Shining a spotlight on the year’s top brand ambassadors and temporary event staffers
Brand ambassadors and temporary event staffers. They represent millions of dollars in marketing investments across the frontlines of live experiences in the U.S. event industry seven days a week, all year long. They are the first line of contact customers have with your brand, and yet, they’re often the most overlooked assets of event programs.
Until now. Event Marketer and leading event staffing technology partner Shiftgig (shiftgig.com) this year partnered to create the world’s first Brand Ambassadors of the Year program to recognize the tireless work of the industry’s temporary staffers.
The sector’s event agency community was invited to nominate their best non-salaried staffers in April. Nominations included deep dives into each person’s brand ambassador pedigree, campaign experience, examples of their going above and beyond at events, and more. From the pool of entries, judges selected the 10 men and women who best portrayed the actions, attributes and characteristics of a brand ambassador.
All 10 were flown to Chicago on May 3 and inducted as the first Brand Ambassadors of the Year during the Ex Awards gala at the Experiential Marketing Summit.
“Nothing and nobody can make or break an event campaign like brand ambassadors can,” says Shiftgig executive vp and longtime industry vet Jay Lenstrom. “By recognizing the best staffers, we are recognizing the unconditional importance of having the best staffs powering live experiences.”
As you’ll read on these next few pages, some staffers stumbled upon the industry. Others found a natural pathway through their passion for promotion. All of them agree that it’s one of the most rewarding gigs out there, whether you pursue it part-time or full-time. We sat down with each member of this “first class of awesome” to find out who they are, how they got started in the industry, their most memorable staffing roles and advice they have for other brand ambassadors and event marketers, alike.
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