MEET OUR TEAM
Maribeth Smith & Associates, Inc. is an event consulting and project management firm that excels in organizational
skills and attention to detail. From fundraising galas to sporting or spectator events to corporate meetings and conventions, we have the skills, experience and community relationships to make your job easier. Our firm can tailor our scope of services to match your specific event needs and budget.
Maribeth Smith
Owner & Chairman
She previously served as Special Events Coordinator for the City of Indianapolis during Mayor William Hudnut’s administration (1983-1989). During that time the concept of developing a Local Organized Committee (LOC) was conceived and implemented to plan numerous successful city-wide events.
While serving as special event coordinator for the City of Indianapolis, Maribeth was offered the opportunity to coordinate the 1991 NCAA Men’s Final Four in Indianapolis. She was the first woman to serve in this capacity and has since served as executive director of local Final Four efforts in 1997, 2000, and 2006. In 1992, Maribeth started her own event planning firm. Maribeth’s strengths include her ability to think globally and strategically, to develop and communicate a vision, and to leverage partnerships to maximize opportunities. She has a keen sense of detail and sets the highest of expectations. Maribeth currently serves on the boards of the United Way and Goodwill Industries. She is a former executive committee member of the Indianapolis Convention & Visitors Association and Indianapolis Capital Improvement Board. She served as Campaign Chair for the United Way of Central Indiana, helping to raise over $34 million, and served as Chairman of the United Way of Central Indiana board of directors and President of the Junior League of Indianapolis. Maribeth enjoys traveling and her eight grandchildren.
CONTACT MARIBETH
Jen Ross Bachman
President & Chief Executive Officer
Jen is originally from Fort Wayne and a graduate of Indiana University. She has been with Maribeth Smith & Associates, Inc. since early 2010. Jen has nearly 20 years of event planning experience in Indianapolis. Her previous stops included Indiana Sports Corporation and the Capital Improvement Board where she was part of the team that built and opened the renowned Lucas Oil Stadium. Jen has been an integral part of several large scale events, conventions and community celebrations. Jen possesses a wealth of hands-on event experience and operations knowledge. Her strengths include production and logistics, creative and strategic thinking, trouble shooting and patience. She is passionate about each and every client and the causes they represent and the constituents they serve. Jen and her husband Brian enjoy spending time with their two little girls and their dog Bogey. She enjoys traveling, dining out, weekends at the lake, visiting family, hanging out in her backyard, and watching Penn State football and IU basketball.
CONTACT JEN
Andretta Erickson
Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Andretta came to MBSA the summer of 2014 after almost ten years with Indiana Sports Corp in the events department where she was a Director of Events and the Executive Director for the Local Organizing Committee of the Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Basketball Tournaments. In those years, Andretta also coordinated hospitality and ancillary events, as well as the look and décor, and acted as the hotel liaison. A graduate of North Dakota State University, Andretta graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration. She was a member of the North Dakota State track and field team, earning three varsity letters. In her free time, Andretta enjoys most outdoor activities and competes in the Irish sport of hurling with her local Indianapolis club.
CONTACT ANDRETTA
Holly Nahre
Senior Associate
Holly has been with Maribeth Smith & Associates, Inc. since September 2019. While earning her BS from IUPUI in Tourism, Conventions, and Event Management, she worked and volunteered at many exciting events. During the summer of 2017, Holly enjoyed being a part of the social media team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for a variety of events including the Indy 500. With great enthusiasm she immersed herself in the FFA national convention as a volunteer team captain in conjunction with MBSA.
Immediately after college, Holly entered the hotel industry with the Drury Hotels Company where she gained experience in everything from guest services to housekeeping. Holly loves to travel, cheers loud for the Indianapolis Colts and is a dedicated dog mom.
CONTACT HOLLY
Rachel Henton
Associate
Maribeth Smith & Associates, Inc. hired Rachel in June 2020 after she spent nearly five years in the sports tourism industry. Rachel served as the Sports Coordinator at Hamilton County Tourism for two years and most recently as the Client Services & Event Coordinator at Grand Park Sports Campus in
Westfield. At Grand Park, Rachel was responsible for assisting clients with planning and execution of events ranging from national soccer tournaments to large-scale consumer shows. Most notably, Rachel acted as the liaison between the facility and the Indianapolis Colts football operations personnel in the execution of the 2018 and 2019 Indianapolis Colts Training Camp. Rachel graduated from the University of Iowa with a B.S. in Leisure Studies, Recreation & Sports Business and never misses an opportunity to
shout “Go Hawks” at a fellow Hawkeye in Indy. Rachel and her husband Jody reside on the northside and enjoy traveling, attending sporting events and spending time with family.
CONTACT RACHEL
Nikki Slater
Associate
Nikki joined Maribeth Smith & Associates, Inc. in August 2022. Originally from Maryville, Tennessee, Nikki was brought to Indiana through her education at Purdue University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality and Tourism Management with a minor in Spanish. Nikki cultivated her passion for hospitality by working in Purdue’s orientation programs office and studying abroad in Spain and Peru. Most recently, Nikki was a member of the Client Services team at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, assisting with both the Indy 500 and Brickyard 400. Nikki loves taking walks with friends, cooking, movie podcasts, and you can always catch her traveling to see her favorite musical artists
perform live!
CONTACT NIKKI
Don't Be Shy. Get In Touch.
If you are interested in working together, send us an inquiry and we will get back to you as soon as we can!
317-464-9389
info@maribethsmith.com
32 East Washington Street, Suite 1000, Indianapolis, IN 46204