MAP Digital’s Virtual Event Portraits: from the Ballroom to the Kitchen Table

Taranjyot Singh Multani

Taran Multani, Senior Full Stack Developer, MAP Digital, Inc.

How long have you worked for MAP Digital?

I have worked at MAP Digital for over five years. I was hired as a front-end developer contract employee. However, after one month, our Chief Technology Officer challenged me to tackle a programming project in Ruby of Rails (RoR), which is MetaMeetings framework and codebase. Upon completing this project successfully, I was offered a full-time position with MAP Digital.

What is your role with MAP Digital?

Over the past five years, and especially now since we have gone from hybrid to virtual-only events, I have been tasked with expanding MetaMeetings integrated functionality for our clients’ workflow, sales, marketing, and data needs. We are also focused on deepening the Attendee’s experience by serving up more content, interactivity, and engagement. I work with our MAP Team Product Manager who coordinates the code change requests from our Content, Project, and Account Managers. I am also working very closely with our Amazon Webs Services team to ensure that we scale efficiently while producing hundreds of hours of live webcasts for worldwide audiences. And finally, we also hiring junior developers, who need to be trained and guided just like I was in my early days at MAP Digital. So, my days are quite full.

What did you do prior to MAP Digital?

Before I started at MAP Digital, I attended Pace University in New York City, where I received my Master’s Degree in Computer Science. After I finished my Masters, I worked as a front-end instructor at the Flatiron School. MAP Digital was the first company that I worked for full-time after I received my degree. I have loved working with our exceptional team.

What are you enjoying most about working from home?

Working from home has given me the chance to work alongside my one-year-old son, Akaljyot Singh, who is always smiling and loves to say ‘Dada’. I am also enjoying the extra time to exercise instead of commuting to our office. That being said, I really miss the MAP team lunches and chit chats with our team when we were still coming into our office at 56 Ludlow Street.

How do you see the events space changing in the age of COVID?

Since COVID-19, meetings went completely virtual and the entire event industry has become reliant on technology and platforms like MAP Digital’s MetaMeetings. Once the pandemic is over our MetaMeetings platform will be just as valuable by easily transforming in-person conferences to hybrid events.

Have you picked up any new hobbies or revisited old ones during quarantine?

Being home for most of the time during this pandemic has given me time to practice the Tabla, a traditional Indian drum, which I used to play in my adolescence. I find it very relaxing to play. I have also learned how to bake homemade bread and have made cranberry jam with my wife.

Where are you most productive in your home?

I am most productive in my garden where I am surrounded by nature’s “green and blue” waves.

©Ellie Kurttz Photography, captured via Zoom.