#EventIcons - Meet The Icons Of The Events Industry (Audio)

Today's #EventIcons guests recently launched a conference in 90 days, growing their attendance from 0 to 5,000 people. That event was a fantastic PLX conference focused on partner marketing.    Partner marketing is a strategic relationship between two entities that aim to accomplish common goals, like increasing event attendance, building brand awareness, or marketing your products. And while you may be familiar with influencer marketing in B2C, a popular approach to partner marketing, partner marketing in B2B spaces is also growing in popularity. In this #EventIcons episode, Will brings together three people who played critical roles in the PLX conference: Nicole, Jared, and Isaac. Keep reading to learn more about the partner-led event, how they emphasized co-creation in their content and more iconic insights.

The pandemic put a strain on everyone in the events industry, and it's pushed some of our longest-serving professionals into other careers or even retirement, leaving a vacuum for other professionals to fill. It's this need for experienced and knowledgeable event professionals, along with the revitalization of events, that led today's guest, Bradley Cocks, to transition from doing to educating.  Bradley is an experienced event professional with an impressive 20 years of history in the industry. He's also founded and sold his own events agency and has launched a successful online Masterclass specifically for event professionals. In this #EventIcons episode, Will has many questions for Bradley. Tune in to hear what skills Bradly thinks event professionals need for the future, what prompted his transition from events to event education, and more.  

Ashley Lawson is a big name in the travel meetings and incentives industry. Recently featured on the SITE Global and IMEX Instagram accounts, she's also been featured closer to home. In a recent Event Brew episode on event inspiration, Deanna named Ashley as someone she goes to for inspiration and to bounce ideas off. Eager to learn more about Ashley, we've decided to bring her on for today's #EventIcon episode! Ashley currently serves as the Vice President of Business Partnerships at Achieve Incentives & Meetings and is the third generation to work for the 70-year-old family business. Since her shift from nonprofit work in Washington, DC, she has become her industry's “safe travel ambassador” and is on a mission to celebrate culture and usher back safe travel. Tune in to learn more about her life in events as a digital nomad and what she thinks the industry needs more of.

Throughout 2022, we discussed how event professionals could talk business and engage with the C-suite. We also talked about trends we witnessed and expected to see in 2023. That's why we've brought Jim Kelley on today's episode of the #EventIcons. Jim is an experienced leader in the events industry. Currently the Vice President of Marketing and Industry Relations at Fern Expo, he has a long history of working in events, tradeshows, and conferences. Jim describes himself as a continuous learner, trusted advisor, innovator, educator, and ukulelist in training. Today, he'll share his background, how event professionals can take on the business world, how to avoid burnout, and why we'll see more white space in 2023.

Attendee arrival has changed in recent years. Before the pandemic, attendees would have booked hotels and made transportation arrangements in the days or weeks leading up to the event. With online events, they've cut that time down to a few minutes, and no one understands this better than today's #EventIcons guest, Arianna Black. Arianna has a long-standing relationship with events. Recently, that relationship has grown to focus on meaningful connections in virtual events. She says, “My current obsession is building spaces for authentic connections into large-scale digital-first engagements.” In this episode, Arianna will share what led her to events, her thoughts about digital arrival, and some of her best tips for creating online experiences.

The events industry is on the cusp of change. As we exit the pandemic era, companies are looking to understand how they can drive event growth and how events can, in turn, drive growth for their business; that's why we've brought on a special guest for this episode of #EventIcons, Mark Kilens.  Mark is the CMO of Airmeet, a leading virtual and hybrid event platform. He previously worked at Drift as the VP of Content and Community and at HubSpot as the VP of Marketing. Mark comes to us today with no shortage of experience in event-led growth. Today, Will and Mark will discuss his accomplished background, what business and event growth mean to him, and what he thinks your event mindset should be. Let's get right into it!

Event planners and organizers are always considering how to push the envelope of event design. But with progress comes risk, the risk of failure. C2 Montreal is an event known for pushing the boundaries of events and inspiring industry-wide progress. #EventIcons has invited Anick Beaulieu of C2 International to chat with us.

On the last episode of #EventIcons, Erica Bishaf said, “A lot of organizations put about 60 - 80% of financial risk into one live event.” Unsurprisingly, companies are heavily invested in attendee satisfaction. Often, event planners turn to metrics and engagement as a measure of an event's success. That's why we've brought on an expert on all things attendee engagement, Ryan Costello.  Ryan is the founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Event Farm. Today, hundreds of organizations use Event Farm. Over the last 20+ years, he's become a leading innovator in the events industry. His obsession with attendee engagement and experience is evident in both his company and today's episode. Rather than hyper-focusing on the precise metrics you should focus on for engagement, Ryan shifts our attention to mindset and approach. He challenges us to remember that we are in the business of humans. Let's get right into it!

Community is the hot new buzzword in the events industry, and for a good reason. The ROI of building a community is staggeringly high. A thriving and engaged community can grow your revenue by hundreds of thousands of dollars. That's why this #EventIcons podcast has a very special guest, Erica Bishaf.  Erica is the founder and CEO of Campfire Social. She brings 20 years of experience with business strategy, market research & insights, and consulting. She's an expert in building professional networks for member-based and attendee-driven organizations. Erica has helped organizations generate revenue ranging from half a million to over 6 million dollars. Today, she'll talk about what community is, how to build it, and how to monetize it. Let's jump in!

Endless Events has recently celebrated its 15th birthday and we've decided to mark the occasion by hosting a very special #EventIcons episode in which our listeners could ask us any questions they want about Endless' past, present, and future. The 15-year special was hosted by no other than the CEO and Founder of Endless Events, Will Curran. Three members of the Endless team have also kept him company: Keaton Watson, Director of Sales and Operations, Karmen Jericevic, Sales Development Manager, and Sonja Hayden, the Director of Content. Here's to many more, Endless Events!

The #EventIcons podcast is back with a very special guest: Hubilo's CEO Vaibhav Jain. Hubilo is the leading global virtual and hybrid event technology company. Under Vaibhav's leadership, Hubilo has raised over 150 million in less than a year from leading hedge fund and venture capital firms globally. And it still continues to grow exponentially internationally.    Vaibhav's vision is to create a solution that works for every possible industry where content and community come together beyond the business world. He and Karmen will talk about how Hubilo got started, what challenges they faced along the way, and what are the dos and don'ts of the events industry, as learned in 2021. Let's jump right in.

After a month-long break, the #EventIcons podcast is back in all its glory! This week's iconic guest is the knowledgeable Gianna Gaudini, an event marketing strategist who understands events inside and out. She worked as Marketing Events Lead at Google for nine years and Head of Events at AWS for nearly two years. Even more importantly, she has founded her own company in 2018. Check out Gianna's website: she's established herself as an industry leader as well as an author and course creator. Since she's got such a wide range of knowledge, Karmen thought it would be a great idea to pick her brain about the best event planning tips for 2022. Karmen and Gianna do not dwell on any one particular topic for too long. After all, Gianna knows a lot about data analytics, content delivery, community, leadership, and so much more. They go over the recent changes in the events industry, ROI metrics, diversity and inclusivity, sustainability, and her favorite resources for event planners. Tune in - you'll learn a lot!

It's been nearly two years since event planners first witnessed mass event cancelations and scrambled to plan virtual events. Since then, we have seen the landscape of the events industry change dramatically. But just as we thought that we were getting through the worst of the pandemic-related uncertainty, the Omicron variant came and took over the world. Event planners essentially have three options: to cancel, to postpone, or to pivot. But how to choose? Since strategizing Omicron is one of event planners' top concerns right now, we've decided to dive into proactive event strategies to best handle the current situation. We've brought on an expert on all things event strategy: Keaton Watson, the Principal Relationship Architect at Endless Events! Keaton is going on his ninth year in the events industry. He's worked in hotels in Dallas, Cleveland, Florida, and joined the Endless Events team a year ago. He firmly believes that event technology should be at the core of any event strategy in this day and age. Make sure to tune in to find out how to strategize in times of uncertainty and how implementing event platforms can make last-minute pivots a bit easier to navigate.

This week, the #EventIcons podcast comes with a three-day delay, but we're so excited about this amazing episode that we couldn't wait any longer to share it with the world! First, let's get the most exciting part out of the way. Will is joined by a brand new host: the fabulous and inquisitive Karmen Jericevic, AKA the Event Opportunity Creator at Endless Events. Some of you might remember her from the episode we did with the Endless team about managing virtual fatigue. As she constantly talks directly to event planners, she knows exactly how they think, what they want to know, and what their main pain points are. And alongside her bubbly personality, that makes her an exceptional interviewer! And then, there's our iconic guest: Ellis Davis, the Chief of Equation Equilibrium at Endless Events. But even though that's one impressive title, it barely encompasses all that Ellis is and does. He's this industry's knowledgeable visionary, a charismatic yoga teacher, and a delightful conversationalist. Make sure to tune in: you'll leave inspired, informed, and more exuberant than before!

We're back today with a very special episode of the #EventIcons podcast. Will's guest is Isaac Holt, the Master of Technimagic at Endless Events. This week, he put on the shoes of the podcast's host and did quite an amazing job. Will and the live audience had a lot of questions for our new host. To make him feel welcomed and at ease, they mostly talked about technical production, but also touched on the future of virtual events and hybrid events – the works. So, press play, and please welcome Isaac Holt!

There is only one thing that seems to be certain in these trying times in the events industry: virtual events are here to stay, no matter the state of the pandemic and our personal preferences. And that's why it's time to talk about virtual event production -again. The #EventIcons podcast strives to talk to the very best in the events world. And wow, did we deliver this week! Today, we don't introduce you to one, but two #EventIcons guests: Kara Gladish and Sheehan Hubbard from Socio. For those who might not know: Socio is an event technology company that helps enterprises and SMBs optimize their events in more than 40 countries. Their clients include big names, such as Microsoft, Google, and Pinterest. Join Sarah as she has one of the most insightful, information-packed conversations ever witnessed on this podcast!

Planning a safe event is by no means something that is new in the world of event planners, but it has definitely gained new meaning in the last 18 months. When we think of staying safe and sound at events these days, our minds first go to COVID-compliance officers, screening procedures, and hand sanitizers. And since the #EventIcons podcast is all about talking about the hottest topics in the events industry, we brought on a special guest who specializes in all things event safety and security. With over 25 years of experience in meeting planning as well as public safety, Alan Kleinfeld from Arrive Management Group is the perfect person to talk to about the vast world of event safety. Not only does he comment on the state of the pandemic and the importance of COVID-19 compliance, but he also elaborates on other security issues that the events industry and the world at large are facing, such as the effects of climate change and the importance of cybersecurity.

New week, new guest, new host! #EventIcons is back with a very special episode! Recorded at Event Tech Live, Will had a great conversation about the evolution of SXSW with none other than their former Chief Innovation Officer, Scott Wilcox. Today, Scott has a new consulting venture, Here and Tomorrow. We've talked about SXSW (South by Southwest) before in this podcast's history. We've watched them do their first-ever 4K live stream, and included them on the list of our favorite events in 2018. Today, we'll explore how they went from being a company without emails to thought leaders in innovation and technology. The iconic guest takes us back to the year 1996 when business was still done via snail mail and CD ROMs ruled the world. Almost three decades later, SXSW is a household name among trade shows, conferences, and events. How did they do it? Tune in and find out, it's an episode that you really shouldn't miss!

When we talk about movement at events, our minds might go to walking around the venue at in-person events or walking to the fridge if we're attending a virtual experience. But what if we told you that a little movement goes a long way even before or during speaker presentations? Taking care of the health of the attendees is a growing trend in the events industry – and we're not just talking about COVID-19 compliance at events. PCMA EduCon 2021, for example, hosted a gamified health challenge and encouraged attendees to move their bodies. So, we brought on an iconic guest to explain to us what movement at events is all about. Our #EventIcons guest is Lizzy Williamson, an event and meeting energizer who coined the term Two Minute Moves. As a wellness and fitness enthusiast, she knows all about the science behind moving our bodies. Not only is it good for our mental and physical health, but it also boosts engagement at virtual, hybrid, and in-person events. So press play and join Sarah and Lizzy as they talk and demonstrate how to elevate your event with movement!

Do you consider yourself an entrepreneur? Today's iconic guest, Deanna Nwosu, thinks that all event and meeting planners should nurture an entrepreneurial spirit. She joins Sarah to talk about her vast experience in the events industry, what the future holds for event organizers, and the importance of community engagement. For almost 20 years, Deanna has worked on fundraisers, conferences, trade shows, and other events ranging in size from 10 to 20,000 attendees. Creating an ideal attendee experience is almost second nature to her. As an event strategist, Deanna now focuses more on facilitating the front-of-house experience for attendees through moderating emceeing and public speaking, while providing clients some limited behind-the-scenes logistics support as well. Welcome to #EventIcons, Deanna!

The year 2020 has established itself as the year of the pivot in the events industry. Since then, countless #EventIcons guests were brought on the podcast to talk about how they turned their in-person events into virtual ones and the importance of their community in these trying times. And because no two stories are the same, we're back this week with another one! Host Events is a Boston-based company that focuses on building community through top-notch virtual experiences. Today, Sarah welcomes two guests, Amy O'Neil and Katie Kosa, to talk about what they do and how they got there since March 2020. Before 2020, they worked exclusively in person, but today, they offer virtual happy hours, various fitness and cooking classes, and games. Tune in to hear this awesome story of success and learn more about the power of a tight-knit community!

Before the pandemic hit us, we took genuine human interactions at events for granted. Attendees mingled, networked, formed everlasting bonds, and had a great time while doing all of that. As the industry pivoted to virtual events, virtual audience engagement became one of the most talked-about challenges. How do we replicate genuine interpersonal dynamics in the virtual world? Is it even possible? Today's #EventIcons guest thinks that it definitely is. The iconic Steve Gottlieb is a serial entrepreneur and angel investor. And most importantly for this podcast, he is the founder and CEO of Shindig, a virtual conference, event, and meeting platform that has mastered the art of online engagement. Just like many of our guests on the podcast, he is a huge advocate for the virtual revolution. Join Sarah and Steve in a lively conversation that is bound to inspire, challenge, and encourage you to keep up with the times and embrace all things virtual.

Last year, the virtual revolution completely transformed the events industry. We shifted our focus from venues to online platforms and brainstormed all kinds of ways to keep the audiences glued to the screens. And even though in-person events are making a glorious comeback, virtual events are here to stay. Moreover, they need to keep evolving! That's why on today's episode of #EventIcons, we will talk about reimagining the virtual experience. One size certainly doesn't fit all: when planning a virtual event, you have to talk to your community. Today's iconic guest is Banu Kannu, the co-founder and CEO at Uncommon Conferences. She is a business development professional with over 15 years of international experience. She shares the success story of the award-winning Gas Fest and how they planned virtual workshops that took place in April 2021. Press play and join us for yet another #EventIcons!

Event platforms took the events industry by the storm. So much so that they can be considered as the new venues! There's more of them each year and some of them are even attracting huge investments. We've had countless enthusiastic guests talk about them on #EventIcons before, but today's guest is a little bit different. He says: down with third-party event platforms! Saroosh Gull is the CEO of Eventcombo and he is on a mission to disrupt the entire $1 trillion event industry. He's all about building meaningful relationships and event planners staying in full control of their events. Event platforms unquestionably satisfy event planners' needs, but are they really the only way to go forward? Press play and find out!

We don't mean to beat a dead horse, yet we're saying it again: the pandemic has drastically changed the events industry and sped up the evolution of virtual and hybrid events. The process is not over, either. On the contrary: we have just begun! The future of the events industry is uncertain, but today's #EventIcons guest thinks that it's going to split into two huge chunks: one belonging to the digital event planner and the other one to the in-person event planner. Jason Koop is a writer, influencer, and the VP of business development at the Canadian Special Events Magazine. Above all, he is a fan of the events industry and is excited to see what the future will hold. Once he tried out VR, his mindset shifted forever. So, press play and get iconic with us!

We've all been through a lot in this past year. Health and wellness in the events industry have never mattered more than now, which is why today, Sarah welcomes not one, but three iconic guests to share what they've worked on since the pandemic started. Kristin Horstman is a senior director at Salesforce and has been on our show just recently, Johnnie White is the CEO of the American Society of Appraisers, and Rachael Riggs is a WellBeing Leader at Maritz Global Events. And what does this panel have in common? Together, they wrote a guidebook on wellness and health in the events industry and that's what they'll be talking about today!

This week's #EventIcons guest is one of the most respected figures in digital media. He has a 20-year history in thought leadership, experiential events, and technology. Got your attention? Read on! This iconic guest has developed integrated digital video strategies for large media companies, including Viacom and  Discovery. And last but not least, he is the CEO of VidCon, the world's largest convention for online video creators. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Jim Louderback!

#EventIcons podcast is all about talking to the cream of the events industry and getting to know what they do, how they do it, and what the current event trends are. Today's guest is somebody with years of experience and a lot of charisma. Meet Kristin Horstman, the senior director at Salesforce! Together with the rest of the world, she had to make a quick pivot to virtual events last year. Today, she shares with our audiences what she had learned. As a marketing leader, she focuses on marketing virtual events. And since our host Sarah is the head of marketing of Endless Events, the conversation is all the more worth listening to!

Hybrid events are the perfect synergy between virtual and in-person events, but it can be quite challenging for event planners to put them together. That's why in this week's episode of #EventIcons, Sarah welcomes Kelly Knowlen to talk about the most important hybrid event tips and tricks. Kelly Knowlen is the executive director of sales engagement and special events at Hilton where she started building her career 28 years ago. She tells Sarah how Hilton pivoted in March 2020 and shares the resources they created to help their customers. They cover every important aspect of planning the perfect hybrid event: technology, safety measures, and audience engagement.

It's been a while since the industry made a tectonic shift to virtual events, and so far, we have covered the topic from nearly every angle imaginable. From choosing the right platform to delivering the best virtual content, we always first need to think about what kind of an experience we are providing for our virtual attendees. And who better to talk about experiential virtual events than today's event icon, AJ Williams from AJ Events who has been in the industry for over 25 years! Join Sarah and our lovely guest in a delightful conversation about elevating virtual and hybrid events to the next level. They focus on three types of events: fundraising events, weddings, and corporate events. Spoiler alert: the episode includes awesome party in a box ideas and a shoutout to the roaring twenties!

In today’s episode of #EventIcons, we fix our eyes on the future and talk about post-COVID events. But let’s not leap headlong into how things used to be. After all, we’ve all grown, learned, and changed so much in the past year. Now, it’s time to put all that knowledge to use! Virtual, hybrid, or in-person – it doesn’t matter what type of an event we are talking about – the fact of the matter is that the attendees’ priorities have dramatically shifted. Before we even start considering the event tech side of things, for example, we have to go back to basics. The future of events is human-centric! Today’s event icon is the personable Megan Henshall, the global events account manager at Google who got into events because she was “really bad at sales”. She shares how she experienced the pivoting year of 2020 and explains how to adopt a human-centric mindset in events.

This week's #EventIcons episode is particularly special because Sarah welcomes four of her amazing coworkers from Endless Events to the podcast. They are here to talk about virtual fatigue, one of the first and most talked about challenges of going virtual. As the first point of contact for event planners, Syd Griffith, Karmen Jericevic, John Pistotti, and Ambre Wade know how to decipher what their needs are and how to create solutions for better virtual audience engagement. Not only are they event professionals, but they also know about all the ins and outs of working remotely. They've learned to overcome virtual fatigue long before most people even knew what it was! Once the Endless co-workers started bouncing ideas around, there was no stopping them. The result is one of the liveliest and most interactive #EventIcons episodes so far. Without further ado, meet the charming Endless Events team!

It's Tuesday, which means it's time for #EventIcons! For weeks, we have been discussing virtual and hybrid events, engagement strategies, and all kinds of other pandemic-related issues. Today, it's time for something different, but just as relevant: we will talk about diversity in events as of 2021. The conversations around diversity are quickly gaining traction, but it's important we implement the changes rather than disregard them when they're not hot anymore. And we found just the speaker to talk about it! Today's event icon is William S. Matthews, a connector, corporate event planner, and author of three best-selling books, including Everything I Need to Know about Life I Learned from an Event Planner. In his newest book, Corporate America, he writes about the ins and outs of the corporate world as well as race relations and diversity. Our host Sarah talked to him about his work, what diversity in events looks like, and what we should strive for in the future.

Virtual events were all the rage last year, whether we liked it or not. While some adapted fast and organized extraordinary virtual events in 2020, many are still grappling with the new reality. But according to today’s #EventIcons guest, it’s high time we stop reminiscing about the past and start planning for the future! Liz King Caruso is the CEO of Liz King Events and techsytalk. She’s a source of wisdom who has been doing virtual and hybrid events for much longer than the pandemic has been around. As an event strategist, she talked to Sarah about the importance of engagement strategies for virtual events as well as their monetization. As you’ll see, the two aspects of event planning are inextricably intertwined. Press play and join Sarah and Liz as they break down all there is to know about this hot topic.

Many of us would give our right arm just to attend a live concert right now. The energy, the connection, the music – to feel like a part of something bigger than ourselves. Song Division knows all about the science of music. And they have good news for us: music for virtual events can be just as compelling as an arena concert. In today’s #EventIcons, Sarah welcomes Andy Sharpe, Sam McNeill, and John Lombardo from Song Division. As professionals in music and entertainment, they know everything about the power of music for virtual events. Engaging virtual audiences can be challenging, but these guys know how to bring smiles to people’s faces even in these trying times. They definitely charmed our lovely host with a song, written especially for her.

How many times have you heard the expression “content is king”? Probably enough that you roll your eyes every time someone utters it. But that’s the thing about clichés – they exist for a reason. And when it comes to the exciting world of digital experiences, this particular saying still applies. Of course, crafting amazing content for virtual events comes with its own set of challenges. Not only is this particular slice of the experience more important than ever, but it can also get tricky. This is why we’re happy to welcome Phil Mershon to another episode of #EventIcons. As the Director of Events for the Social Media Examiner, Phil was also faced with a brand new set of challenges once the pandemic hit. But he was no stranger to creating virtual events that stood out thanks to their smart use of content. So join Sarah as she picks Phil’s brain on how to craft the best content for virtual events in an engaging and unforgettable fashion!

New year, new trends! That’s right, Endless Events is back at it with the best content to help you navigate the 2021 landscape. And to kick things off, we have a brand new episode of #EventIcons. Now that the new year has rolled in, event profs are eager to know the trends that will shape the months to come. And while there’s a lot to cover, we figured that there’s no best way to start January than by outlining the 2021 event design trends that will define the industry. 2020 was a challenging time for all of us, but now that the dust has somewhat settled, it’s time to up our game. So who better than Nick Borelli, President of Borelli Strategies, Event Brew host, and overall industry icon to get things moving? Join us on this incredible conversation about the 2021 event design trends that are set to become the next big thing!

How does industry advocacy during a pandemic even look like? For as long as it has existed, the events industry has struggled with unity. And it's not because we don't want to come together as one. But rather because we're such a complex mix of professionals that span everything from production to catering, venues, planning, and more. Trying to define the events industry has always been a challenge. And consequently, finding unity during tough times has proven to be particularly exhausting. But we can all agree that never has this topic been more relevant than in 2020. As one of the most affected sectors, learning how to call for industry advocacy during pandemic quickly became a hot topic. And while no one has an exact answer, our amazing guest today, Shawn Cheng of MCI, has a few ideas worth exploring. You know what time it is - it's #EventIcons o'clock!

Just yesterday, we once again tackled the topic of virtual audience engagement. And one of the points we stressed was the importance of entertainment. The world is always starving for entertainment, and remote attendees are not an exception to this rule! On the contrary - one could even argue that keeping audiences amused is even more crucial in a virtual setting. Plus, with hybrid on an almost certain path to become the norm, it becomes crucial to learn the ropes of entertainment in this new world. So today, we're diving straight into it. Our lovely host Sarah welcomes the iconic JC York from Classic Entertainment & Productions. And JC has quite a lot to say about the topic! As a titan of entertainment, there's no one we'd rather have on board to teach us more about entertaining the new age of attendees. So press play and join us for another #EventIcons!

It’s time for another incredible episode of #EventIcons! Over the past few weeks, we’ve been focusing on bringing to the limelight the incredible stories of event profs who fought the pandemic and came out stronger on the other side. And this week, the adventure continues – with a little spin on the approach to virtual and the role of technology. We’re more than happy to introduce the iconic Scott Lockey, Senior Director of Partnerships at Cvent. As someone who is heavily involved in the technology side of the events industry, Scott has a lot to teach us about our approach to virtual and what we should be looking out for when it comes to choosing the right technology. So join our host Sarah Christl and our phenomenal guest in yet another fascinating conversation about the world of virtual events!

Another week, another inspiring story about pivoting to virtual events! Now that the industry has come to terms with the so-called “new normal”, we want to bring the best stories to the forefront. All across the nation, event planners have been learning the ropes of virtual events. And they’ve been doing so in order to deliver high-quality experiences with the tools they have at their disposal. So there’s no shortage of success stories out there. On this week’s #EventIcons, we introduce yet another incredible tale of pivoting. Our amazing guest, Magdalina Atanassova, is the Marcom and Brand Manager at Kenes Group. She studied Convention, Event, and Exhibition Management and has been a titan of the industry for years. Today, she joins our always lovely host Sarah Christl to tell us how she went about pivoting to virtual events – and most importantly, what she learned and how the company succeeded. Press play to find out!

We’re back for another week with another exciting episode of #EventIcons! And we’re excited to be discussing how small event companies can pivot in order to survive the pandemic. Because this has probably been the craziest time ever in our industry. Thousands of event profs saw their projects canceled or postponed within days. But while we’re all still adapting to the new normal, small event companies had to act faster than anyone else. And no one knows that better than this week’s iconic guest. Tammy Dickerson has been in the industry for 25 years and started her own agency two decades ago. As the Founder and President of The Baker Group, she managed to whether the pandemic storm with grace and effectiveness. Today, she’s sitting down with our incredible host Sarah Christl to teach the industry just how small event companies can find a way to pivot when times get rough. Press play and join us for another iconic episode!

In a chaotic world where the industry sees itself turned upside down at every turn, learning about year-long sponsorships becomes crucial. And while events have always been about creating meaningful and lasting connections, our rush to find sponsors every year somewhat goes against this ideal. The focus is less on establishing a beneficial partnership and more on just getting someone as fast as possible. And this causes planners to not be as creative, forward-thinking, or successful as they could be within the scope of event sponsorships. But what if there was a better way? Taylour Miller from United Planners Financial Services is our special guest on this week’s #EventIcons. At United Planners, the team has crafted an incredible strategy that drives business by creating year-long sponsorships through creative thinking. By tackling the world of event sponsorships with this mindset, United Planners establishes relationships that consistently bring in results to all parties involved. So if you want to learn how you can create year-long sponsorships, press play and join us!

Another week, another episode of #EventIcons! And since hybrid is one everyone’s mind lately, we thought we’d bring you something exciting. This week, we’ll be talking about interactive gaming experiences for hybrid and virtual events. Yes – because even during a hybrid experience, you still have the virtual aspect! So it seems only fitting that we dive into a conversation about entertainment. After all, who doesn’t love games? It’s one of the best ways for people to connect, engage, and network. Joining our incredible host Stephanie Jayko is the one and only Gary Bordman. And Gary is one of the industry’s go-to when it comes to creating interactive experiences. He’s been “bringing the fun” to events and conventions all across the United Sates for two decades. There’s a reason why people tend to say “just call Gary!” when a cool and out-of-the-box idea is needed – it’s because he’s the man you want on your team. So, as the Chief Interactive Designer for Amusement, Exhibit & Event Services, Gary has a lot to teach about interactive gaming experiences for hybrid and virtual events. Because he too learned to pivot like a champ!

Over the past year, sustainability has become top of mind for planners. And the events industry as a whole has doubled down on efforts to become greener. It's up to us as an industry that tends to create so much waste to improve. Part of this sustainability trend also refers to food waste in the events industry. And this is an issue that doesn't get addressed nearly as much as it should. So what can we, as event professionals, do to end this practice? How can we contribute towards a better world that uses food in a better, more sustainable way? Well, that's exactly what we're addressing on today's episode of #EventIcons! Joining our incredible host Sarah Christl is none other than Kate Marchini from Replate. And Replate is all about "leveraging technology to match surplus food from businesses with communities in need". This means Kate has quite a bit to teach us about battling food waste in the events industry. So press that play button and join us for another week of iconic conversations and advice!

Today we’re introducing a success story about a virtual product launch. Socio managed to elevate their virtual event and turn it into a full-scale virtual hackathon. Their goal was to create a collaborative environment and move the community forward as a whole. And not only did they manage to do that, but they became such a success, that the levels of engagement are still up over a month after the event. So how did Socio do it? How did they come up with creative ways to engage sponsors and engage the community at such a high level? Well, that’s exactly what this week’s episode of #EventIcons is all about! Joining our incredible host Will Curran are Corey McCarthy, the CMO os Socio, and Yarkin Sakucoglu, the co-founder and CEO of the company. And today, they’re teaching us all about their strategy to create a virtual product launch and turn it into a smashing success. So if you’re still confused about the ins and outs of virtual event planning strategy and can’t belive virtual events have tremendous potential, stick around. Press play and join this iconic duo as they walk you through a unique way to plan a successful virtual product launch!

Last week, we offered some pretty good ideas within the scope of entertainment for virtual events. And today, we’re diving even deeper! While virtual happy hours allow you to get extremely creative, they’re not the only way you can get attendees to have fun. There are plenty of misconceptions surrounding virtual events. But that’s completely normal – we’re all learning as we go and everyone is trying hard to navigate the new state of the industry. Still, there are some notions you should dismiss entirely. And one of these notions is the idea that a virtual event simply can’t be exciting for those attending. Is it ever going to be exactly like an in-person experience? No. But does that mean it can’t be equally as fun and engrossing? Absolutely not! And if you still have any doubts in your mind, then this is the perfect episode for you. Joining our incredible host Will Curran is Paul Creighton. Paul has been a staple on #EventIcons and our go-to expert on entertainment trends in the industry. So it makes sense that he’d be the one our team would turn to in order to learn everything about entertainment for virtual events. Wait no longer and tune in for this very special edition of the most iconic podcast in the industry!

Even though most events are now going virtual, designing events for introverts still remains a relevant topic. And arguably, it becomes even more important. It’s a matter of fact that virtual events make the experience more accessible to a larger number of people. For those who can’t travel due to disability, for those who are all the way across the world and, in this case, for introverts. Plus, another thing to keep in mind is the fact that in-person events will come back eventually. And when that time comes, we as planners can’t forget about all of these people. So discussing the best practices involved in designing events for introverts is not only pertinent but also necessary, Which is why we’re dedicating this week’s #EventIcons to the topic! Joining our incredible host Alex Plaxen is the wonderful Leanne Calderwood. Leanne is a self-proclaimed introvert and an icon of the events industry. In fact, she’s meeting planners’ go-to expert in Canadian hotel site selection, helping hotel sales connect better with planners. And today, the two of them will debate how planners can go about designing events for introverts so that people on this spectrum can enjoy and be a part of the experience just as much as any extrovert would. So grab on to your seats and press play – it’s about to get iconic up in here!

This week's #EventIcons is all about Remote Design Week. Because now that everyone is jumping into the virtual event bandwagon, this is something we had to talk about. Remote Design Week managed to do exactly what planners everywhere want to do. It was a massive virtual event with over 50 speakers and a whopping 3,000 attendees! And with such a successful event being planned in six weeks, we wanted to know more. More about the planning process. And more about everything it took to make it happen, so you could take some notes. So, joining our amazing host Will Curran is Chantel Megaffin. Chantel is the Events & Community Manager for DesignX Canada. And DesignX is the company behind Remote Design Week. So she's better equipped than anyone else to give us the best tips on virtual conferences. Everything from how they quickly pivoted to the virtual sphere to best practices, Chantel is a true well of wisdom. So, are you ready to learn how you can go virtual as well and be successful at it? Press play and join us for another epic episode of #EventIcons!

Have you been looking everywhere for tips on engaging virtual experiences? And do you feel a bit lost in the midst of all the craziness? Well, you’re not alone! With everything going on in the industry, planners are facing several challenges. But thankfully, not everything is lost. Because thanks to virtual events, planners everywhere can keep on doing what they do best. And that is, of course, bring people together and create amazing experiences. The paradigm might have changed, but if there is something industry professionals know how to do, it’s keeping up with the motions. So this week, we’re continuing the trend of bringing you exciting virtual event tips. And we have a very special guest to help us out! Brian Fanzo is a digital futurist and full-time keynote speaker who’s here to share his knowledge about engaging virtual event experiences. Joined by our incredible host Sarah Christl, Brian has quite a bit of good stuff to teach us. So press play and join us for another amazing episode of #EventIcons!

Working with committees is something many event planners are familiar with. And anyone who’s been a part of one knows just how complex things can get. So on this week’s episode of #EventIcons, we’ll be providing you with some tactical tips to work inside a committee, on a board, and everything in between. No more miscommunication, no more frustrations, and no more second-guessing yourself. Because after this edition of the podcast, you’ll be left with all the best practices you need to be successful at working with committees as an event prof. But we couldn’t do it all alone! And this is why we invited a very special guest. Joining our always wonderful host, Will Curran, is the only and only Kristi Casey Sanders. Kristi is quite the powerhouse when it comes to the topic. She’s the Senior Director of Community Engagement for Meetings Professionals International, and she’s been with MPI for almost five years now. This means Kristi is one of the best people out there to empower you with all the strategic knowledge you could hope for on the topic of working with committees. So, are you ready to learn all about it? Press play, we’re getting iconic today!