Great Events

Now that in-person events are back in full force, it’s important to ensure our events are environmentally friendly. This is a great way to cut costs at your event while also doing your part to help keep waste from piling up in landfills. In this episode, Dave Biderman, former executive director and CEO of the Solid Waste Association of North America, explains that communication serves a key role in making your events green. With eight years of experience in his role at SWANA, he’s seen firsthand how much of an impact cutting waste can have on the environment as a whole. Informing guests about recycling procedures will help to decrease the waste that ends up in a landfill after your event. You’ll also find out how incorporating recycling needs with the hosting facility during contract negotiations will help you better understand how to plan your recycling efforts. In this episode, you’ll learn: How reducing physical materials will reduce both cost and waste Why it’s important to make recycling at events convenient Why carpeting could be an unnecessary cost for your events

The meetings industry has had to evolve over the past couple of years. Now more than ever, people are excited to get back to in-person events and continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible. In honor of Global Meetings Industry Day, Paulina Giusti sits down with Mapreet Kaur, Director of Events and Cvent India, to reflect on the meetings industry and where it’s headed in the near future. Listen as the two share their stories on how they dove into the world of meetings and events. Manpreet gives her insights on how embracing the technological advancements of the industry and doing away with the manual processes will help to create a more efficient work environment. She also touches on keeping up-to-date on the trends and technology and how implementing those learnings can help improve your day-to-day success. In this episode, you’ll learn: Insights on how to get started in meetings and events How to overcome everyday challenges like an industry pro The importance of mentor-mentee relationships

Jumping into the world of advertising can seem like a daunting task. With the wide variety of options at your fingertips, it can be hard to decide which approach will best suit your needs. In this episode, Silvio Perez, Founder of AdConversion, discusses his perspective on entering the paid advertising scene and good practices to keep in mind to avoid spreading your time too thin. You’ll learn how to get started, tools you can use to track the success of your campaign, and how to think like a paid advertiser. In this episode, you’ll learn: The importance of sticking to one advertising platform when starting out Why testing different types of advertisements is great for finding what works How to measure the outreach that your advertising campaign has gained

Sales kick-off events can be a fantastic tool for setting your team up for a great sales year. However, knowing when to host the event and how to cultivate engagement is key to making the SKO as successful as possible. In this episode, Chris Kearney, Senior Manager in Sales at Cvent, shares his take on why hosting your SKO in the first few months of the year can lead to better morale and performance across the team. You’ll learn how to get everyone involved, the benefits of making it available virtually, and why the evolution of the technology space will affect future kick-offs. In this episode, you’ll learn: How SKOs have evolved since the pandemic Why hybrid events can help increase event engagement How to capture the attention of Gen Z employees with SKOs

In honor of International Women's Day and Women’s History Month, Alyssa Peltier and Paulina Giusti share empowering stories of how they've achieved success, and how other women can continue to build confidence and create communities in their respective industries. International Women's Day celebrates the influence of women and their impact on society. Both Alyssa and Paulina have been supported by many women in their careers, and they're passionate about doing the same for others. Listen in to learn more about how women in the events and meetings industry are transforming the scene and creating opportunities for women to share their stories and experiences. As we commemorate International Women's Day, it is important to prioritize programs that empower and support women and their success. In this episode, you’ll learn: The power of female friendships in influencing careers Strategies for cultivating self-confidence as a professional The importance of prioritizing women's empowerment initiatives

Is business travel really back? With whiplash from the pandemic and now an economic downturn, it doesn’t seem promising, but GBTA’s new CMO and former Cventer Kevin Fliess has a different opinion. A 25-year marketing and events veteran who’s worked in the travel, software, and technology sectors, he joins us to talk about trends he’s seeing in the travel industry’s path to recovery. Listen in as he shares the benefits of blended travel, the power of sustainability in business travel, and what it takes to succeed as a travel professional. Additional Resources: Join GBTA - https://www.gbta.org/membership/ GBTA Convention 2023 - https://convention.gbta.org/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kfliess/ Q1 Poll Results - https://www.gbta.org/global-business-travel-forecast-2023-bookings-spending-and-optimism-on-the-upswing-gbta-poll-shows/

The events industry is called upon to celebrate and bring attention to holidays throughout the year, Black History Month included. But amplifying black voices and promoting diversity in events and marketing cannot be reserved to one month. We have to be intentional about making it a permanent part of the planning process. Felicia Asiedu, Cvent’s Senior Marketing Manager in Europe and co-founder of the Diverse Speakers Bureau, and Hana Jacover, executive coach and Women in Revenue Board Member, join us in this episode to examine diversity, and the current lack thereof, in the event world. They also share their experiences as women of color and journeys of self-reflection and self-love that made them who they are today. Listen in as they discuss the importance of authenticity in diversifying panels, production teams, and suppliers, and offer specific advice for achieving those goals. Along the way, you’ll learn about the role self-reflection and awareness play in ensuring diversity and inclusion in events. Additional Resources: Learn more about the Diverse Speaker Bureau and the Black Speakers Collection Look into the Black Marketers Association of America Find out more about Women in Revenue Read Ruchika Tulshyan’s article “We Need to Retire the Term Microaggressions” Check out these resources for diverse professionals: https://www.blacksintechnology.net/jobs-board/, POCITjobs.com, https://noirefy.com/

Any expert knows to learn from their mistakes as well as their successes. In the end, it’s the only way to get better. Felicia Asiedu is one of those experts. As the Senior Marketing Manager in Europe, a Fast Forward 15 Ambassador of Diversity and Inclusion, and winner of the 2023 prestigious Cventer of the Year Award, she’s always looking to improve and grow. In this episode, Felicia joins Paulina and Rachel to reflect on the innovative and impactful event programs of 2022 and share insights on what learnings marketing and event planners should bring into 2023. Listen in for an invigorating perspective to get you ready for the year.

It's harder than ever to break through the noise and get noticed. Moreover, with shrinking budgets and the rise in event costs this year, it truly seems like an impossible task. Patrick Smith, Chief Marketing Officer and SVP at Cvent joins hosts Alyssa and Rachel to share his perspective on what marketers and event planners should pay attention to in 2023. You’ll learn some high-impact tactics to overcome the daunting challenge of gaining attention and sales in a budget-constrained environment. Along the way, you’ll also hear how to maximize your event even after the doors have closed.

The year is almost at an end, and predictions are as trendy as the trends themselves. And guess what? We’re jumping on the bandwagon. In this episode, we’re going to cover the meetings and event trends we’re excited about for 2023. This year, we’ve learned that event planners expect 83% more events than 2019, health and wellness isn’t going away, and there’s a renewed focus on ROI and sustainability. Come join us for our season (and year) finale and get excited for what’s to come!

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.

We have control over our own thoughts. Betsy Pake, former Cventer and Subconscious Change Expert, believes our subconscious is powerful enough to drive change. Having forged a career as a change expert, she’s known for substantially altering her clients’ lives by shifting the way they think. In this episode, she and Paulina discuss human behavior and how to alter our mindset to live the biggest version of ourselves, wherever we are. Along the way, you’ll learn tactics to combat stress, support your teams, and advice for navigating the holidays.

DEI is always going to be an important topic, but what’s missing right now is the focus on diverse leadership. This year at Cvent CONNECT Europe, we hosted our first-ever leadership summit. At the summit, we discussed some of those bigger trends in the industry. In one of the panels, we focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion with a sub-conversation centered on women in leadership. This episode is a recording of that panel where guests Muriel Poulenc Charpentier, Director of Strategic Industries at Radisson Hotel Group, Marsha Jackson, Project Director for the Conscious Advertising Network, Winnie Palmer, EMEA Head of Marketing at Seismic, and Stacey Fontenot, Cvent’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Founder of our Women in Leadership Program share their perspectives.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas? Not this time! In this episode, hosts Paulina Giusti and Rachel Andrews are joined by Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer at Las Vegas Convention and Visitor's Authority (LVCVA). Lisa shares what she’s been up to since leaving Ceasar’s Entertainment and gives some insight into what major events they’re planning for in 2023. At the end, you’ll also hear her take on diversity and supporting women in leadership.

We’ve been talking about it for a while, but it’s time for Cvent employees to return to the office. In this episode, you’ll get to hear from all of your Great Events hosts, Alyssa, Rachel, and Paulina, as they discuss their return to the office and the employee engagement events that have kind of surrounded Cvent as a company. Tune in to learn more about the back-to-office trend and how to think about it like an event.