https://vimeo.com/203364710
My name is April Airhart. I work for American Public University System, and I’m the Director of Student Life.
What were your meetings and events like before working with Event Tech?
Before we found Event Tech, we found that there wasn’t a great deal of consistency. We would get shuffled from event manager to event manager. Balls would be dropped. We would be promised something in our contract, and then that would not be onsite when we got ready for our event. And, it didn’t feel like an extension of our team.
But with Event Tech, we feel like y’all are part of us when we get to our ceremony and to our events, and that’s, I think, what’s so special about your company. When you’re onsite, you don’t work for American Public University System, but it sure does feel like you’re my co-worker.
Can you think of specific examples?
So, two things. First one has to be that no matter what, I can trust that y’all are going to make it exactly what you promised me, and that you’re going to do it with a smile on your face.
Y’all have some of the happiest and nicest staff members that we’ve ever come across, and while you may not all be happy together before you get there, or when you’re unloading, or whatever it is that you’re doing behind the scenes, when we see your faces, y’all all look happy, and that’s important – because we’re all in the event planning and production business.
We understand what it’s like to be behind the scenes and how stressful it can be. But when you all work together and come together as a team, it’s amazing. And so, that’s something that I’m really thankful for, that I know you’re going to make it happen and you’re going to do it with a smile on your face.
And the second thing is that no matter what I ask for, how outlandish, or how crazy, or what I ask you to change, I know that you’re either going to tell me why we shouldn’t do it and explain it to me and make me understand why it’s not a good decision. Or you’re going to do it for me and make it happen.
And that’s what I appreciate – you don’t treat me like I don’t know what is going on. I don’t know all of your technology and how to do things the best way, but you treat me like a competent individual even though I may not know what I’m talking about. And so, I appreciate the level of professionalism that I always get from the individuals that we work with.
If you were to recommend Event Tech, what would you say?
I would tell them to get ready to have a good time. Y’all always bring fun and laughter, I feel like which is so needed in the stressful kind of environment that event production can be, because it’s important to get it all right. But having fun while you do it is also a real blessing. It’s really great to have that feeling when you’re in the middle of a stressful event to be able to laugh and to put that together with the stress makes it easier.
And I would also tell them to be prepared to have your mind blown. I never know exactly what I’m asking for, but y’all can always take my idea and either make it better or make it simpler and make it just exactly what I wanted. And that’s what I’m so thankful for. Sometimes I don’t know exactly what I’m looking to make happen, but y’all can always materialize it for me. So, I’m appreciative of that.
Can you talk about the relationship with your account executive?
Well, it’s Bill Marks. Listen, Bill Marks came on the scene like – what – two, three years ago? We were so happy with the previous event planner that we had it was a sad kind of moment to change over, butI put our trust in Bill, and he has more than exceeded our expectations.
He has really done some great things with our show, and I kind of think about it sometimes, what would happen if Bill left, and then I have to push it down, you know, really stuff those feelings because I’m so trusting. And everything that you bring to the table, and everything that Event Tech brings that I don’t worry.
I know that AV and video and all of those things are going to happen. They’re going to be great, and all I have to do is show up with my team and make sure that we all communicate, and it’s going to be amazing. And so, I’m super thankful for Bill.