Laura Hammarstrom is a professional event manager, travel director, and entrepreneur based in Northwest Arkansas. She has a professional background and diverse skill set, which includes domestic and international initiatives for Fortune 1 executives, high-net-worth families, and the Northwest Arkansas community.
Hammarstrom is the founder of Laura Hammarstrom, CMP, LLC, a company that provides a comprehensive suite of professional, customer-focused, on-site event management services. As an event manager and travel director, she specializes in VIP experiences, corporate meetings, international conferences, pharmaceutical meetings, festivals, and incentive programs. Below, Hammarstrom discusses why Bentonville, Arkansas, is catching hold of mountain bikers’ adventurous spirit with family-friendly events.
When talking about a mountain biker’s paradise, many might guess the great state of Colorado or another state in the western United States, but that’s not quite the case. The town of Bentonville, Arkansas, claims it is the Mountain Biking Capital of the World. Based in Northwest Arkansas, the OZ Trails offer over 300 miles of year-round mountain biking, with experiences that cater to all skill levels. Mountain bikers from all over have been flocking there to experience this modern mountain biking landscape.
Hammarstrom said with so many people traveling to ride the OZ Trails and young families moving to Bentonville each day, creating family-friendly events makes sense. As a freelance event manager, she is excited to be at the forefront of creating these events. This past October, OZ Trails hosted an event called the OZ Trails Black Apple Glow Ride that brought together ghouls, ghosts, goblins, and other Halloween bikers in costumes to ride the trails at night.
OZ Trails is co-presenting a new event scheduled for March 19 and 20 called the Trailcat Challenge. The family-friendly, COVID-compliant event will be co-presented by the organization Buddy Pegs. The Trailcat Challenge mixes together the gritty world of alleycat racing with family-friendly Bentonville to put on a scavenger hunt on wheels, providing a fun time for all ages.
Owners Buddy Peg, Scott, and Janine Fitzgerald have expressed their excitement about the upcoming event and how refreshing it is to bring a new event like this into the community.
“It has been a particularly challenging year for the event industry. Having the opportunity to partner on outdoor biking events with organizations like OZ Trails and Buddy Pegs, plus give families the opportunity to get out in a safe environment, has been extra rewarding this year,” said Laura Hammarstrom.
About Laura Hammarstrom
Laura Hammarstrom is a professional event manager, travel director, and entrepreneur with a diverse skill set and professional background, including domestic and international initiatives for Fortune 1 executives, high-net-worth families, and the Northwest Arkansas community. She spent over 10 years in event management and communications roles at Walmart Corporate. Notably, she was Senior Event and Project Manager for the Walmart International President and CEO, Director of Special Projects in the United Kingdom, and Director of Global Associate and Executive Communications. Pursuing her passion for events, she received her Certified Meeting Professional designation and served as the Events and Experiences Manager for the Walton Enterprises Family Office. In 2017, Laura started her own event business, Laura Hammarstrom, CMP, LLC, to provide a comprehensive suite of professional, customer-focused, on-site event management services on a global scale.