Condit Exhibits is proud to announce that Matt Wolf has been promoted from senior designer to design director as of June 2022.
With a degree in industrial design from the University of Illinois, Matt serendipitously found his path in the tradeshow industry.
“I didn’t know the tradeshow industry existed until I happened to apply for a design position at Derse,” Wolf said. “The job description asked for ‘cool people who listen to good music,’ and I thought, ‘Hey, yeah – that’s appealing to me!’ I stumbled into tradeshows, and I haven’t left!”
“I have had the pleasure of working with Matt at two different exhibit companies over the last decade,” says Donnie McDonald, Condit’s VP of Operations. “I have been a fan of his playful and deliberate style of design from the beginning. The tightrope balancing act of coordination between design and production to realize his visions is always an enjoyable one with Matt. We have done some pretty awesome work together including an exhibit with a full-size vintage WWII tank designed using the heaviest architecture I have ever had to apologize to the production crew for. Exciting to know we have so many unexplored adventures ahead of us!”
Matt’s personal interests include mountain biking, home improvement, camping, and hitting the gym. He has honed his professional skills through roles at Derse, PG Exhibits, and extensive freelance exhibit design.
In fact, he started at Condit as a freelance exhibit designer nearly a decade ago, collaborating with Senior Design Keita Usuda and now-President Kevin Trainor, supervised directly by CEO Mike McGowan.
“Since I had freelanced for Condit on and off for a couple years, Mike was my main contact, and he was the one who called me to say, ‘We need you over here.’ I used to come into the office with Kevin and Keita on big projects for weeks at a time, and we meshed really well. One day, Kevin and I made plans to meet for some food and beers near his house, and on that day, Mike did a Mike thing™️ and offered me the job before I even spoke to Kevin about it. So, Kevin and I are having food and drinks, and he asks me how interested I was in Condit and joining the team full-time. I say to him, ‘Well, Mike made me an offer today, and I accepted!’ Kevin looks up, says ‘Ok, great, welcome aboard!’”
Matt believes Condit’s major strength lies in its versatile and well-rounded team, in design and beyond.
“I think that our biggest strength and best recruitment angle is that, throughout the company, we’re a very well-rounded crew of creatives – no matter the position or the skill set,” said Wolf.
“Matt is a fun, easy going fella who will always lend an ear whenever you need to chat. He is creative and incredibly educated in construction methods that help his crazy-cool ideas come to fruition. His knowledge of the exhibit industry is only second to his knowledge of sneakers and hats,” says Exhibit Designer Ming Chew.
Ming continued, “In design, each designer has a style and certain esthetic that is reflective of one’s personality. I love collaborating with him because of our different approaches and how we brainstorm and discuss to produce solutions to our clients that stand out and hitting goals.”
In his new role, Matt hopes to bring continued growth to Condit and create a more streamlined design process between the Denver and Chicago offices.
“I want to build upon what we’ve already done in terms of thinking creatively, thinking unusually and continuing down that path,” Wolf says.
“Matt is the ideal choice to move into the role of Design Director, and I couldn’t be happier or more excited to see how he shapes the Design Department,” says President Kevin Trainor. “Funny, personable, talented, he’s a perfect fit for Condit’s culture. But he’s also highly organized, and his deft handling of what can be a complicated design workload keeps the entire company on track.”
VP of Sales Jenny Koehn echoed similar sentiments, “I’m thrilled for Matt to take the reins as design director at Condit! He’s always been on the cutting edge of design, thinking beyond straight lines and challenging our manufacturing team to build the nearly impossible! Matt’s aesthetic is modern, architectural, and minimalist, often harnessing geometry to enhance the brand presence. Our clients are dazzled by Matt’s presentation skills and his ability to connect with their products and services. On a lighter note, I really appreciate Matt’s humor, and it’s not uncommon to hear laughter spilling out of his office. I’m excited to work hand-in-hand with Matt to strengthen the relationship between sales and design and grow the business together! Well deserved, buddy!”
President Kevin Trainor, who held the design director position previously, continues, “Most importantly, Matt is passionate about design; a true designer’s designer, he brings a level of thoughtfulness and craft to every project he works on that is unrivaled. His designs are unmistakable…. bold, inspiring, even profound. They stand out in a crowded field, and the benchmark he sets is going to take the entire design team to new heights. Keep an eye on him. He’s going to do great things.”
