. A former founder & CEO of Santa Barbara Wine Country Events and Principal Consultant of Engaging Inspiration, she has advised White House staff, trained Ritz-Carlton and Hyatt teams, Crowne Plaza leadership, and partnered with a Disney CEO on brand-defining experiences.
As a featured speaker and trainer, Kerry has addressed audiences as large as 14,000 and inspired teams across industries with her signature blend of leadership, customer experience excellence, and creative storytelling. Her career highlights include co-authoring a global hospitality & event certification program, directing leadership retreats with Monty Roberts (the original horse whisperer to HRH Queen Elizabeth II), and pioneering industry-first event models that garnered national media coverage.
Disney-trained, Stanford-educated, and Forbes-influenced, Kerry combines executive communication savvy, entrepreneurial grit, and genuine enchantment to help organizations inspire engagement, loyalty, and growth.
THE GRAND TOUR
the ultimate behind-the-scenes pass
Principal Consultant of engageX Kerry Doehr boasts a distinguished career as former founder & owner of Santa Barbara Wine Country Events . She started her hospitality journey at age 3 when she helped seat guests at one of her family's four Santa Barbara restaurants. One could say that was the defining foundation for a lifetime of being able to "read" and work with all kinds of people and situations.
A third-generation Santa Barbaran, Kerry has left an indelible mark on the local and national events and hospitality community. She excels in inspiring legacies aligned with core values, fostering imagination, and driving innovation through custom solutions for staff engagement and customer loyalty. Her expertise spans event & communication strategy, as well as leadership and customer experience education. Her clientele for events & communication projects range from White House staff, luxury hospitality brand name organizations, celebrities, smaller boutique businesses to a Disney CEO. The scope and mission of each project and brand's voice varied greatly, giving Kerry a much-sought-after flexibility, diversity, and ability to constantly pivot while doing the cha-cha under pressure.
Starting her professional journey with Nordstrom's public relations and special events department, Kerry later served as a Director of Catering and Special Events in the hospitality industry before founding her own company. For over 20 years, she planned 2,000+ events (including marketing B2B, B2C events, summits, workshops, venue and product launches, private experiences, tours, trained event professionals worldwide, and was asked to serve on retainer as Vice President of Education for the Academy of Special Event Professionals (ASEP), co-authoring and implementing a special event certification training program that trained industry experts from brands such as Hyatt, Ritz Carlton and more.
As a featured speaker for organizations like ILEA, NACE, HSMAI and The Association of Club Catering & Event Professionals (ACCP), Kerry has addressed diverse audiences, including the international ARA Conference in Las Vegas with 14,000 in attendance as well as a Crowne Plaza General Manager's Retreat. She served as an on-retainer corporate event director & advisor for the original horse whisperer himself, Monty Roberts, who worked for years with HRH Queen Elizabeth II. Monty's methods of the concept of Join Up still attract leaders from all over the world who take Monty's philosophies to apply to leadership in human-to-human relationships. Kerry is proud to have worked with Monty, his wife Pat, and countless global executives in setting up this learning experiential experience that changed company cultures through the language of Equus.
Kerry's love of writing and her expertise and observations on the special event & hospitality industry earned a regular feature in Special Events Magazine, with several of her articles achieving top 4 of Google News.
Never complacent and always looking for opportunities to provide innovation, her business ventures include executing and securing copyright for a pioneering event: The Mobile Bridal Faire (Mobile Wedding Planning Experience). This achievement earned her an exclusive feature in Grace Ormonde Wedding Style Magazine, media coverage, a television interview, and caught the interest of the Texas Board of Tourism, who approached Kerry to discuss enhancing their state's destination wedding offerings by using her model.
Another standout in her portfolio is the Fireside Chat Series, a program she developed providing a unique approach to learning with a completely unconventional set-up and accelerated outcome for attendees.
Holding a BA in Communication and recently starting her Master's in Organizational Leadership with a focus on strategic innovation and change management, Kerry stays updated on leadership, event and communication trends and is a recent addition to Stanford University's Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program, where she is continually practicing the discipline, art, and experimentation of innovation in new and fun ways.
Kerry left her consultancy to pursue a permanent career segue to The Walt Disney Company and ended up having to take a leave to care for a family member in hospice. With that tender chapter now closed, she is re-activating her pursuit of opportunities that inspire her utilizing her talents, joy, and drive.
Everything she produces, teaches and practices is inspired by her own executive work experience in events & hospitality, innovation coursework at Stanford University's The Hasso Plattner Institute School of Design, her coursework from The Disney Institute, as well as her time as a Disney Cast Member.
.....and if you're really brave...
Let's go beyond the resumé: click here for a spoonful of fun conversation starters the next time you see Kerry.
magical moments: tales through the lens
