Eddy Eisenberg
The last two years the entire industry of meetings and events has been turned upside down by the COVID pandemic. I left the hospitality event technology industry in March of 2020, after almost 25 years. I found myself on the outside, right as the pandemic started to spread across our planet, homes, offices and hotels.
A pandemic can be a good time for introspection.
One of the most challenging hardships for me was the feeling of isolation. I was cut off from my friends, family, and colleagues.…. I'm sure I was not alone. I spent a lot of time thinking about the state of this industry I'd grown to love so much. Thinking about the things I missed, liked, and disliked about my career in this space; thinking about my next move.
There are so many reasons why I decided to start Pinnacle Live. Among the top of that list is the desire to bring people together with common goals and shared values; to create something meaningful. I realized during the pandemic how much I value the time spent with colleagues, particularly because I make a point to work with people I like, who aren't frightened to be friends. Common wisdom might be to not be friends with your colleagues because keeping some distance allows us to avoid hard conversations or potentially awkward moments. To me, that's a small price to pay for the creativity, passion and fun that thrive in a workplace that feels like a family.
I want to get up every day and be with my friends. Like any friendship, there are good times and bad times…but to create a team that really gels…think about it. The benefits of building an authentic and motivating culture enhances the customer experience and the success of the business. Therefore, at Pinnacle Live:
Our business is all about human connections, and I know I'm not the only one who has missed being face-to-face with my colleagues (my friends).
As I move forward as the leader of Pinnacle Live, I encourage our amazing team to have fun (when we want to), to get serious (when we need to), and to always remember, your friends have your back.
Let's "Dare to Be Friends"