We love trade shows. We love events. Most of all we love helping people come together to connect, learn, conduct business, get inspired and have some fun.
Maybe Covid-19 is making us nostalgic. It’s certainly a great time for reflection … and for starting something new, like this article series. We asked a few members of the team to share some opinions on their careers and this business to reveal in the coming months. We would love to hear from you, too, just answer the question posed each month in the Comments.
This month’s question: What was your first job in events/trade shows and what did you love about it?
Todd Neely
My first job in the Event Industry was in sales at the Hyatt Waikiloa on the big island of Hawaii. I really loved working with all types of customers every day on their events and meetings.
Todd Neely
VP, National Sales
JoAnn Peroutka
My first large-scale event was while working at a public university. We turned each floor of the library into areas where the general community could come and learn: lectures, musical performances, hands-on activities for all ages. We called it MindFest. I loved how it pushed out the university’s messages in tangible ways and helped our publics understand that we were truly there for them.
JoAnn Peroutka
VP, Strategic Services
April Hurley
A Customer Account Manager at The Expo Group 25 years ago! I guess I loved it so much I never left. From then to today, what I love most about our business is the team camaraderie, the challenge of designing something unique each and every time, and the love of solving problems.
April Hurley
VP, Strategic Sales
Michael Brownlee
My first job in this industry was in an Exhibitor Services department helping exhibitors with their needs before, during and after a show. I never knew about this industry until I was in it. I loved the fact that we created experiences for companies and helped them have successful shows. I have always loved the variety of shows and the uniqueness of each one. It’s always amazing seeing the events we can put together in such a short amount of time.
Michael Brownlee
General Manager, Chicago
Read and respond to last month’s question here