Great Events: Recent Episodes
Cvent
What are the latest industry trends? What are people doing well? What's the next "Big Thing" on the horizon? How can you adapt to new industry rules and regulations? We hope you can walk away from these podcast episodes with strategic and insightful ideas that you can implement into your own events –whatever they may be –big or small. With each episode, you will get access to additional content, tools, and resources to help you grow in your career.
The crew at Cvent just participated in a pretty noteworthy conference, the Forrester B2B Summit, and we want to tell you all about it! It's a third-party consultant agency that allows us to get out of the sales pitches and really talk about marketing as a whole. Pretty awesome stuff. So, on the show today Alyssa is joined by Christine Kelly, a team lead of the Marketing Technology team at Cvent, and Tiffany Sanford, a member of the Demand Generation team. Listen in as they share their favorite moments and takeaways from the conference. Key Takeaways: - Catering the experience to how you want to participate - Choosing the right experiences for the right audiences - Making lasting brand impressions What to listen for: [01:15] Why they were excited to attend the event [05:06] Lasting impacts of the conference [09:42] Experiencing it without feeling FOMO [12:24] Unique examples of brand impressions [15:07] Top trends in MarTech and marketing [21:30] Keeping your message consistent [23:45] What the trends mean for future events [26:11] The future of networking
This is a special live episode from the annual Cvent CONNECT conference for event professionals, marketers, and engagement experts. Listen in as Alyssa, Paulina, and Rachel share some of their highlights from past years and dish out advice on making the most of networking opportunities. Our trio is loving how much human connections are making a comeback in the industry so they can go out and do epic sh*t! If you want to do the same (and of course you do) listen in and get pumped for next year’s conference.
COVID-19 and quarantine are fading like distant memories, and events, both internal and external, are on the rise. So how should you be thinking about your internal events to get the most impact? Rachel and Paulina get behind the mic to share lessons learned from the internal events they’ve kicked off for Cvent this year. Listen in to hear the creative ways they’ve been able to give attendees the experience they want and how identifying the purpose of the event is key. Key Takeaways: - Thinking about the purpose of your internal events - Giving everyone the experience they need - Treating it like an external event What to listen for: [01:27] Why companies do internal events [03:22] Lessons learned from Cvent’s global event [08:00] Creative ways to keep it fresh [10:30] The future of internal events [14:53] Rachel and Paulina’s favorite internal event memories [19:04] Final takeaways
Since 2019, the average user has watched over 100 minutes of video content per day. That’s a lot of time, which is why it’s so important to think about video as a part of your marketing strategy. In this episode, hosts Alyssa, Rachel, and Paulina discuss how events and video converge, creating a bigger picture of your marketing strategy. Hint: it’s not just about capturing the video and putting it on social media. Curious to know what the true secret sauce is? Go ahead and press play. Key Takeaways: - Why you should incorporate video into your marketing strategy - What to think about when adding video to your strategy - The influence of social media and TV on attention spans What to listen for: [02:45] Preparing for video marketing in your marketing strategy [05:45] Extending the shelf life of your in-person content [07:56] Take your audience into consideration [09:32] Making your event a production; interactive and interesting [10:30] Keeping TV in mind to engage your audience [12:40] The layers of content accessibility [14:10] What to do with your content after the event [18:33] Being purposeful in using and applying content [22:24] Looking for other sources of inspiration
Great events create great brands, and it takes a village to create an event worthy of your company image. Meet your village: Paulina, Alyssa, Rachel, and Brock. They’re part of the team behind CVENT, and your hosts for the Great Events podcast.
Meet Rachel Andrews, Senior Director of Meetings and Events at Cvent–and one of the hosts of the Great Events podcast. Overseeing over 1,000 global events a year, she is an expert in turning chaos into something beautiful. Rachel loves bringing people together in a meaningful way, enabling her to deliver amazing events with a purpose. In this episode, you’ll get to know Rachel–from her early modeling days, to her love of the outdoors, to her forward-thinking mindset about how to use data to make the future of events better.
Meet Paulina Giusti, Senior Manager of Meetings and Events at Cvent–and one of the hosts of the Great Events podcast. From high-touch luxury meetings and VIP incentive programs, to large-scale conferences and trade shows, she is an expert in handling the “Invisible Workload” of planners, enabling her to deliver more successful events with a more balanced mindset. In this episode, you’ll get to know Paulina–from her past as a ballet dancer, to her surprise proposal from her husband ahead of one of her largest events, to her affinity for sharing real talk about planning and putting on great events.
Meet Alyssa Peltier, Senior Manager of Product Marketing at Cvent–and one of the hosts of the Great Events podcast. Alyssa helps enterprise organizations and Cvent consultants tell the story of how planning, meetings and events, and marketing organizations can work together to achieve growth outcomes. In this episode, you’ll get to know Alyssa–from her month working on a vineyard in France, to her passion for always changing up your event program strategies (even if it means you fail a few times along the way).
For our last installment of our six-part series, we are talking all about post event activation. Our speakers, Manpreet Kaur, Director of Meetings and Events at Cvent, and Robin Clark, Manager of Trade Shows and Events at Cvent, talk us through everything they do to make sure that the data collected at Cvent CONNECT 2021 is used in an effective way to make the event that much more successful. Listen in to hear how they use engagement scoring, their take on activating data, and insights on what data points they think we should all be capturing at our events. Visit us at cvent.com/podcast to see a list of all our episodes!
Let's talk about tech! In this episode we talk to our tech experts on what it really takes to put on a hybrid event. In our fifth installment of our six-part series of going behind the scenes of Cvent CONNECT 2021, we are talking all about technology. We are joined by our experts Taylor Bohn, Event Technology Lead at Cvent, David Heizer, Assistant Team Lead, Professional Services at Cvent, and Paulina Giusti, Senior Manager of Meetings & Events at Cvent, on everything technology and get their behind the scenes look at what putting on a hybrid event is really like. Listen in to hear how hybrid technology is not as bad as it seems and what our team is doing to put on a safe event. If you haven't already, you can still register to join us at Cvent CONNECT 2021! Choose to join from your couch, your car, your office, or at the all-new CAESARS FORUM, August 1-4, 2021. Register now at cvent.com/connect . See you there!
For part four of our six-part Behind the Scenes of Cvent CONNECT 2021 series, we talk to Lauren Allison, Kayla Sommers, Paulina Giusti, from our Meetings & Events team here at Cvent to get insights on how they worked with our partners and vendors on our hybrid event. Listen in to hear how they worked with the venue, AV company, and more to put saftey first and still make this event a great experience for both the in-person and virtual audience. If you haven't already, you can still register to join us at Cvent CONNECT 2021! Choose to join from your couch, your car, your office, or at the all-new CAESARS FORUM, August 1-4, 2021. Register now at cvent.com/connect . See you there!
In this episode we are joined by Sam Efthimiades and Allyson Evancheck from our Meetings & Events team here at Cvent. They join us today to talk through everything that it takes to efficiently and effectively staff a hybrid event. Listen in to hear all their tips and tricks from staffing our annual event Cvent CONNECT 2021 which is hybrid this year. If you haven't already, you can still register to join us at Cvent CONNECT 2021! Choose to join from your couch, your car, your office, or at the all-new CAESARS FORUM, August 1-4, 2021. Register now at cvent.com/connect . See you there!
Listen in to episode two with Rachel Andrews, head of Meetings & Events here at Cvent, and Paulina Giusti, the Lead Planner for Cvent CONNECT 2021. In this episode we are talking all about the hybrid event design of Cvent CONNECT 2021. Stay tuned to hear all they had to say and keep up with our series so you don't miss any piece of what it takes to make Cvent CONNECT a hybrid event. If you haven't already, you can still register to join us at Cvent CONNECT 2021! Choose to join from your couch, your car, your office, or at the all-new CAESARS FORUM, August 1-4, 2021. Register now at cvent.com/connect . See you there!
We're back to bring you a behind the scenes look at how we're putting on a hybrid Cvent CONNECT 2021. Listen in to hear how Cvent planners are preparing for our hybrid event as they are working on it! In this episode we are joined by Rachel Andrews, head of Meetings & Events here at Cvent, and Paulina Giusti, the Lead Planner for Cvent CONNECT 2021. They share with us the first steps in the making of this hybrid event, which is how the decision to go hybrid was actually made. Stay tuned to hear all they had to say and keep up with our series so you don't miss any piece of what it takes to make Cvent CONNECT a hybrid event. If you haven't already, you can still register to join us at Cvent CONNECT 2021! Choose to join from your couch, your car, your office, or at the all-new CAESARS FORUM, August 1-4, 2021. Register now at cvent.com/connect . See you there!
In this episode we talk to Sofia Leiva from 3Play Media about how to make events accessible in 2021. Accessibility is so important no matter what type of event you are having, but it is becoming especially important for virtual events. Our guest shares her best tips and tricks on how to make sure that everyone can take part in your event whether it is in-person or online. Tune in to hear how you can ensure your content can be consumed by everyone.
In this episode, we reconnected with another of our favorite guests, Mark Jeffries. He shared all his tips for having an engaging virtual event. As we caught up with Mark Jeffries, he filled us in on his new venture and how things have changed (or not) for an event MC. With all his experience with virtual events, Mark, has a lot of tips to keep your attendees engaged and how to tailor your event to be fit for a virtual audience. You won’t want to miss this episode!
In this episode, we sit down with one of our favorite guests, Brenda Ainsburg, from Siemens. Brenda shares with us how her first virtual event went, and everything she learned by putting on the event with a new virtual platform just 7 weeks before the first day of the event. Listen in to hear how even with the time crunch, learning curve, and many other obstacles that came up, Brenda still made this virtual event a success!
In this episode, we get to hear from both the planner and hotelier side on what it really takes to plan and execute a hybrid event. They show us how this is possible and share what they think are the essentials for putting on a hybrid event. Listen in to hear all their learnings and how their event went!
In today's episode we are joined by Tom Romine, Founder and CEO of Cultivate, to talk all about gifting experiences. Not only is gifting a topic we love to talk about, but it is also an important one. There is nothing worse than receiving a gift for a job well done, but being given something that you simply don't like. Cultivate has worked hard over the years to ensure that every gifting experience is tailored to the employee, client, etc. to make sure that the every gift fulfills both the giver and receiver's expectations. They are focused on providing a unique gift experience for every occasion and location. Tune in to hear more from Tom!
In this episode we discuss the evolution of virtual and hybrid events with our guests Peter Gentile, VP of Sales at OVATION and Carolyn Waldron-Parr, Executive Video Producer at OVATION. Since virtual events took the forefront earlier this year, our guests have learned a lot through their personal experiences and joined us to share their learnings. We touch on topics about how technology has evolved and changed since that time, new audience expectations they are seeing, and they share their perspective on how content is key in a virtual or hybrid setting. Tune in to listen to this and much more from Peter and Carolyn!
Today’s episode is all about bringing a more people-centric approach to your event marketing. We’re joined by Zoe Fernandez and Jaclyn Sass, two leading members of the team at Merkle that put on Merkle’s annual executive summit, global client summit, and other incredible events. A big part of Zoe and Jaclyn’s mission is to change the perception of women in the industry while elevating the perception of events from logistical and administrative support to one of administrative excellence. It’s the main reason they call themselves event marketers and not just event planners. Listen in to get the full breakdown and find out Zoe and Jaclyn’s biggest pet peeves about their roles. And if you have any event-related pet peeves of your own, we’d love to hear about them–send us an email at podcast@cvent.com. Resources and links discussed: Connect with Zoe: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-fernandez-1634a3a/ Connect with Jaclyn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaclyn-sass-mba-84151b6/ Learn more about Merkle: https://www.merkleinc.com/ Featured Events from Merkle: https://www.merkleinc.com/news-and-events/events
In this episode we are joined by Sarah Peck, Executive Director of Startup Parent. Sarah shares her story with us and company's mission to help reinvent work and parenthood. Tune in to also hear some useful tips on how to deliver more engaging virtual meetings and avoid the fatigue we all feel after a long day of video calls. Resources Mentioned in the Episde: * Startup Parent webpage (www.startupparent.com) * The Wise Women's Council (http://startupparent.com/wwc) * Starup Parent podcast (https://startupparent.com/podcast/) * Join FOCUS (https://www.sarahkpeck.com/focus/) a virtual community with coaching hot-seat sessions
For this episode, we talked to Martha Austin from Playa Hotels & Resorts about how they are handling re-opening safely. Martha shared with us how Playa Hotels & Resorts is using their health and safety programs to ensure everyone can comfortably and safely travel to their destinations again. Tune in to hear Martha share the many ways they are keeping guests safe.
In this episode, we sat down and talked to Steve Shultz about how the Lincoln Financial Group was able to quickly pivot their in-person events to successful virtual experiences. Steve shares how his team and himself had to think outside the box and take on new roles to be able to successfully navigate putting on virtual events. Tune in to hear more of Steve's story and his tips for having great virtual events!
Alexis and Emma from ConnectSeven Group in Canada talk to us about their involvement with British Columbia’s reopening plan in the events industry. They also come with some valuable insights into what we can do to still be sustainable at events while being sensitive to new requirements. Hear their thoughts related to some of the signs or metrics that we can look out for to track progress and ensure we are moving in the right direction with the reopening. They also shared their perspective on what needs to happen to ensure that the power of the events industry is recognized and has a voice of its own.
In this special episode, Brooke and Cody sit down with some of the winners of the Cvent Excellence Awards right after the virtual ceremony. Listen in to hear all their tips and tricks and how they became Cvent winners.
Today, Brooke and Cody sat down with Leila Heller, Meetings and Incentives Director, North America at VisitBritain/MeetEngland, and Caroline Phelan, Meetings and Incentive Senior Manager Europe, to talk to us about how the UK is preparing to safely welcome back visitors and events. They share their insights on the impact they think the current pandemic will have on the industry both in the short term and long term for the UK. They also share some really creative ideas that UK restaurants and bars have to help ensure social distancing.
For event professionals, IMEX is a familiar name. IMEX is an industry-leading exhibition for incentive travel, meetings, events and considered the heartbeat of the global business events community. Their two tradeshows have been running annually for almost two decades in Frankfurt and Las Vegas. In this episode, Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group, talks to us about how their virtual event, Planet IMEX, went. She also shares insights on how IMEX made the decision to pivot to virtual and their approach to proving ROI without charging a fee for the event. Tune in!
With Virtual events being so prominent, many event planners have questions about integrating different platforms and their respective benefits. Lori Wildman, Senior Marketing Manager at DMA - DuCharme, McMillen & Associates, Inc. talks to us about her experience with moving her events to a virtual platform and how using different systems helps for one end goal. She also shares her views on how beneficial it is to use a virtual MC, other engagement strategies, and shares some alternative benefits that have been noticed by moving to a virtual platform.
From traveling to eating meals at in-person events, the current pandemic has impacted everything. Lou Marrocco, President of Brandywine Events, talks to Brooke and Cody and offers us some guidance on reopening strategies as we begin to consider in-person events again. In this episode, he shares what steps event-planners and hoteliers can take to not let fear or anxiety impact reopening plans. He also discusses different options that planners have to be sensitive to COVID19 while also keeping sustainability in mind at events.
With our current environment, several companies are taking preventative measures to limit exposure to employees, so what is the future of incentive meetings? Tahira Endean, Head of Events at SITE Global, talks to us about the state of incentive experiences for top performers. Hear her unique perspective on how companies can still keep incentive events alive during these times and how we can continue to provide that red carpet experience people have come to expect. Listen in to hear how companies can think about rewarding those people who are working hard in dangerous situations and some creative ideas to give top performers a meaningful reward.
The world has changed the way it operates and that includes how event planners need to think while working on international conventions. In this episode, Shawn Cheng, Project Manager at MCI and president of PCMA’s Canada West Chapter, shares his thoughts on the few things that international conventions are facing. You will hear more about the main reasons people attend conferences and how they need to be re-designed to work in the present scenario. He also talks about using gamification effectively to increase engagement in both virtual and hybrid event models.
We know recovery is inevitable and live events will eventually resume and there are a lot of questions. Will you be able to build the same kind of relationship in the virtual environment? How can planners maximize attendance and engagement on the rebound? How social distancing will impact events? How should planners build value to justify the cost once we go back to live events? and so on. We all have questions. In this episode Brendan Dell, Founder and President of B2H, shares his thoughts with Brooke and Cody on different business marketing strategies & best practices around messaging and communication that can help you succeed in the new world! As a special bonus, listen in to hear more about Cvent Connect Virtual! From August 25 - 26, we will provide 28 live breakout sessions, virtual meetups, appointments, and more. Check out Cvent.com/podcast and click on the Cvent Connect banner to learn more and register for free!
With Pride month in full swing, we invited Michael Newton, Team Lead of Europe Account Management with Cvent, back to the podcast to talk about diversity and inclusion and why it is so important for planners to be conscious of this while planning events. Michael not only has a wealth of knowledge but also as a subject matter expert, he shares his thoughts and ideas on how companies can get started with initiatives around diversity and inclusion. Listen in to hear his thoughts on launching and growing employee resource groups and what people can do to help support their LGBTQ+ colleagues especially during the current global situation. Another great option to take advantage of right now is to become certified in Cvent! Cvent is offering Certification Exams for FREE until the end of August. Anyone can certify in any Cvent Solution in just a few steps, even students! Tune in to hear how you can certify for free.
We all know that recovery is on the horizon and corporate travel will eventually resume, but not without some changes. Best practices and safety measures will be part of our lives and it will help in evolving corporate travel. In this episode we talk about how as travelers we will be responsible to make travel not only safe, but a success in the new world. Timothy Jones, Director of Corporate Travel at Cvent joins Brooke and Cody and shares some predictions about the phased approach on the future of Corporate travel. As a special bonus, listen in to hear more about Cvent Connect Virtual! From August 25 - 26, we will provide 28 live breakout sessions, virtual meetups, and appointments. Check out CventConnect.com/virtual to register for free today!
Ever wonder what industry leaders of other countries are doing in the current situation? In this episode we talk through what they are doing to show that London will be a safe destination to go back to and also hear about visiting London virtually and everything it has to offer. Tracy also shares a 3-phase approach to getting back to “normal” and how working with government leaders has better prepared them for the current situation. As a special bonus, listen in to hear more about Cvent Connect Virtual! From August 25 - 26, we will provide 28 live breakout sessions, virtual meetups, and appointments. Check out CventConnect.com/virtual to register for free today!
The transition from working in the office to working from home with all your family members happened so quickly in our lives. As we continue working from home some of us still find it difficult to maintain that much required work-life balance. We know it is hard to stay focused when we have all been home longer than we would like. In this episode we are joined by Stephen Carroll, Senior Director, Partnerships & Corporate Marketing at Cvent and his spouse Bernadette J. Carroll, Founder, and CEO of the Power Up Women’s Conference. They shared their ideas with us for creating a good life balance with your family while working from home during COVID. Another great option to take advantage of right now is to become certified in Cvent! Cvent is offering Certification Exams for FREE until the end of August. Anyone can certify in any Cvent Solution in just a few steps, even students! Tune in to hear how you can certify for free.
These are unprecedented times and ON24 is trying to do their part to bring us into the new normal. Listen as Cheri Keith, Director of Strategy and Research at ON24, talks about some great insights from their annual benchmark report, such as the changes in ideal dates and times for webinars in recent weeks. She also talks about how webinars are still thriving with virtual events being the point of focus during these times. She also shares what changes might be required from an event marketing standpoint when in-person events are back and how ON24 can help to evolve the event strategies once we return to our new normal. As a special bonus, listen in to hear more about Cvent Connect Virtual! From August 25 - 26, we will provide 28 live breakout sessions, virtual meetups, and appointments. Check out CventConnect.com/virtual to register for free today!.
In a time when everyone is trying to do something for society, we had the privilege of talking to someone who took actions during these unprecedented times to start an initiative to help first responders called #CompoundingHandoff. Lizzie Harbin Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications, Education, and Human Resources at PCCA not only pivoted to a virtual event but made it a success from 25 attendees to 400+ virtual attendees. While also starting a community movement to make hand sanitizer for first responders and used different platforms to engage their 3000+ member network for this great cause. As a special bonus, listen in to hear more about Cvent Connect Virtual! From August 25 - 26, we will provide 28 live breakout sessions, virtual meetups, and appointments. Check out CventConnect.com/virtual to register for free today!
In this third part of our Cvent Virtual Week series, we debunk the myth that virtual events are boring. That couldn't be more wrong! Our guests, Lauren Allison and Noel McWilliams, share their tips on how to make virtual events engaging for attendees. Whether virtual or in-person, events can still be engaging and accomplish the same goals for attendees. Tune in to hear everything they had to say!
We are halfway through Cvent Virtual Week and we are continuing to debunk myths around hosting virtual events! In the second part of our three-part series, our guests Taylor Bohn and Lauren Turner demystify the myth that is on many people's minds -- not having the right technology to put on a virtual event. Our guests talk through the technology you need to run a virtual event and how it's not as complicated as we may think!
It's Cvent Virtual Week and we are going to be debunking myths around hosting virtual events! In the first part of our three-part series, we tackle the myth around having to start from square one when switching to a virtually hosted event. Our guest Paulina Curto shares her tips for taking events originally planned for an in-person experience, to a virtual platform without having to start completely from scratch. Stay tuned for part two of this series that will focus on the tech side of virtual events!
Today we are joined by Fay Sharpe founder of the not for profit organization Fast Forward 15 in the UK. After founding a meetings and events company and completing her life's goal, Fay found herself wanting to give back to the women in the events industry by setting up a mentoring program under Fast Forward 15. Taken from her many years of experience, Fay shares her advice on what you should focus on if you've been furloughed and how to stand out when updating your resume. You won't want to miss it! As a special bonus, listen in to hear more about Cvent Connect Virtual! From August 25 - 26, we will provide 28 live breakout sessions, virtual meetups, appointments, and more. Check out Cvent.com/podcast and click on the Cvent Connect banner to learn more and register for free!
In this episode we are joined by McNeel Keenan, Vice President of Product Management at Cvent who gives us a sneak peek into the five ways to drive leads at virtual trade shows. Join us in this episode as McNeel Keenan touches on how we can use trade shows to connect with customers and prospects even during a shift from in-person to virtual events. Learn new, creative ways to connect with your sales leads virtually. Don’t forget to tune into the webinar that launches tomorrow, June 4th, to hear McNeel dive deep into this topic.
It's been shown that employees and customers really appreciate having a charitable component to events. Organizations like GlobalGiving help connect nonprofits, donors, and companies. Kayla O'Neill and Scott Williams with GlobalGiving share several ways their clients have utilized charitable giving at their events such as attendees earning points, using branded gift cards, and more. Listen in to hear the fantastic opportunities they can offer to you at your events. Want to learn more? Contact Kayla and Scott at partnerships@globalgiving.org. Guide for including charitable giving in events (globalgiving.org/greatevents) As you know, Cvent Connect has now gone virtual! From August 25 - 26, Cvent will provide 28 live breakout sessions, virtual meetups, appointments, and more. Check out Cvent.com/podcast and click on the Cvent Connect banner to learn more and register for free!
In this episode, Brooke and Cody sit down with Jeffrey Emenecker, Senior Director of Analytics at Cvent, to talk about the exciting data he uncovered on his monthly global webinar. Hoteliers won’t want to miss this! Jeffrey also touched on how hoteliers should think about their reopening strategy, his prediction with the future of hybrid events at hotel venues, and so much more! Make sure to tune in!
In this special edition podcast episode, we are joined by Cvent's own Kim Segal, Senior Principle Account Manager, to chat about her top tips on how to spend your free time right now. Hear how you can go to the zoo, an aquarium, museums, and even have books read to you virtually. Listen in to take advantage of the plethora of free virtual content available right now that has never been available before! Another great option to take advantage of right now is to become certified in Cvent! Cvent is offering Certification Exams for FREE during the month of May. Anyone can certify in any Cvent Solution in just a few steps, even students! Tune in to hear how you can certify for free.
As part of our Career Planning series, we are discussing tips to dig in to unique skill sets that are relevant to event professionals during these times. Joining us today to discuss this topic is Paulina Curto & Amanda Greenspan-DSouza who are on the Global Meetings Management Team here at Cvent. Paulina and Amanda share 4 skills that planners can learn now to enhance their resumes and help with their day to day. One special event Paulina and Amanda are working on is Cvent Connect Virtual! From August 25 - 26, there will be 28 live breakout sessions, virtual meet-ups, appointments, and more. Check out CventConnect.com/Virtual to learn more and register for free!
Brooke and Cody are joined today by Sherrif Karamat, President and CEO at PCMA, to talk about the benefits of embracing digital and how he's seeing an increased collaboration in the hospitality industry. We discuss everything from the relationship between the planner and supplier, to PCMA's approach to helping through COVID situations. Sheriff also shares the emerging trends he believes we will see in the next 6 - 12 months. Check out how you can get involved with PCMA and their supportive community at www.pcma.org. As a special bonus, listen in to hear more about Cvent Connect Virtual! From August 25 - 26, we will provide 28 live breakout sessions, virtual meetups and appointments. Check out CventConnect.com/virtual to register for free today! Additional Resources * Survey results: https://www.pcma.org/category/convene/covid-19/recovery-surveys/ * PCMA COVID-19 page: pcma.org/coronavirus * DES Offering: https://www.pcma.org/products/des/ * DEI Offering: https://www.pcma.org/dei/
Even before the events world pivoted to a virtual platform, the Women in Leadership (WIL) initiative at Cvent has been successfully conducting virtual meetings since last year. Today we are joined by WIL Coordinator, Amanda Greenspan-Dsouza & Taylor Wertheimer, WIL guest speaker, as they share their advice for anyone doing a virtual presentation. They even share how they've been successfully managing a virtual book club along with their top tips on how you can launch a program similar to this and create it in your own environment. Starting May 19th, Cvent is hosting a week of "Real Talk" Conversations about the current state of the events industry. There will be a live panel with Cvent executives plus a week-long series of interactive breakouts. Get all of your questions answered and sign up at Cvent.com/RealTalk. We'll see you there!
Finding a new job can be a full time job. But in today's podcast, we help narrow down what specifically you can do to be more appealing to an employer. Today we are joined by Tracy Judge, Founder and Chief Connector at Soundings Connect, and Matt Syme, Lead Corporate Recruiter at Cvent to discuss how to enhance your skills and beef up your resume. Matt and Tracy share what employers are looking for in a candidate and share tips such as how best to position your LinkedIn account as well as how to "brand" yourself. Now is the best time to brush up on skills and build new ones such as being certified in Cvent. Cvent is offering certification exams at no charge until May 31st. Anyone can certify in any solution in just a few steps. Check out Cvent.com/certification to learn more and see how you can receive free training as well!
It's no secret that music can bring back memories of exactly where you were at any point in time. But how can music help compliment your events? In this special edition podcast we are joined by Sam McNeil & John Lambardo with SongDivision to teach us about the science behind music to engage your attendees/employees and unify corporate culture. As a special treat, Sam and John create and perform a song for us during the podcast! Don't forget! Cvent is hosting a week of "Real Talk" Conversations about the current state of the events industry. There will be a live panel with Cvent executives plus a week-long series of interactive breakouts. Get all of your questions answered and sign up at cvent.com/realtalk. We'll see you there! Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu)
If you have been looking for a new way to boost your events and realize true engagement, then today's podcast is for you! Brooke and Cody sit down with Cindy Lo, CEO of Red Velvet Events, to get her take on utilizing gamification for events and how you can then track your ROI. Cindy also shares her advice for getting exhibitors and sponsors to interact with attendees on a virtual level. From exhibit hall bingo to branding, Cindy shares all the tips and tricks! Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu)
Developing and maintaining quality employee engagement is the theme of today's podcast. We are joined by Shannon Harrison who worked for a Fintech Company and like many other event planners was tasked with finding ways to keep internal employees engaged while working from home. Shannon shares what skills she leveraged from the event planner world to get colleagues engaging with one another. Free and cheap ideas became an instant hit such as Happy Hour Fridays, Talent Shows, and even Bingo! Listen in to hear tried and true ways to boost your engagement. If you have any tips or tricks to keeping your employees, customers, and attendees engaged and you'd like to be on the podcast, please let us know by emailing us at podcast@cvent.com. We would love to have you on the show! Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu)
In the past several weeks, we've had to quickly adapt to virtual events. Because of their strong focus on virtual events, planners have innovated the events industry by pioneering new event technologies and strategies. Jill Dasher with HPN Global and Phil Sings with Federal Conference join us today to share how they have innovated their events. In the conversation, Jill and Phil express the importance of keeping your attendees engaged and included in the conversation. This can be achieved by utilizing tools such as a virtual reality headset, the CrowdCompass app, and more. Listen in to hear how they believe event planners have become more valuable than ever! Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu)
CrowdCompass has been an integral part of many in-person events. But how is it possible to utilize an event mobile app during this time without in-person events? Linda Meunier and Jennifer Sosiewicz from Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits share some incredible tips on using the CrowdCompass app for more than just events! Using the app, they are able to keep their employees engaged and connected while everyone is separated. From dog grooming videos to cooking classes, listen in to hear how they used technology to create an innovative and exciting environment for their entire company, including their president! Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu)
On this episode we chat with the Dynamic Duo, Jamie Lakin, with O2 Events, and Mike Baugh, with Pink Monkey Studio. Jamie and Mike provide their perspective of being an event producer during this time. The reality of going from a jam packed schedule to nothing, hit hard. Yet during this time, Jamie provides her top tips to building revenue in today's market. Hear how Jamie found inspiration to take leaps toward reinventing processes and leveraging the hybrid and virtual experience. Embracing what you can control is one of many tips Mike provides to show how you can build resilience. Quick answers or solutions aren't the answer right now. Rather we need to seek out quality questions and work on improving processes. Mike challenges all event producers to change the thinking from "what can I make with my hands?", to "what can I make with my mind?" Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu)
How will we know when recovery is beginning? What will be the first signs that in-person meetings can make a come-back? We sat down with Don Welsh, CEO of Destinations International, to discuss just that. Hear how a 100 year old organization is continuing to engage with their members and the hotel community. Whether as a planner or tourist, get the expert opinion on what to do if you're considering coming to a destination. Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu&lb_email={{lead.Email Address}})
This special episode of the podcast features Brenda Ainsburg, the App Ninja and Channel Program Manager at Siemens. During this downtime, Brenda puts an emphasis on the importance of leveraging your contracts and staying connected with your attendees. She shares the best resources and methods to keep in touch with attendees even if your event has gone virtual. It is especially important to make your attendees feel as safe as possible during this uncertain time. As a special treat, Brenda shares her top tips for staying sane right now, which may or may not have a strong emphasis on coffee! Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu&lb_email={{lead.Email Address}})
Brooke and Cody are joined (virtually) by Techwell president, Alison Wade, who talks about the current events landscape, how to use technology, and how she managed to pivot an in-person event to virtual in just ten days! Apart from her tips and tricks on how to execute an engaging virtual event, Alison also talks about the advantages and cost benefits of hosting a virtual event. She also shares her advice on managing teams efficiently while working from home. Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu&lb_email={{lead.Email Address}})
Adapt, Evolve, and Accelerate! This is the mantra of our guest Patrick Smith, Senior VP and CMO at Cvent. Join us as Patrick discusses what the future looks like for in-person events and how you can accelerate by threading virtual events in to your event program. Patrick also provides useful insight into how Cvent Social Tables can provide event planners a virtual site visit to help them get ahead. As a bonus, he shares how you can get trained on Cvent and certified for free! Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu&lb_email={{lead.Email Address}})
See how a non-profit membership organization adpated their 5,000 person event to a virtual platform with a virtual exhibit hall, in just 1 week. Hear Danny Silva, Director of Technology Integration with CUE, share how he switched up his events, overcame the hiccups, and gained success along the way. Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu&lb_email={{lead.Email Address}})
Allison Monro, CMO at Vena Solutions, discusses how pivoting her company’s team user conference from in-person to virtual in a few weeks started by thinking about their audience. From reimagining the experience for a new medium to finding the right tools to bring a virtual conference to life, she walks us through the excitement of aligning stakeholders to recreate a virtual event focused on engagement. Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu&lb_email={{lead.Email Address}})
We sat down with Paul Van Deventer, MPI’s own President and CEO, to talk about how he is adapting to the new climate the events industry is now living in. He shares his experience and great positive outlook for the future. Tune in! Paul Van Deventer, President and CEO, Meeting Professionals International mpi.org/trustedresources (https://www.mpi.org/tools/coronavirus) Additional Resources (https://explore.cvent.com/c/risk-management-for-?x=g2Layu&lb_email={{lead.Email Address}})
Kerry Lambert, Senior Director of Strategic Accounts, Cvent Kelli Kopec, Manager, Product Marketing, Cvent In times of crisis, managing communication with strategic partners and vendors becomes critical. Now more than ever is the time for event planners and hoteliers to align and work together. We’ll take a look at both perspectives and provide insights into how these two groups can coordinate and make sense of chaotic situations.
Will Curran, Chief Event Einstein, Endless Events Many in-person events must currently be transitioned to virtual events. But quickly executing this change poses a number of pitfalls even for seasoned event pros. Learn how you can be victorious with your virtual events with tips and tricks from Will Curran, Chief Event Einstein at Endless Events. More Resources [How to Turn Your Event Virtual: ] (https://explore.cvent.com/c/how-cvent-powers-you?x=g2Layu)
Imagine putting on an event when a natural disaster occurs. It’s an event planner's worst nightmare. In our conversation this week, we’re talking to fellow Cventer Stephanie McNamara (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieagan/) as she shares with us the power of duty of care in the face of things outside of our control. Often the topic of duty of care is dry and seemingly something you have to cover. This episode will hopefully give you an entirely new appreciation for the topic. Take a listen. And if you feel so compelled we’d love to hear how you’re the responsibility of duty of care has been called upon. Send us an email at podcast@cvent.com Resources and links discussed: Cvent Connect (http://www.cventconnect.com/)
When thinking about branded gear for your event, what do you hope to get out of it? More importantly, what do your attendees hope to get out of it? Are you bored already? Don’t be! Today’s episode of How Great Events Happen is all about branded gear and the exciting options and strategies that are available. Todd Frankford is Vice President of Business Development at GNP Branded gear, and he has some incredible insights into the metrics of branded gear, what your attendees want, and what you can expect in terms of ROI. Listen in to get the full breakdown. And if you get any brilliant ideas of your own, we’d love to hear about them–send us an email at podcast@cvent.com. Resources and links discussed: Connect with Todd (https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddfrankford/) Put Todd to Work! (https://www.brandedgear.com/puttoddtowork/) Connect with GNP Branded Gear (https://www.brandedgear.com/concierge) High-Impact Branded Gear Ideas & Trends for 2020 (https://www.brandedgear.com/images/2020-High-Impact-Branded-Gear-Ideas-and-Trends.pdf) 7 Cornerstones to Maximize Branded Gear Impact (https://www.brandedgear.com/images/7-Cornerstones-for-Max-Branded-Gear-Impact.pdf) Cvent Connect Branded Gear Early-Access Specials (https://indd.adobe.com/view/c57bdb39-fd52-4cbd-ad15-f42c28262a32) Cvent Connect (http://www.cventconnect.com/)
We wanted to do another episode in honor of International Women’s Day featuring a powerhouse woman encouraging other women to jump into the events industry. Amanda Armstrong, Assistant Vice President of Global Travel and Meetings at Enterprise Holdings, shares with us what inspired her early on. In the conversation with Amanda, we dig into some of the opportunities ahead for women in the industry along with some of the key lessons learned along her own journey. Resources and links discussed: Cvent Connect:http://www.cventconnect.com/ Connect with Amanda: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandaarmstrongcmp/
In honor of International Women’s Day, we are featuring a powerhouse woman who could speak directly to levating women in the industry. Annette Gregg is the Senior Vice President of Experience at Meeting Professionals International. Her mantra in life is "Helping People Live More Authentic, Inspired and Successful Lives.” In our conversation with Annette, she shares with us how, we as a community can empower more women in our industry while educating others on the real challenges we are facing. Resources and links discussed: Cvent Connect http://www.cventconnect.com/ Connect with Annette Gregg: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annettegregg/
Today’s show is all about the marketing that makes your event successful–or not. Katie Brunette is the Director of Strategic Marketing at Lessonly and a wizard when it comes to marketing for events. A well-planned event can have a huge impact on your brand, and Katie has a wealth of knowledge, experience, and creativity that can help you level up your game. Take a listen. And if you love these ideas as much as we do, we’d love to hear how they’ve inspired your own marketing efforts–send us an email at podcast@cvent.com (mailto:podcast@cvent.com). Resources and links discussed: Cvent Connect (http://www.cventconnect.com/) Yellowship (https://www.lessonly.com/yellowship/)
Today’s episode is focused on the technology driving the events industry forward. Corbin Ball joins Brooke and Cody in the Cvent studio to share how as event planners we can better use technology to save time and improve productivity. In the conversation, Corbin shares how virtual and augmented reality are impacting the industry. You’ll also hear his take on how AI, if at all, will make an impact. As always, we invite you to share your stories with us. How have you seen the use of AI or VR/AR at events? Shoot us an email podcast@cvent.com Resources and links discussed: Cvent Connect (http://www.cventconnect.com/) CorbinBall.com (CorbinBall.com)
Imagine putting on an event when a natural disaster occurs. It’s an event planner's worst nightmare. In our conversation this week, we’re talking to fellow Cventer Stephanie McNamara (https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieagan/) as she shares with us the power of duty of care in the face of things outside of our control. Often the topic of duty of care is dry and seemingly something you have to cover. This episode will hopefully give you an entirely new appreciation for the topic. Take a listen. And if you feel so compelled we’d love to hear how you’re the responsibility of duty of care has been called upon. Send us an email at podcast@cvent.com Resources and links discussed: Cvent Connect (http://www.cventconnect.com/)
In this week’s episode, we’re talking to Judi James, leading communication and body language expert, and author of The Body Language Bible. Judi recently presented at Cvent Connect Europe in London in a session on social psychology for event planners. How do body language, the way you speak, and confidence play into first impressions? Listen in to learn more behind the social psychology of event planning. Resources and links discussed: http://www.cventconnect.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Body-Language-Bible-Gestures-Expressions/dp/0091922119
In this episode, Brooke and Cody discuss something you see at nearly every event: WiFi. Have you ever been to an event with slow WiFi? It can leave a bad impression on your attendees. Will Curran and Brandt Krueger are back to share some negotiation tactics and resources when it comes to securing WiFi at your event. Listen in. Resources and links discussed: https://helloendless.com/event-wifi-bandwidth-calculator/ https://offers.helloendless.com/negotiating-hotel-wifi-webinar https://offers.helloendless.com/event-wi-fi-webinar https://helloendless.com/wifi-terms/ https://helloendless.com/how-to-save-on-hotel-wifi/ http://www.helloendless.com/category/event-tech-podcast https://helloendless.com/
In this first episode of Season 3 of How Great Events Happen, you’ll hear hosts Brooke Gracey and Cody Liskh dig into cybersecurity as it relates to events. Will Curran and Brandt Krueger share tips and tricks to stay more secure - both professionally and personally. Listen in to hear how any event professional can mitigate cybersecurity threats. Resources and links discussed: * https://www.dashlane.com/cs/dZsEyCuz1B-K * https://authy.com * https://www.expressrefer.com/refer-friend?referrerid=41580838&utmcampaign=referrals&utmmedium=copylink&utmsource=referraldashboard * http://www.dslreports.com * https://offers.helloendless.com/is-your-event-vulnerable-to-cyber-attacks_
As 2020 is beginning, the event season is heating up. Brooke Gracey and Cody Liskh return for Season 3 of the How Great Events Happen podcast, by Cvent. Brooke and Cody will be interviewing some great guests from around the globe who will be sharing their insights into the trends to watch for this year. If you are an event planner, marketer, or event professional, you are going to love these new episodes. No matter the size or scale of your event, Brooke and Cody hope to deliver the kind of insight that changes the way you plan and execute awe-inspiring events. Listen in to the 10 new episodes for Season 3, starting on Thursday, January 23. Resources and links discussed: https://blog.cvent.com/podcast/
Listen in to this bonus episode to hear how you can get out of your comfort zone and push yourself to continually rethink, imagine, and be mindful. Chocolate covered insects are optional. *Resources and Links Discussed: * The Exposure Podcast: http://www.theexpogroup.com/podcast The Expo Group: https://theexpogroup.com/ Mindfulness Cards: http://www.mindfulnesseverywhere.io/cards/
Learn how to make memorable corporate events with the help of the team at Kapow. Listen in as Courtnie Hodge and Esther Chen share how they partnered up to create a 21-city bucket-list series of corporate events. Resources and Links Discussed: * Get More from Your Events with Kapow (https://www.kapow.com/k/get-more-from-your-events/) * Learn More About Kapow (https://www.kapow.com/k/about-kapow/) * The Best Event Promotion Playbook, Ever (https://www.kapow.com/k/the-best-event-promotion-playbook-ever/)
Having the right video crew at your event can be a game-changer. Tune in to this episode to hear how Oogoog, the content creation company based in Las Vegas, has gone above and beyond to capture the footage their clients dreamed of. All while sharing some of their tips for hiring the right crew. Resources and links discussed: * Cvent Attendee Experience: https://pages.cvent.com/the-cvent-experience * UNLV Projection Mapping Pregame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6ibU4XLQT0 * UNLV Projection Mapping - Making Of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41Nen3OAZrk * Ellie Goulding - On My Mind: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H202k7KfZL0 * Lyft - Intergalactic Art Car Festival: https://vimeo.com/280836150 * To learn more about Oogoog, visit their website: www.oogoog.com
Every event planner has a story of unexpected things coming up at an event, but they don’t always have to end badly. Listen to this episode to hear how being an “app ninja” can help you save the day.
The weather is getting colder and the holidays are approaching! Listen in to hear our bonus episodes with event industry professionals.
Cvent’s CMO Patrick Smith joins our podcast to discuss why events are an important part of a holistic marketing strategy, and how they are uniquely capable of delivering incredible returns when integrated as part of a multichannel marketing strategy. Plus, learn how planners can use this to better prove the overall value their events programs are having on their organizations. Resources and links discussed: * Webpage on GDPR: www.cvent.com/gdpr * Webpage on CCPA: www.cvent.com/ccpa * CCPA Webinar - CCPA and You: How Data Privacy Laws Will Impact Your Event Strategy - https://hello.cvent.com/en-webinar-ccpa-recording.html EBooks mentioned: * Event Marketing Strategy for Dummies: https://www.cvent.com/en/resource/event-cloud/event-marketing-strategy-dummies?kui=hfVaabc617-xL4mlt-og * Event Technology Management for Dummies: https://www.cvent.com/en/resource/event-management-technology-for-dummies * Strategic Meetings Management for Dummies: https://www.cvent.com/en/resources/strategic-meetings-management-for-dummies Event Marketing webinar: * Demystifying Event Marketing: https://hello.cvent.com/en-em-wbr-tofu-em-for-dummies-recording.html Kapow * https://www.kapow.com/?utmcampaign=&utmmedium=podcast&utmsource=cvent&utmcontent=kapow-customer-feature&utm_term=click
It’s easier to be more environmentally conscious at your events than ever before. Join us to learn how you can make your event more "green,” from sourcing eco-friendly hotels and venues to waste reduction. Check out BCD M&E'S Green White Paper (https://insights.bcdme.com/blog/insights/bcd-mes-green-white-paper).
Strategic Meetings Management sounds great in theory but many organizations still struggle to understand what exactly it is and how to ultimately implement it. With this ambiguity, SMM is often misclassified as a complicated program that is hard to put together. In this webinar we will debunk the myth that SMM is intangibly complex by breaking it down into bite sized pieces that companies of any size can easily understand and adopt. Learn best practice and tried and true approaches as directed by Julie Haddix, Cvent SMM guru. Links and Resources Discussed: * SMM for Dummies: https://www.cvent.com/en/resources/strategic-meetings-management-for-dummies * SMM Starter Kit: https://www.cvent.com/en/strategic-meetings-management/building-business-case * Register for EMA in Playa Del Carmen: https://web.cvent.com/event/20e3bef5-61af-49af-a34a-81b0046b0dd0/summary
As event planners, we have a responsibility to keep our attendees safe. Find out how duty of care applies to planners. From training to a clear emergency plan, we discuss simple steps you can take to prepare for the worst.
Cvent surveyed 500 travel managers across Europe about their budgets, priorities, preferences, concerns, and requirements when considering hotels for their organization’s hotel programs. In this episode, we share their insights.
When it comes to event success, it’s easy to get bogged down in whether an event increased ROI. But in the events world, it isn’t just about the endgame and success may look different than what you’re used to tracking. Discover how to find wins in different aspects of your events from Dakota Davis, Regional Marketing Director, at Emarsys (https://www.emarsys.com).
Think influencers are just a trend? Turns out, they can have a big impact on event promotion. We talk about how to activate staff, speakers, and sponsors at the event, as well as the benefits of creating a celebrities program.
Adam Parry discusses how to use a company podcast to drive interest (and registration) to your events and how to integrate a podcast into the live event. Discover how a podcast can broaden the reach of your event.
Mark Jeffries, emcee extraordinaire, sits down to discuss how to bring value to live events through the art of moderation.
Paulina Curto uncovers the invisible workload of event planners. From budgeting to work-life balance, event planning continues to rank amongst the most stressful jobs. How do you conquer an invisible workload?
Brooke Gracey and Cody Liskh return for Season 2 of the How Great Events Happen podcast. Brooke and Cody will sit down with meetings and events industry leaders to explore beyond trends including best practices, the future of events and more!
Senior VP of Sales, Brian Ludwig, joins us to discuss 2019 event trends, his thoughts on the future of events and how to stay ahead of the curve. This will be the second in a two-part series.
Senior VP of Sales, Brian Ludwig, joins us to discuss 2019 event trends, his thoughts on the future of events and how to stay ahead of the curve. This will be the first in a two-part series.
From sourcing to planning, marketing to onsite execution and data collection, see how the Cvent team uses its own technology to host the annual Cvent CONNECT conference. Guests include Alyssa Peltier, Taylor Bohn, and Paulina Curto.
Women face a variety of challenges—and opportunities—as they navigate the waters of a of the meeting and event industry. Courtney Stanley and Sarah Soiman Daudin join us to discuss the obstacles women face and how to overcome them.
Tony Wagner from CWT Meetings & Events discusses Human Trafficking and identifies our role as industry professionals in helping to put an end to this human rights violation.
Michael Newton discusses why diversity and inclusion is good for business and how to ensure that your meetings and events program fits the bill.
Is your organization’s events program at expert level or does it need a little work? Cvent’s Mike Dietrich joins us to show you how to measure your events program and tips to reach the next level(s). Special Guest: Mike Dietrich.
Jonathan Spero continues the discussion on how meeting planners can more effectively mitigate company risk and also optimize the health and safety of meeting attendees. Special Guest: Jonathan Spero.
Jonathan Spero discusses how meeting planners can be proficient at mitigating company risk while also optimizing the health and safety of meeting attendees. Special Guest: Jonathan Spero.
Cvent’s General Counsel Larry Samuelson is here to discuss the shifting global data privacy regulations and the profound impact they have on meetings and events. Special Guest: Larry Samuelson.
So, what's this new podcast about? Boring is not an option, so we picked the most interesting thought leaders in the industry to keep it engaging. And our hosts Brooke Gracey and Cody Liske like to have fun. We know there are several events podcasts that delve into the minutiae of meetings and events-- so we wanted to focus on the big picture. What are the latest industry trends? What are people doing well? What's the next "Big Thing" on the horizon? How can you adapt to new industry rules and regulations? We hope you can walk away from these podcast episodes with strategic and insightful ideas that you can implement into your own events –whatever they may be –big or small. With each episode, you will get access to additional content, tools, and resources to help you grow in your career. We encourage you to subscribe now so you are notified when each new episode drops each week, beginning on May 23, 2019. We love interacting with our audience, so we encourage leaving podcast reviews, emailing us at podcast@cvent.com, and learning more about each episode at cvent.com/podcast. We look forward to having you join us!