Moving to Los Angeles a Blessed Event for Publisher

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Hofite Huddleston said she learned the power of media, marketing and events at an early age. Her father owned a sporting goods chain, the Sports Zone, in the Maryland-D.C.-Virginia area, and she ran promotional events for the business throughout high school and college.

Huddleston, who recently became publisher of BizBash, a trade publication for event producers, became serious about a career in marketing and media while at Washington, D.C.’s George Washington University, where she took classes with a focus on entrepreneurship and small business management. After graduation in 2002, Huddleston moved to New York and worked at various marketing agencies. That’s when she first came across BizBash, which she describes as the events industry bible.

In 2006, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue career opportunities and to help her boyfriend now husband Chris launch an energy drink business. She was doing events and marketing for the beverage when she learned about an associate publisher position at BizBash in Los Angeles.

“I met with the company and felt like it was a perfect fit given my media and events planning background,” says Huddleston, who was hired in March and quickly promoted to publisher. Her responsibilities now include creating partnerships, growing distribution, expanding online offerings and overseeing the ad sales team.

Her most recent project was the BizBash LA Expo & Style Awards at the L.A. Mart, a shopping center for retailers and designers, which brought venue managers, vendors and event planners together. She is also part of a team working on developing a bicoastal L.A.-New York events industry publication.

“I finally feel like I’m an entrepreneur,” she said. “BizBash is a small enough company that we can take something from idea to inception very quickly.”

As far as her move West goes, Huddleston has enjoyed conducting her work relationships face to face in Los Angeles.

“Most business in New York was generally done over e-mail and phone,” Huddleston said. “I enjoy meeting new people every day.”

Huddleston lives in West Hollywood with Chris. She likes to travel and is a dessert enthusiast.

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