Tracy Judge, MS, CMP describes herself as courageous, creating and as an outgoing introvert. Learn more about her.
What I do: My greatest is strength is making connections, and I am fortunate to regularly use that strength to create synergistic relationships between freelancers and organizations looking for meeting and event support.
How I got here: I spent my career learning about the meetings and events industry holding positions in on-site operations, hotel sourcing, proposal development, sales and account management and as executive leadership for meeting management companies. In recent years, I started to observe how the tech industry, in particular, began to leverage the gig economy and while it’s still a fairly new practice in many industries, I believe it will be the new standard in talent acquisition. I realized that I could start a business in the meeting and event industry that embraces technology and innovation, and yet maintains strong connections with people.
Greatest career accomplishment: The courage to leave a full-time job to start my own business—and after two years have it thriving! Through Soundings Connect, I can support others on this journey. In 2020, I am proud to serve on MPI’s International Board of Directors.
Impressive stats: I founded Soundings Connect in 2018 and doubled my revenue in 2019. I’ve also incrementally increased the number of Soundings Connect clients each quarter and hired employees. Finally, at the last company I worked at before I started Soundings Connect, I grew the revenue in the meetings and incentives division by 330% in less than four years.
Specific improvement I’ve made: I have implemented a whole infrastructure to support my business over the last two years. Technologies include a CRM, marketing automation tool, financial technologies, human resources technologies and more. All of these efforts have led us to our goal of building an innovative network of freelance meeting and event professionals that allows freelancers to thrive and organizations to find the best talent.
What I do outside of work: In 2020, I will be serving on the MPI International Board of Directors and will continue as a mentor for the San Diego State University’s Master’s in Meeting and Event Management program. I also love to attend speaking engagements where I can share my insights with fellow meeting and event professionals.
