Travis Huckaby

Responsibilities

Event staff responsibilities include but are not limited to: scanning tickets using a mobile scanner, greeting guests as they enter the facility, providing directions in the arena, answering questions pertaining to events and promotions, and serving as a resource in the event of an emergency while maintaining a positive, customer-focused attitude. I also had the opportunity to setup various events at Hilton Coliseum.

Accomplishments

My greatest accomplishment was experiencing different roles and responsibilities in support of Iowa State Athletic events. I had the opportunity to welcome thousands of fans as I scanned tickets and provided guest services for athletic events at Hilton Coliseum. I also was fortunate to participate in setup and teardown of different events. I have always enjoyed watching the best athletes perform on the field or court, but in the same sense I am always impressed when I see execution of a great fan experience. My education and internship have afforded me the practical experience that comes with trying to ensure fans have the best experience possible. Having witnessed many sporting events and now having worked behind the scenes in the same events, I am reminded that it takes many dedicated people behind the scenes with a common vision and goal to ensure each and every event is a memorable one!

Learning experience

The internship opportunity reminded me that there are many personnel behind the scenes, that far outnumber the number of players and coaches, that help to produce every athletic event. No matter what career I head toward after graduation, I will endeavor to treat every opportunity to serve someone as an opportunity to exceed their expectations. I will also strive to always learn new ways of doing things. There are so many bright minds and coupled with technology that changes every day, I have to be willing to change the way things may have been done. Finally, my internship has shown me how no matter the profession, we must be willing and able to adapt to a changing environment. Some people call these shifting priorities, no matter the term, I have to be willing to adapt if the best laid plans don’t go quite as planned.

What advice would you give?

My advice for future Event Management students is to aggressively pursue each and every opportunity you can. This will not only provide you with the work-related experience that employers may look for but will likely make you more marketable as a stellar team player, not just someone who will show up to work and do just the bare minimum expected. I also believe you should treat everyone you encounter, from a potential CEO, supervisor, coworker or customer, as you want to be treated. As Maya Angelou famously said, "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."