Les Goldberg, 49, doesn’t mind admitting he was an “A.V. geek” in high school—the one who was always being called on by teachers to run the projectors and lights. After graduation, that interest led him to purchase a video projector, which he rented to others while he attended college. That marked the start of Goldberg’s company, LMG, and now 32 years later it is a nationwide provider of technology for clients such as SAP, I.B.M., Cisco, and more, and has 400 employees in six states.
“A lot of success is driven by finding something you like to do that gets you excited about going to work every day. I’ve been very fortunate about that, to at a young age find something I’m very passionate about,” Goldberg says.
It’s that passion, along with a close relationship with manufacturers (and a dose of remaining geekiness), that keeps Goldberg on top of emerging trends and new technology. In late 2014, the company unveiled a mobile 4K ultra high-definition system that it says is the first of its kind, producing film-like quality for live event content. New products in development include portable LED message boards, a high-definition “truck-in-a-box” system, and advanced projecting mapping technology.
LMG has also been in the midst of notable growth. Goldberg created a parent company, Event Technology Partners, which now houses the brands of LMG and two companies purchased in 2015: EventEQ, based in Baltimore, and Premier Event Technology, based in Detroit. LMG’s Orlando headquarters also just completed an expansion that added 50,000 square feet to the facility. Meanwhile, Goldberg is focusing on education, with the release last year of his book, Don’t Take No for an Answer: Anything Is Possible, and with regular blog posts. “After 32 years, I have strong opinions about what I think is good for our industry or how we’re impacted if something happens,” Goldberg says. “People can agree, disagree; it doesn’t matter to me. It’s just my position.”
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