20 QUESTIONS WITH DEBBIE DONOHUE
20 Questions with Debbie Donohue, Imagine Exhibitions’ COO & VP of Sales
Debbie has been with Imagine Exhibitions since its inception. With 13 years of experience in the entertainment sector, and over 20 in the sales and education sector, Debbie is uniquely positioned to lead the global sales team. Her leadership includes setting the strategy, identifying and evaluating new business opportunities, new verticals, and new revenue streams. In her time with Imagine, Debbie has contributed to over 50 traveling exhibitions. Imagine is a proud, long-time sponsor and exhibitor at the Association of Science and Technology Centers, American Alliance of Museums, European Network of Science Centres and Museums, Traveling Exhibitions Network, Canadian Association of Science Centers and more. You can find Debbie and the team at these conferences worldwide!
Debbie works hand in hand with our partners to deliver the world’s best traveling exhibitions, including partners, Scitech Discovery Centre, Thomas Dambo, Universcience, Dr. Erickson, Sean Kenney and more to create and/or produce turnkey traveling exhibitions worldwide that drive attendance to host venues.
In her role as COO of the core exhibition business, Debbie manages cross-functional teams to create and execute new exhibitions for science centers, museums, zoos, gardens, and fairs globally. Debbie’s work continues to push sales efforts in raising the overall profile of Imagine as an industry leader in museums, attractions, entertainment, and experiences. Debbie serves on the AAM Traveling Exhibition Network Board and was instrumental in creating resources and community building during the pandemic.
If you are a client or partner of Imagine Exhibitions, you likely will be working with Debbie. So, we wanted to help you get to know her with a quick round of 20 questions.
Coffee or Tea?
Americano please
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Chapel Hill, NC, a Tarheel fan for any college basketball fans out there. I have lived all over and decided to come back to Chapel Hill when my husband and I started our family.
What inspires you?
Education and entertainment inspire me; and where those two intersect and interact. I love to learn. I worked with universities for the first 10 years of my career and love the academic atmosphere and coupling that with entertainment is inspirational for me. Creating and selling educational, entertaining experiences is what inspires me the most along with working with amazing clients worldwide. I am an extrovert, and people inspire me and give me energy. I like being in a job where I interact with people and clients around the world, which is both inspirational and rewarding.
If you could have any super power, what would it be?
Time Travel. I love traveling the world, and I love learning new cultures and visiting places as far and different from my own culture as possible. I don’t love jet lag or long plane flights, so I’d love to time travel in the blink of an eye.
Where is the coolest place you’ve ever traveled to?
This is a really hard question for me as I love most places I have traveled. Macedonia was a fascinating place to travel to; the history was amazing. The KFOR Troops staying in my hotel were a reminder of the struggles the Balkans has had. The best trip I ever took was as a student I decided to go on Semester at Sea where I went to Columbia, Brazil, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, India, Philippines, Hong Kong (when it was British) and Japan at the age of 19. It was a very formative, amazing experience.
Dogs or cats?
Dogs 100%. I am allergic to cats and therefore not fond of them at all.
Would you rather be on a beach, on a mountain, or by a lake?
Beach 100%! I love watching and listening to the waves crash in.
What do you love most about sales?
I love our clients. I love understanding their needs and providing exhibitions that fit their needs. I enjoy listening to their challenges to find the solutions. I am a people person, and I really enjoy growing relationships.
Have you developed any new hobbies during COVID-19?
I garden. I have two large vegetable garden beds, a pollinator garden, and a wildflower section. A new lifelong hobby created thanks to the lockdown starting in spring of 2020.
Favorite exhibition in Imagine’s portfolio?
Dinosaurs in Motion: It is the first Exhibition that Imagine ever owned and is truly unique with such a broad appeal. I am not sure how anyone can’t fall in love with John Payne’s story; I certainly did. I could play with those dinosaurs for hours and be entertained while learning.
What do you listen to while you work?
I am typically in meetings the majority of the day so I don’t listen to any music, but I do listen to a lot of clients and coworkers.
Favorite dinosaur?
Spinosaurus — this dinosaur is large and exciting-looking!
Cake or pie?
Cake. Don’t heat up my fruit and call it dessert (that is what I think of fruit pie)! Truthfully, I love a good chocolate chunk cookie (notice I didn’t say chip). Nothing is better than an amazing warm chocolate chunk cookie!
Describe yourself in three words:
Fun, hard-working, and to-the-point.
At what store would you choose to max out your credit card?
Delta Airlines Where can we go?
One prediction you have for the future of visitor-facing organizations:
It will be important for visitor-facing organizations to bridge entertainment with education and mission.
Favorite piece of advice you’ve heard or been given?
I have struggled with a large workload and being a working mom for the past 10 years coupled with a pandemic and all of the things that brought. Two things that I have learned from others who were highly successful is to time box and wake up early to work and exercise. Being a working mom of 3 children is challenging, and doing these things every day has allowed me to have success, feel good about myself and my work, and stay on top of my workload.
What’s the most interesting or unique item on your desk?
I have a beautiful painting that was my Grandfather’s that sits next to my desk. My Grandfather was a very successful business man and near and dear to my heart. The portrait is called Kowloon and it’s of a woman’s face; you just feel like you can see the story of her life if you look close enough. It’s my favorite item in my office.
One prediction you have for the future of exhibitions:
There is a lot more to come friends! There is demand for entertaining, educational experiences for all ages! What a fun career to have!
What is your advice for future sales team leaders?
Take the time to develop strong relationships in the field, visit clients in person, and listen. The key to a good sales team member is their ability to listen to a client’s needs and help deliver experiences that match the larger communities’ needs.
Learn more about the Imagine Exhibitions team here.