Bobby Badalamenti
Director, Siemens Event Management Services
Siemens Corp.
For always keeping both the customer and the enterprise in mind
Many Mentors
I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have so many people contribute to my career successes. My parents always reinforced—through words and actions—traits that today are the subject of endless TED talks. Their “three Rs”: be relentless in my pursuits, resourceful when I don’t think I have a clue, and resilient in the face of failure. They also taught me the power of humor!
I’ve also found great teachers and role models at Siemens. Jack Bergen, former SVP of corporate communications and marketing, opened my eyes to the idea that my skills in event planning could be the foundation for a bigger, broader career in event management. He taught me how to harness my strengths to be more effective and entrepreneurial. Paula Davis, former lead of media relations and sponsorships, pushed me to step outside of my comfort zone, raise my game, and expand my communications skills, which gave me more confidence to influence and lead others. Today, I work for Steven Schoen, who encourages me to innovate and elevate the performance of our team and company. He has been an incredible sponsor, helping to sell my ideas and secure support for our business model and capabilities.
SMM: Getting Going
Ask questions of the leaders in this field. Be sure to have executive sponsors and one or two examples of a “win”—numbers don’t lie! And essential to success is to align with a meeting requestor (or two) and take them with you: Your program is their voice. Your customer’s input is essential to success.
SMM: Keep Evolving
Our program is in a constant state of evolution, and we are focused on innovation. In particular, we look at ways to leverage our technology to allow for greater transparency in the meetings space. We have created a trade show request form and a project request form so we can now develop dashboards that speak to the total book of business.
Up Next
We are working on several initiatives with a focus on putting the customer first and improving our agility, speed, and a common sense of purpose. For example, Siemens Event Management Services is hosting a webinar series called SEMS’ Industry Insights. The objective is to engage our customers. We ask for the topics they are interested in (such as hotels, technology, marketplace trends)—and have the appropriate supplier give a presentation followed by a Q&A.
Creative Spirit
Interestingly enough, I feel most creative and innovative when I find a practical, efficient, and effective solution to a complex challenge.
Favorite Career Advice
Nothing learned is ever wasted.
Got a Spare Hour?
I would read!
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