Meet an IDEA Team Member: Matt Taylor
Get to know our Events Operation Manager, Matt Taylor.
Imagine standing in line with hundreds of fitness pros to pick up your registration at the IDEA® World Convention and the internet fizzles out. Or envision walking into a session room where all you see are BOSU® Balance Trainers for a class you thought was about myofascial release. This is the stuff of pure panic for unseasoned trade show operations people, but not for Matt. He takes these moments in stride, solves the problem quickly and moves on without drama. In fact, after 21 years of doing ops work at IDEA, he anticipates and avoids most challenges before the IDEA team even gets on-site.
Matt’s experience and attention to detail are among the chief reasons IDEA events run so flawlessly.
“He is the kind of person who is always willing to help a team member, no matter what he has on his plate,” says Taryn Crowder, director of events and sponsorships. “There has never been a time during the 6 years I’ve worked with him when I didn’t feel like he’d help me or have my back.”
Fast Facts
- Matt is passionate about surfing; being on the waves is his ultimate form of exercise.
- His wanderlust has compelled him to travel the world. A few of Matt’s favorite experiences have been in Tanzania, Amsterdam and Tahiti. Next stops? Israel—and Jerusalem—top the list.
- If he could be any pro athlete, Matt would be Muhammad Ali. “His fights transcend sport. He was a true man of conviction.”
Lightning Round Q&A
Q: What do you love about your job at IDEA?
A: I love the people I work with and the attendees/members I work for. They are such an intelligent, dedicated, selfless group of people, and I feel honored to be part of that community.
Q: If you could spend the day with any fitness industry icon, who would it be?
A: IDEA founders Peter and Kathie Davis, who have had a tremendous impact not only on the fitness industry but on me personally.
Q: If given the gift of time travel, what would you most like to experience?
A: I once read Bob Dylan’s romanticization of early 1960s New York City. The appeal he created for this has always resonated.
Q: What’s your go-to dance move?
A: Does the wallflower count as a dance move?
