Annie Durham is a Customer Service Supervisor at Shepard. Based in Orlando, Florida, she’s been with the company since 2018.
How she got her start: A natural extrovert, Annie worked in the service industry throughout college and found that she “loved the personal interactions and lively atmosphere,” she remembers. Upon graduation, she shifted her focus to jobs offering tuition reimbursement while pursuing her master’s degree and stumbled across a job listing for a traveling customer service representative at Shepard.
“I had never heard of this side of trade shows, but I thought travel and tuition reimbursement sounded fun,” she says with a laugh. “Within three months of joining Shepard, I gave up my master’s degree pursuit because I absolutely fell in love with the job.”
Annie quickly discovered her role resonated deeply with the aspects she loved about the service industry. “I loved going to the different shows and meeting new people,” she explains. “Similar to my previous service job, I was interacting with so many different people every day, ensuring that no two days were alike. I joined Shepard in 2018, and essentially, I never looked back.”
Why she loves events: Annie enjoys the extensive travel her job entails, taking her across the U.S. and to destinations like Puerto Rico and Canada. More than that, she values the opportunity to peek over the fence into other industries.
“There’s a trade show for literally anything and everything—things that I didn’t even know existed,” she observes. “From machinery expos to dental expos, it’s fascinating to immerse myself in these industries, even if only briefly. The fast-paced, dynamic nature of it all keeps me energized and engaged. I thrive in that environment.”
Why she loves working at Shepard: Annie loves working at Shepard because of its unique culture, which she describes as a “warm, fuzzy, family vibe.” “I’ve connected so well with everyone here. I’ve never experienced anything like it in another job, where everyone genuinely gets along,” she says.
Memorable moment: Whenever a new hire joins the team, Annie likes to recount her experience working on the Clean Show in New Orleans shortly after joining Shepard. “I spent 18 days straight in New Orleans with a team I had never met or worked with. I was the new kid on the block—and I was welcomed with open arms.”
Annie quickly formed tight friendships with the other women on the team. “It felt like sleepaway camp. We had dinner every night, breakfast every morning, and we even had sleepovers and TV watch parties in each other’s hotel rooms,” she reminisces. “The hours were long, but it was worth it.”
Having those unique bonding experiences with passionate colleagues is something Annie cherishes about Shepard and the event industry. “I’m still friends with those girls—so much so that we had stickers and pins made that said, ‘Shepard Camp’ with our faces on it!” she exclaims. “I request to be on the Clean Show every year.”
Where she finds inspiration: In her role as a Customer Service Supervisor, Annie loves being a problem-solver, describing it as a high akin to a caffeine injection. “It’s exhilarating to meet someone where they’re at, understand their completely unique problem, and then exceed their expectations by solving it,” she says. “Problem-solving is my favorite thing to do. I feel like a detective, figuring out what’s going on and how to fix it.”
How she spends her free time: Annie resides on a 10-acre farm with her husband, cherishing moments gardening and enjoying the outdoors with her animals, including two horses. “It’s my little sanctuary,” she says. Additionally, they live half a mile from a lake, where they indulge in water sports such as wakeboarding, paddleboarding, boating, and surfing. “We’re outdoorsy people.”
The advice she’d give her younger self: “When I hear this question, I immediately hear, ‘What would you change?’—but I wouldn’t change anything or advise myself any differently, because then I wouldn’t be exactly where I am right now,” Annie says. “I’ve experienced challenging and truly rewarding moments, but ultimately, they led me right here. And I love where I am.”
However, there is one nugget of wisdom she’d make a point to share with her younger self: “Be patient and hang in there. If it’s not a happy ending, it’s not the end yet.”
