The Impact of Being Seen

Author

Sydney Stiegel

Senior Marketing Coordinator

Lindsay Goneau's career is rooted in something rare: early belief, earned trust, and impact that clients are willing to recognize. That's how she ended up as Global Account Director, Strategic Accounts at PRA, named a 2026 Smart Women in Meetings Stellar Performer, and—in a detail that adds real weight to the honor—was nominated by a client.

Recognition that Carries Deeper Meaning

Smart Women in Meetings is one of the meetings and hospitality industry's most respected recognitions, celebrating women who are standout performers, visionaries, and rising stars in our industry. The Stellar Performer category works behind the scenes to nurture meeting magic—and that is just what our very own Lindsay Goneau has done for years.

For Lindsay, the award carried a special kind of meaning. Coming up in the DMC space through operations certainly requires a lot of behind the scenes work and she has found that magic through her passion, her clients and her teammates.

She had watched her clients earn the same recognition over the years, and it really lands differently when she was nominated by one of those same clients—someone who has seen her work up close, under pressure, and across years.

"I'm holding this prestigious title right alongside other stellar performers and people I get to work with day in and day out," she said. "That really is an exciting honor."

It's also an embodiment of the International Women’s Day theme Give to Gain: The clients who gave her their trust and the recognition that came back.

Empowered to Build

It started in college, where professors and advisors noticed Lindsay's most inspired work was outside the classroom. After a semester long internship at Boston Event Planning Firm Conventures, they placed her in a part-time association planner role while finishing up her senior year.

With hotels, association management and special events under her belt before graduating, Dusty Rhodes, President and Founder, Conventures Inc., offered Lindsay a role to help Conventures break into a new market. Dusty opened PRA New England, a Boston-based franchise and Lindsay was employee number two.

"It was really a unique opportunity to learn from an industry thought-leader who was expanding her reach. I felt honored to help build this new vertical and motivated by an amazing woman within our industry," Lindsay said.

"These opportunities are what you make of them. I was sitting in meetings with some of Boston’s elite, supporting events like The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Volvo Ocean Race and so much more. I always felt empowered in those spaces to create an impact and make a difference. And that is a true testament to leadership."

Lindsay helped shape the direction of the franchise, designing, operating, and owning events from the ground up. Dusty modeled something Lindsay has carried ever since: no task was beneath her, and she never asked her team to do anything she wouldn't do. In 2018, after Boston became a fully integrated, company‑owned PRA office, Lindsay stepped into a national strategic accounts role and helped build the department from scratch, one of the first of its kind among destination management companies.

That's Give to Gain in action. Someone gave Lindsay a seat at the table. She used it to build something bigger than herself.

Leading with Intention

Today, Lindsay leads a small but formidable team, expanding to crews of 50+ on complex programs. Her approach to empowerment is intentional: she pays attention to what motivates each person, and she moves people into challenges, not just roles.

"Without opportunity, innovation can slow and momentum can fade," she said. The Strategic Account Team is a well-oiled machine and produces intricate events all over the country for some of our leading Key Accounts. Lucky for her team, the Business Events space is also full of new programs and new challenges.

Last fall, she intentionally created time and space for a teammate to fully own and lead one of the most complex transportation pieces the team had ever tackled. “It was so impressive to see my colleague’s intricate transportation design come to life and it was amazing to be able to show up and support her on-site. It’s important we make space and time to support, elevate, and show up for one another.”

Lindsay is building a culture where being seen and trusted gets passed forward.

Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

For those coming up in the industry, Lindsay's advice is direct:

She explained, “This is an industry where no two events are the same, no two clients are the same. It’s ok to not have all the answers. But it takes a village to create an event—so listen for inspiration and lean on those around you. If you put yourself and your ideas out there—you never know what might land and with whom."

Lindsay's story is proof that when someone gives you the opportunity to be in the room, you honor that gift by eventually creating the room for someone else. That’s the spirit of Give to Gain.