Jason Katz, 53, is the founder and president of Atmosphere Event Communications, a Montreal-based event planning company. He's also a mentor and innovation coach for young entrepreneurs, and a board member at the Donald Berman Maimonides geriatric center.
How I got here:
At the age of 14, I started DJing basement parties. By the time I was 16, I was working for a larger production company in Montreal where I continued to DJ, but was also given the opportunity to learn about all the technical side of production: sound, lighting, and video. In those years I became a lead in sales and began dealing with customers, planning their events, and executing them with a high level of detail and precision.
In 1992, I started a new company where we took care of every aspect of the event—theme parties, DJ services, lighting, sound, video, decor. In 1997, we started providing the services to corporate customers for events like holiday parties and summer events. I quickly realized the larger potential in corporate events was sales meetings, product launches, and major milestones.
In 1999, my agency produced the Canadian portion of a massive event for a global pharmaceutical company's 150th anniversary. The commemoration was a great success by all standards—but it triggered a reflection that changed my philosophy. This company had spent millions of dollars worldwide on an event that had lasted only three hours.
I asked myself, "Is there a way to maximize the investment and extend the value beyond the event day?" And this led to an incredible accomplishment and a new way of thinking for events. This question led me to my greatest career accomplishment.
Greatest career accomplishment:
I did something that no event agency was doing at the time: I started focusing on everything that comes after the event. In 2015, we tested our theory with a global retail brand. We produced their 25th anniversary in Florida—350 managers, three days of training sessions, awards, and parties.
But following the event, we brought the learning and the messages to approximately 10 times the amount of employees that, due to costs, did not attend the event. We developed a “meeting-in-a-box.” The package was sent to every single one of the brand's retail stores in North America, and it included training sessions, video tutorials, and quarterly magazines showcasing the best of the brand.
The results were outstanding: 99% of retail associates felt the objectives and action steps were completely clear, and the organization exceeded its sales objectives by 7%. They [are still] using the program we designed for them.
A specific improvement I’ve made:
The previous example was a game changer and a major improvement for our clients, our agency, and the industry. Events can be quite frivolous; wasted opportunities are everywhere. It’s the perfect time to make a change—especially post-COVID, in an era where content is more important than ever, and budgets and resources are scarce.
From a personal point of view, I have taken COVID as an opportunity to reflect on my life with family and only to work with customers and like-minded individuals that want to benefit from creating profitable events that drive value for attendees and the companies they work with. Time is precious—don’t waste it.
The biggest change I've observed in the industry:
Post-COVID, stakeholders have come to realize the value of content. I really think they are starting to understand how audiences need to be spoon-fed the message. It needs to be engaging, and most importantly, [clients] need to have the budget to create the content and not just the budget for the logistics of the event. Digital events played a huge factor in this.
What I do outside of work:
I spend a lot of time outdoors, kayaking, hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing. I love going to concerts and festivals. I get immersed in other people’s creativity.
Life is my lab, and I spend a lot time with my family and friends—always curating mini experiences for them and always finding ways to make meals and gatherings special. It’s always an event!
My No. 1 piece of career advice I'd give my younger self:
Stay in school, get a degree in law and business, and then venture out into the unknown. But always be curious, resourceful, and tenacious. Lean in, and things that are meant to happen will happen!
Connect with Katz on LinkedIn and Instagram, and with Atmosphere Event Communications on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Connect x BizBash 15 Over 50 is sponsored by Zoom Events, a comprehensive virtual event platform with the power to create hybrid and virtual event experiences attendees will love. Learn more at events.zoom.us.
