Sydney Wolf, 27, works in Minneapolis as Senior Sales Manager at metroConnections. As a 2018 40 Under 40 honoree, Wolf discusses her passion for the events industry.
*Connect with Wolf on Twitter and Instagram.
What I do: I have been working in the event service division at metroConnections since May 2011. With an eye for design and the ability to adapt and enmesh myself within a client’s style guide, brand, and culture, I am able to design innovative activations and large-scale events that work to accomplish client objectives and showcase a corporate brand in a positive and impactful way.
How I got here: I have had a long-standing interest within the events industry, dating back to late high school and early college years when I was involved in a variety of student organizations and internships, including serving as president of the only student-sanctioned chapter of ISES (known now as ILEA) on a college campus in the country. I was involved in a variety of industry internships from working in nonprofit special event planning to general service contracting and tradeshow booth design in Boston, and perhaps most notably the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. I credit much of my hands-on industry experience to my time spent studying at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI, earning a bachelor’s degree in Sports, Entertainment and Event Management with an emphasis in Sales and Meeting Management, as well as earning my MBA in Hospitality within the past year.
Greatest career accomplishment: My greatest career accomplishment has been winning the Summit Award at metroConnections. Within our organization, the Summit Award is the most prestigious honor awarded one-time annually to an employee that goes above and beyond the call of duty, showcases outstanding performance throughout the year, has a great attitude, is dedicated, and displays consistent teamwork.
Impressive stats: I had a record-breaking entry into sales with the best performance of an entry-level salesperson in company history. Year-over-year, I’ve surpassed my goals, set forth by ownership—with my all-time-record ending 2015 at 151 percent of the goal. In addition, I’ve grown our business tied to a nonprofit medical care provider by 222 percent since 2013. Between FY16 and FY17 alone, revenue increased 39 percent with this client, all due to a relationship-based approach to sales.
What I’m working on: I am excited to expand my reach within the events industry through a variety of speaking engagements, presenting at industry shows with partners in the hospitality and tech industries, guest blogging, hosting and visiting podcasts and staying actively involved in local industry organizations.
What I do outside of work: I love working out and riding my bike, going for a walk around the lake, and enjoying
Minnesota sub-zero temperatures on snowmobiles or in the yard sledding with my three nephews (who I love to spoil!),
