Lessons from 35 Years in Event Productions with ShowTec Founder Jonathan Martin

mgraziano45
Feb 21
3 min read

When you’ve been in the event production and technology business for the past 35 years, you’ve seen every tech shift imaginable – and learned a few lessons along the way. This week on Adventures in Business, Amani and Mandi are joined by Jonathan Martin, Founder of ShowTec, a production company that puts on impactful events worldwide. He shares what has made ShowTec successful through the years, what future he sees for his industry with AI, and what advice he has for students entering the industry.

ShowTec: It’s About the Message

ShowTec was founded in 1991 – basically a lifetime ago, given all the technological advances since. They’re a show technology company that services clients all over the world from their San Diego studios. But at its core, ShowTec helps people communicate more effectively.

Whether it’s corporate events, theater, ballet, or conferences, ShowTec helps people amplify their message. As Jonathan said, “Technology should be transparent. The story should be the hero.”

How ShowTec Has Thrived for 35 Years

35 years in business means ShowTec has survived multiple recessions, industry consolidation, 9/11, the pandemic, and endless technology shifts. So what’s their secret?

Be Real

Jonathan kept it simple: be real, be good at what you do, and listen more than you talk. If you do what you say you can do – consistently – there’s value for you in any economic cycle. The companies that survive are the most trustworthy.

Be Elastic

Jonathan modeled ShowTec after Hollywood production companies, with a small core team that expands and contracts when needed. They were elastic, willing to be wrong, and willing to shift when they needed to.

For example, ShowTec once did massive corporate parties. When the culture shifted and those weren’t aligned with business optics anymore, they pivoted. Their flexibility has allowed them to thrive through more than three decades of change.

Why Production Partners Should Be Involved Earlier

If you’re an event planner, this part is for you. Jonathan made a strong case that production teams should be involved at the same time venues are being selected – not 90 days out.

Why? Because ShowTec can help you avoid hidden costs in venues, contracts, and more. Jonathan encourages listeners to expect more from their production partners, like ShowTec, for the service they can provide to look out for these “gotchas.”

The most successful clients, according to Jonathan, do one thing extremely well: they communicate early and strategically. They bring production partners in years out, align on business goals, and understand the “why” before designing the “what.”

AI and the Future of Events

Of course, we had to ask about AI. Jonathan didn’t sugarcoat it: yes, it will replace some jobs. But he sees it like the evolution from typewriters to word processors. The people who learn to use it as a tool will become more valuable. The ones who ignore it may struggle.

And yet – despite all the technology in the world – he’s even more convinced of one thing: humans will always gather. The pandemic proved that virtual is not enough. We crave the energy, the synography, the shared emotional experience.

As he put it, we got a “gut check” on how essential gathering truly is – and it strengthened the industry.

For Students Entering the Production Industry

Amani asks an important question as a professor: Why should students still join hospitality and events after everything we’ve been through?

Jonathan reminds us that we learned something during the pandemic: gathering is essential. This industry may not always pay like medicine or law, but you get to move people, create energy, and be part of something that matters. And when it works, there’s nothing like it.