Tisch Center Alumni Spotlight: Zachary Tranter, Unicorn Events

Zachary Tranter completed his MS in Hospitality Industry Studies at the Tisch Center in 2016, and currently works as a Senior Project Leader at Unicorn Events. In this post, he reflects on his time at NYU and his career path since graduation.

What has your journey been like after graduating from NYU?

I graduated with a job from an internship that I had while at NYU. My entire career pre-NYU and post-NYU has always been in events. After progressing up the ladder at that event agency, I then took a job leading an events team at the Government of Canada. From there, I took a position to open up an office for Unicorn Events here in New York, which I have been doing for about four months. 

In what ways has your NYU experience had an impact on your career and who you are today?

My NYU experience, in particular, the connections I have made, really helped me in my career. It has given me a really strong support system. Whether that’s from the faculty with whom I am still in contact or my former classmates who I talk to daily. Many of my classmates and I encounter several of the same issues in work and we are able to work out problems and find solutions together. 

What are you passionate about in the work that you do at Unicorn Events?

Unicorn Events is known for our ability to infuse a client's brand into the events and activations that we produce. I am most passionate about how we show value in the increased brand recognition and brand loyalty to our client post-event because of this. Taking events to a deeper level helps to justify the important role live events play in the business environment. Further, it helps to solidify the economic impact of events management to the global economy, shifting our roles from "party planners" to indispensable assets. 

What career advice would you give to current students at NYU? 

Explore everything that you possibly can as a student through internships, apprenticeships and shadowing. You never know what you might actually enjoy unless you have experienced it. Connect with industry associations, such as MPI or HSMAI. There's one for almost every discipline or focus area and it is a great way to network with professionals in the industry and attend some stellar educational events.