Stephen Bowles, 32, works in Orlando as founder and CEO at Shoflo. As a 2017 40 Under 40 honoree, Bowles discusses his passion for the events industry.
*Connect with Bowles on Twitter.
What I do: I lead the amazing Shoflo team as we bring new and innovative ways for event managers and production teams to collaborate on projects. Shoflo is software for event managers to coordinate the build of show rundowns, schedules and more.
How I got here: I have been starting projects and companies my whole life. I freelanced as a live-video director for corporate events for 10 years. I experienced the problem Shoflo solves firsthand, as I would receive paper-based rundowns, make my edits and then someone would drop a new paper version on my desk. I said, “There has to be a better way.” Then I started Shoflo.
My greatest career accomplishment: To have put together a talented group of people at Shoflo and then set out every day to solve problems in innovative ways. I also have a podcast for the event production industry at
production-channel.com.
Impressive stats: I brought new software into an uncharted industry and have grown adoption by 300 percent three years in a row. More than 1,000 events were run through Shoflo in 2016.
A specific improvement I’ve made for clients: Before Shoflo, event managers and production teams overwhelmingly worked in Excel. Moving to Shoflo hands down makes an event run smoother. Everyone gets edits instantly and can personalize these documents according to their role. It’s an entirely new workflow.
What I’m working on: We are working on an offline version of Shoflo, which will be a game changer. We are also offering custom software activations for planners and production teams looking to do more than another PowerPoint presentation with their client. We will be building out custom general session experiences where we can bring attendees into a game show (think “Wheel of Fortune”) or into an immersive presentation that activates their devices and the main screens.
What I do outside of work: I chair a committee on TEDxOrlando; serve kids and teach at my church; travel; and enjoy watching “Star Trek” with my wife, Carly.
Five phrases that identify me: Husband,; Christian; leader; founder; innovator
