* Photograph by Shane Van Boxtel / Image Studios
A-mazing Events LLC
When Joey Reader first started A-mazing Events in 2005, seeing the end result — a successful, smooth event that exceeds her client’s expectations — was her biggest driver.
There’s no denying that is still her ultimate goal. But now as the leader of a 15-person team that executes upwards of 140 events per year, Reader finds great satisfaction in employee development.
“What excites me the most today is seeing my team succeed, watching them have clients of their own and seeing their events be successful through the development processes that we’ve created over the years,” Reader says. “When you have the right people in the right position, great things can happen.”
It’s quite the evolution for Reader, who started her event management business as a solo venture out of her basement. Reader’s leadership style is a big reason her A-mazing Events team nominated her for the Women of Influence award.
“Joey maintains daily consistency through her professionalism and presence, along with a cheerful and approachable demeanor,” wrote Organizational Management Director Kara Lendved. “She prioritizes being available to her team, offering ongoing coaching and support. Recognizing that work is just one aspect of her team members’ lives, Joey acts as a supportive friend when needed, providing space and flexibility to accommodate personal commitments and offering peace of mind.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, sales dropped 47%, but Reader and her team focused on process improvement, updating templates and creating efficiencies. The company also offered complimentary consultations to nonprofit organizations to assist them in navigating new fundraising challenges and strategies.
“We learned on a very fast track how to pull off virtual meetings, events and productions and partnered with great people,” Reader says. “We are such a better company now than we were before COVID.”
To say A-mazing Events has rebounded from the pandemic would be an understatement. Since 2020, the company’s staff has doubled. Reader says the organization typically brings on 10 to 12 new clients a year. Earlier this year, it relocated to a new 5,200-square-foot facility in Kimberly that offers an expanded workspace, multiple conference rooms, production areas and storage facilities. The company is also tripling its existing warehouse space in Appleton, which will allow for improved equipment organization, new resource acquisition and more efficient event load-ups.
“About 80% of our business is repeat events, so that’s one of the reasons why we keep growing,” says Reader, who serves as a member of the Small Business Entrepreneurship Advisory Committee at Fox Valley Technical College. “We keep getting new clients, and when they develop a relationship with us, we show them how easy we can make it. It’s hard for them to not continue to invest in us.”
Based on client feedback, Reader has added three additional divisions beyond event management — organizational management, trade show management and rentals. The organizational management division, which offers professional services such as process development and calendar management, has grown tremendously over the last six years.
“There are things we’re doing today that 20 years ago, I wouldn’t have thought would have been in our realm of work,” Reader says. “A lot of that has to do with just listening to our clients and what their needs are.”
Reader credits monthly meetings with her mentor and coach Vicki Updike for helping her celebrate the wins and enjoy the moment.
“Vicki always says our conversations from five to seven years ago are so different from what they are now, because our business has doubled,” Reader says. “Sometimes I need to take a moment and be present and really just enjoy where things are at because I’m always looking ahead.”
