Tiffani Taylor-Robertson owner of T-N-T Events & Marketing, constantly looking for ways to spice things up
The popular saying “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” is not a mantra Tiffani “Tif” Taylor-Robertson lives by.
It is quite the opposite.
When a former colleague needed help with a national convention in Las Vegas, Tif, who had started her own event-planning business, was ready to jump in.
“It was a fantastic opportunity to go down, put my hands into the mix and learn. The Vegas event was empowering and humbling and awesome. It was amazing to work on a team that was putting on this large event,” she said of the Payne West National Convention. “I brought back so many ideas.”
Even after 11 years of owning T-N-T Event & Marketing Management, Tif is constantly looking for new and creative ways to add excitement to her events. “Every year my goal is how are we going to spice it up? How are we going to make it better and get people to the table and make it worth their while to be here?”
Tif has always been a high achiever.
She grew up on a ranch near Farmingdale, South Dakota, and continues the ranching lifestyle with her husband Tyler, the second “T” in T-N-T, on their land south of Hermosa. She graduated with a mass communication and journalism degree from South Dakota State University and jumped right into a career in creative sales and marketing.
During the golden age of retail malls, Tif worked for the Macerich company, the owner and operator of shopping centers throughout the nation including what was at the time, Rushmore Mall (now Uptown Rapid). “I did their specialty leasing. I came up with new business development ideas and events to generate income.”
“I loved mall management. We traveled all over the country to prospect and promote people to come to Rapid City. I became involved with the Chamber of Commerce, the Ag Committee, and wherever else I could network and learn from other leaders.”
Tif worked in the retail shopping industry for years before stepping down to help Tyler with their ranch along with the ranches of two elderly gentlemen.
Her community involvement, however, did not lessen. She continued to serve on the Central States Fair board for a decade and volunteered for numerous events.
“Then I had the thought of, why am I not doing this as a business?”
After a few brainstorming sessions, T-N-T was formed.
Since then, Tif has been producing events on the national, regional, and local levels including Zonta, The OWN, the National R-CALF Convention, South Dakota Ellsworth Development Authority, and many others.
She offers full event management from working with the venue and caterer to advertising and ticketing and has hosted events for 10 to 4,000 people. “Each and every event showcases a special piece of their mission, purpose, and overall goals.”
Aside from a few people who jump in when she asks, Tif is a one-woman show. She does, however, have a long list of trusted connections including caterers, facility managers, and audio-visual experts that make her job easier especially when unexpected things pop up.
“Every event you have to pivot. There is never not something. Success in navigating the challenges comes from the teams I am working with especially at the facilities.”
With many of her events at The Monument, Tif said she is amazed at the level of professionalism and effort by all team members. “They have helped me in every capacity. If we need something, they make it happen.”
It is all about the people, Tif said. Networking and community involvement have been integral in growing T-N-T, and she continues to build on that foundation. Aside from volunteering and serving on boards, Tif is part of the current Elevate Leadership Institute class.
“I have no intent of slowing down. I will continue to build not only my career and business but myself professionally.”
She does incorporate some downtime into her busy schedule. She enjoys golfing and spending time at the ranch with Tyler and their animals.
“When I am at home, I am fortunate to help Tyler with the ranch. It brings my boots back to the ground and lets me reflect on what we are doing and what our priorities are.”
This article originally appeared in the March 2024 issue of Elevate Magazine.
