Jennifer Kellogg is the VP of operations at MeetingPlay, an all-in-one virtual, hybrid and in-person event platform based in Frederick, Md.
How I got my start in event technology: In 2012, when I was leading Marriott International’s corporate events team, the company was embarking on an initiative called the Future of Meetings to understand where technology fit into events. I was involved in testing multiple app products and learned a lot about this technology before it was being broadly utilized. We focused on a couple companies, and MeetingPlay came out on top. From then on, my team worked with MeetingPlay almost exclusively for websites, registration, mobile apps, lead retrieval and more. My involvement as a client of MeetingPlay—and learning side-by-side with them about how technology can enhance events—invigorated my interest in event tech and led me to working in the event technology field.
Why I'm passionate about event tech: Our entire lives are managed by technology now—we can’t live without our devices. So while the pandemic triggered the move to virtual, it’s no surprise that hybrid events remain with no end in sight. Our new normal is event tech powering events, and the global reach is unmatched.
Where I see event tech in the future: There’s a general concern from event organizers about losing interpersonal interaction by continuing to hold virtual events, but technology has been an immense driving force behind social connectivity for the past 20 years. Now the world connects daily using hundreds of social media platforms. Why would the way we connect at events be any different? People enjoy working remotely; they want to spend more time with friends and family and, for some, traveling to events and conferences isn’t as appealing anymore. Flexibility is key and hybrid events provide that. I see even more innovation in event tech in the future where companies offer 360-degree solutions for all event tech to meet the growing needs of event organizers and to excite the attention of event attendees.
My advice to other women breaking into the field: If it’s something you’re interested in, and especially if it’s something you love, don’t stop until you get there. There are so many opportunities for women in event tech; you just have to find what’s right for you and go after it! We have had numerous women join MeetingPlay in one capacity and then decide they wanted to work in a different division they were more passionate about, and we paved the way for them to get there. My mom taught me that “if you don’t ask, you don’t get,” and I live by that in everything I do.
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