Ioana Gamen – Heartfelt Events and Experiences that Stay in the Heart

Ioana Gamen transforms events into memorable, emotional, and authentic experiences that connect people and cultures.

C&B: How would you describe yourself in one sentence?
Ioana Gamen: “I am Ioana Gamen, an event organizer who loves to create moments that stay in people’s hearts — beautiful, authentic, and meaningful for each person who experiences them.”

C&B: Key moments that defined you:
Ioana Gamen:

• In 2013, when I organized my first large independent event — I felt that I could do this, that there are people who come to enjoy what I prepare.
• The concert “Argentinissimo – Roots: Analia Selis”, when I saw Latin American repertoire and folklore connect with the audience’s emotion, and people left talking about what they had felt.
• “A Musical Story of Yesteryear” – the nostalgic show in Iași – taught me how much the connection between audience and memory matters, between music and local identity.

C&B: The first challenges at the beginning:
Ioana Gamen: It was difficult to find sponsors who believed that a small but heartfelt cultural project could have an impact. Many times, I had to handle logistics, décor, sound, PR — everything myself, because the team was small. You balance emotion and ideals with the reality that every piece of décor, every invitation matters.

C&B: A dream/ambition that has always guided you:
Ioana Gamen: Not to create just “events,” but experiences where participants, at the end, feel “it was worth coming,” “I lived something beautiful and wouldn’t change it.” To leave my city richer culturally, to bring in people who never went to a classic show and make them curious.

C&B: How I looked at the beginning and how I have transformed:
Ioana Gamen: At the beginning I was pure enthusiasm, energy, big ideas and not always the resources to carry them out exactly as I imagined. Now I feel I’ve become more balanced: I know what I want, I know what it involves, I know how to protect my energy and choose projects that honor me and help me grow – not just in numbers, but in impact and quality.

C&B: What would your collaborators say about you?
Ioana Gamen: That I don’t give up, that I notice details others might overlook, that I put my heart into what I do. That I am demanding, but also grateful – when someone on the team brings a good idea or achieves something, I truly rejoice and make sure to say it.

C&B: The most important decision:
Ioana Gamen: Not to accept major compromises in quality and to constantly invest in professionalism – from venues, stage design, sound, to promotion. This decision made the audience trust me and return to my shows.

C&B: Types of events that represent you best:
Ioana Gamen: Concerts with a clear theme (folklore, interwar music, crossover), cultural performances with powerful voices, recitals, but also community events like PET EVENT – because I feel at home there, when I bring together on stage and beyond people who connect, who come with an open heart.

C&B: Unique value for clients:
Ioana Gamen: Every event I organize is not just a show, but a carefully crafted story: with details that matter (a relevant venue, suitable décor, surprise moments), with respect for the audience and artists. People say that at an Event by Ioana Gamen, they feel that everything is done with care.

C&B: What does an ordinary day / moments of satisfaction look like?
Ioana Gamen:
Morning: checking emails, talking to the team, planning.
Afternoon: visiting the venue, meetings with artists or suppliers, technical details, décor, sound.
Evening: maybe event preparations or workshops.
The greatest satisfaction? When I open the door to a decorated hall and see that the atmosphere I had envisioned comes to life — light, emotion, laughter, joyful tears…

C&B: The values that guide you:
Ioana Gamen:

• Professionalism – to deliver what you promise so you don’t disappoint;
• Authenticity – each project to reflect who I am;
• Respect – for artists, audience, and team;
• Emotion – because without emotion, an event is just logistics;
• Sustainability – I think about long-term impact, not just one-off.

C&B: How did the idea appear and what drew you toward event organizing?
Ioana Gamen: I started from the desire to see what happens when someone puts passion into every detail. I loved music, community, the connection created when people come to an event not just to listen, but to experience something. Seeing the potential in Iași, in its community, I thought “why not?”, and I began with small projects that grew step by step.

C&B: How do you handle unforeseen moments?
Ioana Gamen: I prefer to have a plan B for almost everything — two sound scenarios, backup décor, a team that knows what it’s doing. When something comes up, I breathe, communicate immediately, adapt what’s needed. The audience rarely sees what happens behind the scenes, but I know that calm and quick response matter a lot there.

C&B: The most memorable event and why:
Ioana Gamen: “The most memorable was the Ad Libitum Voices & orchestra concert in February 2023. It was my first symphonic concert, the one that basically launched me in this direction and showed me that I want to organize large concerts. The full hall, the orchestra’s energy, the audience’s emotion, and the artists’ joy on stage made me feel this is my mission: to bring such experiences to Iași and create bridges between audience and music. That was the moment I told myself: yes, this is my path.”

The interview with Ioana Gamen shows that truly memorable events are born from passion, attention to detail, and a genuine desire to offer authentic emotion to the audience.