Today we’d like to introduce you to Caitlin Marino.
Caitlin, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I’m proud to say that I am born-and-raised Miamian and the daughter of an American mother and Cuban-immigrant father. I clearly remember growing up in a household filled with music. My mom worked in the music industry in New York in the 80s and my parents were always listening to a wide array of music ranging from KISS and Bon Jovi to Ricky Martin and Willie Colón. That love of eclectic music was infused in me and, over the years, I became obsessed with listening to different genres, learning the words to every song on the radio and having full-blown singalongs in the car on the way to school. Like anyone my age, the pop phenomenon of the late 90s completely changed my life. Britney Spears posters and magazine clippings were plastered over my bedroom walls for more than a decade. I went to all of her shows, bought all of her CDs on release day and dreamt of one day being able to work alongside her. When being a backup dancer or singer was (sadly) crossed off the list, I remember asking my mom for advice on what I realistically could do as a profession to work with my idol. She spoke about Public Relations and leveraging a degree in that field to be her publicist. I followed that guidance and, in 2012, graduated from the University of Miami as a Communications major with a degree in Public Relations. While not ready to pack my bags and move to California in pursuit of this dream job working for Britney quite yet, I focused on making my plunge into the music industry here at home. A friend interning at The Latin Recording Academy (also known as the Latin GRAMMY Awards) let me know that a new position in the Business Development department had opened. I applied, sparks flew and I was hired for the role! Seven years with the Academy later, I am proud to say that the fresh-out-of-college opportunity turned into what would be the foundation of my music industry career.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Getting to this point in my career has definitely been a result of hard work, drive and the desire to succeed. I grew up living in Homestead but made the sacrifice of waking up extremely early to drive more than an hour to high school so that I could enroll in an International Baccalaureate program to attain the best education possible. For undergrad, my sights were set on attending the University of Miami but I didn’t have the financial resources to pay for private education. I searched everywhere for scholarship opportunities and applied to every single one I even semi-met the qualifications for. I ended up being awarded enough scholarships to cover tuition and graduate totally debt free. Now, as a working professional in the music industry, there are a lot of long nights and I manage a pretty demanding workload, but when you love what you do, are focused on accomplishing your goals and have a great team (including a support team like family and friends), you can take on any challenge.
Please tell us about The Latin Recording Academy.
The Latin Recording Academy is the most respected institution in Latin music. Our tentpole platform, which we are globally known for, is the Latin GRAMMY Awards that takes place every November in Las Vegas. However, we also do about 10 ancillary events around the Latin GRAMMYs just during the week of the show in addition to 10 in-market events throughout the United States and Latin America. As the Business Development Manager , I focus on supporting the organization’s marketing initiatives and growth strategy by collaborating with internal and external teams to plan and execute more than 20 annual events, identifying and securing strategic brand partnerships, ideating new business opportunities, and executing best-in-class event experiences. Basically what that means is that my team is responsible for negotiating deals with brands (like when you watch the Latin GRAMMYs and you see Heineken mentioned as the “official beer” or L’Oréal as the “official cosmetics”) as well as planning and producing some pretty notable events around the world. Although there, of course, is plenty of prestige, glamour, and excellence associated with the Latin GRAMMYs, I truly would have to say that I am most proud of the people within the organization. I have the privilege of working alongside bright minds, creative thinkers and without a doubt, the best group of colleagues-turned-friends anyone could ask for. We’re a team of 28 total employees (of which 22 are incredibly empowered women) who is able to execute the “Biggest Night in Latin Music” being one of the smallest – yet hardest working – teams in the industry.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Definitely, my first trip to New York with my family to celebrate my thirteenth birthday. Unfortunately, that timing aligned almost exactly with the one-year anniversary of September 11 (my birthday is the following week.) Even a year later, the city still had an eerie vibe. All of the restaurants we visited had photos of what their storefront looked like when the towers collapsed, with debris and dust everywhere. I remember we passed by a group of firefighters and I broke down in tears remembering everything they had gone through the year prior. Even so, the trip was life-changing and nothing compared to me getting to see Central Park, visit Britney Spears’ restaurant NoLa, almost sneak into TRL (I think you had to be 15 to be a part of the audience) and check off one of my bucket list items at such a young age.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3470 NW 82nd Ave
Suite 600
Miami, FL 33122 - Website: www.latingrammy.com
- Phone: 3055760036
- Email: caitlin.marino@grammy.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/latingrammys and www.instagram.com/caitlinmar
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/latingrammys
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/latingrammys
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