Industry Spotlight: Shauna Noah O’Connor
Shauna Noah O’Connor, Event Producer | CEO of Noah Events
Published March 16, 2026
Written by: Carolina Nascimento
Shauna has spent more than 15 years helping bring Portland’s events to life. As the CEO of Noah Events, she’s built a reputation as what she calls a “logistics gun for hire,” producing everything from professional conferences and street fairs to large-scale parties, vendor markets, and even international book tours.
Over the years, Shauna has worked with organizations across the region including Travel Portland, Travel Oregon, Willamette Week, and Prosper Portland. But at the heart of her work is something much simpler: celebrating local businesses and the creative energy that makes Portland unique.
“I love showing off our local small businesses,” she says. That passion comes through in one of her favorite projects: My People’s Market, the beloved Portland event celebrating BIPOC entrepreneurs, artists, and makers. For Shauna, the most rewarding part isn’t just producing the event, it’s seeing the businesses grow over time.
“Watching the small business owners I know grow over the years has been amazing,” she says. “It’s always a weekend filled with fun, laughter, and joy. I always look forward to it.”
Portland’s event scene is deeply shaped by the city’s creative culture, and Shauna believes that’s what makes producing events here so special. “Portland is an amazing city for events because we have so many different types of creative humans,” she says. “We draw in rockstars in the culinary, apparel, design, product, music, film, and art worlds.”
Even though Portland is a major city, Shauna says it still feels collaborative in a way that allows creativity to flourish. “While Portland is a city, it often feels like a small town, so everyone gets a chance to play in each other's sandbox.”
Looking ahead, she’s excited to see how Portland continues to evolve and redefine itself. “We’ve always been strong in culinary and apparel, but we have such a creative city that I can’t wait to see what new niche we carve out in the world.”
For Shauna, events are about more than logistics or entertainment – they’re about building community. “Portland loves to party,” she says. “By creating events that invite everyone to celebrate what brings our city joy, we create moments of community and showcase our best selves.”
And for anyone hoping to break into the industry, she offers a bit of honest advice: start by getting your hands dirty. “Get in and work events before you produce them,” she says. “Event life seems sexy and fun but it’s not. Real event life is being covered in garbage juice and laughing about the crazy night with everyone you are working with — and if you love that, then you are in for life.”
Learn more about Shauna’s work at shaunanoah.com.
