Our Agency
Caspian serves select, purpose-driven organizations, creating top tier events that promote both bottom line and social impact. Our proprietary methodology, the Caspian 10 Essentials™, ensures strategic discipline, creativity and logistical rigor, and leads to excellent, unique results.
We are headquartered in Los Angeles with operations in New York, San Francisco, around the US, Paris, London, and Sydney. We work both domestically and internationally.
Heather has been named MeetingsNet’s 2020 Changemaker, Top 50 Women in Events by LASSO's 2020 and Top 500 Event Producers of 2018 by BizBash
FOUNDER + CEO
Heather Mason
Heather founded Caspian in 2005, intent on bringing a scientifically-based strategic discipline to white-glove event planning. Her expertise in the innovation and social good business space have led to successful projects around the globe for Skoll World Forum, Dalio Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Keurig/Green Mountain Coffee, among many others. Prior to launching Caspian, she managed events for Charles Schwab, producing conferences across the country. Previous pursuits in film and marketing include time with Fox Studios, Fox TV, the Sundance and Cannes Film Festivals and the Bud Greenspan Olympic film crew, along with ShowBIZdata and Broadstream internet based companies. With ShowBIZdata she created and produced the first ever Interactive Lounge at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival.
Early on, she recognized that there was no codified method for creating and executing strategic events at scale, and created the Caspian 10 Essentials. She is a consultant on convening design for the Rockefeller Foundation. This methodology has been taught internationally and is featured curricula in the San Diego State University Masters in Meetings and Events degree program, where she is a Senior Fellow and also an instructor.
Heather is a board member of Social Venture Circle (SVC), American Sustainable Business Council (ASBC), Utah State University Alumni Board and a strategic advisor to Womens Founders Foundation and Purposewerx. She is also a frequent keynote speaker, MC and moderator.
Heather also created and founded SUREFIRE Girls as well as CEO-U, which focuses on helping women start and scale businesses. To book Heather as a speaker on entrepreneurship, events or empowerment or as a strategic consultant, click here.
Winston was named one of The Top 25 Most Influential People in the Meetings Industry by Successful Meetings in 2018 and one of the Top 500 Event Producers by BizBash in 2018. He has received numerous other industry accolades and is a sitting member of the Editorial Content Board for Smart Meetings Magazine.
Senior Advisor
Carl Winston
Carl Winston has over 35 years of experience in a variety of senior executive level hospitality, event and tourism industry positions in academia and the “real world.”
He is the founding Director of the L. Robert Payne School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at San Diego State University. Launched in 2001, the School has earned a global reputation for its innovations, rigor, relevance and near perfect placement rate for graduates.
Winston acts as a Senior Advisor to Caspian Agency. In that role, he helps Caspian's clients clarify their strategic goals and adapt to the rapidly changing methods for event production.
He served on MPI’s International Board of Directors for 7 years and is the creator of the groundbreaking Master’s Degree in Meeting and Event Management in partnership with MPI Global.
He was also the founding Managing Director of the non-profit China Hospitality Education Initiative (CHEI). CHEI was launched in 2013 and supported more nearly 400 colleges and universities with 400,000 students by 2020.
Prior to moving into academia, he had run hundreds of hotels and restaurants throughout the U.S. and Canada. He also ran a chain of small theme parks and started his professional career in public accounting
Mr. Winston has been involved with more than 30 local, regional and international industry associations and groups where he has served in leadership positions and Boards of Directors.
His education includes a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, San Diego and a Master’s of Professional Studies in Hotel Administration, Cornell University.
Our Clients
We’re proud to have partnered with these awe-inspiring, game-changing organizations, among many others:
