Emma Quan, 35, is director of events for Disney Branded Television. She's based in Los Angeles. A quote from her nomination: "She is adept at creating events that will not only drive conversation around Disney’s kids and family titles, but that are uniquely crafted to be enjoyed by adults and children alike. She ensures that the events are kid-friendly—from the food to the music and dance experiences to the activities and giveaways."
My day-to-day: "The fun part about my job is I’m working on a variety of different types of events (premieres, conventions, tastemakers, etc.) at any given time so each day is never the same. I also travel quite a bit, which is nice to have a change of scenery—and weather!"
My career journey: "I started my career by exploring various internships in the entertainment industry to find the department that best suited me. I interned at companies like FOX, CBS, and CONAN, where I took on a range of tasks—from running coffee and pulling clip reports to finding the perfect wig for a sketch. After my internship in the creative services department at FOX helping to coordinate events, I realized I found my calling. I was able to get a full-time role on that team, starting as a coordinator and working there for almost nine years, leaving as a director. In that job, I planned events like premieres, activations, FYC events, and sports hospitality programs for FOX Sports such as the Super Bowl and MLB All-Star Game. This job was critical to my career development as I learned how to produce events of all sizes, sometimes hiring agencies and other times producing the events myself.
I left FOX in 2022 and joined the consumer event marketing team at Amazon MGM Studios. I worked on titles like The Summer I Turned Pretty and The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. During my time at Amazon, I planned large-scale consumer activations at VidCon, SDCC, NYCC, SXSW, and TwitchCon. I learned so much during my time at Amazon about cross-functional collaboration with the numerous stakeholders and external partners, as well as how to deliver activations that live up to the fandom behind these popular titles. On a daily basis, we challenged ourselves to think of activations and stunts that have never been done before.
"Working with such a beloved series like Bluey was so special because there was so much enthusiasm for the series from our partners throughout the planning process," Quan says.Photo: Courtesy of Emma Quan
Toward the end of 2023, I joined Disney Branded Television’s publicity and communications team as director of events, leading the PR events team. In my first year, I built a new team and established systems for event execution. I also planned global premieres for Bluey: The Sign, Descendants: The Rise of Red, and Wizards Beyond Waverly Place, among others. It’s been incredibly rewarding to create events that showcase storytelling for kids and families, delivering uniquely Disney experiences. At every premiere, we have a large amount of kid attendees, and it's so rewarding to see their faces light up when they are immersed into the world of their favorite series or film."
What inspires me: "I am constantly inspired by my mentors, colleagues, and, of course, social media. Working at a legacy media company like Disney, I’m inspired every day by the standard of excellence demonstrated across the company; it motivates me to do my best work. I also probably follow too many accounts on social media, so my Instagram feed is filled with creative work from agencies, designers, and producers."
My greatest career accomplishment: "My first worldwide premiere with Disney Branded Television was for the special episode of Bluey: The Sign. Working with such a beloved series like Bluey was so special because there was so much enthusiasm for the series from our partners throughout the planning process. Everyone, from the chef who bought the official Bluey cookbook to Disney employees’ children, was so excited to brainstorm on how to bring a Bluey event to life."
The advice I would give my younger self: "One of my first bosses told me, 'You can plan 99% of an event, but the last 1% is all about problem-solving.' If I could go back again, I’d tell my younger self the same—there will always be elements of an event that are out of your control, and how you find solutions is incredibly important. I’d also tell myself that mistakes happen, and instead of dwelling on them, use them as learning moments for growth."
During her time at Amazon, Quan spearheaded a massive activation at SXSW 2023 known as "Prime, Texas."Photo: Courtesy of Emma Quan
My most memorable event: "My answer would actually be several events in one; I produced activations for Prime Video at SXSW 2023. I brought nine titles to life in a 'Prime, Texas'-themed experience taking over Hotel San Jose in Austin. We had a very limited amount of time to execute the activation, which included theming out hotel rooms with photo experiences based on each title, a VIP Daisy Jones & The Six party, main stage performances, and a Swarm pop-up that transformed the lobby of The Austin Motel into a retro gas station and mini-mart.
Incorporating nine titles into the activation was challenging since it involved getting approval from each separate title team to make sure we presented experiences that would resonate best with fans. The activation generated 12.3 million media impressions and was attended by over 9,000 consumers, so it was rewarding to see the impact it had at the festival."
My ideal day OOO: "I’m a big foodie, so my ideal day out of the office is going on a food adventure and trying something new! Sweet treats are my favorite, so finding a bakery and cute coffee shop would be on my agenda."
