THE BIG INTERVIEW: Manish Chandak, President & CEO, Ungerboeck

In this latest industry interview, we hear from Manish Chandak, President and CEO at Ungerboeck, globally renowned as a leading event and venues management solutions company, who recently spoke with Sports Venue Business’ Katie McIntyre via Zoom.

Manish, you have been President & CEO of Ungerboeck for approaching 5 years, being CTO for 11 months prior to that. Can you describe some of your proudest achievements in that time?

Trying to take different systems and integrating and tailoring and adjusting for the events business. In fact we did some on Dynamics CRM platform as well. Everything was custom, maintenance was costly, analytics needed lots of excel files from different systems. 

 

I joined Ungerboeck 5 years ago and the company had a fantastic 30 year legacy and an internationally well known brand in event management.

 

There are several key accomplishments for our team. 

One of our big accomplishments is that we expanded and refined our brand to be the ‘worlds event platform’. This is now reflected in our new logo, website and the way we conduct business. In the worlds event platform, to be worlds event technology platform. Worlds represents 50+ countries. Worlds represents 7 languages. Worlds represents small and very large customers. The event platform represents various market segments that bring people together.

 

Another big accomplishment is the Ungerboeck community

As you may know, we have been very fortunate to be voted as one of the best employer to work for. Happy employees create happy community.

 

Our proudest achievement is that we have ingrained ourselves in the community we serve. We have brought on industry experts in the company. We became an integral part of the industry associations. We created customer panels and advisors.

 

In addition, we created a massive online community. Today, our community boasts of 20,000 members that log in regularly.

 

 

Engineering and Innovation

Last year we grew by 17% organically. We have been profitable every year. We have practically grown our R&D by roughly 15-20% each year during my tenure. Coming from a strong technology and systems integration background, great product engineering is my passion. Driving innovation and leveraging best technology out there to apply to events gives me great joy.

Ungerboeck is globally renowned as a leading event management solutions company. Can you tell us more about your services, clients, and the markets in which you’re involved?

The event industry suffers from numerous point solutions thereby making all event professionals work in spreadsheets. 

 

We look at Ungerboeck as a platform that brings space, visitors, services, suppliers, financials all together and express those through CRM, calendaring, floor planning, financials and visitor management applications. The beauty is that it is easy to add any one of our 50 modules and they all work seamlessly in real-time. All these modules are configured specifically for each industry segment. You can call us the SAP of events – all aspects of supply chain and customers including financials – we are the hub and system of record for most customers

 

Today, we serve, convention centres, conference centres, stadiums, performing arts centres, arenas, corporate university campuses, fairgrounds, local governments, trade fairs, show organisers, kids camps, exhibitions and many hybrid organisations that put on shows and events.

As the doors to sports and events venues remain locked due to COVID-19, Ungerboeck has been busy providing much-needed technology training. Can you tell us more about the learning tools that you’ve launched and the Ungerboeck Unite Industry Summit?

To be honest, as an industry, we haven’t always made digital transformation a priority. That is because we are always busy putting on events and there is never a good time to pause and transform. But now we have a unique opportunity.

 

We have launched a massive initiative to train the end users in the industry. These are not courses for IT people or developers but these are for end users. Courses that help people be effective and efficient in their day to day jobs. 

 

We have created learning paths for a variety of roles and industry segments and these learning paths have short 20-30 minute courses. The system allows users to track their progress and see recommended courses etc. Within 2 months of launching this, we had over 4000 users registered to take courses!!

 

Next, we are launching a certification program. This is essential for professionals in the events industry to differentiate themselves by showing that they are tech savvy, willing to learn. Thus we are launching Associate, Professional and Administrator level certifications.

Finally, how do you foresee the industry evolving post-pandemic?

I foresee the industry to be more efficient and more touch-less. Badges, tickets, security, seating, food – much more efficient and more touch-less in the short term but some of the innovations will be here to stay. Everyone from visitors to organisers will expect high quality self service tools.

 

In the long term, people will value and place even more premium on being together in person. We will evolve to quality over quantity when it comes to in-person experiences.

 

I see events being part of a relationship cycle with the artist or the exhibitor or the  motivational speaker – they may see a team or an artist or an exhibitor, but that is one interaction that is part of their long term relationship. Digital tools will offer continuity in that relationship.

Ungerboeck is a long-standing VIP Sponsor of Sports Venue Business (SVB). For more information on their industry-leading solutions, simply click on their banner advert below…

#arenas #sports #sportsbiz #sportsentertainment #sportsindustry #sportstech #stadia #ungerboeck

ALSD International – Europe’s leading event for the Premium Seat & Sports Hospitality sector – taking place at Liverpool FC’s Anfield Stadium this October, 12-13, will examine how to increase revenue through new builds, renovations, service expansions and the latest technology, and how to recoup lost revenue post COVID-19.

The next edition of ALSD International – organised by the Association of Luxury Suite Directors and Sports Venue Business – will feature a high-level conference, an exhibition hall showcasing the latest products, services & solutions, tours of Anfield, Everton’s Goodison Park and M&S Bank Arena, and numerous networking events, ensuring optimised opportunities to knowledge-share, network and do business.

#ALSDInternational – Europe’s leading event for the Premium Seat & Sports Hospitality sector

#ALSD – Leading the Premium Seat sector for the last 30 years

#sportsvenuebiz

#sportsvenuebusiness – The leading platform for sector news, views & developments