Paula Grayson, Executive Vice President of Client Services Delivery & Operations at Opus Agency, has been recognized by Smart Meetings as one of the 2025 Meeting Professionals of the Year.  

This honor celebrates 35 event professionals dubbed the industry’s Impact Architects—leaders who push boundaries, bet on bold ideas, and create events that inspire meaningful connections. 

For more than 25 years, Paula has channeled her inner “We Are Family” mindset (it’s her career theme song, after all!) into everything she does. She’s spearheaded initiatives that break down silos, centralize operations, and strengthen cross-functional collaboration to ensure our teams, clients, and audiences feel like part of the same united effort. 

Those who work with Paula admire her vision, operational expertise, and ability to transform complex programs into seamless, high-impact experiences. Her blueprint for success has been and always will be all about the people:

“Designing impactful events starts with deeply understanding the brand and viewing everything through the audience’s lens. When the audience is treated as a core stakeholder, meaningful connections happen—and events transform from memorable to truly impactful.”

Paula also credits her career longevity at Opus Agency as the smartest risk she’s ever taken. In an industry where growth often means moving on, she chose to stay at Opus Agency for over 25 years, navigating transformations, acquisitions, and rapid expansion while building lasting impact and mentoring next-gen leaders along the way.

This combination of strategic leadership, people-first thinking, and a dash of Sister Sledge spirit has earned Paula a well-deserved spot among the industry’s best. 

Curious to see who else made the 2025 list of Meeting Professionals of the Year? Read the full article.