Get to Know Your JSAer: Amy Chovanec, Our In-House Virtual Events Expert

As our world makes a sudden shift to all things virtual to align with social distancing guidelines, our clients are turning to our in-house virtual events expert: Amy Chovanec. As events director at JSA, Amy assists tech and telecom clients with everything from changing an in-person conference to a virtual format to planning, marketing and executing a successful lead-generating webinar.

Truly an event “Jane of all trades”, we are putting the spotlight on Amy in today’s “Get to Know Your JSAer”.

Amy, tell us what drew you to event management – and ultimately into the telecom industry.

I became interested in event management during my college days and upon graduation, began my career with Chicago Special Event Management, where I produced street festivals, concerts, runs and a variety of other public events in the area. At one point I felt like I was ready to make the next step in my career and a friend of mine introduced me to an opportunity in the telecom industry – and I have been here ever since! I never would have thought that my initial job in the industry would have opened so many doors to great opportunities, relationships and, eventually, my position here at JSA.

What is your favorite thing about JSA?

Definitely what I’ll call the “JSA love”. The company culture and strong support from the whole JSA team is so empowering and motivating – it’s unlike anything I’ve experienced anywhere else. The interactions that we have with each other – whether virtual or in-person – are so genuine and uplifting, and ultimately makes me driven to work even harder for my team and my clients.

What advice would you give a company that has never considered a virtual event?

Virtual events have never been so important as they are right now to ensure you are maximizing engagement with your clients and potential leads. Though anyone can send around a Zoom link and call it a “virtual event”, a successful, impactful virtual gathering involves strategy, planning and flawless execution. For those who have never considered a virtual event, I encourage them to look at all the possibilities – from thought leadership to lead generation – and jump into it sooner than later with a thought-out strategy to capitalize on opportunities.

If you could pick three words to describe yourself, what would they be and how have these personality traits helped you in your career?

I would describe myself as outgoing, confident and determined. I am not afraid to immerse myself into a social situation and speak up, which has helped me build impactful relationships with our clients. These traits have also helped me take on leadership roles to spearhead multi-faceted projects and be laser-focused on all the details required for successful event execution.