Great Events

Betsy Pake, former Cventer and Subconscious Change Expert, is back! A big fan of the New Year, new beginnings, and Monday mornings, she’s a marketer and event professional who loves to reflect on successes and learn from failures. In this part two episode, she joins us for a discussion around uncovering the power of reflection and goal setting. Listen in as she shares insights on transforming failures into successes, celebrating successes, and creating an achievable plan for the future. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to use reflection to create a positive mindset and set goals for the new year Best practices for reflecting on successes, failures, and mediocrities How to craft our own narratives and create our own realities when setting goals

Events are known to be a social experience. And while this may not be a problem for extroverted individuals, it’s important to take a step back to ensure that our introverted guests are also having a great time. But what steps can you take to reach that goal? In this episode, hosts Alyssa Peltier, Rachel Andrews, and Paulina Giusti sit down to share their insights on how to make events more inclusive for introverts. They delve into the idea of having a planned downtime for everyone to break and recharge. And by coupling this with “do not disturb zones”, you could begin to create a safe space for more introverted guests to enjoy their meals or get work done during their break. You’ll also hear about how technology can be used to take a bit of social strain off both your attendees and planners. By using applications that allow you to anonymously submit questions for panels, you’re able to provide an avenue for introverts to participate without having to raise their hands. In this episode, you’ll learn: How pre-surveys can be used to gauge your audience The importance of taking time to recharge How introverts are accommodated outside of the event space

Sponsorships can be a great way to collaborate with another company to create a great experience at your next event. When you connect with a sponsor, not only do both parties get the chance to step in front of a new audience, but it also opens an opportunity for your guests to get more out of your experience. In this episode, Nick Kopach, Director of National Event Sales & Programs at Topgolf, joins the show and shares how to create a great partnership with a sponsor. By looking through the lens of Cvent’s relationship with Topgolf, you’ll begin to learn what can make a sponsorship successful. Discover the importance behind planning a sponsorship so that everyone involved takes something away from it. You’ll also hear some examples of how Topgolf has helped to elevate Cvent’s events in the past, and learn how to measure the impact of a sponsorship. In this episode, you’ll learn: The story of how Cvent’s partnership with Topgolf began How to create an engaging sponsorship experience The metrics of success that make for a great sponsorship

Diversity, equity, and inclusion form the foundation for fostering a sense of belonging and acceptance for all individuals. Therefore, it’s important to make sure you’re keeping DEI in mind when planning an event. What steps can you take to set yourself up for success? In this episode, Nathan Chin, Global Head of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion at Cvent, joins the show to share his insights on creating an experience everyone can be included in. Having co-founded the LGBTQIA+ employee resource group at Cvent, Nathan makes it his goal to strive towards upholding DEI in everything he does for the company. Hear his thoughts on the planning process. By utilizing questionnaires, you can begin eliminating DEI blindspots you may have missed. You’ll also hear his take on the importance behind setting your goals to ensure that your event reflects your attendees. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to go about promoting DEI the right way Examples of inclusive language Cvent Connect’s DEI focused efforts

Pride is something that should continue to be celebrated on a day-to-day basis, not just during the month of June. When planning an event, it’s important to ensure that you create an experience that everyone can enjoy, regardless of race, disability, or sexuality. In honor of Pride month, this week’s episode features Michael Newton, Senior Manager at Cvent. Michael joins the show to reflect on how the meetings and events industry has evolved around the LGBTQ+ community. Over the past five years, he’s seen a change in the way conversations are had surrounding inclusivity at events. To Michael, Pride month is about being able to celebrate everyone’s uniqueness. In this episode, you’ll learn: The importance of creating an event for your audience How to create a sense of belonging The difference between diversity and inclusivity

Trade shows can be an exciting way to get your organization in front of a new audience. Knowing how to plan and take notes from other successful stands can go a long way towards making your experience a success. In this episode,  Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group and Jamie Vaughan, Vice President of European Sales at Cvent, join host Felicia Asiedu live on the IMEX Frankfurt show floor to dive into their experiences with the event. The show is back in full force this year after the pandemic, and the creativity and inspiration in this year’s stands reflect that. Hear how AI could affect the future of events like IMEX, and how the efficiency boost it offers will help take events to the next level. In this episode, you’ll learn: The importance of giving your event staff rest days What Cvent has brought to the table for IMEX Frankfurt The importance behind IMEX’s rebranding

Marketing conferences and events are a great way to generate buzz around your organization. With Cvent Connect right around the corner, it’s time to take a peek behind the curtain to discover what you can expect from this year’s event. In this episode, Robin Clark, Senior Manager of Event Marketing and Trade Shows at Cvent, joins the show to share her insights on planning a successful experience. Robin details the importance of getting your audience to attend the event, and explains how utilizing incentives can be a great way to increase your numbers. She also explains that using personas when creating attendee guides, you can begin to create an event that is curated towards your audience. You’ll also gain a sneak peek at what’s to come at this year’s Cvent Connect. This year is part industry event, part user conference, with a shift in weight towards the latter. And discover why keynotes like Hannah Beachler and Deanna Marsigliese were chosen to take this experience to the next level. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to prepare your team to run a successful sales kickoff The importance of curating your keynotes to match your audience Why offering a virtual experience can help grow your event’s reach

Accessibility plays a key role in ensuring an event can be enjoyed by everyone. Learning how to make your experience as inclusive as possible is important, but where should you start? In this episode, Ryan Curtis-Johnson, Director of Communications at The Valuable 500, dives into why accessibility should be a priority. Making sure everyone can enjoy the same experience, regardless of whether their disability is visible, is simply the right thing to do. Being conscious of graphic readability, using venues that don’t hinder mobility, and starting internal dialogues are great starting places towards making sure everyone can be accommodated for. He also explains the importance behind making accessibility seamless. An event should strive to include everyone in the same experience, rather than segregate those who need accommodations. In this episode, you’ll learn: The importance of providing accessibility options for the right reasons How to make sure people with non-visible disabilities are accounted for How companies like Airbnb are implementing accessibility

Travel plays a big part in the meetings and events industry. In a global effort to reduce carbon emissions, companies are exploring how they can do their part to help sustain our environment. Before you can make an impact, it’s important to understand the problem and devise an efficient way to tackle it. In this episode, Timothy Jones, Head of Corporate Travel at Cvent, discusses carbon emissions and their impact on meetings and events. Tim dives into the idea that by combining trips, researching flight and hotel emissions, and purchasing offset credits, you can cut back your company’s carbon footprint. He also shares the importance behind researching the best industry practices for sustainability to be more green. In this episode, you’ll learn: The importance of internal communication about the environment How the Paris Accord has kickstarted an environmental awakening How you can leverage local staff to reduce travel emission

Attending a trade show can be a great way to get more eyes on your business, but what if a booth isn’t in your budget? How can you still make an impact and get your information out there? In this mini-episode, Arthur Castillo, Head of Dark Social & Evangelism at Chili Piper, is back to share his experience at Dreamforce 2022. When faced with the event’s high booth prices, Chili Piper decided to find a new way to make their presence felt. By coming together with other companies and communities, they were able to put on the Dreamforce Press Club Party, an event that left people more interested in all the event had to offer. In this episode, you’ll learn: The strength of community collaboration How Chili Piper made the most of the hand they were dealt at Dreamforce

At a trade show, a lot of time and effort goes into making sure your booth can make a strong impact in a matter of moments. It’s important to connect with your audience, providing them both information and an experience. But what can you do to take it a step further? How can you leap beyond the 10x10 booth? In this episode, Arthur Castillo, Head of Dark Social & Evangelism at Chili Piper, joins the show to share his insights on taking the guest experience to the next level at trade shows. Arthur describes the “deposit versus withdrawal mindset.” He explains that it’s important to make sure you’re “depositing” something to everyone that visits your booth. Give them more than the “withdrawal” of information from your demo. You’ll also discover how booking a demo with someone on the spot can go a long way towards continuing interaction post-event. And by implementing a hybrid aspect to your booth through video content, you can widen that reach even further. In this episode, you’ll learn: The importance of standing out from the rest of the “noise” at an event How knowing the event’s audience can inform how you operate your booth How to break through the “solicitation stigma”

A lot of time and effort goes into making sure the event runs smoothly, but what often gets overlooked is the guest experience outside the event. While you may have planned out the perfect menu, guest speakers, and venue, going the extra mile to ensure that your attendees have leisurely options outside of the event can help to make the experience a memorable one. In this episode, Melinda Burdette, Senior Director of Events with Meeting Professionals International, and Jeffrey Howell, Director of Sales and Marketing at The Lodge Flying Horse, join the show to talk about the key takeaways from Cvent’s latest Pulse Survey. Listen as they share their insights on how to create a great guest experience. By planning your event in an area that has more to offer your attendees, you can increase attendance rates and make your guests feel good about attending. You’ll also learn how being proactive with lead times can help decrease hotel booking problems, and how working with your partners can both lower event quantity and improve event quality. In this episode, you’ll learn: How cost shifting can help maximize your budget The importance of hosting your event at the right venue Why building strong partnerships can create opportunities for events to run more smoothly

We spend a lot of time thinking about where we are in our careers, but sometimes it's good to take a step back and reflect on how we got here. We can use the knowledge we’ve gained through our experiences to lend a helping hand to the next generation and help them find their way to a successful future. For those searching for a place to begin their careers, reaching out to role models in your field can be a great way to get your foot in the door. In this episode, Kate Levenstien, CEO & Founder of Cannonball Productions shares her story of what it’s like to start a business from the ground up. She describes the importance of building intergenerational relationships and how they can help both parties gain a better understanding of how to run a successful business. She also dives into the world of internship programs and explains how networking is the first step to setting yourself up for future success. In this episode, you’ll learn: The importance of shaking off imposter syndrome How dividing your team into structured groups can improve overall productivity Why exploring new experience can open pathways to new opportunities

The world of AI technology continues to evolve, and with it, new opportunities for innovation emerge. In this week’s episode, Felicia Asiedu, Cvent Senior Marketing Manager in Europe and Co-Founder of the Diverse Speakers Bureau, sits down with Paulina to share her insights on how ChatGPT and other AI tech can be used to make the life of an event planner easier. She explains just how much time can be saved by using tools to come up with title options or article descriptions. She also dives into the idea of combining attendee data entry with AI to create a more personalized experience for your events. In this episode, you’ll learn: How AI can drastically cut time spent creating push notifications How ChatGPT goes about creating the content it outputs The importance of editing AI generated content and making it your own

We all know that making our events environmentally friendly is important. What people don’t realize is that using data from past events can go a long way in helping your organization do its part to make the world a greener place. In honor of Earth Month, Alyssa Peltier sits down with Kimberly Meyer, Co-founder of The DataAngel, and Kris Justice, Senior Manager of Customer Success at Cvent Europe, to discuss how to reduce the carbon footprint. The tools for tracking carbon data are evolving, and the manual process tied to reporting that data is creating a real challenge. Leaning into the advancements in technology can help to lower overhead costs and ease a bit of stress off the shoulders of your event planners. Kimberly and Kris also discuss developing a new benchmark for what event planning looks like and how that may go a long way in reducing your carbon footprint. Something as small as swapping your event’s food menu from meat-based to vegetarian-based can provide a greater carbon reduction than cutting back on flights. Learn why choosing the right venue can save both money and the environment. In this episode, you’ll learn: How leaning into digital data tracking can help cut overhead costs Why carefully choosing travel options can significantly decrease your carbon footprint How to decide which areas of event planning should be a focus for carbon reduction