After Matt Duelka finished a degree at Ithaca College in Documentary Filmmaking, he “fell into” freelancing for field events, pop-up events as well gorilla marketing for youth sports, often through Nike. His non-traditional background ultimately led him into experiential marketing with MKTG, where he worked across a diverse portfolio of brands.
After several years in experiential marketing, Matt made a strategic career move to Barclays Investment Bank, where he spent six years managing global events. There, he honed his expertise in overseeing conferences and trade shows across a wide range of venue types. About this time, he and his wife moved to Rochester, NY and he returned to working at an experiential agency, where he also developed a fascination with AV and technology.
Having followed Cheshire AV’s work, Matt proactively reached out to Justin, emphasizing his project management expertise and strong customer service orientation. His background proved to be an ideal match for one of Cheshire’s newly created roles in production.
Immediately upon hire, Matt jumped into working on the Rocket NFL Super Bowl activation, an ideal fit, and the experiential project felt like “coming home.” Throughout the planning and execution phases, shifting priorities and unexpected challenges required constant adaptation. Both No Hot Ashes, the experiential direction studio partner, and Matt embraced this fast-paced environment, remaining agile and solutions-focused. He also credits the broader Cheshire team for their collaborative approach and ability to adjust in real time.
When asked about his philosophy, he says, “There’s never a ‘no’ to a client request, there’s always ‘yes, buts…. I love being flexible and able to work with whatever’s given to me, but I also like to be super transparent with clients. You can do anything, but there’s always going to be some trade-offs. If you want to do this, then we also have to consider this…. I like to be super sure they know what’s going on.”
Matt also emphasizes the importance of building lasting relationships and creating an environment where clients feel comfortable reaching out—even for matters beyond Cheshire’s direct scope.
“I want to make sure that I can always help out. I think that’s how you build strong relationships.”
Matt’s background in experiential activations, his customer-first focus, and his passion for technology make him an ideal fit for Cheshire.
