Thoughtful,
purpose-driven
event planning 

Meet the Team

Amy O’Keefe and Danielle Carpenter met on their second day at Cornell’s renowned School of Hotel Administration, forging a friendship that carried them into their early careers, including their time together on the highly anticipated reopening team of Ian Schrager’s Gramercy Park Hotel.  Together, they deliver a more rewarding, stress-free event planning experience for corporate organizations, nonprofits, and individuals.


  • Founder and Principal Planner

    Clients often comment on Amy’s calm presence in the midst of producing an event. That steadiness comes from experience—plus a little yoga (she is 200 hour certified).  

    Her path to hospitality began at Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, where an initial interest in business grew into a passion for event planning. Over the years, she has worked alongside leading hoteliers and restaurateurs including Ian Schrager, André Balazs, and Tom Colicchio  Having spent more than 15 years working on the “other side” of events, she loves drawing on her insider knowledge of New York City’s top hotels and restaurants to match clients with venues that feel truly special. 

    Her experience producing thousands of events—and her deep understanding of service standards, event flow, and sales negotiations—allows her to guide clients seamlessly from concept to celebration.


  • Event Planner and Business Development Lead

    Originally from the Chicago suburbs, Danielle began her hospitality journey at Cornell’s prestigious School of Hotel Administration, where she met Amy O’Keefe and formed a lasting personal and professional bond.

    She spent most of her career in New York City, working with luxury brands like The Ritz-Carlton and Mandarin Oriental before moving into hotel openings, including Ian Schrager’s Gramercy Park Hotel and The Dominick. She and Amy also worked together during the Gramercy Park Hotel opening—an early glimpse of their now well-aligned partnership.

    After several successful openings, Danielle stepped into a Global Account Director role for luxury hotel brands. She’s known for being resourceful, making the complicated look effortless, and creating a sense of calm even when the pressure is high. “Can’t” simply isn’t part of her vocabulary, and she prides herself on taking on the stress so her clients never feel it.

    Now reunited professionally, Danielle and Amy bring together complementary strengths—a true “dream team.” At Amy O’Keefe Events, Danielle focuses on venue curation, strategic client advising, logistics, and seamless on-site execution for corporate events.

    Off duty, she enjoys cooking, playing tennis, skiing, and traveling.

I started Amy O’Keefe Events as I wanted to provide a more rewarding, stress-free event planning experience for corporate organizations, nonprofits and individuals.