These interviews are part of a series that highlights new hires within the industry. Have you recently started a new role or do you know someone who has? Submit your ideas to brittany.trevick@tigeroak.com.
Amy Zaczkowski was recently hired as account executiv at the SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals in Hauppauge, N.Y.
1. What are you most looking forward to in your new role as Account Executive for SmartSource Computer & Audio Visual Rentals?
I am looking forward to helping our clients reach their strategic technology goals for their events. Since events are so important and have such critical exposure, it’s important for me to guide them along this path in order to ensure their success. I look forward to making them the hero in their organization.
2. How do you think your past industry experience has prepared you for this role?
My past experience has enabled me to be more sensitive to my client’s strategic goals specific to technology at their events. The general assumption is that any type of technology can simply be plugged in at an event…that’s not true at all. The events industry evolves hand in hand with technology so it’s important to learn what’s important to our clients and lean on past experiences to help them get there.
3. What goals do you have in mind for the destination for this year and further down the line?
My primary goal is to educate our both new and current clients on our strategic offerings. Living in Austin gives me the opportunity to reach out to the Texas-based event planners and help them produce a tech savvy event without breaking their budget. Education on our technology elements such as having the right IT or AV equipment or something more experiential such as a Video wall with LED tiles can give event planners that WOW factor to make their event stand out to their attendees. Ultimately, viewing us as their strategic partner who they look to for long-term technology solutions.
4. How did you get into the industry?
My first experience in events consisted of selling sponsorships opportunities with an Austin-based event organizer. The gratification I received in helping to connect buyers with sellers and viewing first-hand how marketing their companies through events had such a direct impact on their success prompted me to pursue the events industry even further. Always being somewhat of a techie, the move to an event technology company was the perfect opportunity for me to branch out within this industry.
5. What do you enjoy most about the organization?
In the short time I’ve been with SmartSource, I enjoy the client-first culture that permeates throughout the organization. SmartSource loves their clients and it seems will do anything to make them happy. That’s very refreshing to see in an organization because they clearly understand that we have competitors and we have to do what we can to make and keep our clients happy. As well, SmartSource is already very well-known in the industry so it’s easier to approach new prospects with a strong name behind me.
