Expert consulted for this article:
Courtney Samuels
Process Improvement Manager
For years, show organizers ran on something powerful but invisible: trust. Trust in their Account Executive. Trust that every detail — the orders, the timelines, and the logistics — was being handled with care on their behalf.
And at Shepard, that trust was earned. But even the strongest partnerships have room to grow.
So, we sat down with Courtney Samuels, Shepard’s Process Improvement Manager, to get an inside look at what that growth actually looks like. Samuels works inside the OrganizerApp on a regular basis and has watched it evolve from a concept into something organizers now rely on every single day. It is a platform built not to replace that trust, but to deepen it.
The problem OrganizerApp was built to solve
Before OrganizerApp existed, show organizers had no direct line of sight into their own orders. If they wanted a status update, there was only one option: call the AE and ask.
“It was built entirely on trust with their AE,” Samuels explains. “There was no way for organizers to check things themselves.”
OrganizerApp flipped that dynamic entirely. Organizers now get firsthand access to order progress, tracking, and critical path details, all in a single place, instead of scattered across emails, calls, and spreadsheets. As Courtney puts it, the shift has been “a complete 180.”
Beyond order tracking: critical path, resources, proofs, and event documents
We asked Samuels what separates OrganizerApp from how other companies manage the organizer’s relationship, and she doesn’t point to a feature list. She points to intent.
“The goal for this platform was to create a seamless experience rather than just an ordering system,” she says. Beyond order tracking, the OrganizerApp brings everything an organizer needs into one place. Their Critical Path — a shared project timeline that keeps both the organizer and the Shepard team aligned on deadlines and deliverables — lives right alongside their resources, proofs, and event documents. Organizers can submit and track proofs for approvals, store and reference important materials, and manage the moving pieces of their event without bouncing between disconnected tools or waiting on an email chain to get answers.
Shared visibility builds real partnership
Giving organizers direct visibility isn’t just a convenience, it changes the nature of the relationship itself. Mistakes get caught earlier. Risks get flagged sooner. Both sides have skin in the game.
“It shifts the relationship from transactional to collaborative,” Samuels says. When both Shepard and the organizer are looking at the same information at the same time, conversations stop being about catching each other up and start being about moving forward together.
Easy to pick up, even for first timers
A common worry with any new platform is the learning curve. Samuels says that hasn’t been an issue. Customers consistently describe OrganizerApp as user-friendly and intuitive, similar enough to systems they’ve already used that the transition feels natural rather than disruptive.
Copy orders: the feature most organizers don't know they have
When we asked Samuels what’s underrated inside the app, she didn’t hesitate: “Without a doubt, copy orders.”
If an organizer has an event that closely mirrors a previous one, they can pull their old orders and graphics directly into the new event, then make edits from there instead of starting from scratch. For organizers running similar shows year after year, that alone can save a significant amount of time.
But it doesn’t stop there. Organizers can also build their own checklists and custom reminders, making the app a personal project hub that extends well beyond their Shepard orders.
It’s a reminder that OrganizerApp was built to support how organizers actually work, not just how orders get placed.
Enhancing the relationship, not replacing it
Some organizers might assume that more self-service means less human connection. Samuels sees the opposite happening.
“It changes their relationship outside of the system,” she says. “It doesn’t replace the communication already in place, it just enhances it.” With logistics and status updates handled inside the app, conversations with the AE shift toward strategy, less time confirming order details, and more time planning for the show itself.
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What's next
OrganizerApp hasn’t finished evolving. According to Samuels, the team is working toward bringing all order types into the platform, along with invoicing and pricing tools that would let organizers track their budget in real time, right alongside their orders.
One thing Samuels wants every organizer to know
If there’s one takeaway Samuels hopes sticks with organizers before their first event, it’s this: the platform gets better the more they use it.
“The more you engage, the more you benefit,” she says. “The more feedback you give, the better shot you have of us making this something you would want to use.” OrganizerApp already has a lot to offer, but Samuels is clear that customer feedback is what shapes where it goes next, and how well it’s tailored to fit each organizer’s needs.
OrganizerApp is Shepard’s platform for giving show organizers direct visibility, tools, and collaboration built around their events, because a great show starts with a great partnership.
