The event industry lost a good man last week with the passing of Joe Zoratti, or as his industry friends knew him "Expo Joe." You can read his obituary here.
I first met Joe when I had a semester long internship with the Mercer Chamber of Commerce, now known as the MIDJersey Chamber of Commerce. I worked in the office a few times a week helping the staff make phone calls to its members, plan monthly networking luncheons, and organize expos for businesses to showcase their goods and services to the community.
Joe was in charge of the expos for the chamber. He had a "larger than life" personality, was full of great ideas, and had a passion for planning events. Though I was only an intern at the chamber, he made me feel like part of the team. He was excited to give me projects that allowed me to try my hand at organizing an event from behind the scenes. I loved the opportunity to attempt something new. Sometimes I would fail and have to revise my strategy, which is exactly what I do as an events professional to this day.
Expo Joe left me with some important words of wisdom that I currently live by to this day.
“I treat events like cooked spaghetti. I throw ideas at the wall and see what sticks”
This colorful representation of the event industry fits so well with its changing culture. There is always something new us to try, sometimes fail, and try again. Eventually you will get it right and begin to produce quality events that people want to attend.
Expo Joe left a lasting impression on me that I will carry for the rest of my life. You will be greatly missed Joe.