Stepping into my New Role at Caster

I remember my first CEDIA Expo incredibly clearly. It was the final year in Atlanta, and I was just a few months into my job with CEDIA, my very first professional job out of college.

I was in awe that this company would pay to send me to this show. Little did I know that the shock and awe was far from over. From the second my poorly chosen shoe hit that show floor (come on, we’ve all done it), I was all in. From the audio demos that you could feel reverberating across the show floor like an event heartbeat to the dazzling displays, I couldn’t have dreamed up a world like this.

Now, don’t misunderstand me. I didn’t join CEDIA with a deep love for technology. I didn’t have big opinion on it, to be totally honest. But I had two PR internships with non-profits under my belt, and my experience working with boards and volunteers and helping write their stories contributed to me getting the job.

When I stepped on that show floor, the world that I had been learning about from the office came to life. It clicked – I got to meet the press I had been talking to for months, I got to chat with CEDIA volunteers who felt like long lost friends, and I got first-hand experience with the technology that everyone was talking about.

When you work in PR for CEDIA, you quickly become acquainted with the firms that serve the space. It was not long before I started getting to know Kim and the Caster Team. When I got to spearhead the #CEDIATweeps Social Media Team to drive awareness and attendance for CEDIA Expo, the Caster Team was quick to support and have team members participate. #CEDIATweeps still tops my list for favorite projects while I have been at CEDIA – the relationships that were forged through that program have been worth their weight in gold.

Over my 10+ years at CEDIA, I have been able to work with some of the most passionate people on the planet. My project portfolio has ranged from white papers to websites, strategy messaging to a full and total rebrand, to my recent campaigns to raise the profile of CEDIA with the design and build community. With each passing year, my love and sheer respect for technology, innovation, and the people behind it has grown exponentially.

Working for CEDIA has been the best training ground to see the broad view of how technology impacts our everyday lives.

Oh, and does technology have an impact! As so many of us (myself included) have been working from home during the pandemic, technology has quite literally been keeping us working.  I will admit the transition to remote work was a bit daunting at first. But just like that first CEDIA Expo, it eventually clicked.

The result? I’m here – joining the Caster Team – and I am beyond thrilled! Any time I thought of pursuing a new opportunity outside of CEDIA, I hated the thought of leaving the industry, and in “precedented times” I don’t know that I ever would have seriously considered a remote position.

Today I get the best of all worlds. I get to stay in this industry that I love, keeping my CEDIA friends close by. I get to expand my knowledge in other areas of tech.  And finally, I get to join a team I have long admired, with the opportunity to take the skills I’ve learned at CEDIA and continue to expand them.

I can’t wait to dive in with the team and with Caster’s roster of amazing clients.  I’m ready to hit the ground running – because when you work in PR, that’s always the case right? This time, though, I’ll be sure to wear the right shoes.

I’d love to connect with you on Twitter. Reach out to me at @oh_selke.