Johnny D. Martinez
Head of Marketing & Business Development at Shocklogic Johnny leads the business development and marketing teams at Shocklogic. He has been working with events and associations for nearly 10 years, including roles as Events Coordinator at the Global Poverty Project and Performance Coordinator at One World Week. He is a regular contributor to several event publications, including Exhibition News, Conference News, and Convene Magazine, and he moderates regular discussions on social media on behalf of dozens of organisations. In 2017, Johnny was named one of PCMA’s ‘20 in Their Twenties’ as well as one of the EN ‘30 Under Thirty’.
Presenting on:
- Face-to-face, virtual, and hybrid: Event strategies for a changing world
1. How long have you worked in the events industry and what keeps you interested in it?
Well, I have worked in this industry since I was a teenager, especially when I used to help out John, my father, at events, greeting people at the door, and managing the registration desks. It has been more than a decade since then. What keeps me interested is that no two days are the same, and it means there is a new adventure and surprise every day. This keeps me on my toes all the time.
2. Best (and worst?) moments working in the events industry?
My best moment was in 2016 when I was selected as part of the PCMA ‘20 in their 20s’ class, and I had the opportunity to travel to Austin, Texas where I met so many people from our industry, and made friends for life. It was an incredible experience. I don’t think this is the worst moment, but it is a funny moment. In 2018, when I attended IMEX Frankfurt, I was convinced by my colleagues to get a tattoo on my leg. The New Zealand stand was offering free tattoos. I have no idea how they got permission to do this, but I still have the tattoo today (obviously it is real). When I was lying down to get the tattoo, there were people passing by asking me if they could take a picture of me. I told them that they could have a picture with me if they gave me their business card.
3. What was the last event on which you worked?
The last event I supported that I participated in was the M&IT Awards last Friday. Shocklogic was the ticketing and access control provider at the event. It was amazing to see some members of our team after so long, and meet industry friends that I haven’t seen in a long time.
4. From your experience, how has tech been best utilised at an event? / What’s the best way to utilise tech at an event?
The best way to utilise tech at an event is to make your life easier as an organiser, and also to provide an enhanced experience for the attendee. For example, something as simple as implementing QR codes in confirmation emails and on badges speeds up the check in process onsite and ensures that the right people get through.
5. We all learn from our mistakes! What was the biggest lesson you learned from a mistake since being in the industry?
As a commercial person, I’ve learnt that it’s important to ask as many questions as you can to understand the exact needs of organisers everywhere. Sometimes we become very passionate about our products, and when we meet someone we automatically want to go into sales pitch mode. People pay much more attention when you seem interested in them. Asking questions is essential to bridge this. Speak about yourself and show vulnerability. Some people see vulnerability as weakness, but the more you talk about the reasons for being human, the more people want to connect with you.
6. What are you most looking forward to at Event Tech Live?
Well, I’m particularly interested in the Event Tech Awards, and to see if Shocklogic wins the People’s Choice Award! I am also excited to experience this hybrid format of the show, and meet people onsite, and have real conversations. Despite all the benefits virtual events have, nothing can replace face-to-face interactions.
7. What do events, such as ETL, mean to you?
When I’m at a show, I’m reminded how much I live and grow through the energy of other people. Sometimes I think it’s easy to hide behind your computer screen at virtual meetings, for example you can choose to wear trousers or not, but when you are onsite there’s nowhere to hide. It’s challenging, but enriching at the same time. Sometimes we used to complain about the fact that we were standing all day at the stand, but when you realise that you’ve made dozens of connections from being all in the same place, then it makes all the standing worth it.
9. Which one piece of tech couldn’t you live without?
My Jabra earbuds. I am usually doing many things at the same time, especially when I’m in back-to-back meetings all day. When I need to rush to the loo, the earbuds are amazing because I can also listen to the conversation at the same time.
8. What can our delegates expect to take away from your session at ETL?
I am a member of the Event Industry Council Apex Commission, and for the past year, we’ve been working on a digital and hybrid events guidebook. During my session, I will be presenting and talking about our findings and highlighting key considerations that we have to think about when planning virtual and hybrid events. I will also speak about accessibility, which is very dear to my heart as I am passionate about making sure that tech can be useful even for the least advantaged.
10. Most pointless tech you have purchased?
In my previous house we had an Alexa, and it seemed like a great idea because who doesn’t like ordering things online just using voice recognition? Then we quickly realised that it will take Alexa a few goes to understand what we’re saying, and in the end it was easier finding the info by typing on the phone. So we found it pointless in the end.