What are you most excited or passionate about? What are the goals you most want to accomplish in your work?
I live for those small, but very impactful, lightbulb moments. When I am able to introduce a new concept, simplify a complex idea or just help someone talk through something to find a solution…all of those little moments add up.
I want to understand how and why you ended up working in the events industry. What were you doing before you came here? What attracted you to work in this business?
I had a part time job in college managing events at our Alumni Center on campus. This opened my eyes to the “behind the scenes” of events. As an avid sports fan, I thought that I wanted to work in sports, but I quickly realized that managing the venue that the sports were held in was more in line with my skill set. After grad school, several internships (LA Kings and X Games) and odd jobs (like collecting and cleaning the golf balls on a driving range), I found myself as an Event Manager at a Convention Center. I really settled into this role and, after several years, I wanted to lean on that experience and become a trusted advisor to other venue managers throughout the industry, which is how I landed as a consultant at Ungerboeck, doing just that through software.
What have been the lessons you’ve learned in the events industry?
If you aren’t learning something new every single day, you aren’t doing it right.
What relationships have meant the most to you over your career?
Within the venue, I have been very lucky to have been a part of amazing Event Management teams. These people are your family since you spend more time with them than your own family. I have also been very fortunate to have had great leadership on multiple levels.
Just as important, I have some very strong relationships with clients/partners/vendors. This is actually how I met my current wife 😉
Tell me a bit about what you like most about working for Ungerboeck?
That I can impact the way a venue manages events. By doing this over and over, you begin to impact the way the industry manages events.
What’s on your Wish List for the next 10 years at Ungerboeck?
Continuing to listen to venues to help find solutions.
When you think of the future of the events industry, what do you think will be the “next thing(s)” we are all talking about? What should we be concerned or worried about?
I think venues will continue to lean very heavily on technology. “Smart Venues” and green initiatives will really focus on automation to run venues and events.
What advice would you have for someone going into the events industry?
Learn something new every day!
What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
I can only wink with my right eye, not my left…