On February 10th I accepted a job offer from Innovatis Group and March 9, 2020 was my first day. The days in between were filled with the normal anxiety one might experience starting a new job but with each day (a trend we are all still experiencing now) that environment changed drastically. By the time I landed in Nashville for my first day, I learned all 15+ events for my first client had been postponed and at the time we were looking to rebook in the second half of the year. Luckily, I had an opportunity to get back home and meet the Chicago team for 2 days before our physical doors closed indefinitely.
Since then, I’ve become a pro at onboarding, scenario planning, and managing teams of people (some of whom I have never met) …simultaneously. Mix in 3 kids under the age of 6, two bouts of strep throat and you get a clear picture. While this might sound like story of misery, its quite the opposite. I’m sitting here today blown away by the virtual event strategies we’ve been able to assemble and budget projections for clients that are showing a profitable year. When I accepted this position, I knew working for an AMC dedicated to tech-based clients was going to push the boundaries of the virtual environment, but obviously I had no idea how crucial that was going to be for the future of this business.
Designing a virtual event is quite different than recording a live event. Beyond the obvious technical capability, it requires everything from volunteer management skills and content strategy, to a wild amount of creativity to make these successful. With sponsors thirsty for customer engagement and communities desperate for connection, we have designed solutions I would have never dreamed could exist. And to be fair, without a pandemic, perhaps they would not. Business is booming with eager calls for help and opportunities to elevate and often, create, virtual experiences for communities well beyond the tech landscape.
When I was looking for the next step in my career, I knew two things. I wanted to work for an organization with strong leadership and surround myself with people smarter than me. I know this sounds crazy, but I feel incredibly lucky to have started with Innovatis during a pandemic. As I take a moment to reflect from my make-shift office in my 4 year-old’s bedroom, I have learned so much from this brilliant group and I am happy to report #SomeGoodNews.
