Scott Frankel Named Special Events Lifetime Achievement Award RecipientScott Frankel Named Special Events Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Scott Frankel stumbled into the events industry by accident. 

The President of Animatic Media didn’t set out to start an event production and animation company nearly 30 years ago, but rather got sucked in when the clients at his 35mm slide manufacturing job asked him to come onsite and make slide changes. This led to other types of production requests—scenic, AV, talent—and the more he responded to these requests, the more he saw a need he could fill. Not that he knew what he was doing. In fact, nobody at the slide manufacturing company did, but Frankel persisted in figuring it out, learning along the way to meet client requests and improve their events.  

The requests kept coming, which he credits to the fact that he was not in the events industry. His outside perspective allowed him to look at room setups and ask, “Why are you doing it this way?”, leading to the ability to offer fresh approaches and a creative edge. 

A year later, he started Animatic Media. 

Scott Frankel, President of Animatic Media and recipient of the 2025 Special Events Lifetime Achievement Award

Frankel and his team have been figuring it out ever since, not in a catching-up-and-learning-the-ropes way, but in a how-do-we-do-the-next-coolest-thing way. It’s what he calls “the Houdini syndrome,” getting themselves into challenges that require creativity and innovation to achieve. In fact, he’s intrinsically motivated by a good challenge—and needs it, to keep the job interesting. “It’s a blessing and a curse to have the same clients” year after year, he says, noting that his average client has been with him for 15 years. This requires a lot of originality to keep clients impressed. 

To maintain a creative environment, he and his team incorporate theatrics and cutting-edge technology. “I love that part of the process, of kicking ideas out—crazy ideas,” he told Special Events. It’s not only his team he challenges; it’s vendors and partners, too. He brings them into conversations, wondering what new things they’ve seen or what they’ve always wanted to try. For Frankel, nothing is off the table. “Let’s try to do something that sounds crazy.” 

Frankel brings this approach to Catersource + The Special Event each year, adding creative elements to the general session and awards ceremonies. He also offers an educational session, something he’s been doing since the early aughts of the shows, before they were combined. In those days, he felt he could add something valuable while getting his company name out in front of event pros. He started with an AV 101 course that was (and still is) well-received.  

The past few years, however, something has shifted for him. “I genuinely want to give back.” After mastering the business, Frankel sees the ways that he can demystify confusing event components for other event pros, passing on knowledge he’s gained throughout the years. He’s even started adding self-help aspects to his sessions—“how not to have a nervous breakdown in this business,” for instance—and validating the imposter syndrome that the industry often creates. “We’re all human, we’re all dealing with the same thing,” he says, knowing that it’s important for event pros to hear these words.

Animatic Media offers services for all kinds of events, elevating key moments. Photo courtesy Scott Frankel

There are other lessons Frankel has learned throughout the years. “You can never be too paranoid about backup plans,” he affirms, noting that on more than one occasion his team thinks his paranoia is overkill. Nevertheless, in an industry where any number of things can go wrong, Frankel knows it’s important to have plans B, C, D, E, and F on board. “You can’t overprepare,” he says. “The show must go on.” 

Other things he knows to be true: you can’t be afraid to manage your client. “Don’t be afraid to push back. Don’t settle.” 

Over the course of his career, he’s learned more than important lessons; he’s also learned how to implement some of the latest technology before most of his peers have attempted it. Currently, that looks like what the team calls “intelligent content,” in which they program a static object that an attendee will see with augmented reality, so that a whole other experience happens via a smartphone. “We’re always out there looking for cool new stuff.” They used virtual event platforms to survive COVID, and back in the day, they used the first form of motion capture technology to create an animated video for a client—way before most people were using it.  

“I look back and think we were crazy for trying it out,” he reflects, “but we got it done.” 

Frankel has helped produce the General Sessions of TSE for several years. Photo courtesy Scott Frankel

Frankel’s ability to jump onboard with new technology while managing risks (using experience he’s learned throughout his career) is what makes him stand out. It’s that same desire to bring the best and most creative ideas to his clients that makes him enjoy working on CS+TSE. “I’ve always been proud of the stuff I’ve done since I’ve been running the general session room of Catersource + The Special Event. I’ve always been very proud of that because the feedback that we’ve always gotten from anybody—nobody is ever disappointed...it’s such a critical audience.” Impressing event pros is a challenge he enjoys. 

Perhaps most of all, Frankel’s success can be credited to his ability to hear the subtext of his clients’ goals. “We really listen to what they want to accomplish.” Between goodwill and a good challenge, Frankel goes the extra mile to lead his team on events of all sizes and repute, bringing a creative edge that brings clients back each year.  

It is for his willingness to rise to the challenge day in and day out, and the impact that he has had on the events industry, that Special Events has named Scott Frankel the 2025 Special Events Lifetime Achievement Award recipient. 

Besides speaking at CS+TSE, Frankel offers advice and education at events across the industry. Photo courtesy Scott Frankel

Hear from Scott Frankel in person at Catersource + The Special Event! 

Hot Trends in AV for Events and where to get it: In-House Vs. Outside AV

Event planners move fast but technology moves faster. This session will lend insight into the hottest trends in event-related technology. This comprehensive session will show you case studies of how these technologies work. Scott Frankel will also expose the truths about “The Great Debate” of using in-house AV vs bringing in an outside company and how to make that possible. 

Tech to be covered includes video mapping, holographic video, augmented reality while also focusing on traditional AV and what you need to know. Learn the action items you can implement TODAY! 

David Merrell (AOO Events, Inc.) accepting an award at the 2024 CS+TSE Awards Ceremony, produced by Frankel and his team. Photo courtesy Ivan Piedra Photography/AGNYC Productions, Inc.

It’s Time to Celebrate 

Join us in celebrating this year's Leadership Award recipients at our annual Awards Ceremony on Thursday, February 27th at 5:30 p.m. on the Keynote Stage.  

Considered by many to be the Oscars night of the events and catering industry, during the Awards Ceremony the Leadership, ACE, Gala, and CATIE awards are bestowed upon the best of the best in our industry. Cheer on the nominees and applaud award recipients as they take the stage to accept our industry’s highest honors!  

Congratulations to this year's winners and we look forward to celebrating with everyone this February! 

More information can be found at https://informaconnect.com/catersource-thespecialevent/

Sneak Peek!

Learn some fun facts about Scott Frankel in his Event Chair Profile.