Industry Innovators 2024: Mili Marcetic

Mili MarceticPhoto: Courtesy of MKGMili Marcetic is the director of production for MKG. She's based in New York.

How she got her start: "My start began at Leo Burnett in Chicago, where I initially worked on the accounts team for Blackberry. During my four years there, I transitioned to working on events before the term 'experiential' started being used. I loved every piece of the planning process from prop sourcing to budgeting to managing vendors. From there, I progressed into project management at a music company before eventually freelancing and joining MKG full time. At MKG, I have worked my way from producer to director of production, overseeing a wide range of events and budgets, and currently managing teams across both coasts."

What innovation means to her: "Extremely important! I try to be as involved in projects as possible to continuously learn about new vendors, emerging technologies, and other advancements so I can contribute forward-thinking ideas. Innovation to me is not just about the newest technology out there, but rather new, more efficient ways of fabricating elements, or looking at a better internal process that makes our work more streamlined."

Where she finds inspiration: "I find inspiration for my work from my creative friends in their respective industries. For example, some of my friends are creative directors at other agencies or brilliant interior designers, and these types of individuals inspire me with ideas for our own designs. In addition, I use social media to feel inspired. I follow many different content creators and companies on Instagram and am constantly screenshotting and saving content I find cool, unique, and eye-catching."

Memorable moments: "I have always loved doing interesting pop-ups, and one of my favorites was done for FILA to launch their new Explore collection. We designed a series of stores both in NYC (flagship) and internationally (in markets like Santorini, Tokyo, and London) to help launch FILA’s marquee collection worldwide. Called Explore, the line was designed around four key themes: canyon, woods, mountains, and elements. Our concept weaved unexpected sensory moments, inspired by these themes, into the shopping experience. Canyon took its inspiration from Antelope Canyon; mountains from the tops of cold and quiet mountaintops; woods from greenery and deep-woods exploration; and elements from trippy topography. 

As a senior stakeholder in the DOP role, one of my favorite projects of 2024 has been the BÉIS Stagecoach partnership. We built a pit stop, taking inspiration from Prada Marfa and roadside gas stations, to give you a place to come in and shop festival-sized bags (or order the bigger ones on display to your home). Along with the store aspect, we had our very own saloon serving signature drinks and a refresh station to fix your makeup or get the dust off yourself, gave away bandanas and keychains, and had many photo moments throughout, including a video reel moment with a bike/sidecar."

Her vision for the future of experiential: "I believe all brands will need to venture into the experiential realm to either maintain or establish relevance. Even in retail, it is important to stand out and give people a genuine experience versus just a transactional one. We incorporate this philosophy for our client BÉIS, ensuring every pop-up features moments. In return, people can not only shop but take content to create Reels with, obtain a one-of-a-kind piece of merchandise, or have tons of photo outputs as they leave. By transforming the pop-up into a 'Reels playground,' we can enhance brand marketing and stand out from competitors."

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