Matthew Gunderson

Current

• Founder and President at Brown Bear Events (Sole Proprietorship)

Past

• Freelance Sr. Event Supervisor at Brand-Force
• Freelance Event Manager at Seismicom
• Event Manager at Old Navy

• Event Manager at PIER 39
• Field Marketing Manager at INNOVA Marketing/US Marketing and Promotions/BDS Marketing

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Education

• San Diego State University
• Loara HS

Recommended

4 people have recommended Matthew

Connections

139 connections

Industry

Events Services

Websites

• My Company

Matthew Gunderson’s Summary

I am an event planning professional in search of new and interesting clients. I am a strategic thinker who can help develop and execute effective event strategies for my clients to achieve positive return on investment. Whether you need a turn key event solution or someone to fill a void in your existing team, I have the skills and experience to help you achieve success.

In recent months, I have produced a number of high profile events for various clients.
- The EcoCity World Summit, an international gathering of green professionals in San Francisco exchanging ideas on sustainable building practices.
- 10 Year Anniversary Gala for TRUSTe, the leading advocate for on-line privacy, at the DeYoung Museum in Golden Gate Park.
- Surf’s Up for Childrens Hospital, a series of beach themed fundraising parties, for three consecutive years.
- Other clients include Microsoft, Turner Construction, Family Violence Law Center, Brandeis Hillel Day School, Seismicom, SF Building Owners and Management Association and others.

I also have a great deal of experience developing, staffing and managing effective face to face, promotional marketing campaigns for consumer oriented companies. Below are some examples of my work:
- National T-Mobile Event Strategy Development, Management and Execution
- Nikon Rockshots at a dozen shows at Shoreline Amphitheater.
- Pepsi sampling and Baseball Pitch/Soccer Kick at Oakland A's Fanfest, San Jose Flea Market Kidsfest and Oakland Raiders and San Jose Sharks exit samplings.
- Sandisk What's in Your Slot Promotion at Rock the Bells Concerts nationwide
- Other consumer programs for Playstation, Mrs. Meyers, Haagen Dazs, Cingular, Macy's, Jamba Juice, Seagate and others.

If you are thinking about planning a company event or executing a promotional campaign, give me a call. I am easy to work with and will always keep your budget in mind while creating a customized event solution for you and your constituents.

Matthew Gunderson’s Specialties:

Event Planning and Consulting for:
Company Parties
Fundraisers
Gala Events
Product Launches
Festivals
Sponsor Integration
Meetings
Promotional Events and Staffing

Matthew Gunderson’s Experience

• Founder and President

  Brown Bear Events (Sole Proprietorship)

  (Sole Proprietorship; Myself Only; Events Services industry)

  January 2002 — Present (7 years 7 months)

  Create, manage and execute creative, successful events for companies, non-profits and other organizations.

• Freelance Sr. Event Supervisor

  Brand-Force

  (Events Services industry)

  2008 — 2009 (1 year)

  Helped create, manage and activate experiential marketing efforts for T-Mobile that complemented corporate brand messaging. Coordinated logistics for the launch and ongoing in-market execution of consumer activities at retail and events, including the NBA All-Star Game Weekend, Live 105 Not So Silent Night, SF Chinese New Years Festival, Pasadena Rode Parade and many others.

• Freelance Event Manager

  Seismicom

  (Privately Held; Marketing and Advertising industry)

  2005 — 2007 (2 years)

  Managed pre-event planning and in-market production of event sponsorship activation for SanDisk at Rock the Bells hip hop shows. Also managed the Cingular Wireless in-market training meetings in various Top 10 national markets. Assisted with other projects as needed.

• Event Manager

  Old Navy

  (Public Company; 10,001 or more employees; gps; Apparel & Fashion industry)

  2000 — 2001 (1 year)

  Organized meetings, conferences and events for Old Navy store managers and headquarters employees.

• Event Manager

  PIER 39

  (Privately Held; 201-500 employees; Leisure, Travel & Tourism industry)

  1996 — 2000 (4 years)

  Managed high profile public events, including PIER 39 Regatta series, Viva Las Americas, Street Performers' Festival and more.

• Field Marketing Manager

  INNOVA Marketing/US Marketing and Promotions/BDS Marketing

  (Privately Held; Events Services industry)

  1992 — 1995 (3 years)

  Managed national sampling and promotional efforts for Mountain Dew, Miller Brewing Co., Ocean Spray and others.

Matthew Gunderson’s Education

• San Diego State University

  BS , Business Administration-Marketing and Journalism-Advertising , 1985 — 1990

• Loara HS

Additional Information

Matthew Gunderson’s Websites:

• My Company

Matthew Gunderson’s Interests:

- Integrating pop culture and current trends into event strategies for clients. - Creating positive consumer focused events. - Collaborating with other creative event professionals. - Researching and utilizing the latest and greatest in food, wine, music, speakers, dance, decor, etc. to make an impact on attendees. - Utilizing "green" techniques to produce events that have less negative impact on the environment. - Helping worthy organizations raise money for their programs.

Matthew Gunderson’s Honors:

Shared a Bay Area Emmy for the 1997 Citibank Regatta Highlight Show

Matthew Gunderson’s Contact Settings

Interested In:

• career opportunities
• consulting offers
• new ventures
• expertise requests
• business deals
• reference requests
• getting back in touch