Event Manager Podcast: Recent Episodes
EventMB
The podcast for event professionals featuring the leading innovators in the industry. We cover the latest innovations in event technology, case studies of successful events, new thinking in event design, and exciting destination updates.
Anush Alexander, chief marketing officer at Stova, discusses measuring and ultimately obtaining a return on investment from in-person events. This conversation covers the challenge of calculating an event's return on investment (ROI), the importance of collecting first-party data, the advantages of building a data lake, why AI won’t solve bad data and why streamlined marketing stacks are more effective. Subscribe to make sure you don't miss an episode of the Skift Meetings Podcast. Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
Liz Lathan, co-founder of The Community Factory, discusses the importance of building engaging communities. The conversation covers the concept of unconferences and spontaneous think tanks, why the stories behind brands are more important than the name, why events must be design for connection in order to provide great networking, sponsor activations need to be designed into the core conversation and why communities need a leader, plus what core components every community needs in order to succeed. Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
David Peckinpaugh, President & CEO of Maritz Holdings, discusses the importance of unleashing human potential. The conversation covers the main challenges in reorganizing the Maritz brand into one company, what Maritz's "unleashing human potential" initiative really means and how to apply it in practice, how Maritz manages its workforce, and how it’s helping its clients in dealing with remote and hybrid workforces, how innovation and design is constantly a part of how Maritz works with clients, and why and how airlines should engage more with the meetings industry. Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
Vanessa Lovatt, Founder of Forte Futures, discusses the importance of leading with the customer as your main focus. The conversation covers taking full advantage of virtual events; why embracing a less is more approach to technology is always the right thing to do; why service level is the gamechanger for event technology providers; the rise of bleisure and how planners can use it to their advantage; and how there are more women in leadership positions, but there is still lots of work to be done.
Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
Christina Ghani-Smith, Director of Sports Sales at Visit Baltimore, discusses Baltimore's rich history of hosting large sporting events and the benefits this can provide meeting and event planners looking to find their next destination. The conversation covers Baltimore's culture as a sporting city; the sporting venues and arenas that can create a unique attendee experience; what the future may hold, including challenges to consider; how a sporting background can help create leadership skills. This episode is sponsored by Visit Baltimore. Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
Kitty Ratcliffe, President at Explore St. Louis, discusses effective leadership through discovering the untold story. The conversation covers Ratcliffe's journey with MPI, having recently receiving their Industry Leader Award; the long history of travel bans and whether they are effective; the importance of connecting with your team at all levels; why networking is crucial for the next generation of female leaders. Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
Sheriff Karamat, CEO at PCMA, discusses the impact of business events and the future of the associations industry. The conversation covers the strategic importance of using the right terminology and why the term “business events” is the right word for what we do; why great events are the ones that generate transformative impacts; what is needed to evolve the industry and fight the lack of speed that is typical of associations and governments; what the future of associations in the business events sector could look like and why AI can be such a transformative for business event professionals. Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
David T Stevens, director of field marketing and global events at data.world, discusses the importance of incorporating health and wellness opportunities at meetings and events. In our conversation, we cover several topics, including the role of field marketing, how creative approaches to exhibiting can often cost less but have a higher impact, wellness trends and the concept of sweat working at business events, the importance of shorter sessions and food that keeps attendees focused, designing events experiences with a focus on the importance of attendees time. Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
Mark Cooper, the CEO of IACC, discusses the role of venues in delivering exceptional meeting experiences. In our conversation, we cover several topics, including the different venue requirements that different meetings have, the starring role of food, why job ownership and experience matters, the game-changing role of automation, and why virtual meetings have their place. Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
This episode features Jonathan Martin, founder and principal designer at ShowTec. The conversation focuses on the role technology can play in an event. Here are a few of the topics we cover: how technology should be in the background supporting the storytelling; the most powerful performances for the audience; the magic of theatricality and the willing suspension of disbelief; showbusiness executives need to be involved in both the show's creation and the running of the business; supporting each other's craft will create the best events possible. Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
This episode features Stacy Ritter, President and CEO at Visit Lauderdale. The conversation focuses on the challenges facing destinations in cities and states passing divisive legislation. Here are a few of the topics we cover: Travel advisories in place for Florida; If meeting planners should boycott a destination and what their alternatives may be; Being a welcoming destination for everyone; Convention center renovations and their future impact; Mentoring future female leaders. Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
This episode features Ewandro Magalhães, a language industry executive and former chief interpreter in the United Nations system. The conversation focuses on language, interpretation, and the role of communication at events. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
The evolution of remote simultaneous interpretation
The subtle, and controversial, differences between interpretation and translation
Demystify myths around interpretation
Empowering participants through their native language
The ephemeral but key role of conference interpreters
The power of genuine storytelling
Skift Meetings is defining the future of business events. Visit our website for the latest news, reports, reviews, and events.
This episode features event technologist and educator Nick Borelli. The conversation focuses on the challenges with event technology and how a human and planner-centric approach is needed to event tech to succeed.
Here are a few of the topics we cover:
Radical differences between planners and event technologists
Unique and stress-inducing needs to event planners when it comes to technology
Why we need to unlock event data so we can make better decisions for an entire organization
The current state of the metaverse and how it may develop over the next few years
Some of the challenges that remain for the next generation of virtual events
This is a special episode of the podcast focused on an update of the event tech sector. It was inspired by Skift Meetings editor-in-chief Miguel Neves' visit to the Event Tech Live 2022 trade show. Some of the themes covered are:
The size of the event tech market after the Covid bubble
Who was at the show and who was missing
How education and event tech work well together
The complex sales and marketing challenges of event tech
New tools and concepts presented by startups
We hope you enjoy this special episode. Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.
This episode features Andrew Fleming-Brown, managing director at SWG3. The conversation focuses on venue sustainability and the power of being community led. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
The community that built SWG3 and balancing for-profit venue hire and culturally led projects
The Development of the area into a vibrant quarter with a clear environmental policy
SWG3's unique heating system called BODYHEAT launched in 2021 at COP26
SWG3's ambitions of becoming a circular campus
The need to constantly reimagine how you use the space and how you engage with the community
This episode features John Sage, president at Accessible Travel Solutions. The conversation focuses on the accessibility of in-person events. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
The dangers of making accessibility a check-box exercise
Events should be responsible for ensuring accessibility is taken into account, not the attendees
The importance of training and customer service
Why it is important to remember than many people with disabilities do not self-identify this way
The four components of accessibility information and the three pillars of accessibility
This episode features Andrew Pearson, chief marketing officer at Webex Events (formerly Socio) Our conversation revolved around using event tech to creative intuitive experiences. Some of the topics we cover:
How events have always been part of Andrew's entrepreneurial journey
Why simplifying process and features is the way to go
The importance of single source of content truth when it comes to event apps, websites and other internal or external
Why fun moments in virtual events really matter
Why interaction is important to make people attending virtual events live
This podcast is produced by Skift Meetings, the leading media company embracing the future of business events. We invite you to explore all our content at www.skiftmeetings.com which includes daily news, reviews, reports, guides and live events, all created exclusively for professionals working in business events.
This episode features Angeles Moreno, Country Manager Spain at AIM Group International. The conversation focuses on innovation and sustainable professional growth. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
The pros and cons of entrepreneurship
The importance of providing value to all event stakeholders
Why sustainable growth does not happen without innovation
The challenges of sustainability in the events industry
The advantages of a segmented approach that differentiates between in-person and online event attendees
This episode features Megan Henshall, Global Events Strategic Solutions Lead at Google. The conversation focuses on why belonging is important. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
The Nue Project, a new Google initiative
Why diversity and inclusion matters
How Google plans their events
The impact of hybrid work on business events
Why ROI may no longer be the best measure of success
This episode features Pedro Góes, CEO at InEvent The conversation focuses on event tech innovation. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
The ins and outs of funding and investment to event tech start-ups
How to decide where to focus your development efforts
Developing event tech that is able to service a global audience
The importance of affordable pricing that’s easy to understand
The pros and cons of offering Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for event technology
This episode features Sofia Crokos, Owner and Creative Director at Sofia Crokos Events & Lifestyle. The conversation goes behind the scenes and reveals some of the secrets of creating unique luxury event experiences inspired by fashion and food. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
The importance of developing authentic relationships
The move towards immersive experiences
Building a relationship with your client
The journey of a small business owner
This episode features Mark Loehr, CEO at OpenExchange. The conversation focuses on the potential of virtual events in the financial services and professional investment sector Here are a few of the topics we cover:
The specific virtual event needs of the financial services and professional investment industry
Why telling the story of a company is crucial when seeking investment or going public
The need for high-touch services when dealing with high-net-worth individuals
The challenges of rapid growth during the pandemic and finding the right balance as a company
Mark’s vision of AI powered search and filtering of investment opportunities
This episode features Gerrit Heijkoop, Executive Partner / Moderator & Host at LiveOnlineEvents.
The conversation is a deep dive into hybrid events from both a production perspective and an audience perspective. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
Why most content-light events struggle to work as virtual events
Why in-person events without an online option are short sighted, unless this is strategic and intentional decision
How sponsors are now finding good ways of getting value from virtual and hybrid events
Why meetings and events are the best time/place to capture content for any organization
Five different types of hybrid events
This special episode features two sessions recorded live at the recent Skift Meetings Event Design Summit. The two conversations revolve around the human-centric approaches to meeting and event design that can inspire and change attendees. Meetings and events that make an intentional and positive impact on everyone involved. First you will hear about how designing events for connection and belonging can and should drive transformation. This conversation features Liz Lathan, co-founder at The Community Factory, Megan Henshall, global events strategic solutions lead at Google, and Naomi Clare Crellin, CEO and founder at Storycraft Lab. The second conversion is about designing events for humans, not job titles and features Jesse Gainer, Director of Growth Strategy at C2 International.
This episode features Merijn van Buuren, CEO at Event Mender. The conversation focuses on how virtual events have evolved, including how audience expectations have changed and how event technology has advanced in the last few year. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
The evolution of virtual events from reluctant pivoting to high level online productions
How audiences have evolved and expect much more from virtual events today
Why personalization is key to really impressing participants
Why listening closely to event professionals is so important to developing successful event tech products
Why the industry needs to break outside its bubble to really evolve
This episode features Jeff Bzdawka, Chief Executive Officer of Knowland This episode, Being Nimble is Key for Both Event Planners and Venues, focuses on the importance of embracing flexibility to meet the needs of guests and attendees. Here are a few of the topics covered.
Why Jeff considers himself an accidental technologist
The importance of relationship building
Future forecasting
The importance of flexibility
The evolution of meetings and events post-COVID
This episode features Joe Schwinger, Co-Founder and Chief Product / Innovation Officer at MeetingPlay + Aventri + Eventcore This episode, The Renaissance of Mobile Technology, focuses on the importance of being able to embrace change and pivot. Here are a few of the topics covered.
The changes and considerations when leading a fully dispersed team
What conferences have taught him about the current direction of the industry
The continued importance of content strategy
The renaissance of 2019 mobile technology paired with todays advancements
The future roles of augmented reality, virtual reality and the metaverse
This episode features Jennifer Brisman, founder and CEO at VOW in a conversation about making technology work for event management. We talk about things like:
The amazing benefits and drawbacks of working in event planning
Defining where tech can help in event planning and in supporting the event experience
Why event professionals make the best event tech CEOs
How the change in user expectations and how that impacts mobile event app adoption
Why ultimately staffing remains the event industry’s biggest challenge
This episode features Rob Eveleigh, Managing Director at Brightelm. The conversation focuses on the future of association events. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
How working with associations is inspiring, particularly when they really contribute to the advancement of humanity.
Why taking time off and preserving our mental health is so important
Why our job as event professionals is largely to take the stress out of events and travel
Associations are looking at different and more commercial business models - has advantages and disadvantages
Event tech needs to be simple and reduce distractions to be effective
This episode features Lawrence Coburn, CEO of twine The conversation focuses on the next evolution of virtual events. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
How the SoLoMo (Social, Local, Mobile) movement influenced event tech
The blurred line between developing tech for remote teams and events
The difficult choice to work on one feature or create a product suite
Why connecting online and virtual audiences for networking may be desirable at all
Why connecting people and serendipity are so important to the meeting industry
The episode of the Event Manager Podcast features Eric Holmen, CEO at Splash.
The conversation focuses on event marketing and the importance of small scale meetings for businesses.
Some of the topics we cover include:
How the concept of events can apply to so many different types of gatherings
The importance of impressing guests with great design
The challenges of create a Software-as-a-Service tool for the event industry
Why small events outperform large events
Why data and ROI are even more important going forward
This episode features Thorben Grosser, Vice President of Product Marketing at EventMobi. The conversation focuses on event tech, event design and how to run a successful event tech business in Europe. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
Differences between doing business in US v Europe and what to consider when expanding into a new region
The current state of the event tech industry
The way events, and event tech, have changed in the pandemic years
Changes to in-person events for the near future
Overall changes the event industry should look to implement
This episode features Rachael Riggs, Wellbeing Leaders at Maritz Global Events. The conversation focuses on the unique sustainability role at Maritz Global Events. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
What is the difference between wellbeing and wellness
The long term impacts of incorporating wellbeing at events
What it means to design an event with wellness as a core design principle
What prevented the event industry from connecting with Wellbeing before now
How sustainability goals impact events
This episode features Amy Calvert, CEO of the Event Industry Council (EIC). The conversation focuses on advocating for the event industry in the wider business community.Here are a few of the topics we cover:
Aggregating resources and addressing pan-industry issues are the main areas of focus for the Events Industry Council
Bringing together members to discuss the state of the industry, particularly during the Covid pandemic, was very important for the industry.
The importance of sharing impact of events and reasons for hosting events with the wider business community
Advocacy is really important, but let’s not forget that people are at the heart of what we do
Only having meaningful conversations with partners will lead to positive change
This episode features Panashe Mahakwa, student at Vistula University in Warsaw and recipient of the 2022 MPI Foundation Student Scholarship Award. The conversation focuses on one student’s perspective on the future of the event industry. . Here are a few of the topics we cover:
Panashe’s unique journey from Zimbabwe to Poland and to IMEX in Frankfurt, Germany
What makes the event industry interesting for newcomers
How international environments change people’s perspective + Desire to return to Zimbabwe and inspire the local event industry
Why entertainment and fun should be a part of all business events
How do students feel about the metaverse and if it is the future of events?
This episode features Rick Taylor, CEO of The Business Tourism Company. The conversation focuses on the rise of African destinations for business events. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
The challenge getting governments and investors to appreciate the value of a convention bureau
Why a convention bureau no better investment for a destination because it is key to attracting additional foreign direct investment
The process of working with the world bank in setting up national convention bureaus
The importance of forming regional event industry associations to unite stakeholders
Africa 2063 - the African Union’s development blueprint to achieve inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development.
This episode features Jonathan Kazarian, CEO of Accelevents. This episode, Winning on Support, focuses on taking the stress out of working with event technology. Here are a few of the topics covered.
Decided to win on support - understanding the stress of event professionals
The importance of referrals from all sides of the industry
Don’t neglect the people who never went to in-person events in the first place
Too many events take place without any sort of purpose - that is an iss
This special podcast episode was recorded on site at IMEX in Frankfurt 2022. It features testimonials from a diverse group of 21 event industry professionals who share their core reasons for being at the 18th edition of the trade show, the first since the start of the Covid pandemic.
This episode features Tony Kula, CEO, meetyoo. The conversation focuses on the State of Virtual Event Tech. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
Who are the new clients for virtual event tech platforms
Why Tony doesn’t believe in hybrid events
How reconnecting at in-person events is all people need right now, but exhibitors and sponsors will soon demand more ROI
How in-person events rely on emotional responses while virtual events need tech that works
The importance of virtual event attendees overcoming the negative association with the Covid pandemic
You can also find the LinkedIn post discussed at the start of the episode here and information the work Tony has been doing to help Ukraine here and here.
This episode features Leanne Hughes, international consultant, facilitator, trusted advisor and speaker who loves creating unpredictable workshop experiences, that predictably work. This week’s conversation focuses on Change Management. Some of the topics covered in this week’s episode include:
Difference between facilitation and training
Challenge for facilitators is connecting to business results
Engagement is attention in disguise
A great event starts way before it has actually started
If you’re the same person before and after an event, then the event has failed
Acceleration of change is the biggest business challenge ahead
Catch up on previous episodes, and ensure you don’t miss those to come, by subscribing to the Event Manager Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
Hello and welcome to this episode of the Event Manager Podcast, the podcast for curious event professionals who want to stay ahead of the game.
My name is Miguel Neves and I am the editor-in-chief of EventMB. In this episode titled Nothing Matters More Than Connecting People, I have the pleasure of speaking with Fiona Bruder, President, Americas at George P Johnson Experience Marketing
We cover a lot of topics around creating experiences that connect people including:
We must always remember that we are always dealing with humans and understand that connecting people is what makes great events unique
Taking about a global perspective is the worst way to connect, you have show up and connect personally and individually
Why you don’t need to be the smarter person in the room, but should always be the most prepared person in the room
How finding innovation require a strong innovation strategy that is part of your process
Why we should move away from “events” and towards “experiences”
I hope you enjoy listening to this conversation and I invite you to check out other episodes of the Event Manager Podcast on our website or subscribe through your favorite podcast service.
This episode features Irina Graf, founder of The MICE Blog and Event Planners Talk. The conversation focuses on Destination and Event Marketing. Some of the topics covered in this week’s episode include:
How the pandemic has pivoted content from high-production video to more raw content
The importance of making advertising disclosures clear in influencer marketing
Why it takes at least five years to see the results of destination marketing
Events should connect and engage participants online in advance so that deeper networking and more complex topics can be discussed onsite.
Why smaller interactive events create strong community connections
This episode features Senthil Gopinath, CEO at ICCA in a conversation about the future of the event industry. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
Why passion is an important part of building a business strategy
The importance of bringing outside knowledge into the event industry
Understanding participant experience is the secret to making events stand out
Why being attractive to younger generations is important for the continuity of the industry
Why we cannot ever afford to stop collaborating inside and outside the industry
Our guest for this episode is Mathijs Vleeming, Online Community Evangelist & Strategy Consultant at Open Social. Our conversation focuses on community building for associations. Among other topics we cover:
How the biggest value of associations is the ability to connect people
How organizations benefit from being community focused
Why communities must always focus first on the needs of its members
Why bottom-up communities succeed and how this requires organizations to let go of control
How creating a culture of dialogue requires a big shift in mindset
Open Social has recently released "The Association Community Compendium - How to harness the collective power of your members"
In this episode we talk with Alon Alroy, co-founder and chief marketing officer of Bizzabo. The main topic of our conversation is the recently launched book, Event Success - Maximizing the Business Impact of In-person, Virtual, and Hybrid Experiences written by Alon along with fellow Bizzabo co-founders Eran Ben-Shushan and Boaz Katz. We discuss a wide range of related topics including:
How the best consumer experiences today are hybrid
How more than ever before, planners are understanding that value of data
Why a great event is an impactful event
Why a hybrid event strategy is necessary in the current climate of uncertainty
What a successful event of the future looks like, which involves creating completely unique experiences for every single participant
The latest episode of the Event Manager Podcast focuses on incentive travel and motivational events and features Padraic Gilligan, managing partner at SoolNua and chief marketing officer of SITE Global. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
How incentive travel is unique in the way it starts in business environment but actualizes in tourism industry
How rewarding and recognizing people crucial to the success of a company
How incentive travel has evolved to include motivational events
Why it’s important to connect incentive objectives with destinations and to connect incentive participants with people at the destination
Why a lack of human resources and climate justice are the big challenges ahead for the event industry
Episode #41 of the Event Manager Podcast features Alicia Schiro, CEO and founder of Aced It Events. The conversation focuses on how independent planners can deal with the challenges and opportunities they are facing.
Providing a better alternative is the secret to managing client expectations
Why giving attendees choice is so important
Why interaction is crucial in hybrid events
What opportunities exist for event professionals in the metaverse
Why the event industry needs to be more united in order to be recognized
In this episode of the Event Manager Podcast, we talk with Cathy Breden, executive vice president, and chief operating officer at the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), and CEO of the Center for Exhibition Industry Research Foundation (CEIR). We discuss the recent findings from CEIR’s research and cover some eye-opening topics including:
Real-world statistics on the return to in-person events
The growing trend of companies embracing digital channels in their go-to-market strategies
The continued demand for in-person exhibition opportunities
A research-backed forecast for when the exhibition industry will return to 2019 levels
Episode #39 of the Event Manager Podcast features Patrick Delaney, Managing Partner at SoolNua in a conversation about the transformative power of travel. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
Why destination marketing requires an alternative view
How destinations have two masters, the visitors and the local community
Why event professionals should get involved in industry associations and how that can really benefit them
How event professionals are fortunate to be able to contribute to societal issues, sustainability issues and inclusivity issues
Why the event industry should aim to be more reflective rather than reactive
Episode #38 of the Event Manager Podcast features Stephanie Cheung, Director of Strategy & Insights at MarketID. The conversation focuses on the exciting world of destination marketing. Here are a few of the topics we cover:
How cultural exchange can make events truly enriching experiences
How destinations can help events drive change
The importance of managing expectations for any destination
Recipe for destinations to make use of technology in their marketing strategy
Why a long-term investment strategy in the metaverse, web 3.0 and NFTs may be important for destinations
This episode features Georgia Suttie, Venue Find Operations Manager at Agiito, and Sophie Conlon, Events and Communications Manager at the University of Essex, both mentees of the Fast Forward 15 program. The conversation focuses on how mentoring can empower and inspire women in the event industry. We discuss:
Unusual career paths in the event industry
How mentoring inspires and supports event professionals
The value of a structured mentoring program
How shared mentoring experiences bring people together
What can we expect from the current supply chain crunch, the brain drain challenge and dealing with more and more last-minute requests
This episode features Sabrina Meyers, founder of the Sabrina Meyers Consultancy in a conversation around online visibility. We discuss:
Why documenting your experience should be the basis of your own content
The challenges of taking on multiple overlapping roles in events
Why there may still be challenges ahead for the return of in-person events
The rising expectation for in-person events to be transposed online for both live streaming and on-demand content
The new challenges of getting attendees to commit to virtual events
This episode features Heidi Legein, founder of The MICE Guru, in a discussion around digital strategy for events. We discuss:
The importance of consciously creating a digital strategy for both events and businesses in the event industry
Why event tech vendors should work collaboratively with digital event experts to help clients create outstanding digital events
Overcoming the challenges of creating engaging digital events
How digital events can absolutely benefit venues and destinations, provided there is a well-defined digital strategy
What events can and should be hybrid in format
Tim Arnold is the President of Leaders for Leaders and the author of two books, the newly released, “Lead with And - The Secret to Resilience and Results in a Polarized World” and “The Power of Healthy Tension” In this episode, Tim Arnold covers the concept and the ins and outs of what he calls Both/And Thinking. We cover a lot of ground including:
The key differences between a both/and approach and an either/or approach
Why an either/or approach is not useful when we are looking for connection and cooperation
Why it is possible to have both innovation and having something familiar and safe
Why taking time to listen to others with different perspectives can be the best way to make decisions
Why dealing with healthy tensions is positive
How taking time for tone setting and naming the core issues can really improve outcomes
How connection is a hugely beneficial feature of events
Beyond the spectacular events can really be impactful when they change the way we think, or when we create new connections
In this episode we talk with Marco Giberti, Founder and CEO of Vesuvio Ventures, about entrepreneurship and investing in event tech. Among other topics we cover:
The fantastic mission of the event industry: connecting people
Why the event industry should work better and closer with tech
Why having lots of event problems to solve is great news for event tech entrepreneurs
Success stories of always-on events
Which verticals of event tech are most exciting right now
Why having digital offices and digital venues really is the future
In this episode, Samme Allen, founder of conferenceemcees.com, discusses why building a community is the key to growing a sustainable business and more including:
Why difficult journeys make us more resilient and lead to better products and services
Why sustainability needs to be a major consideration for all event professionals
Why building a community and not an agency is the key to success
The key differences between a TV host and a conference emcee
How many of the big challenges the event industry is facing come down to siloing
Dealing with the permanent changes to business travel and events
This episode of the Event Manager Podcast features association leader Kai Troll. Join us as we discuss how we can learn to have a positive mindset and much, much more. We cover topics such as:
Job titles and accolades are not as important as what you are creating
The importance of choosing our environments, which include the people, and the activities around us
How a good leader must be authentic to lead effectively
How many investors are really looking to invest in people, more than products or services
How the absence of long term planning adds stress and takes away the feeling that people can achieve their objectives
Joe Atkinson, Co-founder of Lineup Ninja In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guest, Joe Atkinson, discuss stress, technology, conference planning and much more including:
How bad event experiences can lead to important insights
How Joe’s unique IT and events background led him to create an event tech tool
Why the time-based nature of events makes the event industry different to others, for good and bad
Compounding challenges around stretched workforces asked to do more
Why event tech vendors dream of creating SaaS products and why that doesn’t work for the event industry
Carina Bauer, CEO at IMEX Group, talks with EventMB Editor-in-chief Miguel Neves about the need for flexibility and collaboration in the events industry. They cover topics such as:
How flexibility and cooperation with all clients and partners is key to delivering events in times of uncertainty
Why creative approaches to online events in 2020 have shifted to more practical content-driven approaches in 2021
How IMEX plans to continue to experiment with ways to bring the trade show to life online
How IMEX is internationally not called a hybrid show and is not trying to offer business appointments online
What drove the resilient IMEX team is be closer to clients and partners than ever before
Why IMEX has invested in IT, innovation and marketing and design
What a hybrid workforce means for the event industry
Why more sustainable events are possible should be the goal of all event organizers
Shane Lewis, Business Development Manager at VenuIQ and Elliot Jakobsen, Global Marketing Manager at Canapii In this episode, EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guests Shane Lewis and Elliot Jakobsen discuss not only their experiences with imposter syndrome but also cover lots of ground about the future of events and how event technology will continue to be part of all events going forward, and more including:
How there may have never been a more exciting time to work in event tech
How social side of the event industry is a major motivating factor for event professionals
Shane and Jakob’s specific experiences with imposter syndrome
The possible reasons why so many event professionals suffer from imposter syndrome
How the added pressure of pivoting to virtual impacted event professionals
The best ways of working with content, now and in the future
Predict how event tech vendors may shift their focus post-pandemic
Anh Nguyen, Head of Community Engagement at twine
In this episode, EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guest, Ahn Nguyen, discuss the humanizing of event tech and other topics including:
Why the high we get from in-person events is hard to replicate in virtual events
How listening to planners is crucial to developing great event technology
The tangible value of raw and human social media
How the saturation of events is causing reduced attendance and rushed production
The audience exhaustion and how the novelty value of virtual events is long gone
Why asynchronous communication technology will play an important part in the future of events
Dahlia El Gazzar, Tech Evangelist + Idea Igniteur at DAHLIA+Agency, and Gemma Edwards, Co-founder of Canapii
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, deputy editor, Angela Tupper, and guests discuss hybrid engagement strategies, and topics including:
Covid fatigue - best advice to planners
What do you say to those who say it's time to drop virtual and go back to in-person-only events?
Event data - Why do we need to really understand data to make it actionable? How do we prepare for working with data in 2022 and beyond?
Event promotion - Speakers and sponsors as brand ambassadors key to event promotion?
Making the best use of event content during and after events
The latest episode features Tracy Halliwell, Director of Tourism & Convention Bureau for London & Partners, in conversation with EventMB deputy editor, Angela Tupper.
In this episode titled, “Why London’s Event Industry Is Booming Again,” Tracy Halliwell discusses how London’s meeting and event sector is growing exponentially, and how this rebound relates to larger industry trends. Topics include:
Whether revenge attendance is already happening
How London's sustainability initiatives are changing the game
When global business travel will return to pre-pandemic levels
How to pick hybrid-event-friendly destinations
The value of government programs like subvention and event insurance
Kathryn Frankson is the Director of Event Marketing of Informa Connect
In this episode titled "How Data and Strategic Marketing Drive Better Event ROI", Kathryn Frankson shares her expertise on mining event data for insights and designing marketing strategies for today’s hybrid world. Topics include how to build on what’s working well, how to target specific audiences, and how to make your virtual and in-person experiences work together for the highest possible event ROI.
Leanne Calderwood, Personal Branding and LinkedIn Trainer
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guest Leanne Calderwood discuss:
How our personal brands become part of what our clients experience
Why you should always tie your personal branding efforts to professionals goals
Why investing in one main platform for personal branding is the way to go
Why LinkedIn is the ideal place advocate and share our thought leadership
What are the content styles that work best right now on LinkedIn
Why the industry needs innovation and why simple returning to normal is not the best possible outcome of the pandemic
This episode features Josh Hotsenpiller, CEO of JUNO in conversation with EventMB editor-in-chief Miguel Neves. They cover a number of topics around community and technology including:
How do you make technology a catalyst of community and not a deterrent to community
The important difference between functional and utility-based software
Why tracking what people do rather than what people declare is a game-changer
How organizations are ultimately looking for value and that value may not necessarily come from events as we know them
How we need to adapt to the reality of the hybrid attendee
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guest Martin Sirk, Owner of Sirk Serendipity, discuss:
The flight to quality across the event industry
The real purpose of meetings
Events are more about rituals than content because they give us a sense of shared purpose
How remote workforces means more regional-wide meetings to build culture and promote understanding
How smart destinations use resources (people/companies) for the benefit of events which ultimately benefits the destination
Future predictions include: failed meetings, merged meetings and whole companies departments attending meetings as a retreat
The meetings of 20 people today are the events of 1,000 in the future
Ori Lahav, Vice President Client & Operations at Kenes Group and President of IAPCO
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guest, Ori Lahav, discuss:
Why conferences need to think and act as brands
Explore the reasons behind developing your own virtual events solution
Some of the surprising challenges of virtual events
The advantages and disadvantages of different hybrid event models
How event professionals need to also be experts in on-demand content
Why harmonizing travel policies is needed to restart international in-person events
Ho Yin Cheung, Founder and CEO of Remo
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guest Ho Yin Cheung discuss:
Content is no longer king, interaction is king and content is now queen
How events add purpose to human gatherings
Ho Yin's mission to create meaningful connections
The challenges of marketing a virtual office product
Why Ho Yin sees the SaaS Model and partnering with agencies as the way forward
How Ho Yin is looking to offer carbon credits as a way to carbon offset the in-person side of hybrid events.
Ade Allenby, Global Head of Digital and Data Innovation, Reed Exhibitions
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guest, Ade Allenby, discuss:
How there is a big people component to leveraging new technologies
Why speed is crucial to innovation
Why we need to understand attendee needs at different key points of the attendee journey
Why only some events may be suitable to become year-long communities
Why in-person event attendees should recognize and appreciate the advantages of getting away from day-to-day work
Entrepreneur and Investor Dan Berger
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and deputy editor, Dylan Monorchio discuss:
Love for bringing people together and it brings him joy
How the word community is thrown around a lot and the concept deserves to be better understood
How Dan defines community as something that gives people a sense of belonging
How communities needs more than one qualifier to get people to really connect
How focusing on community management may really powerful for event planners despite
The challenge of creating a sense of exclusivity while respecting diversity, equity and inclusion
Dan believes that event planning is in everybody’s job description but it’s not in every person’s job title
Community organizing skills are the differentiator between good and great event professionals.
How event organizers should define what community means for them and their event and also name the community
Shawn Kanungo is a Disruptive Innovation Keynote Speaker with Speakers’ Spotlight and General Partner at Queen & Rook.
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guest Shawn Kanungo discuss disruptive innovation, among other things including:
Hybrid events and how they are still so new and how we are developing different ways of using them
Shawn’s amazing studio production and the team he works with to make his videos and virtual events look as good as they can
The importance of looking good in virtual or any events and how that helps to carry the message
The next season of events and how they are going to be hybrid, in-person, and a mix of different events
NFTs and how we can apply NFTs to events
Elliott Ferguson is the President & CEO of Destination DC
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guest Elliot Ferguson discuss diversity in the event industry, among other things including:
The evolving role of Destination Marketing Organisations
How planners are now assessing destinations in terms of sustainability as well as diversity and inclusion
The state of DEI (Diversity Equity and Inlusion) in the event industry
How we can help make the event industry more diverse and inclusive?
What are the best ways to inspire young event professionals to be part of this industry?
Brandt Krueger is the Technical Producer of Event Technology Consulting
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guest Brandt Krueger discuss:
How technology has made it easier to deliver hybrid events
Is it ever a good idea to have onsite attendees network with the online attendees?
The concept for equivalent value, where we look for ways to deliver value for online audiences but not replicating exactly what onsite audiences have
The data "gold" of online event experiences and also why data flows between platforms can be challenging
The amazing value that custom-designed sponsorships for online events can deliver
Why going from free to paid events is going to be very hard
Why is there a need for an event technologist on each event’s design team and the simple business case for the role
Why it's so hard to recommend specific event platforms
Why Brandt would rather see old technology used well than new technology used badly
Will Curran is the Chief Event Einstein of Endless Events
In this episode, EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guest Will Curran discuss the ever-changing role of production in the event industry, among other things including:
Redefining the role of a production company
Will we ever be able to order events online?
How content builds authority and relationships and is a core strategy for the company
Designing your own job and having small scheduled breaks prevents burnout
How the pandemic will raise the bar of all events
Why Sustainability and DEI are more important than ever and how that will hopefully be a benefit of the pandemic
Why VR Games may be the future of the event industry
Kim Myhre is the Founder and Managing Partner of Experience Designed
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and guest Kim Myhre discuss:
The need for redesigning experiences in a human-centered approach
The challenges of changing an industry that aims to be “flawless”
How a bad speaker experience makes it hard for speakers to deliver compelling sessions at virtual events
How the event industry is learning a lot from TV broadcasting
How event companies should focus on the benefits they provide to clients above the vehicle they use to do so
How the future of the event industry will inevitably be more tech integrated
Shawna McKinley is the principal consultant at Clear Current Consulting and an instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
In this episode, EventMB Deputy Editor Dylan Monorchio and guest Shawna McKinley set the groundwork for building sustainability into your post-pandemic event strategy. You’ll learn:
Why sustainability matters now, even though the industry is still reeling from Covid
How to make a business case for sustainability to your stakeholders
How to set realistic data-driven sustainability goals for your organization
How to find free or inexpensive resources you need to achieve those goals
Ruud Janssen is the Founder & Managing Partner of the Event Design Collective
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and deputy editor, Dylan Monorchio, discuss event design among other things including:
Why designing time is essential to event design
How music and business models inspired the Event Canvas Methodology
How a common frustration led to a side project that led to a thriving startup
How structure enables language that powers conversations about event design
The many challenges of planning for behavior change
Why successful events may still benefit from design thinking
How restrictions can aid event design
Why creating multiple event design prototypes has many advantages
What the future holds for the Event Design Collective
Greg Oates is SVP of Innovation at MMGY NextFactor, part of MMGY Global.
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and deputy editor, Dylan Monorchio, discuss:
How events are a pipeline to support the priorities of the destination
How the pandemic has increased the visibility of DMOs to different parts of the government
The big shifts in intention coming out of Covid for event planners and people who book events and destinations
How association executives are actively selecting destinations with positive DEI reputations
The ongoing challenges of working with board members
How hybrid events remain unknown throughout the industry
How to define and measure destination performance
The constant need for great storytelling in destination marketing
Matthias Schultze is the Managing Director of the German Convention Bureau
In this episode, he joins EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and deputy editor, Dylan Monorchio, to discuss "Future Meeting Space", among other things including:
How financial crisis and pandemics change the way we work and meet because changes in business events mirror changes in society
How research allows us to anticipate changes in business events
What skills will be needed in the future to run events?
The interdisciplinary complexity of business events
How business events are the jewel in the toolbox of communication tools
The need for creating great spaces and places for people to meet
How we need to partner with other to make the best case for business events outside the industry
How international understanding requires in-person meetings to build trust
How technology must above all benefit the attendee to be successful
Oscar Cerezales is the Chief Strategy Officer of the MCI Group. In this episode, he joins EventMB's Miguel Neves and Dylan Monorchio to discuss among other things:
Personal branding and sharing thought leadership content on social media
Technology's changing role in the event industry and how MCI approach it
Buzzwords - how and when to use them
The future role of event industry associations
What a post-pandemic event industry looks like
Sina Bünte, CMP, DES, TMEP is the Founder of DigitalMind.events.
In this episode of the Event Manager Podcast our guest joins EventMB's editor in chief Miguel Neves and deputy editor Dylan Monorchio in discussing various aspects of the ICCA Congress 2020 including:
A deep dive into what a multi-hub hybrid meeting with 8 hubs all around the world looks like
The unique strategic decision and quick turnaround required
Bringing through the experience from past ICCA and PCMA hybrid events
Embracing the complexity of coordinating an event like this and the need for close collaboration with local partners
Discuss the feasibility of this type of events for associations and corporates
Explore the advantages of creating digital content for associations
Maarten Vanneste, CMM is the President of the Meeting Design Institute, and Founder, President, and Director of Content of The FRESH conference
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and deputy editor, Dylan Monorchio, discuss among other things:
The Meeting Architecture concept and manifesto
How focused small group conversations add the most value to meetings
How interaction delivers outstanding results, even for those who do not believe in the concept
Keynotes and small interactive sessions are a great match
The development groundbreaking hybrid Fresh Conference
The challenges of connecting in-person and online audiences at hybrid events
The bandwidth of human connections and planning serendipity
Claus Raasted is the Director of The College of Extraordinary Experiences and Coach at McKinsey & Company
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and deputy editor, Dylan Monorchio, discuss among other things:
Curating attendees to create unique experiences
Using in-person event experiences to generate auxiliary revenues
How breaking social rules is the key to creating productive ideation sessions
The cost of disruption and how you cannot please everyone
The rise and fall of Dziobak Larp Studios and the dangers of over-delivering
How productivity is more approachable than innovation
How reframing challenges can turn them into opportunities
How focusing on delight rather than eliminating mistakes can create amazing opportunities
Read the latest news, attend events, and compare products about the meetings and events industry at EventMB.
Juraj Holub is VP Brand & Comms and Chief Meeting Designer at Slido
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and deputy editor, Dylan Monorchio, discuss Meeting Design and particular conversational meetings and conversation presenting Juraj Holub. Juraj shares his views and his experience in creating interactive meetings and including audiences in experiences. Juraj talks about the evolution of Slido from a small bootstrapped startup in Bratislava to the recent acquisition by Cisco with plenty of anecdotes about stretching the budget, burnout, and ultimately pivoting in a virtual events focused marketplace. Juraj shares his passion for content marketing and how no meeting participants should leave a meeting without speaking their mind.
Read the latest news, attend events, and compare products about the meetings and events industry at EventMB.
Tahira Endean, CITP, CMP, DES, CED, Head of Events at the Society for Incentive Travel Excellence (SITE) is a passionate event designer and is the author of the 2017 book "Intentional Event Design, Our Professional Opportunity".
In this episode EventMB's editor-in-chief, Miguel Neves, and deputy editor, Dylan Monorchio, talk with Tahira about taking on impossible-looking challenges (aka wrestling alligators), scary life changes that inspire others, joining the dark side (event tech), writing and producing hybrid events (way before the pandemic), designing a 15-hour marathon virtual event SITE NITE allnite, the future of incentive travel and how not to write a book.
Read the latest news, attend events, and compare products about the meetings and events industry at EventMB.
Welcome to the Event Manager Podcast.
Julius Solaris founded Event Manager Blog in 2007, as a result of his passion for events and in the process discovered a whole industry. Throughout his professional journey he's become a master of how to build a brand on social media and is one of the industry's undisputed thought leaders. Editor-in-chief Miguel Neves and deputy editor Dylan Monorchio discuss the unique current market conditions and the strategies for surviving and even thriving in the event industry.
Read the latest news, attend events, and compare products about the meetings and events industry at EventMB.