For event marketers, it can be tricky to understand this up-and-coming generation entering the workforce. How can you market to Gen Z? What events do they enjoy? 

In this guide, we’ll give you a quick primer on Gen Z, plus actionable tips to help you better engage this crowd at your next corporate event.

Who Is Gen Z?

Before you market to any audience, you need to understand who they are and where they come from. If you aren’t part of Gen Z, you might feel confounded by the preferences of these young whipper-snappers, so it’s extra important to do your homework on this audience. 

Gen Z includes people born between 1997 and 2012. The oldest Zoomers (as they’re affectionately called) are 26, and the youngest are 11. While Gen Z tends to like the same things that teens, young adults, and young professionals have always loved, this generation has many unique qualities that impact how they respond to marketing messaging. 

Marketers need to understand that Gen Z is: 

• Diverse: Gen Z is the most diverse generation to date. As a result, they expect to see diverse representation in marketing. Otherwise, they won’t give your brand the time of day.
• Educated: More Gen Z’ers have completed high school and college than previous generations. You’re marketing to a more educated audience, which should impact how you present your brand.
• Tech-savvy: Gen Z grew up with smartphones practically glued to their hands. That isn’t necessarily bad, but it does mean that this audience is more technologically savvy and interested in digital-first experiences than preceding generations. 
• Socially conscious: Like Millennials, Gen Z worries about social welfare, the environment, and other important issues. As a result, they’re more likely to support businesses that invest in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
• Financially aware: More Gen Zs grew up in poverty than Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers. After growing up watching their parents struggle, Gen Z tends to be more pragmatic and financially minded. This makes them tough customers for marketers because they need a lot of information and reassurance before they make buying decisions.

Gen Z and Live Events: How To Engage the New Workforce

As you can see, Gen Z has some critical differences that affect how they interact with each other, marketing messages, and businesses. As the average age of B2B event attendees continues to decrease, event planners need to tweak their approaches to design Gen Z-friendly events that turn more heads. 

Instead of scratching your head, follow these tips to create a better experience for Gen Z professionals at your next event.

Plan a Digitally-Connected Event

Events are already trending towards digital-first spaces, but this is a must-have for Gen Z audiences. 

Ideally, plan a hybrid event that allows for either in-person connection or remote attendance. From an event planning perspective, this is a great way to boost ticket sales and reduce your cost per attendee. And it doesn’t hurt that Gen Z loves having the option to attend in-person or virtually.

But you’ll need more than a hybrid setup to satisfy Gen Z. They also need: 

• Support via social media: They expect to be able to chat with you one-on-one, so you’ll likely get event inquiries not via usual channels like email but through channels like social media. When you target a Gen Z audience, prepare your customer service team for more social media queries. 
• Fast wifi: Your venue must have fast, available wifi. No exceptions. If password-protected, give attendees the information beforehand and post signage around the event with the wifi information. 
• An integrated experience: Digitizing an event frees you up to do some cool stuff. Gen Z is up for anything, so get creative! Create a custom Spotify playlist for your event and share it via a QR code so attendees can jam out. If you have the resources, create an augmented reality (AR) scavenger hunt with teams and prizes.
• Video-first content: Feel free to send emails to Gen Z, but if you really want to win them over, send information via video. Instead of sending long,  text-based emails, film videos with the same information and link to them in the email.

Spread the Word via Social Media and Influencers

It’s always good to use a mix of marketing channels to promote your events, but Gen Z responds best to social media. YouTube and TikTok are their platforms of choice, so go all-in on video content and even video ads to encourage more event signups.

The tricky thing is that Gen Z doesn’t respond as well to traditional advertising. If you want them to hear your message, partner up with an influencer in your niche with a Gen Z audience. Influencers share branded messaging packaged in a more engaging and genuine way, which resonates with Gen Z. 

Create Intentional Spaces and Experiences

Gen Z is young, so they value socializing and connecting with each other. When setting up your physical event venue, create spaces that encourage connection. That includes shared seating and plenty of tables.

The “Instagramability” factor is always a concern, too. Your event setup must be so fun and aesthetic that Gen Z can’t wait to snap a selfie and gush about it on social media. So make it as share-worthy as possible!

That might include a confetti release, balloon tunnel, or even unique entertainment options like fire breathers or rock bands.

Emphasize Experience and Connection

Instead of planning a traditional speaker-and-audience setup, try something new for Gen Z. They like collaboration and genuine interactions, so give them plenty of opportunities to connect. 

If it makes sense for your event, group attendees into teams so they instantly have a group to chat with. Do a little professional matchmaking to pair Gen Z professionals with like-minded people in their space. You can also plan fun breakout sessions that encourage attendees to interact with each other. 

But whatever you do, don’t lean on alcohol as a crutch to make your event more fun. Some Zoomers drink, but Gen Z is less into alcohol than previous generations. Focus your time (and budget) on cool activities that get people excited.

Deliver a Lot of Value

Gen Z is very pragmatic regarding money, so they’re less likely to spend unnecessarily. For event marketing, that means you might have a hard time persuading Gen Z to upgrade to VIP tickets—unless some serious perks are involved. 

Try to pack as much value into your event and upgrades. That could include gourmet food, craft beverages, or high-end goodie bags. If you aren’t sure what they would like, check out what’s trending on TikTok. The 90s and 2000s nostalgia is peaking on the app, so you could deliver value by hosting a “Blast from the Past” VIP experience.

Get a Custom Gen Z Event Planning Strategy

Gen Z is about to take the workplace by storm. Whether you’re planning an internal event for employees or you want to attract young professionals to a conference, it’s essential to understand what makes Gen Z attendees tick. 

Following these five tips will take you far, but when it’s crunch time, you need an experienced event team in your corner. Endless Events is here to help you understand your Gen Z audience, plan jaw-dropping events, and execute the entire shebang from start to finish. See how Endless is helping event planners create Gen Z-friendly events.

Catalyzed by a recent Tech Crunch headline about a General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) violation at Mobile World Congress (MWC), Will, Nick, and Dustin tackle attendee data in today’s episode. But before diving into this pressing issue, Nick provides some background information on MWC’s fine. 

Background: Mobile World Congress Makes Headlines

“MWC is an influential consumer electronics show in Barcelona, Spain,” says Nick. Recently, MWC received a fine over its biometric data usage. “An appeal against the show says it violated the GDPR that covers Europe, and therefore, attendees had their personal information violated.” 

“It’s one of those things where the most aggressive privacy protection in the world is in Europe. Second place might go to Canada. California and Australia are also vying for that, but in the EU, it’s a big deal. This company is looking at what looks like a $200,000 fine.”

What Does This Mean for U.S. Events?

Following that background, Will Curran kickstarts today’s conversation with a question we’re all wondering, “How much of this is an issue just because it’s taking place in the EU? Do you think the same issue would happen in America?” 

“Certainly, in California, there’s more risk for this. I also think there’s an opportunity if you have EU citizens at your event,” says Nick. As he sees it, there are two more unique ways a company could face ridicule for their data collection practices. “There’s PR blowback, which could happen anywhere there’s increased data collection. The worst-case scenario is if you facilitate a bad actor’s ability to do something malicious with the data. This one-to-one thing might not be the outcome in the U.S., but it’s very easy for many other things to be triggered.” 

“And it sets precedence, right?” adds Dustin. “It sends a message to attendees saying, when you’re not happy about how your data is collected, go to court. That’s dangerous for us. In this case, I see it as a problem that needs to be solved, and we want that experience to be better as producers and consumers. These things make that better, and we have to find a way to do this that’s lawful and respects event attendee privacy.”

Who Cares About Event Attendee Data?

As Dustin continues, he turns the group to the question of stakeholders. In other words, who really cares about data? “We don’t fully understand how these things work. As the event industry continues to move forward and advance in technology, we’re going to see this pushback. I also think if you care about this, you really, really care about this. And if you don’t, you don’t.”

Nick agrees. “Only the outliers have a really strong feeling about where their information goes when attending an event. The vast majority don’t,” he says. The reason? “The social contract of attending a B2B event is based on visibility. The case I make for B2B events is that no one bats an eye about the idea that you put your name and where you live around your neck.”

To Dustin, that’s an excellent point about how attendee data is shared. “Really, break that down. You’re wearing a badge with your name and where you live on it in the hotel you’re staying at. You’re opening yourself up to problems. It’s one Google search to find out more about you.”

“I put data privacy agreements in all my contracts,” shares Will. And when virtual events peaked, he regularly found himself in 20-hour meetings with lawyers over the contract. “But it’s funny how as virtual events kind of disappeared, no one cares about the data privacy agreements anymore. But this stuff is still 100% relevant.” 

All of this is to say that event attendee data is complex and nuanced. “I don’t want anyone listening to this to come away with the thought, ‘I need to go back to an antiquated way of doing events,’ says Nick. “It’s a tricky tightrope to walk. And that’s mostly what we’re talking about today.”

Regulating Event Attendee Data Moving Forward

In the case of the MWC event, MWC itself received the fine. But what happens when data collection technology is available to any and everyone? “It’s going to become so cheap and easy to access that it’s going to be deployed by people other than the show producers,” says Dustin. “Then we have the challenge of figuring out how to regulate that. What’s our liability when someone within our show is doing it?”

“This reminds me of when badge scanning became popular,” shares Will. People would go around the show floor scanning badges without permission. “When technology evolves, how do we, as organizers, design our policies to have a system? It’s a great topic because we need to start putting this in our exhibitor agreements.” 

Dustin agrees. It’s an interesting problem to have. But as he points out, the government has had to step in in the past. “Our industry wasn’t like, ‘Let’s get together and find a responsible way to use this data.’ The same thing is going to happen with these new technologies. They’re going to be deployed fast, with a race to the bottom in efficiency and price. Eventually, the laws will catch up, and there will be carnage. We didn’t fix that problem. We capitalized on it, overused it, and then got it taken away.” 

Should Companies be Concerned?

“To bring it back to the article, do you think events should be concerned about their attendees taking legal action?” asks Will. “And how much of this was the vendor’s fault? How much do we need to be worried that this is the new tripping on the crack at the venue?”

Dustin thinks event organizers can help by being more transparent early on. “If you’re putting a program together using new tools that aren’t commonly seen, you better do your due diligence and figure out how to ensure that you’re deploying it safely. This is where transparency is essential. Telling your attendees what to expect before arrival is part of it. Every attendee should have the right to say, ‘I don’t want to be a part of that.’ If they don’t, then that’s okay.” 

In the U.S., we might say, ‘If you don’t like it, don’t come.’ But where GDPR applies, that approach doesn’t work. “You have to be able to collect data that doesn’t exclude anyone,” says Nick. “They had no way to attend this event other than giving up their biometric information. That’s a violation of GDPR.”

“That’s something that a good tech provider should be able to tell you,” continues Nick. “Like, ‘Legally, we can deploy our technology, but there are limits.’ This company could have said, ‘We could make this process foster for 99% of people who don’t care and offer an opportunity for the 1% of people who do.’ That’s the right thing to do. I assume this organization with MWC didn’t say that.”

Dustin agrees but believes that tech should be the leader in transparency. “We ask the average hardworking event professional to know too much about everything far too often. This is a world where we should rely on tech to advise us on deploying legal and ethical products.”

He continues: “It’s shitty for this organization to have this quarter-million dollar mistake, but this may be the only way we start to figure our way through this. Data will always be a pushing boundary. It’s always about finding and walking that line as close as possible; it will take trust to allow us to do that. And we have to trust that tech companies are leading us down an ethical and legal path. And when shit hits the fan, they should be the ones standing in front of it.”

Nick agrees. And as an example, he points to the relationship between catering professionals and event planners. “Planners rely on a caterer to say, ‘We can’t serve that in the summer. Or we can’t have this out there if it rains.’ When it comes to tech and data, it’s the same idea. Planners are not food temp geniuses; after that, they have to rely on the professionals they hire.”

“Let’s treat data and tech like we treat personal safety,” says Dustin. “Let’s make it just as important. We’re not all experts, but we know when to ask the right questions. We know when we need an expert at the table.”

And make sure you vet your partners. “Ask for certifications and ask tough questions,” adds Nick. “See if they flinch. The vetting process is one of the most important things a planner can do.”

Final Thoughts on Event Attendee Data

The Mobile World Congress case highlighted the importance of prioritizing event attendee data and privacy. Even if you aren’t organizing an event in the EU, California, or Australia, GDPR could still impact your business. And while this might not be the new “tripping over a crack,” it should still encourage you to reflect on your own data collection and privacy practices. What do you think? We want to hear your stories, concerns, fears, and advice. Email us!

In this episode of the Event Brew, Thuy, Dustin, and Will, explore the events industry’s low barrier to entry, the relevance of event planning certifications, and ultimately, whether you need one as a true event professional. Tune in to see where they land. But first, let’s start with the Brew Crew’s own certifications.

Brew Crew Certifications

Dustin starts today’s conversation by asking the crew to share which certifications they have. “I’m curious to know, what’s your designation?”

“I have the digital event strategist (DES) provided by PCMA.”

Next, Thuy shares her long list of certifications: “I have the Certified Guest Service Professional (CGSP), Destination Management Certified Professional (DMCP), and Certified Special Event Professional (CSEP), and I’m currently studying for my Certified Meeting Professional (CMP).”

Like Will, Dustin holds one certification. He has the CSEP.

Why Have Event Planning Certifications?

For Thuy, it’s all about a sense of community. “When I see someone else has a CSEP, there’s an instant bond there,” she says. “It doesn’t even have to be something we have in common. But seeing certifications makes me feel like you’re a certified professional engaged in our community.”

Dustin agrees, but he finds value elsewhere too. “It’s always very impressive when you find unlikely partners with a designation, especially one you have. For example, if I met a photographer with their CSEP, I’d think, you’ve really been paying attention. You have to have been an active professional, working and paying attention to different aspects of the industry. And I agree with Thuy. There is an unspoken community among those with designations because we understand there’s a commitment there.” 

On the other hand, Will favors the professionalism certifications bring to the industry even though he’s not their biggest fan. “I think I’m in the camp leaning less toward liking designations, and throughout my career, what I think about it comes in waves,” he explains. “But one thing I love about certifications is it moves us closer to the goal of un-commoditizing what we do and adding legitimacy to an industry that anyone can go into.”

“Dustin and I did the global event forum,” continues Will. “That was the first time I remember having that conversation. We were ideating what we would do to ensure the industry is not commoditized. And certification seemed like such a good solution.”

“That’s where designations have an opportunity to put a barrier saying, everyone’s welcome to play, but there’s a certain level of education that must be met,” says Dustin. “And because we still struggle with event-specific education in post-secondary school, I think this is a good stopgap. It’s about establishing you as a professional focused on continuing to advance your career.” 

“I’m the international president of ILEA,” continues Dustin. “One of the programs we oversee is the CSEP. We have a lot of misunderstandings about what you do with your designation. Will I get more business if I get a designation? The answer is simple: what are you going to do with it? How are you going to use it to elevate what you’re selling, how you’re pitching, and what jobs you’re looking for? This is a sales tool ore than anything else. Get it, and figure out how to exploit it for all it’s worth. It can be an incredibly valuable tool.”

What Motivates People to Avoid or Persue Certifications?

Overall, the Brew Crew agrees that certifications are valuable to and in the events industry. But if they’re so valuable, why don’t more people have them? 

“There are so many people who don’t have certifications. Do we feel like well-respected people not having designations is what’s keeping everyone from having designations?” asks Will.

Dustin thinks it depends. “If your goal in this industry is to be well known and respected, that’s different than someone who wants to attract new clients and rise to the top of the organization they’re working for. I don’t think your boss or HR manager gives a shit about the person you respect so much; they probably don’t even know they exist. I also think the people with bigger names in our industry are probably out of the age gap where designations became popular. Not to put ages on anyone, but I do think designations in the event industry is probably a fairly young thing.”

“That’s a good point,” says Thuy. This gets her thinking about awards. “Some people have planned and executed incredible events but don’t submit for awards. You can be an award-winning company because you submitted and then won.”

“You’re right,” agrees Dustin. “You don’t need awards or a designation to be amazing at what you do. I didn’t go to school for this. Getting my designation was my first opportunity to say, ‘Hey, I’m good at this.’ I started my business when I was 25. I accidentally fell into this industry. This is why a low barrier to entry is not always a bad thing. It can allow creatives to get in without having a lot of blockades.”

“Our low barrier of entry is actually our greatest asset,” continues Dustin. “This low barrier of entry is what allowed so many of us to start and feel our way through this industry, figuring out that this is our passion. Had we not had that opportunity, we may not be here. There’s a way for our industry to lean into that low barrier of entry, but it needs to be, ‘You’re welcome to come and play with us, but at some point, you have to take part in these designations and level up.”

Certifications are a Multi-Tiered Investment 

Next, Thuy has a business-oriented question for Will and Dustin. “If you have teammates interested in getting certifications, are they company paid? Are they on their own? Do you provide resources?”

“This won’t surprise anyone, but yes. My company pays for whatever designation you want,” says Dustin. “If they fail it, their retesting fees are on their own, but we pay for it and we don’t have a lot of restrictions. I don’t look at it as a business benefit. It’s more that I want them to feel included in this industry. As the business owner, you’re often the one front and center advocating for this industry. I want to ensure my team feels they have a place, too, they’re not just here to stand behind me.”

Will couldn’t agree more. “We have a core value of learn and grow. I’ve never been able to quanitifiably say what you just said, which is, many times I’m front and center but I don’t always want to be. I want everyone to be a part of this. And I love your point that it’s not necessarily a business benefit. It’s a send about them improving themselves. I think we naturally aspire to level up on our own.”

“And creating that desire to level up within your team is important too,” adds Dustin. “Humble brag, when organizations like mine invest in those programs, it means there are 10 more certified people in the world. This is where companies need to step up and not just say they care about the community but actually invest in it through investing in their people. And if you’re a business owner doing what I think some people are, saying, ‘I don’t want to pay for certifications just for people to leave.’ Get that out of your head. It’s not 1995 anymore. This is how we invest in talent now. Stop penny-pinching professional development.”

“There’s an old saying, ‘What happens if you invest all this money into an employee and they decide to leave?’” says Will. “The response is, well, ‘What happens if you don’t?”

Final Thoughts

Thoughts on event planning certifications are certainly multilayered and subjective. The Brew Crew collectively appreciates the sense of community, professionalism, and commitment certifications inspire. They also acknowledge that these aren’t the be-all and end-all for success in the industry, but they do open doors for personal growth, community, recognition, and opportunity. In an industry as vibrant and diverse as ours, perhaps these aspects help one truly stand out.

And while the motivation to pursue or avoid certifications can differ widely from one person to the next, Thuy, Dustin, and Will agree that certifications are more than a personal achievement. They’re an investment in the industry’s future. But what do you think? Do event professionals need event planning certifications? We’d love to know your thoughts.

In this episode of the Event Brew podcast, Xander, Will Curran, Arianna, and Nick dive into this shift; from understanding the motivations behind younger attendees, and rethinking exhibit halls, to embracing new technology, the Brew Crew explores how event professionals can harness this shift in demographics to create events that cater to the next generation of event-goers. Tune in and find out what they have to say!

Why Older Generations Might Pass on Events More Than Younger Generations

Arianna starts today’s discussion by giving us some context. “Freeman uses the term ‘Next Gen Event Goer’ (NGEG). Freeman defines this group as quite a bit younger, about seven years younger on average. They’re also saying this group is more likely to be female, has more demographic diversity, and has higher levels of education than event goers over 45, which I found interesting.”

“We’re talking about B2B events here. These are people attending events on behalf of their businesses,” says Xander. “At some point, retirement age happens, and people might not be as prone to attend something they’re no longer obligated to. I think that’s a pretty clear indicator that the workforce is having this shift. The younger generations within these workforces are probably more prone to attend these events and are more willing to travel as well.”

“I’m interested in the fact that the friction of attending events is probably a big part of it,” shares Nick. “If you’re a senior, you used to go to events because you had authority. Maybe they’re (younger generations) acquiescing their authority, or events don’t require as many authoritative people. The best case scenario is an even mix.”

“The senior decision makers are also younger,” adds Will.

“That’d be what I’d want to know,” says Nick. “Are they sending people to these events on their behalf, or are they empowering the people they’re sending? Age is one biographic input, but I want to know more about the decision-makers. Is there a diminishing level of C-suite people attending events? Or is it simply that people of these ages have higher positions? That’s more important than their age. But one of the most interesting things is, it seems like people under the age of 40 are still interested in live events.”

Arianna has an idea about why that might be the case. “I would guess that folks want to build networks at events rather than make purchasing decisions. This is an opportunity not to be missed because you’re not getting those interactions on the street.”  

And the Freeman report would agree. It states, “Although more employees are back in a physical workplace at least a few days a month, people are still interested in more connection with their peers and looking to build professional networks in person.”

What Do We Do Now? 

After learning about this shift in the average age of B2B event attendees, the natural next question is, what next? 

“From a positive side, it gives us a more specific idea of who our attendees are,” says Will. “Often, we plan events for a wide age range. One positive is that this gives us a little bit of an easier planning process. And that was one of my questions. We now know that there’s been a six-year jump down in age. What do we need to do now?”

“You made me reflect on, have I considered age as a factor before?” says Arianna. “I can’t say that I’ve considered age as much as experience level and how to optimize networking for experience level. It’s got me thinking about, do I need to look at some of these attendee demographics in a new way moving forward?”

Xander finds himself in a similar situation. “It hasn’t been a major consideration for most of my programming. There may be an interesting scenario where you see the opportunity to make optimized changes for this NGEG attendee. Still, many organizers are probably more on the generalist side of things. There are lived experiences that probably need to be addressed and catered towards, but I don’t anticipate the planners’ perspective changing too much with this in mind because we try to curate things towards as wide but as focused of a population as possible within our attendee basis.” 

Do I  Even Care About Age?

“Nick, I have to tag onto something you said earlier,” says Arianna. “I want you to talk more about it. Does their age matter? Do they have decision-making power, and have the titles changed? Because I’m like, do I even care about age?” 

“First off, if you can get more data on personas, the clearer picture you have,” says Nick. “One of the things said in this report is that the biggest opportunity you have in understanding age-based demographics is that generation’s needs and expectations.” As Nick puts it, older generations see some experiences as nice to have, whereas younger generations have different baseline expectations—for example, personalization. 

“Younger demographics generally prefer increased personalization,” continues Nick. “That’s a generalized statement. However, these generalizations can be useful if you’re in a decision-making process between one thing and another. Understanding your audience is a big deal.”

“It’s a good point,” says Will. Curious about a point Nick made about buyers, Will researched more. “I found an article on Trust Radius, which states ​​60% of all B2B tech buyers are millennials. We’re hitting this point where millennials are the predominant demographic for both buyers and attendees of events.”

Interested in this statistic, too, Arianna turns the Brew Crew to how age-based demographics might influence purchasing decisions. “That speaks to how we might coach our expo folks,” she says. “Of all the resources millennial buyers use, vendor reps and materials are the least trustworthy and influential. Maybe buyers are buying differently, and we need to shift event design around more thought leadership for these vendors and less of this, ‘Meet a rep in the expo hall.’”

Personalization and Engagement are not Going Away.

One key finding in the Freeman study is that the NGEG will not respond to a one-size fits all strategy. The key “is to offer personalized content that capitalizes on its chosen medium and emphasizes the attendee experience.” The Brew Crew talks about this next. 

“One thing I don’t see at many events is the chance to have conversations with the speakers,” says Will. “There’s much more of a need for, instead of an exhibit hall, a table set up where the speakers are, or maybe there’s a speaker networking time. As an attendee, I would get more value from it. As a speaker, I would get more value from it.”

“I have also heard this call for more engagement with speakers,” says Arianna. “One of the things we’re doing this year is pairing our stage segments with a follow-up round table hosted by the speaker. We’ve all gotten used to being a part of the show. The digital space leveled that front-row experience and the VIP experience; we all got a front-row seat. We need to find ways to translate that into onsite events as well.” 

“I think personalization is just not going away,” adds Nick. “That’s probably one of the biggest elements of this, inclusivity and personalization. This new group of attendees isn’t asking for things people don’t already want. They’re just willing to fight for it. These are positive net gains for everyone.”

“I think the markets which focus on networking solutions, personalization, and an increased sense of belonging and equity for their increasingly diverse audiences are the ones that are going to be the best put forward,” concludes Nick.

B2B Event Attendees are Younger: What Next?

As the Brew Crew begins to wrap up, Arianna turns the group to the final question for the day. “I’m curious what everyone’s first thought is. My attendees are younger. What next? My first thought was, ‘Oh great! Now I can use QR codes.’” 

Nick thinks everyone should blast their excuses away. “Blow those excuses out of the water. ‘Our members don’t do this. Our attendees don’t do this.’ I think we can start pointing to these numbers saying that’s categorically untrue, and you might be behind the times using past information to inform current decision making.”

Will thinks the culture of events will change entirely. While the growing trend of cannabis at events is a great example, he also references other changes. “Maybe an example is the willingness to hear cursing on stage. It changes what kind of music you’re playing, what kind of jokes you’re making in your marketing, and what’s socially acceptable on stage.”

What are your thoughts? How will the shift in the average age of B2B event attendees affect how you plan and design your events? Email us your questions or your thoughts. Maybe your feedback should be the topic of the next Event Bew episode. We’ll catch you here next time.

The good news is that robots aren’t out for your job. Human effort is still very much a part of the event planning process. AI makes your job faster and easier — so what’s not to love? In fact, AI is one of the fastest-growing technologies event planners trust to plan, promote, and analyze their events. Check out these five tips to use the combined power of AI and data to make your next event a smash hit.

Using AI and Data To Make Your Next Event a Hit

Build Communities With Intelligent Matchmaking

Whether hosting an in-person event or going 100% online, your event needs to plan for social interactions. Not only will this give attendees more networking opportunities, but it’s also a great way to build a community around your event and brand. 

Every event planner wants community, but you need to match the right types of people together to form that community — and that’s no small feat. 

The key to networking is matching the right attendees, and AI can assist you with matchmaking. If you use the right event platform, an AI engine can recommend new connections to each attendee based on shared attributes. The algorithm can match folks based on industry, job title, attendance data, and other characteristics. 

This doesn’t mean that every AI-generated match will be a hit, but connecting people who share interests and goals can increase the odds of attendees forming real, meaningful connections.

Automate Attendee Help and Communication

Chatbots are all the rage for automated communication, especially for online events. Eighty-eight percent of people interacted with a chatbot in the last year, so chatbot tech is only growing in popularity. 

The challenge, though, is that chatbots aren’t always helpful. Most chatbots pull answers from an FAQ bank to answer basic questions, but if your attendees have more complex queries, a traditional chatbot will likely leave them high and dry.

Fortunately, AI makes chatbots much more intelligent and helpful. AI-powered chatbots can help attendees get the answers they need when they need them. Best of all, attendees won’t hound your event planning team with answers that an intelligent chatbot could answer. 

AI chatbots also provide more personalized experiences for attendees. They can recommend upcoming sessions, offer proactive help or advice, and usher attendees through the event experience more seamlessly. 

Plus, AI chatbots are available around the clock, so if you’re hosting an international event across time zones, this tool can help you be there for attendees 24/7. It’s a win for everyone. 

Simplify Event Planning

Events have a lot of moving parts. Even the most seasoned event planners get overwhelmed, especially with global events. Luckily, the one-two punch of AI and data analytics can simplify your event planning. You can use AI to streamline: 

• Event logistics: ChatGPT can’t plan everything for you, but it can certainly speed up research. Use this free AI tool to generate event theme ideas, research venues, plan engaging icebreakers, and create an event budget.
• Event marketing: You can use AI to generate lead-nurturing campaigns to entice more attendees to sign up. An AI-powered email marketing tool can pull attendee data from your customer relationship management (CRM) platform to create hyper-personalized emails at scale. This makes your emails much more personalized, increasing the odds that people will open and read them.
• Attendee questions: Your email inbox is probably flooded with messages. Don’t let the influx of emails distract you from your event planning duties. AI can answer these attendee queries while you focus on the important stuff. It can even recommend local hotels and provide directions for attendees without missing a beat. Easy, right?

Create More Content, Faster

Every event needs content, but content requires time and energy. On top of planning a memorable event, you might also need to create:

• Presentation slides
• Speeches
• Scripts
• Panel questions
• Brochures
• Networking surveys
• Event maps
• Marketing emails
• Promotional blogs
• Promotional graphics

That’s a lot of work. The good news is that AI tools simplify content creation for events. For example, you can use ChatGPT for written content and Midjourney for generating custom AI graphics. 

You can use ChatGPT to brainstorm content ideas and flesh out the content itself. Ask the AI to brainstorm blog ideas, write a script for your CEO to introduce the event, or develop insightful questions for a panel session. 

You can give it prompts like “What type of workshop should I host at my leadership conference event?” or “What goodies should I include in my sustainability event’s goodie bag?” You can also tell ChatGPT, “Write me a 3-minute speech thanking all my guests for attending my event.” While ChatGPT should never replace an event planner, it can certainly help you save time. 

If you’re trying to save time and money creating graphics for your next event, give Midjourney a go. This AI image generation platform requires a paid subscription, but if you create a lot of graphics, it could be worth the investment. You just prompt the AI, and it generates a unique image you can use for your event. 

For example, you can give Midjourney a prompt like, “CEO posing in front of the Empire State Building,” which will generate a unique image fitting that brief. You can use this tool for everything from graphic design to social media content. 

You’ll need to refine how you prompt the AI, though, so getting a production-ready image could take several rounds of prompting.

Pull Better Post-Event Analytics

Was your event successful? Instead of making assumptions, look at the data to determine what you did well and can improve.

If you want to improve your events, checking your post-event analytics is a good idea. Usually, this would require a lot of manual effort and weeks of waiting. But AI helps you quickly pull all of your event metrics into one place so you can make data-driven decisions about future events. 

As soon as your event ends, you can use AI to extract and analyze data from multiple sources, like:

• Your website
• Attendee surveys
• Customer feedback forms
• Social media posts
• Event platform engagement data

An integrated platform that tracks all event-related activities and interactions can help your team stay organized and better use AI and data analytics for event success.

For example, at an event, your chatbot might get a lot of questions about parking for that particular venue. This could mean parking could have been more apparent at this location, an area for future improvement. Or one specific session had low attendance. AI can help you find insights like this more quickly, which can help you host better events going forward. 

Harness the Power of AI To Make Your Next Event Unforgettable

Your events are already good, but AI can make them even better. Instead of fearing AI, learn how to leverage this technology to plan better, more affordable events that generate a return on investment (ROI) for your business. Of course, it helps to have the right technology in your corner, and that’s where we come in. Endless Events is an event management company that equips event planners with the right technology to plan memorable events. See how Endless Events’ seamless technology and predictive analytics can enhance your next event.

What uRequest Live is All About

To start today’s episode, Will prompts Arthur to share what uRequest is all about. “The basic concept of it is an audience-curated concert experience,” says Arthur. This “allows the audience to collectively control the show’s outcome by making requests and communicating with the band in real-time.” 

The Evolution of uRequest Live Through the Pandemic

Next, Arthur shares where it all began, starting with where the idea for the company came from. 

“I came up with the idea pre-pandemic because I was in the entertainment business representing bands for weddings and corporate events,” begins Arthur. “I was working with this one band who were some of the best musicians I’d ever worked with.” He watched as people would endlessly request various songs and covers. “They’d always be like, ‘Oh yeah!’ And go right into it. So I thought, what if we allow the audience to make requests? That’s how the idea was born.”

Arthur isn’t a developer, so he didn’t create the app himself. But he began his search for a developer by looking at other applications that had functions similar to what he’d need. “I found an app with some features that could have worked.” He contacted that developer, who loved his idea. “So he built out an app, developed it, and it did really well. We toured all over Canada, the U.S.A., and now the world.”

But, much like the rest of the world, the pandemic pushed him to pivot. One problem he saw that needed to be solved was, “How are we going to entertain people at scale? I realized we could do what we’ve always done. So we started to push virtual events. But as the pandemic went on, I thought, ‘There’s another way we can use the band that’s even more engaging.’ So we decided to do more of a choose your own show style.”

The app would ask, “What decade is your jam? 80s, 90s, 2000s, 70s, 60s, or whatever. And they vote. Then we launch another poll showing the results in real-time.” Based on the results of the first poll, they would then offer another poll on songs from that era. “Every couple of minutes, they’re making a choice. That boosted engagement.”

“The next step was taking the virtual world to another level using platforms that would allow us to put the band into a three-dimensional environment.”  

Knowing Your Audience

When executing successful events, knowing your audience is critical from start to finish. uRequest helps you do precisely that. “One of the things you said early on is one of the things we emphasize all the time. It’s this idea of really knowing your audience. Having that opportunity to truly ask your audience, ‘What’s your jam?’ rather than just guessing is a next level importance,” says Brandt. 

Arthur agrees. “That’s an excellent point. We’ve collected data on the requested songs. There is a sort of unspoken repertoire amongst event bands, which includes certain songs. For example, Billy Jean, Celebration, Treasure, Superstition, all these staple songs that nobody ever requests. We have over 40,000 requests to date. We’ve got very few requests for Billy Jean. The number one requested song: Dancing Queen by ABBA.”

“What’s interesting to me is, because you’re dealing with data, if you start to see something rise, you can react to it,” says Brandt. “I have to imagine as corporate bands are sitting around going, ‘What do we want to add?’ If you’re not coming from a data standpoint, you’re just guessing at that point.”

“When I first heard about you, Arthur, someone used this analogy,” adds Will. “When designing entertainment for your event, you had these choices: the flexibility of a DJ or the classical and engaging performance of a band. You had to choose either one. This has been a hybridization of both. This creates such a highly engaging, customized experience that forces you to stay and watch.” 

Navigating New Expectations Around Time

Because of the pandemic, attendee expectations have changed. One of those changes, Will says, is around how long attendees expect events to be. “As virtual events have started to shift from three-hour-long mega events to the shorter format of webinars, how are you thinking about doing entertainment in a time where people don’t want to stay in front of their devices as long as they did during the pandemic?”

“That’s a good question,” responds Arthur. “When we do the show virtually, it’s a 45-minute to 1-hour show, which gives us enough time to cycle through enough requests and give enough engagement. We have done a 15-minute high-energy break, but that’s an expensive 15-minute break.”

“For now, we’re telling people if you want to give people a virtual experience unlike anything they’ve ever experienced, 45 minutes to an hour. Our engagement is really, really high. People don’t usually log off until the end of the show.” 

The Future of uRequest Live

As Will, Brandt, and Arthur wrap up, Brandt shares a fun way to utilize uRequest. “You could choose the walk-up music,” shares Brandt. “For example, you could choose for the executives. You get to choose the CEO’s walk-up music. If it’s “Baby One More Time” by Britney Spears, that’s what it will be.”  

Arthur loves that idea. “We’ve done award shows where we’re just doing walk-ons and walk-offs. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about the best walk-ons and walk-offs. The other feature we’ve built is the ability to gate the requests with a donation. So for a charity or a fundraiser, you have to donate if you want to make a request.”

“The margin feels like it would be high, versus sometimes you have to get these items from people and donate them or sometimes you even buy them,” says Will. But with uRequest, “you will be doing the party at the end anyways. Brilliant!”

“Arthur, thank you so much for coming on the show. It’s been such a pleasure getting to nerd out talking about entertainment. And thank you so much for listening as well,” concludes Will. If this episode on uRequest Live got your brain turning and you have thoughts you’d like to share, email us! We’ll catch you here next time for another episode of the Event Tech podcast.

In this episode of the Event Brew, Nick, Will, Deanna, and Xander share their reactions to the term “in-kind sponsorship,” tips on navigating them, and what they think is the ideal scenario for this kind of sponsorship. Let’s dive in!

The Brew Crew’s Initial Reactions to In-Kind Sponsorships for Events

“In-kind sponsorship” can stir up mixed reactions from event professionals. To get a feel for where the Brew Crew stands, Nick starts today’s conversation by asking if anyone has a visceral response to the term. 

“Mine is: that’s what I always try to do rather than give money as a sponsor,” says Will.

Xander has contrasting experiences. “As someone on the receiving end, everybody tries to do it. And it’s never exactly what I am looking for,” he says. 

Settled right between Will and Xander’s responses, Deanna doesn’t have a strong gut reaction to the term. “I don’t know that I’ve ever been in a position on the giving or receiving side. The one organization I worked for that did a ton of event sponsorships had a sales department that did the selling. By the time they came to me, the contract was signed, and I was just fulfilling it.” On the flip side, Deanna has worked for organizations that always paid to be a sponsor. “I’ve been on both sides: the person buying the sponsorships or selling. But, I don’t think I’ve ever been in an in-kind situation.” 

“I honestly just stopped sponsoring things for in-kind altogether,” adds Will. “I realized that when I was doing in-kind stuff, with event services specifically, chances for failure shot up dramatically. When you’re donating something, you want to give it less energy than when you do something that’s bringing you money. So I just started saying no and saying I’ll do it at a discounted rate. Every time we did it 100% free, it hurt us so badly.”

Will also found more value in offering his speaking services, even though it’s different from the event management services Endless specializes in. “After years of doing this, I realized people don’t care about the end product.” If things went great, no one seemed to notice. “But when things went wrong, everyone knew. So I in-kind donated a lot of speaking engagements.”

As an experienced event professional in food and beverage, Nick is familiar with in-kind sponsorships. “The world in which in-kind sponsorships were discussed every five minutes was F&B. So, the last F&B job I had I created a form for anyone who wanted to give their services in exchange for food. It was a gauntlet of things that proved to us they were at the center of our target for philanthropic goals. If they weren’t in that, they saw why they were not a good candidate for us.”

The second most frequent niche to receive in-kind sponsorship requests? Production. “A production company could give away its services most of the week from requests,” continues Nick. “I think he best ones are where you’re partners in some revenue-generating opportunity. That way, you’re not just taking a line item out but earning income. But that’s pretty rare.”

Commit to Excellence or Don’t Commit at All

Stuck on Will’s earlier comment, Nick brings the conversation back to effort. “When people give away their services, they rarely bring their A-game. To me, that’s a big mistake. Even though you’re making less money, you’re more exposed. This is an opportunity to shine. This is a marketing endeavor. Whatever you’re doing, you should do better than you normally do it. This is how you’re exposing people to the promise of what your brand is.”

As Will sees it, the opportunity cost of a failed in-kind sponsorship is much lower than if you were to fail within a paid sponsorship. “If you don’t do your job well when you’re getting paid, you lose out on getting paid,” he says. But with in-kind, “if it all goes to crap, you just don’t care.”

“I guess,” responds Nick. “But I’m a marketer. I would say, ‘Okay. I’m spending part of my marketing budget for this in-kind sponsorship.’ Knowing I’m spending budget money on this presence and not putting my best foot forward is foolish. I see what you’re saying. But imagine buying a full-page ad and giving it to a five-year-old with a crayon and saying, ‘Draw whatever.’ That’s what bringing your C-game to an in-kind sponsorship is like. Do it at A-level or don’t do it.”

Is the Sponsor Worth the Hassle? And is the Relationship Equitable? 

Curious about Deanna’s thoughts, Nick asks her what she would do. “Someone comes to you and asks, ‘You need to feed your attendees. I’m a catering company, and your attendees are attractive for me to be in front of. What can we do here?’”

“As an event professional, an in-kind sponsorship only has value to me if you’re reducing costs by providing a service I would’ve already provided for my attendees,” says Deanna. “If it’s not in that realm, then is this in-kind sponsor really worth the hassle?”

She continues: “At the end of the day, you’ll have to manage it. As an event professional, am I making money on this event? Is this an event I’m profitable with, or is this an event where we break even? That’s what I wrestle with. As Xander mentioned, your cash only goes so far if you’re in the nonprofit space or a small organization. I also recognize that there are large organizations that have the budget and are exploitative, asking for free speaking services in the name of exposure. Exposure doesn’t pay the bills, and it’s hard to measure.”

“I also wonder if you, as the planner, are not paying for the services, are you giving them the due diligence you would to a vendor you’re paying? Are you making sure they have all the information they need? Especially any scenario where there’s not an equitable relationship or dynamic, I feel a certain way about that. I think you dabble into ethics and those types of conversations.”

Sponsorship Tips

Are Your Mission, Vision, and Values Aligned?

Thinking back to his college event days, Will remembers working for the ASU Undie Run event. “I was thinking about how in-kind sponsorships might potentially be bad. It depends on if it’s something the audience wants. The ASU Undie Run was going until 5 a.m. An energy drink sponsor might have been a great idea. But sometimes we say yes because we’re like, ‘A free energy drink for my audience? What’s the worst that could happen?’” 

One possibility is that the outcome of poorly planned in-kind deals is a misalignment in mission, vision, and values for everyone involved. Will looks at Patagonia as an example. “I’m sure Patagonia doesn’t do giveaway sponsorships because a shirt that gets thrown away is worse than anything in the world sustainability-wise.”  

Nick develops this alignment concern even more. “Are you on the same page with the person offering the in-kind sponsorship? In-kind relationships are partnerships at the end of the day. Everything else is more of a transaction. We’re both trying to provide value to the same group in different capacities. That’s where correlating mission, vision, and values might be something that you do. The negatives we discussed, like bringing your B-game, go to the wayside if you actually have a foundation of going in the same direction.” 

Don’t be Afraid to Negotiate

Will has one more tip for navigating in-kind sponsorships for events: don’t be afraid to negotiate. If you receive a request for an in-kind sponsorship from a company, don’t assume they can only offer that kind of relationship. “I think a lot of times, we assume money is completely off the table, but sometimes you can open up those conversations,” he says.

Xander agrees. “Especially when it’s inbound. That truly puts all of the cards in your hand. It’s all about negotiation. The easiest next step when you receive that cold inbound request for sponsorship is, just as Will says, to send them your packages.” You may arrive at a firm “no” for everyone involved, “but more likely than not, it’s when you start looking at the finer details and opportunities available that you can highlight elements they’re trying to capture and lean into the costs of that opportunity.”

What’s the Ideal Sponsorship Scenario?

For Deanna, what comes to mind are the things you want to implement in your events but don’t have the budget for. “In those scenarios, when it’s something that’s on trend or cutting edge, and you don’t have the buy-in, that’s an easy way to get it. As the person pitching the in-kind sponsorship, how will you know that? That’s where it comes to knowing your audience well. If you’re old in the industry and everyone has been there done that, you don’t have that angle.”  

Nick’s silver bullet is when sponsors bring experiential and monetary value to the host. “I don’t think that’s something many categories can do. But if you’re creative enough, there are endless ways to create win-win situations.”

He continues: “I think it comes down to, is there a way for alignment more so than there is a way for everybody to make money. That’s what I would focus on. Saying, ‘We are aligned. This event is better for you with me involved. And I am better by servicing this community.’ That has to be at the center of how you make that offering. Otherwise, it will sound like someone doesn’t want to pay.”

Xander sees two scenarios where an in-kind event sponsorship can make a meaningful difference in your business or event, leading to a win-win situation for everyone. 

1. “The clear opportunity is when the in-kind sponsorship has a chance to increase the dollar-for-dollar value for the attendees,” says Xander. “That is such an easy and understandable pass-along to your attendees, and it serves as marketing fodder for you to secure additional attendees potentially.” 
2. “On the other side, there’s the opportunity for you to explore mitigating business expenses for your company. If you are using a particular tool to execute something within your business, whether it’s Dropbox or Zoom, and you have this alignment where getting Zoom in front of your attendees is valuable, it can offset the cost.” 

Nick agrees, “It really just comes down to value,” he concludes. What do you think? What would be the ideal in-kind sponsorship for your business or event? And how would you seek out alignment in your partnerships? Send us an email! We read every one, and we love hearing your thoughts. We’ll catch you here next time for another episode of the Event Brew podcast!

In this episode of the Event Tech podcast, Will shares why he’s decided to make the shift, what he’s excited to implement in the new #EventProfs community, which platform the community will use, and what you can expect in the coming weeks and months. Let’s get started!

Where I Was and Where I’m Going

Will begins today’s conversation by starting with his why. “A good place to start with this is: where I was and where I’m going,” he says. “When I started this journey to create the #EventProfs community, we had a Slack group and community meetups, but it wasn’t a community event. I wanted to build an app people would use off social media.”

“Part of my philosophy around this was that whatever platform you use for events can be used as your community platform too. One app that can do it all.” And for a while, event tech platforms seemed to share that vision. “As I talked to event technology platforms, they said this is the future because they saw recurring revenue. But when the rubber met the road, I noticed platforms have moved away from the idea of advertising community as one of their selling features.” 

Because event platforms were more focused on the event side, the platforms Will worked with weren’t a perfect match for the community platform he was trying to build. “We are switching from an event app to a platform designed for communities and only for communities,” explains Will. “I used to think community platforms suck at doing events. But you know what, I’m realizing event apps suck at doing community.” His new philosophy: pick applications that focus on doing one thing well rather than one app that tries to do it all. 

The #EventProfs Community Needs More from its Platform

Over the years, the #EventProfs community has grown larger than Will could have imagined. As a result of such tremendous growth, he’s started seeking more community-focused features in a new platform. Here’s what he didn’t like about the previous platform and what he’s looking for moving forward. 

1. Recurring Payments 

“Let’s talk about things I didn’t consider when I started building this community. The first thing that came to mind was managing people coming in. Many event platforms are designed like an event,” says Will. However, communities last much longer than a typical 7-day event. “You start putting 365 days on the calendar, and the UI doesn’t become that easy to work with.”

“So I wanted a way to do things like recurring, monthly, quarterly, and annual billing,” he continues. With events, you buy the ticket once, and you’re done. “I would have had to build an entire third-party Stripe integration with Zapier to manage the members. So if you’re using an event app as your community app, keep in mind that if you plan on making that community paid, it won’t be easy. That was my first learning.”  

2. Post and Comment Limits

Another thing to note, event apps don’t always allow for an in-depth conversation on the platform. “As people start posting stuff on the main feed, you have to make sure that experience is world-class,” explains Will. “There was a character limit on our platform, both in posts and comments. I thought to myself, ‘Not a big deal. This will get fixed.’ But I realized it prevented members from having real in-depth conversations. I think it frustrated some people not to want to come back.” 

3. Recurring Calendar Events

For most event apps, when you put events on a calendar, they break your schedule down day by day. “When you do 365 days, you literally have 365 days on the calendar, and you have to click through them all,” says Will. 

“Another critical feature that proved challenging was adding new events. “That’s the core part of an event app. Sometimes it’s so elaborate to add an event that it was almost a pain in the ass to reschedule them.” And by rescheduling, Will means scheduling recurring events (like the live recording of this Event Tech podcast episode). “You can’t do that. It wants a description, a header image, who the speakers are, and who the sponsor is. It asks so many questions. I think there’s a big need for the ability to generate events and get them up and running quickly.” 

4. Notification Strategy

Last but not least, the #EventProfs community needed a notification strategy. Without it, engagement suffers, and event platforms aren’t built to engage attendees 365 days a year. 

“We had a whole episode where we talked about why I thought push notifications were the best,” says Will. Our former platform could handle “one-off push notifications and things like that. But simple notifications like letting you know there’s a new post, a new partner, or someone commented or viewed your profile, and people didn’t get notifications. So we had to push notifications for everything manually. We needed another email management tool to do those things.” 

“The feature I’m excited about with the new platform is a weekly digest that says here’s what you missed since you last logged in. The community platform has it, but event apps don’t. And it is because you don’t need a weekly recap when your events are only a week long. Not having notifications to bring you back into the platform killed our engagement. It’s so easy to miss stuff without a notification strategy.”

Circle: #EventProfs new Community Platform

Now, it’s time to share which platform our community will use. “We’re switching to a platform called Circle,” shares Will. “I had a strong belief that event apps could become community apps. As I started looking into Circle, so many features made it much easier. So I’ll go into features and kick it over to Brandt for initial impressions.”

“The first feature is Weekly Digest. It shares all the posts you’ve missed, new members, and can include stats.” Second, “everything inside the platform is triggerable. I can create new posts in the platform based on Zapier triggers. I can DM members with integrations and can do things like tag people and organize them.”

“One big reason we want to switch over is paywall features. We are switching to a paid model with the community. We have to make this sustainable. They integrate with Stripe. I can set up trials and do daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly.” Will can also offer discount codes. “I can offer your first month free. It’s incredible what you can do.”

Will continues: “The thing that makes Circle most incredible is the feed features. The way content gets organized is so much better.” Initially, Will didn’t think the community would be so big that it would need multiple feeds. “But honestly, I think it got to the point where people were not engaging because there was only one feed to post on. So what’s great about Circle is having dedicated spaces where people can have conversations.” For example, #EventProfs can have a dedicated space for vendors, contractors, and CEOs. Event professionals and event tech experts can each have their own spaces, creating a more intimate experience for everyone. 

Brandt’s Initial Impressions

Will’s decision to move the community to Circle is recent, so Brandt is new to its features. Here are his unfiltered first impressions. 

“I’m going to start with a little negative,” begins Brandt. “I’m typing in my bio, and as soon as you move on to the next thing, you get the bio is too long. There’s no countdown like on Twitter. The last thing you want is to spend 20 minutes crafting the perfect bio, and then it says it’s too long. This is stuff we see on social media platforms all the time. So I chopped it in half, and now it’s 301 characters, so I have to get it down even further. These little hiccups start to add up.” 

Switching to something he likes about the platform, Brandt shares his thoughts on Circle’s “actions.” When users join the platform, it prompts them to share certain things about themselves. “You’ve already got my mind going, as opposed to starting from a blank page. You’ve primed the pump. That’s part of the software.” 

“All the basics you expect to find in these kinds of things. It feels kind of like Slack or Discord,” adds Brandt. “We have announcements, events, upcoming events, a whole link section. There’s an iOS app and an Android app. You can also refer friends for money and purchase #EventProfs merch. First impressions, it’s easy to navigate.” 

Another cool feature on the platform is the wiki. “It allows you to start building a wiki inside your community,” says Will. “This was a challenge in the event apps. You can start to build a resource and knowledge center inside your community. That’s where I think the real long-term value starts. When people start giving tutorials and ideas, you want them to live more than in just the feed. This allows it to become an asset that people pay for and get excited about.”

“One last thing, you can have different levels of membership,” adds Will. “For example, let’s say I wanted to make it so there’s a VIP level you can pay extra for and access five additional categories no one else sees. You can start gating different parts of the experience. You can even do gated event calendars too. There’s a lot of possibilities.”

Final Thoughts 

Excited to have brought Event Tech podcast listeners behind the scenes, Will begins to wrap up the episode. “I’ve always envisioned us being a mega online community that encompasses every single part of the industry. Imagine PCMA had its own section; NPI has its own section. Just all ideas I wanted to share. I’m glad you like it.” If you want to check out the #EventProfs community, join us! We offer a 90-day money-back guarantee. As always, we’d love to hear your feedback. What would you like to see in the community? And what features are you most excited about? Email us. We’ll catch you here next time for another episode of the Event Tech podcast.

Event 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 event partner marketing, event 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.

Meet the People of the Hour

Before discussing the event and the dynamics of event partner marketing, let’s get to know today’s icons. Will starts with Endless’ very own Nicole Seymour. “Nicole, you probably have a quicker answer to this since you started at Endless. Then we’ll get into the Partner Hacker story.”

Nicole Seymour

“It’s been a journey that’s evolved over about 12 years now,” begins Nicole. “I started with bartending and then worked my way to wedding planning, a whole different ball game. After that, I worked my way to food-based festivals and tradeshows. Then I landed here as Senior Events Manager, and I love the caliber of events we do here at Endless.”

Jared Fuller

Next to share is Jared. “I don’t know if I want to start with why Partner Hacker was created as much as why I hate go-to-market as a function of B2B companies, this debate between sales, marketing, and customer success. Sales blames marketing for not having enough leads or bad leads, marketing blames sales for not closing enough leads, and then they both throw that mess over to the customer success team.” 

“I’ve always thought great relationships happen when you’re driving value and working with people who have been places your customers want to go. Everything in business (like marketing, sales, and generating leads) has nothing to do with helping that person get to where they want to go. It’s about some internal thing. I’ve always loved partnerships. I’ve always been doing it. So why start partnerships? I got sick of people worrying about their internal stuff more than helping people get to where they want to go.”

“Isaac and I have known each other for 10+ years,” continues Jared. “He’s the content God, and I’m the partner hacker. Our podcast started to take off during the economic downturn. And all of a sudden what was once the third wheel became the first chair. We spun up a newsletter, and the rest is history. So we’ve gone from that to a multi-million dollar media business in less than a year.”

Isaac Morehouse

Lastly, Isaac shares how he joined the events industry and eventually teamed up with Jared to help launch the successful PLX event. 

“I have a 15-year history of entrepreneurship, but not in the B2B space,” says Isaac. “I didn’t know anything about partnerships at B2B SaaS companies. So I built a bootstrapped company and a venture-backed company, which I built with zero paid marketing. It was 100% from content, community, and events.”

His venture-backed company couldn’t quite gain traction and scale on the product side, but the media side was successful. “Our newsletter, a daily newsletter for jobseekers, saw 200,000 subscribers in less than a year.” After starting that company, Isaac reconnected with Jared, who was building his Partner Up podcast. Jared convinced Isaac to join him in building his media company. “He convinced me. I’m like, we’ll go in this together, I’ll cohost the podcast with you, and then we’ll spin up an email newsletter. I modeled it after things I’d seen work before.”

“We spun that up in February,” continues Isaac. “In March, we were like, ‘Huh. There might be something here.’ In April, we launched the website, went full-time, and saw something was happening in this space. Now here we are. Events are the core, and all our content is geared toward those.”

The Co-Creation Variable in Event Partner Marketing

Next, Will wants to talk about how PLX managed to co-create content with its partners. “I think a lot of people want that. They want their attendees or their speakers to help create unique content. If someone’s looking to do this, what are your tips for them when it comes to getting those speakers wrangled so well?”

“Well, it’s not an easy task,” responds Nicole. “Get involved early and often, which is easier said than done. Once we could connect partners and get people together in documents or meeting virtually, you could see the wheels turning, and people were creating this content.”

Jared agrees that co-creation in partner marketing is a challenging task. “This thing was an utter shit show behind the scenes. Nicole can attest. We had an AirTable where we’d manage the schedule on. I would have dreams of the AirTable. It was a mess, but we did some things right and many wrong.”

The first thing he says they did right was to have an underlying plan driving the event’s schedule. “It was very important to have an idea of what we wanted each day to accomplish and to have a narrative arch from that day’s sessions. The sponsors and partners we worked with appreciated that.”

Here’s where it didn’t go well. “We’d say, ‘You have a session about how marketplaces can work for a product team. Let us know what you want to do with that session.’ When we did that, we’d hear nothing back,” explains Jared. “But when we said, ‘Here are our ideas. We just sent you a draft of what we think your session should be, with a list of 15 speakers we think would be good. Let us know if you want us to tweak or adjust that. That was the way to start co-creation.” 

“It is hard to ask someone to ask someone to market this thing for me,” adds Nicole. “We need to offer them something that would lead them to think about their content. I think more often than not, people are looking for some guidance on what you want.” 

PLX as a Remote Experience (not Hybrid)

Next, Jared and Isaac share their thoughts on hybrid and remote experiences and the single component that helped them ignite a wildfire of social media sharing amongst their attendees. 

“At some point, Isaac said, ‘You know what would be cool? If every person got a workbook,’” shares Jared. “I was like, how the heck are we going to keep a spreadsheet on the status of everything?”

Jared continues: “I had to hack this AirTable; it had sessions, titles, descriptions, speakers, images for every speaker, and QR codes and their links. And I got this AirTable and this janky little app to export the AirTable to a PDF file so we could push the event schedule right up to the shipping deadline and not worry about updating this Microsoft Word document, project management system, and this AirTable. There’s no way we could’ve pulled this off if we were trying to do all those things.” 

“Next year, we want to level it up,” he adds. “That was a cool learning that was really painful. But hey, that’s what creation and entrepreneurship is. By the way, that’s why we call PLX a remote experience, not a hybrid conference. Hybrid is a lie. You’re either there, or you’re not. You can’t be virtual and in-person, but a remote experience is both. There is an experience here anchoring you so you can take notes and learn, but then you are online.”

As Isaac shares, stoking social pressure, sharing, and the fear of missing out (FOMO) is a challenge with virtual events. With a physical event, “what makes everyone say, ‘I’m going to be at the event. Who else will be there?’ leading up to the event. They get to the event, and what do they do? They post pictures. It’s all this free promotion and marketing in the heart of this audience you want to reach.”

Isaac continues: “With a virtual event, no one’s like, ‘Hey guys! I’m so excited! Let me share this link to this landing page I just registered on.’ By mailing everyone a physical workbook, people posted pictures holding up their workbook. It created the FOMO of a physical experience. Something about that physical component that came before the event, leading up to it made that marketing buzz that you usually get with an in-person event.”

Iconic Tips and Resources

This episode of #EventIcons was jam-packed with information! But unfortunately, it has to come to an end. And as Will wraps up this episode, he asks Nicole, Jared, and Isaac to share their number one tip and favorite resources.

What’s Your #1 Tip?

“There’s been so much information, I don’t know how we’re going to wrap up in time,” says Will. “So let’s start with my second to last favorite question. What’s your number one question you have for someone who’s planning an event this year?” 

“I’ll jump in,” responds Isaac. “When you think of your idea for an event, if you’re not super hyped about it, then forget about it. What’s the point? If it sounds boring to you, why would it be exciting to anyone else? When Jared came to me and said, ‘Check this out: PLX. Partner Led Everything. Every day is a different department where the X is the variable that changes. Every day is a different color. It’s synth wave themed.’ He pitched this vision that I was like, ‘Yes! I can’t wait!’ So that’s my #1 tip: don’t run events you’re not hyped to attend.”

“Isaac hit the nail on the head,” says Jared. “I think most events lack a voice. And when you lack a voice, you lack a brand. I truly wanted this to be the moment that partner ecosystems went mainstream. If it’s not an event, then it’s just content. I think you should have a voice and a strong opinion; if you don’t, just go do content. An event needs to mean something. It’s a moment in time. Events are special, they’re experiences; treat them that way.”

“I love what you said, Jared,” says Nicole. “That’s great. The longtime event planner in me will have to say, start early if you can. And get as much out of your mind and front load the work. More work will come up. Trust your team and ask for help, whether it’s from partners or someone else who’s done it. There are a lot of people who are willing to share what they’ve done.”

What are Your Favorite Resources?

“Last question I have for you guys. What are your favorite resources? What are your favorite things in the entire world?” asks Will.

“My number one is Slack,” says Nicole. “The second is AirTable. Jared said we used it in a way that had never been used before. AirTable can be an incredible table for staying organized.” 

Isaac’s favorite resource is AirMeet. “And then the other is just people. The first thing we did when we decided to run this event was Jared said, ‘We’re going to talk to some of the people at Drift who created the Drift RevGrowth conference.’ We just found people who had done this and asked for help.”

“I love that. I’m going to extend that answer to working with people who are great at what they do,” says Jared. “The quality of speakers we had at this conference was far above the people who had previously been discussing partnerships. My favorite thing is to work with influencers. Work with people who are in the market and past where you’re at. Make those people famous, and by virtue of that, you’ll make your brand better. It has nothing to do with tech.”

“I like it. Far too often, I lean toward the tech side, so I like that,” says Will. “Wow, guys!” It’s been a packed episode with so many good points!”

Do you want to learn more about event partner marketing and how Jared and Isaac implemented it in their event? Listen to the full episode at the top of this page. And if you just can’t get enough of partnerships, check out some of our other resources on partnerships: 

• Establishing Partnerships
• Partnering with Small Businesses
• Supplier-Partner Relationships in Events

We’ll catch you here next time for another episode of the #EventIcons podcast!

But before we dive into budgets, let’s introduce our special co-host, Xander Castro. Our history with Xander started years ago when he worked for Endless as a freelance ghostwriter. Since then, he’s worked as an event planner and is now the Events Director at Tiny Seed. He was also featured on an earlier episode of #EventIcons. There, you’ll be able to hear more about his background.

Thanks to Xander’s input in today’s episode, the Brew Crew is taking a gamified approach to the heavy topic of event budget cuts. Given the ability to choose the episode topic, he says this: “I dropped in a random idea that just popped into my mind, the PG version of kiss, marry, kill.” The idea is, “If you look at budgets being cut and your clients are looking at stripping away some of the numbers you have for specific budget items, what are the things you need to keep? What are the things that you have an opportunity to cut? And, what are some of the things that you can completely do away with?” So without further ado, let’s see what the Brew Crew would do.  

Cut, Keep, Improve (the Kiss, Marry, Kill Revamp)

If you’re unfamiliar with the old-school game of kiss, marry, kill, here’s how it works: a player reviews a list of three real or fictional people. Of those three people, the player must choose who they would kiss, marry, or kill. However, in keeping things events related, the Brew Crew decided to revamp the game and call it “cut, keep, improve.” 

Today, the three categories the crew will have to cut, keep, or improve are:

• Production
• Food
• Marketing

But before the crew starts making event budget cuts, Nick shares a disclaimer. “We’re aware that ‘it depends.’ We’re aware that the objectives really move these decision-making pieces. So take all this with a grain of salt.” 

Here is where Nick, Deanna, Xander, and Will landed in their decisions. 

Team Cut-Food 

Nick’s decided to cut food. Why? Alcohol. “I’d get rid of it,” he says. “I know that’s super controversial, but it’s pretty easy and probably the highest cost in the F&B (food and beverage) bubble. Most objectives don’t require it. I understand it has a social lubricant element, but you can overcome that with inexpensive alternatives. There are also other opportunities to pull themes into F&B. Even though there’s less food, it’s more thematically aligned with the theme. It’s harder to cut things with a purpose, like production.”

“Before you go to production, I’ll layer in with the food and beverage,” says Will. He also thinks cutting food is a great way to work with a reduced budget. “I think that you can pass that cost onto your attendees now and that they will crave a higher quality experience and then will pay for it how they want to. What I do is, give longer lunch breaks and send people to the local restaurants nearby. Let them enjoy their lunchtime and dive deep into conversations with people.” 

For Nick, food was the only right choice. He sees so much more opportunity in production and marketing to make your buck stretch further. “When you start taking money out of production, you start diminishing the point of most events. You don’t want to do anything that gives you less opportunity to repurpose that content in the future.”

“If someone has a diminished budget, my goal is to figure out how I can make more money in the future, so I’m not in this position again,” continues Nick. By saving production, “I can use that to make more money down the line. Specifically in recutting that content to have additional sponsored revenue opportunities in evergreen content. Production and marketing have better opportunities for me to make more revenue.” 

“I like to think of it as empowering attendees to make their own decisions,” adds Xander. “The opportunity to potentially reduce ticket prices by carving food out of your budget isn’t just a marketing tool; it also gets them out of the space and lets you have a more natural opportunity to connect.”

However, this cutting strategy won’t work for events with a long history of food-based experiences or events that have made promises around food. “If you’ve promised something to your attendees, that’s where you start running into some challenges. Still, F&B is an area where we have the most power to make adjustments without impacting the quality of the overall event experience,” concludes Xander.

Team Cut-Production

As Nick, Will, and Xander were all team cut-food, Deanna was left alone in her decision to cut production. “It’s interesting because I think some of the things Nick had in the marketing or production bucket, I would put in the marketing bucket,” she says.”

“So why I would cut production: I would cut visuals. I feel like plenty of speakers, presenters, and facilitators rely too heavily on them. Depending on the event, size, and scope, you can do some great stuff without any visuals. Audio is harder to cut, especially if it’s a large group, but I think you can get by without visuals if you have a dynamic speaker.”

Deanna has an example to back up her position. “I went to Connect Corporate in 2016. All the AV went out in the middle of one of the keynote speaker’s lunch keynote. She was amazing because she rolled with the punches and still got a great message. I still remember it, and this was seven years ago.”

This statement reminds Nick of TED talks, another excellent example of low-production events that make an impact. “There’s no real production elements beyond the TED letters that go everywhere. That’s a stripped-down affair that gets the point across. It’s more focused on how the speakers present and execute. It’s a very cohesive and impactful experience.” 

Team Cut-Marketing

As no one was on team cut marketing, Nick and Will share their thoughts on streamlining marketing. 

“No one said, ‘let’s reduce marketing.’ Maybe that’s because it’s the impetus of the move to spend less money this year,” says Nick. If you have to cut marketing costs, he suggests looking at partnerships. “Share the load, and make it easy for them to market your event, along with you, growing their impressions without spending as much money on media buys or PPC. If you empower your partners in your event, you’re potentially spending less money in a more coordinated effort. Then you could spend less money on marketing.”

“One thing I’ll add is, don’t be afraid to reinvent your marketing,” adds Will. “We were hardcore in the inbound marketing game early on in the events industry. Our only competitors in the content space were media companies. But during the pandemic, because so many tech companies had such a marketing budget, inbound marketing within the SaaS market got overcrowded fast.” 

He continues: “When you start feeling like something’s not working anymore, cut your emotion from it and rethink it. Shoutout to my team at Endless, they were telling me this more than I was listening. We should’ve tried something completely different, but I kept thinking, ‘No. this works.’ But then I realized I should have cut it, and we started new marketing tactics.”

The Creator Economy: An Untapped Low-Cost Resource

Inspired by suggestions on how to cut marketing, Deanna has some valuable and actionable advice for event marketers too. “I know this isn’t a trends episode. But it’s making me think about where our industry is going, where we have room to improve, and where we may be lagging. We don’t harness influencer or user-generated content. The creator economy is not just here, it’s booming. The event industry is definitely behind in that aspect.”

“I remember seeing this with HubSpot a couple of years ago,” continues Deanna. “They galvanized their community and made power-users that helped promote the conference while at Inbound. That’s a great low-cost opportunity that may be no-cost, depending on what your community looks like. They’re going to sell your product better than you ever can. They’re essentially the subject matter experts in this field. That’s one place I’d love to see our industry get into more.”

Nick agrees. “And in some cases, there are no hard costs associated with prepping them and making them feel special,” he says. “I’m not saying spend less on Google this year or stop email marketing. That’s not the best way to save money in marketing and reach your goals. It’s about using the inexpensive and no-cost methodologies out there.”

“Events really don’t leverage influencer marketing mostly because I think the understanding of what influencer marketing is in the B2B context isn’t obvious,” continues Nick. “In the B2B space, it’s much more approachable. They’re not looking for $250,000 per Instagram post. They’re looking for front-seat tickets or a shoutout.” 

In 2022, VideoFruit founder Bryhan Hariss guest posted on a niche B2B website. Following the article’s publication, his marketing agency saw a massive increase in page views and visit time, along with a decrease in bounce rate. The B2B influencer economy exists. You just have to utilize it.

What’s Your Event Budget Cut, Keep, Improve?

Now that you’re familiar with cut, keep, and improve, we want to hear from you! “Of the three buckets we’ve discussed, what event budgets would you cut, keep, and improve? Send us an email and email us questions for future topics,” concludes Deanna. 

We’re looking forward to bringing this format back in the future. We’ll catch you here next time for another episode of the Event Brew podcast

Pharma event management is no joke, though. From balancing a budget to finding the perfect venue and speakers, you’ve got to juggle a lot to put on an all-star event. Follow these ten tips to master pharma event management and boost your brand.

Set an Event Goal

Why are you planning this event? What is the purpose? This event should benefit your pharma brand. You need to see a return on the time, money, and resources you spent planning the event. 

Goals like “Promote the launch of our new product” or “Connect with industry leaders” are a good place to start. But if you want to take things a step further, create goals with the SMART goal-setting framework. SMART goals ensure your goals are actionable and deliver value to the business. 

For example, a generic goal like “Promote our product” could become a more measurable SMART goal with this framework: “This event will lead to one hundred press mentions by the end of Q1.” That will help you plan a cohesive event that matches your target goal. 

Invest in Proper Project Management

Organization is the key to successful pharma event management. Once you know your goal, you must determine critical tasks and milestones for executing your event. 

Decide on a date for the event and work backward from there. Set up a project management solution or spreadsheet to assign deadlines and tasks to your team. This way, you can delegate the work with the added accountability of due dates to stay on track. 

Remember Ethical Guidelines

The pharmaceutical industry has to follow specific ethical guidelines. Healthcare providers can’t always accept gifts like meals or accommodations. Consider who you invite to this event and check which professional codes they follow. Ensure your event doesn’t conflict with any of these guidelines. The last thing you want to do is cause an awkward ethical quandary for your attendees.

Set and Follow a Budget

Your budget will affect everything from your venue to your programming and marketing. You want to plan a high-quality pharma event, but you can’t bust your budget, either. You need to generate a return on your investment, which means keeping a close eye on expenses. 

Create a spreadsheet to track every expense for the event. Create categories in the spreadsheet for food, entertainment, the venue, A/V, and anything else you’ll need to buy for the event. Set a budget for each category and stick to it. If something you need exceeds your budget, see if you can bundle the cost with another service or reallocate money from a different category. 

You’ll pay for some expenses upfront, like your venue, while you might pay for other expenses after the fact, like catering or alcohol. Don’t forget to factor in taxes and fees. When in doubt, add at least 10% to your total event budget to account for incidentals. 

To maximize your budget, shop for at least three quotes for every line item. You can always try to negotiate with suppliers for discounts or freebies. The worst thing they can do is say no, so it can’t hurt to ask. 

If an in-person event is still too expensive for your pharma event, opt for a virtual event instead. All you need is the right event technology platform. You don’t have to pay for a huge venue, food, or other high-ticket line items. Having a virtual component also helps attendees cut down on pricey airfare and helps busy pharma executives make the most of their full schedule, so it’s a win for everyone. 

Create a Solid Agenda and Speaker List

What’s going to happen at your event? Even if it’s a small get-together, it’s best to have a schedule of events. 

Give your attendees a clear agenda on your event booking page. Share information on times, locations, speakers, and topics. 

Pharma events aim to position your brand as an industry leader. You want people to remember your event for years, meaning you must create a truly awe-inspiring experience.

For starters, try to feature industry leaders or experts at your event. They might cost more, but they can promote your event and draw a larger crowd. Try to get speakers as early as possible because subject matter experts’ calendars fill up quickly. If there’s someone you have in mind, reach out to them as soon as you have an event date.

With that said, make sure the speaker is a fit for this type of event, your audience, and your brand. For example, if a high-profile speaker specializes in microbiology but that has nothing to do with your product launch, choose a different speaker.

Include Networking Opportunities

Networking allows your attendees to connect with each other. Try to facilitate these connections by carving out time in your schedule for networking. 

Create dedicated areas at your event for networking. You only need tables, couches, and a reasonably quiet space. If you want to keep the conversation going, cocktails and conversation cards are the way to go.

For virtual events, create unique networking rooms where people can sit at virtual tables for video or text-based chats with other attendees. 

Promote Your Event

Where is your audience? Market your event where more pharma folks will see it. Use targeted pay-per-click ads, email marketing, social media, and influencer partnerships to get people talking. 

If you have sponsors for this event, ask them to promote the event to their audience as part of the sponsorship deal. 

Conduct an Event Post-mortem

Even if your event went off without a hitch, there’s a good chance you learned something while planning this pharma event. Meet with your marketing and event team to review the pharma event management process. 

What went well? What can you change for next time? Are there any opportunities you can capitalize on? 

You can also send post-event surveys to your attendees. Keep it short and sweet to increase response rates. You can always create a giveaway or a raffle to incentivize more responses.

Make It Fun

Pharma is a serious industry, but that doesn’t mean your event has to be all work and no play. You can integrate games, challenges, giveaways, and other fun activities to make your event both engaging and memorable. 

You don’t have to spend a lot of money, either. Check out these fun, affordable, and creative breakout session ideas to keep your attendees entertained and engaged.

Add a Wow Factor

Pharma is an innovative industry, so every event needs a little sparkle. Even a small meeting can become an ample opportunity to promote your brand and create great experiences.

The correct wow factor depends on the nature of the event and who’s attending. Try these ideas to give your guests something to talk about: 

• Balloon drop 
• Champagne toast
• Limo rides
• Luxury accommodations
• Gourmet meals
• DJs
• Cultural experiences and entertainment

Master Pharma Event Management With Endless

It’s crucial to plan pharma events to a tee. That’s the best way to get the most return on investment on your event marketing budget. Whether you want to boost approval for your newest drugs or train your team, these tips for proper pharma event management will help you reach your goals. Endless Events offers end-to-end event management for pharmaceutical companies. We worked with Life Sciences Trainers & Educators Network (LTEN) on their annual learning and development conference. See how Endless helped LTEN create an inspirational event without the huge price tag.

Google vs. Microsoft Battle for the Future of AI

Both Google and Microsoft have recently publicly discussed their efforts to rival ChatGPT with their own AI technology. “Google’s is called Bard, and Microsoft integrates it into Bing and Edge,” says Brandt. “It will be fascinating to see how they’re implemented, as both are limited right now. Google clearly sees this as a three-alarm fire. The way Microsoft is doing it is, they’re going to have citations. It helps it be more accurate but doesn’t mean it can’t be inaccurate. My money is that Google will not do that because they want search revenue.”

Thinking back to who AI tools will impact most, Brandt thinks a specific set of companies should be concerned. “Companies like Conference Direct and other venue finders should be scared. Imagine going into Bing and saying, ‘Find me a venue that can fit 350 people and has an outside cocktail space.’ Then the AI grabs that for you and says, ‘I found five venues within 30 miles of Dallas that meet your criteria.’ That’s one thing I didn’t realize before that has the potential for serious disruption.”

Will thinks content creators, bloggers, and those who find and share research should be the most concerned. “As a content creator, I should be scared if I’m writing blog posts and things like that,” he says. “The traffic will no longer come to your website, so there will be less chance for you to convert a lead. That makes me feel like the content age will die soon. You’ll still make content because AI needs content to feed it, but you won’t be able to monetize it how you used to.”

“There’s so much potential for information,” continues Will. But on the downside, “if you’re a withholder of information, your job vanishes. If your sole competitive advantage is that you have information and the ability to gather or deliver that information, that will go away. Everyone will have well-organized and summarized information at their fingertips.”

Brandt agrees, but he also disagrees. He feels differently about how creatives will continue to play a role in the future of content. “I stand by what I’ve said in the past: I don’t think this will make creatives disappear. There’s a lot of crap content on the web, whether clickbait or link farms. Humans generate all of those things now, which can be equally terrible when generated by AI technology. So I think a lot of that automation will be done by AI. But from the creative side, I’m not terribly worried about it. I think there will still be a need for human discernment,” he concludes. 

You Have to Embrace Change to Remain Competitive

Avoiding engagement with or learning about AI technology can lead to some pretty significant missed opportunities for growth, advancement, and innovation, which is Will’s biggest fear. “At least play with this stuff, to be aware.” He compares it to the naysayers of social media ten years ago. “The tools aren’t 100% there, but can you use them to leverage further? Yes. Now, you can’t get hired if you don’t know how to use Google Docs. I think about it in the same way. In the future, someone will say, ‘I need you to find venues, and I want you to use these tools. If you don’t, I’ll find someone else who will.’”

Brandt applies this same thinking to other internal processes. “In our industry, consider turning around a request for proposal (RFP). Imagine saying to an AI, ‘Here are four RFPs. Line it all up and show me the differences.’ Leveraging these technologies to speed up our processes, so I don’t have to spend half an hour thinking about what to write, shortening the time to come up with stage design, or shortening response times to give you a leg up, it’s going to be amazing. Organizations will need people that can do this stuff. Your social media analogy is apt; there will be something similar with these AI tools where people who figure out how to use these prompts to generate useful works of art will be in high demand. And that’s across all industries, including ours.”

AI for Events: What We Need Moving Forward

“Hopefully, what folks take away from this is the clear difference in how we’re talking about this again versus how we’ve been talking about the Metaverse,” says Brandt. “I’m not sure what the benefits are to a lot of the Metaverse stuff. For example, why is it better for me to be half a torso with no legs floating around a work environment when we talk on the phone? But I definitely see the possibilities of how AI will impact our industry.”

Additionally, the Metaverse requires expensive and specific hardware. “With AI, you don’t need anything new. You just type a URL into your browser and start using this stuff immediately,” adds Will. 

“What’s interesting to me is that they’re going to make developer versions available to Azure service users, for example,” continues Will. User interface plays a huge role in how adoptable tools are, which is another reason he thinks AI tools like ChatGPT make waves while the Metaverse only creates ripples. “ChatGPT existed for two or three years, but it wasn’t until they put the chat system on it that it’s gone viral. It’s about the user interface.”

“I watched one video where they showed the Microsoft AI tool in Edge. If it’s in your browser, it will let you layer it on top of the entire web or whatever you’re looking at. It’s the equivalent of taking AR goggles and putting them in front of your computer screen.” Example use cases include asking the tool to summarize the web page, explain a white paper graphic, or compare a product to another product on the web. “That’s where the future is. That’s what I feel is missing from ChatGPT. I want to interface with the information I have and know.”

What do you think? Who should be concerned about the rise of AI technology for events, and why? “Brandt and I are just two people who talk back and forth about all the ideas and scenarios we could use this for. I know so many of you are thinking of ways to implement this,” says Will. We want to hear from you, so email us your thoughts. Who knows? Maybe your ideas will be the topic of conversation in our next Event Tech podcast episode.

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 professional education, and more.

How Bradley Cocks Came to Events

Today, you’ll find Bradley taking on speaking engagements and confidently speaking front and center in his Events Masterclass. But he hasn’t always been so confident. In fact, at the start of his career, his passion was backstage, away from the attention of large crowds. Here’s Bradley sharing his career history in the events industry. 

“Effectively, I started in musical theatre in high school,” he says.”It progressed from there, and I wanted to get into international tour management. So, I went to University and earned a Music Industry Bachelor’s in Business here in Australia. In that course, I took on work experience with a corporate event company. That progressed rapidly from casual part-time work to full-time work. That’s where it all kicked off.”

Bradley continues: “I spent 5 years learning all I could at that first agency, and then I moved on to the Australian Open. I reinvigorated their live experience program over the years. From there, I ended up starting my own agency. I sold that after a few years and ended up at another agency based out of Australia, where I became the director of events.”

“In 2020, we created the events masterclass,” says Bradley. He felt the events industry would benefit from this course during the pandemic. “That’s where I’m at today in a snapshot. I’m full-time with the Masterclass and take on a few side projects here and there.”

The Future of Event Professional Skills 

Curious about Bradley’s unique perspective on event professional skills, Will takes the conversation to the future. “What do you think is a skill that event professionals don’t need right now but will in the future?” 

“In some ways, we’re becoming HR managers because our project teams are becoming bigger,” explains Bradley. “Being able to identify as a business manager and an HR manager, in some ways, and being able to lead those teams, is critical to the true event professional. A little less doing and more overseeing, I think, will be critical for the next few years.” 

Will agrees. “I love that you said the HR piece,” he says. “We just did an Event Brew episode called ‘Do Event Professionals Need to Learn HR Core Competencies?’ I think our understanding was that they’re going to become important. You bring up this good point that it used to be that you’d hire subcontractors, give them a paycheck, they’d do their job, and the event would go. But now all those HR skills become more important, not just as an event leader, but also as a manager.”

What Led Bradley to Shift From Events to Event Professional Education?  

Event professionals often have a very diverse career history. We also discussed this in an Event Brew episode titled “How did You get Started in the Events Industry?” Still, moving from founding your own event agency to launching an online course for event professional education is quite the shift. Curious about this change, Will asks Bradley about his desire to make the change.

Bradley explains that he both saw a need for the knowledge he has to share and enjoys the kind of professionals he works with now. “I’ve always enjoyed working with teams and those looking to embrace new knowledge and develop their skill set,” says Bradley. “ Working with that group was something I was passionate about and wanted to continue, but there was also the skill set shortage we identified through COVID. One of the things that jumped out at me was that people couldn’t define what an event professional in its truest form is.” 

Bradley continues: “For me, it’s a passion. It’s about trying to build up event professionals to be the best they can be. After 20 years of producing events, I realized I couldn’t do that forever, so it was also a way of giving back to those starting to build their careers. That’s where Events Masterclass comes from. It was taking 20 years of knowledge out of my head and trying to deliver skill sets, resources, and relevant knowledge to people.” 

What About the Masterclass Gets Bradley Most Excited?

With 15 modules and hours and hours of content, there’s a lot to love about the Events Masterclass. But Will wants to know what excites Bradley the most. “You’re covering all different aspects of events. What’s one portion of the Masterclass that you’re extremely proud of and that gets you excited?” he asks. 

“The whole event ideation has been somewhat overlooked,” starts Bradley. “People say, ‘I’ll create an event.’ But what does that mean? That was probably the most enjoyable piece of that. But also going through an event lifecycle and working out what happens before an event was really cool.”

“There are 15 modules in the course, but more are on the way. We also have some new ideas around sustainability and accessibility in particular. But we’re just trying to open up as much knowledge and resources as possible for people who need it.”

“The full Masterclass is geared toward any event professionals,” continues Bradley. “Not all of it is for everyone, but by having that broad understanding of how events are conceived and put together, you can get a lot out of the course and work out where you want to be. Do you want to be in corporate events or sporting events? Do you want to work for the government or an association? In the first couple of modules, we talk about exactly that. How do you build a career, and what does that look like?”

What’s the Hottest tip You Have for the Events Industry?

In true #EventIcons tradition, Will asks Bradley about his hot tips for the industry as he wraps up this episode. “You have so much knowledge and so much to share! What would you consider the hottest tip for the events industry?”

“I always go back to the customer,” says Bradley. “Always go back to the guest as the core of any event you do. If you get stuck, ask, ‘What is my guest’s journey?’ Ultimately, they’re the ones who are experiencing it. It’s not about you; it’s about them.”

And when asked about his top resources, Bradley shares a range of valuable tools. “I think project management tools are becoming more popular. Let’s embrace them more. Try to build yourself a library of resources relevant to what you do. I’m also big on time-tracking apps. Efficiency is the key, so work out what will work for you. All our brains are different. What works for you will be different than what works for me. So if you have a team environment, you need to keep it simple so that everyone can utilize it in their own way,” concludes Bradley. 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this episode of Event Icons! If you’d like to learn more about Bradley’s online course, check out the Events Masterclass website. Tune in next time for another iconic guest! 

What’s not to love? Breakout sessions are a great go-to option if you’re looking to spice up your next corporate event. Here are 14 actually fun corporate breakout session ideas to energize attendees and make your event a success.

1. Team Cooking Challenge

This is a chance to live out your dreams of being on Chopped. Divide attendees into small groups and challenge them to create a meal using mystery ingredients. Make this breakout session even spicier by limiting their ingredients or requiring a particular type of dish, like breakfast for dinner.

2. Cake Decorating Competition

If your team doesn’t have cooking chops but likes the idea of a food competition, opt for a decorating contest instead. You don’t need to set up a proper kitchen for this or need to worry about potential food poisoning. 

This breakout session is all about creativity and fun. You’ll need the following:

• Pre-cooked cake bases
• Aprons and gloves
• Colored frosting
• Sprinkles, edible eyes, and other fun decorations
• Decorating bags and tips
• Toothpicks or other scribing tools

You can offer prizes for the best and worst cake creations. Trust us; this one will get a lot of laughs.

3. Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are a classic team-building activity that never gets old. You can customize the clues and challenges to fit the theme of your event, too. If you’d like to encourage a little friendly competition, offer juicy prizes, like free tickets to your next event.

4. Escape Room Challenge

Escape rooms generate a lot of buzz. In this breakout session, attendees can participate in a themed breakout room where they collaborate to solve a series of puzzles and escape before the time expires.

Traditionally, escape rooms are off-site functions away from your event. With a tight schedule, that can be tough to pull off, so consider bringing escape rooms to your event. All you need to set up a fun escape room challenge is a creative team that can drum up a good mystery to solve. Aim to create escape room challenges that are 30 minutes or shorter.

5. Speed Networking

Speed networking is a corporate spin on speed dating. It enables attendees to network with people that they usually don’t have the opportunity to interact with. Give your attendees name tags, match them with up, and set a timer for two or three minutes. Once the timer ends, attendees will change seats to chat with other folks.\

You don’t want the conversation to die, so provide conversation cards at each table. If you’re using an event management platform, you can ask attendees to swap contact information with just a few taps of a button.

6. Improv Games

Improv games require minimal setup, but they pack a lot of fun. Pick improv games that fit your attendees’ experience level and your event’s theme. 

Start with easy games like “Questions Only,” “Alphabet,” and “Sell it to Me.” Then, as your attendees get more comfortable, try working your way up to more complex games. The goal isn’t to do well at these games but to create a supportive environment where everyone feels comfortable taking risks and having fun.

7. “Minute to Win It” Games

Based on the popular TV show, this corporate breakout session involves completing a series of challenges in under a minute. These fast-paced, high-energy challenges will surely get your team pumped up. Participants race to complete challenges first or to see how many times they can complete a task in sixty seconds.

8. Paint and Sip

Whether you opt for mocktails or cocktails, paint-and-sip sessions are all the rage. Set up canvases, paintbrushes, paint, smocks, and easels before your breakout session. You can ask attendees to paint the same thing or give them the creative freedom to paint whatever they want. 

9. Karaoke Bash

What’s more fun than singing your heart out? Karaoke bashes are entertaining and offer a way for attendees to release stress after a long day of meetings.

Renting a karaoke machine is the easiest way to do this. But if you’re on a budget, you can also opt for a projector, speakers, microphone, and good ol’ YouTube. Attendees can choose songs on their own or perform as a group.

10. Silent Disco

Dancing is a great way to relieve pent-up stress at the end of a conference. But instead of creating a huge dance floor with a DJ, opt for a silent disco. Silent discos are a great way to start a dance party where everyone can be their own DJ. 

You will need to buy special wireless headphones for each attendee. Try creating a few different playlists for attendees to choose from. You’ll also need a reasonably-sized dance floor — complete with decorations and lighting — to complete the experience.

11. Photo Booth

Photo booths give attendees a fun memento to take home from your event. Plus, many photo booths allow you to upload your photos straight to social media, so this is a smart way to get more social media mentions at your event. 

Hire a professional photographer or buy an automated photo booth to amp up the excitement. Don’t forget the costumes and props. You can offer a few wacky options but don’t forget to sneak in a bit of event branding. Always add your event hashtag on photo booth signage or stick props.

12. Yoga Session

Most corporate breakout sessions are high-energy and fun. But what if your attendees need a minute to slow down? 

Yoga breakout sessions allow attendees to relax and unwind. It doesn’t hurt that they also allow attendees to move and stretch after a long day of sitting. 

Hire a professional yoga instructor to lead this session. Try to host this breakout session in a quiet area free from distractions. If the weather’s nice, consider hosting the event outside. Since most attendees won’t have room to lug their yoga mats to the conference, be sure to provide yoga mats. 

13. Meditation Series

Like yoga, a meditation breakout session is a more relaxing form of fun. Meditation helps attendees slow down and quiet their minds, which can help them focus better on later sessions.

If you work with a smaller group, hire a meditation coach and provide yoga mats or pillows. If you’re working with a larger group, hold the breakout session in a large room with dim lighting. Your meditation coach can read positive affirmations, recite mantras, or lead attendees through a breathing exercise. Try to keep this session no longer than twenty minutes, so attendees don’t fall asleep!

14. Creative Writing Workshop

Creative writing workshops are a great way to encourage self-expression and creativity. You can hire a creative writing teacher or ask a team member with writing experience to facilitate the workshop. 

Dispense pens and paper to your participants. Give attendees a series of fun writing prompts. Set a timer for 15 minutes and play relaxing music. At the end of that time, attendees can share their creations.

Make Corporate Events Feel like a Party 

Who says corporate breakout sessions have to be a drag? With some planning, you can plan engaging, creative breakout sessions that make your event feel less like a conference and more like a party. 

But we know it takes a lot of work to pull off corporate breakout sessions that your attendees will love. We’re here to help. Endless Events is an end-to-end event management company that makes corporate events fun, effective, and easy. Get in touch now to plan your next big event.

In this episode of the Event Brew podcast, Arianna, Will, Nick, and Dustin discuss where the events industry started, what the industry needs today, and how to move forward. Let’s get right to it!

Where We’ve Been and Where We are now 

Nick starts today’s discussion by setting the scene. “It’s been this ambiguous period of doing what you have to do for a couple of years now. For example, every linen company was sewing things to make masks. Entertainers were doing DJ sets for virtual all-hands meetings. I saw every event professional do what they had to do.” 

Nick, and many others, used to champion the idea of “staying in your lane,” or in other words, sticking to your job. The pandemic forced many people to throw that line of thinking out the window. But he wonders what “back to normal” means for the events industry. “Are we going to mix it up? Who are we, and should we go back to the way things were? There’s a lot of unpacking there.”  

“In the beginning, we had these high hopes for this industry that we’d learn lessons and come back stronger,” says Dustin. “We can track back to episodes where we talk about having a better work-life balance or that we want to involve diversity, inclusion, and accessibility more in our events.”  

A few of those episodes include:

• Remote Work: Is it Helping or Hurting the Events Industry? (2020)
• Diversity in Events with William S. Mathews (2021)
• Diversity and Inclusion in Events: Paving the way for a Better Tomorrow (2020)

Dustin believes normalcy returned so quickly people didn’t have enough time to slowly implement their lofty dreams of a better tomorrow. The pandemic “lasted so long that a lot of the industry was desperate to return to work. Muscle memory took us back to where we knew how to be successful. I think we lost some of that goodness we were building and all those lessons learned. Now, in 2023, I hope we can look back and say, I remember that lofty goal I had.” 

Evolving Events: It’s Time to Learn from the Past

With refreshed memories, the Brew Crew turns to events in 2023. Arianna starts by sharing her thoughts on recent news about the industry. “I know that, in North America, our total meeting booking numbers have rebounded, but I’m wondering which events those are,” she says. “For myself and many of the people I work with, we haven’t gone back. As someone who could digitize and convert quickly, I noticed, in 2020, that it was mostly the events industry that wanted to go back, especially folks in roles that didn’t translate or have the resources to re-skill quickly.”

“I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with events,” continues Arianna. “But going through this has made me see that conferences were never good enough. Particularly, academic and high-level business conferences are elite as hell. Like, it’s a $700 ticket, requires me to not care for elders or kids, and requires that my employers sponsor the experience for me. I think events are naturally going to evolve, and I think quite a few of us aren’t willing to go back because events weren’t good enough in terms of diversity and accessibility.”

“I’ve reached new levels of speaker and moderator diversity because we’re no longer asking people to find their own travel. They’re able to participate from anywhere.” For Arianna, learning how to transition back to in-person without losing what events have gained is non-negotiable.

“That’s super interesting,” says Dustin. “This disruption broke the tradition of events. If you went back in time, events needed to evolve. We hoped that it was going to push events to start that evolution. When you said conferences are for the elite, you’re so right, and it’s gotten worse. Travel prices have gone through the roof.”

“Part of me thinks that this report that numbers are up is the rubber band coming back,” adds Will. But he believes, in reality, it’s the increasing costs of attendance that will bring current optimism into check. “I could be wrong, but I feel like what we’re feeling is the energy of ‘I have to get back to in-person.’ But people are going to go back in person and feel, ‘Did I need to?’”

Many events have failed to meet attendee expectations, stakeholder expectations, or both in recent years. Nick believes the industry and event attendees are past the point of accepting pandemic-related excuses in the face of lackluster experiences. “Whatever your show is this year, is your show. CES is a good example of that.” Of its 170,000+ attendees in January 2020 (pre-COVID for the U.S.), only 45,000 returned in 2022. In 2023, CES saw an improved attendance of 115,000 attendees. 

According to Nick, these changes in attendance aren’t purely COVID-related. “It was, ‘My habits are broke. I’m reevaluating what I’m doing, or I’ve acquired new ways to think about content and attendance. And I’m choosing not to go.’ Maybe everyone has to go back and run their show exactly how they did in 2019 to make changes. With as many new technologies as we have and new skills learned, I have not seen them applied [in recent events]. I also wish that some of the bigger lessons we learned that don’t take more work would still be applied. As Ariana said, it really is the DEI stuff.” 

Evolution and Design Require Resources and Intention

If the events industry has learned valuable lessons throughout the pandemic but fails to create events using new technology and knowledge, how can you change that?

“Design is the missing piece,” says Arianna. “You can have all the fancy tools in the world, but if you don’t design your event with intention, you’re not thinking through the attendee experience from start to finish, not developing your personas, or understanding how to approach your event, then you’re not doing your attendees justice.”

There was a time when online events were rushed and hosted to simply have an event, but those days are over. “We haven’t even seen the best of what a true online networking experience can be,” continues Arianna. “This is very hard for people because they revert to a YouTube comments mentality. No, these are real humans in the container with you. We need to teach the attendee how to engage in that digital space, and that’s a ton of work.”

“Do you think some of this slowed because the vast majority of professionals and those with a voice are in the in-person space?” asks Dustin. 

“A lot of leadership making decisions around this are the event rock stars,” Arianna responds. “If I’m the VIP and this is a paid experience for me as an executive, then, of course, I’m not thinking about the attendee doing elder care and watching a kid because everyone is still working remotely.” 

Arianna argues that there is no good argument against networking online. “I have to call bullshit. If we can collaborate and remotely onboard with Teams, we can certainly meet new humans in an event container when it’s done with intention, and there’s a focus on pre-educating the attendee on how to engage. Yeah, it takes a lot of resources. It takes a lot of thinking about.”    

Final Thoughts: Virtual did and Still can Make a Difference

As Arianna begins to wrap up today’s Event Brew episode, she turns the crew toward accessibility.

“One of the things we have to learn moving forward is what the future looks like for folks like me. We got used to the accessibility of asking speakers, thought leaders, and experts questions. I never want to be talked at again. We created spaces for speaking, conversing and engaging with the content. For all of my folks planning on-site events already, where are you creating these spaces for attendees to weigh in? At the end of the day, it’s about allowing attendees to shape the experience that is reflected back to them on stage.”

And as an event professional passionate about accessibility, Arianna has heard from attendees positively impacted by her events. For example, after speaking at your event, “‘I got this offer. My company was sold, and we went public.’ And then, in the next breath, ‘I would not have been able to come in person.’ Seeing that we’re now reaching a global audience is so fulfilling. We’re able to bring in global speakers and increase diversity. These conversations are so critical.”

Arianna continues: “How do we use events for good? What is it that you learned in the last few years? What did you learn that you’re just not willing to compromise? And what are you carrying forward?” She provides an example from her own experience, “Until I’m able to honor an increase in our scholarship program from 50 to 500 passes, I’m not going back on-site.”

What do you think? We want to hear about what you’ve learned in the last three years and how you continue evolving your events. Send us an email! We read every one and love reading your thoughts and discussing your questions. 

In today’s episode of the Event Tech podcast, Will and Brandt tackle cybersecurity, driven by the recent and controversial data breach at LastPass and a listener question. Ellysa C. asked, what steps would you give to a new event planner to help protect against cybersecurity threats for virtual events? Tune in to learn six tips to protect your business and events against cybersecurity threats in 2023.

Protect Yourself with a Password Manager

Brandt starts today’s discussion by sharing the first tip of the day: “The number one thing you can do to protect yourself is to have a password manager.”

Will completely agrees. “Easily. So many people who don’t use one think it’s hard. They don’t realize you install it, it starts saving passwords and becomes easy. I don’t know what I’d do without the feature that says ‘generate a secure password,’ and then automatically save it.”

“The number one way people get hacked is through reusing passwords,” says Brandt. The New York Attorney General’s office found that users reuse passwords to cope with so many online accounts. But hackers know that a password on one site is likely to work on others, which makes reusing passwords a high-risk behavior. “So when people say, ‘My Instagram got hacked,’ it’s because you’ve reused that password on another site. What Will’s talking about is being able to auto-generate randomized passwords. And you can make them long because you don’t have to remember them.”

Brandt continues: “So as soon [a platform] gets hacked, they take that table, and they run it against all of the banks, all of the credit cards, Google, Microsoft, Apple, all of those things. Whoever got those LastPass accounts runs them against master dictionaries to see which accounts will open. Zoom, Cvent, and all of those big players got added to that list of sites they try once they get a list of passwords.”

Will Curran adds secure password sharing as another security feature password managers offer. “I’ll add a tip. Many new virtual event managers working with online tools might have only bought one seat that allows access. You might not have individual accounts for each person working on the event. A big issue with this is that you might even set a secure password but copy and paste it to share it. That’s just as dangerous because you don’t know what that person is doing with the password. One of my favorite features of password managers is the ability to share passwords without the other person having access to it.”

Brandt shares an example of how insecure and common password sharing is at events. “I can’t even count the number of times I’ve been at a registration table, looked down, and seen the username and password on a sticky note next to the laptop. You can use password managers to dole out access to the account, and as soon as the event’s done, you revoke access. The other thing is they usually offer one-click changes for passwords. You click ‘Change Password,’ and it’ll immediately initiate and autogenerate a new password.”  

Set up Two-Factor Authentication

The next tip Will and Brandt share is to set up two-factor authentication on everything. As Brandt puts it, this is using “something you know” and “something you have” to add a layer of protection to your accounts. 

At a minimum, Will recommend’s setting up text message two-factor authentication. “But that’s not the most secure way to do it,” he says. “Always enable two-factor authentication. Just go into the settings of Zoom, Cvent, or whatever you’re using and turn on two-factor authentication. There are things like Authy, a cloud-based storage of your two-factor authentication codes, and Dashlane. You’re always trading convenience for security, so keep that in mind. The more convenient something is, the less secure it tends to be.”

Brandt does not recommend saving your passwords on a browser. “All major browsers will offer to save your passwords for you. I don’t recommend that because they have everything if your Google account gets hacked. Why not just put it in a different app? Google makes an authenticator app. Microsoft makes an authenticator app.”

“The other thing I want to make sure we emphasize is text notification isn’t enough,” continues Brandt. “If you have the option of a one-time password app, use it. SMS isn’t the most secure thing. One of the advantages of having to redo all my passwords in a password manager is I’ve discovered how many sites have added two-factor authentication. It’s worth checking back in on your bank accounts, financial accounts major registration platforms, and Zoom accounts.”

“One amazing setting you can do, as a planner, is forcing your users to have two-factor authentication,” adds Will. “This is less common, but I’m noticing it in many big players. For example, HubSpot.”

Think About Your Integrations

Next, Will suggests people consider integrations as a weak spot in cybersecurity for event planners. “For example, if you have a registration system and an integration with Google Sheets to auto-export, make sure you know about them and consider turning them off when you don’t need them. Set a task for yourself when you’re closing out an event to delete the data and turn off the integrations.”  

Brandt has a real-world example of this as well. “As Twitter has slowly imploded, they’ve clearly been firing a lot of their engineers. Things have been breaking left and right. One of the things that can easily break is integrations. As those things are not being maintained, they become less secure. I had probably 15 different apps connected to Twitter. I hit delete, delete, delete.”

Think of Security as a Feature

Next in today’s tips on cybersecurity for event planners: treat security like any other feature in online tools. Don’t hesitate to ask about it, seek more information when things aren’t clear, and look beyond the marketing hype. 

“When it comes to vetting your initial tools, talk about security as a feature,” says Will. “Many times, if you’re working with low-budget tools, those are the ones that might be trying to save a buck or two and have some security issues. Just have this simple conversation with them. You’ll realize when they’re buttoned up about it. And if you’re really concerned about it, they’ll bring more people in to help make you at ease. So consider the tools you’re using.”

“And watch out for the marketing buzz, ‘military-grade encryption,’” adds Brandt. “For me, that’s a red flag. You have nothing better to say than ‘military-grade encryption?’”

Consider the Human Element

The 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report by Verizon found that 82% of studied breaches were tied to the human element, meaning people were a primary driver in security breaches. Will and Brandt focus on this human element next. 

“A lot of times we think to ourselves, ‘I got a password manager, I have military-grade encryption,’ but many of these hacks happen because of user error,” says Will. 

“The number one way people get hacked is by reusing passwords, right? “Social engineering is the number two way people get hacked,” says Brandt. According to Carnegie Mellon University, social engineering is a tactic that aims to manipulate or deceive people to gain access to a computer system or steal personal information. “So it’s not like brute force through the front door type of things anymore; it’s side-door attacks. They’re getting much more sophisticated.”

If you ask yourself how to address the human element, Will has some answers. “The only way you can fix this sort of stuff is through awareness training: the ability to know that these things are happening, how to identify them, and how to feel sketchy about anything that’s coming in.”

“There are a lot of organizations that offer security awareness training,” continues Will. “Google ‘best security awareness training.’ It isn’t that expensive. The one I really like is a service called Riot. It connects to your Google and Slack accounts, automatically knows when new employees are coming in, and you set it up so they’re onboarded with awareness training modules.”

Riot also lets you simulate phishing attacks, helping you to evaluate your team for weak spots. “You say what tools you’re using, and it sends out fake phishing attempts. Then Riot is notified whenever someone’s clicked it or even opens the email, and you can trigger training based on that. Riot’s free for 10 users. So sign up, put your 10 most vulnerable users in it, do a test, and then put them on the awareness training. Riot has been amazing for our organization, and we were already pretty secure.” 

“Education. That’s what it’s all about. And that’s why we keep returning to this topic every year. It’s all about education,” concludes Brandt.  

Stay Vigilant: It Takes a Village to Protect the Village

As Will wraps up this episode, he has one final tip for everyone, events industry or otherwise. “Stay on top of this stuff and be aware that, just like technology, it’s constantly changing. Stay on top of trends when it comes to security. Consider signing up for a tech blog. A lot of times, these blogs will cover things, like when LastPass got hacked.” 

“The thing that frustrates me when I’m trying to educate my friends is that they’ll say things like, ‘Who cares who hacks me? I have nothing to hide.’ They don’t realize hackers could use that information to target your family. Wouldn’t it be devastating to find out someone completely drained your mom’s bank account? What happens if you take insecure actions that cause your company to get in trouble? The best thing you can do is, stay vigilant. Just like you stay tuned in to what’s going on around your neighborhood, stay tuned in to what’s going on in the neighborhood that is the internet.” 

Let us know what you think. What tips on cybersecurity for event planners do you have? Send us your questions. We love to hear from you! And maybe your question will be featured on the next episode of the Event Tech podcast. 

If you’re interested in learning more about cybersecurity in the events industry, check out some of our other posts and episodes from recent years:

• 6 Data Protection Security Tips Following Marriott’s Data Breach
• Cybersecurity Risks Every Event Professional Should Know
• The Latest and Greatest of Cybersecurity in Events 

Don’t Let Networking Scare You

Deanna starts today’s conversation with some advice for event professionals about networking. 

“When you go to an event, I know it seems overwhelming to talk to middle-aged people who want to sell you something or be condescending because you’re young,” explains Deanna. “You have to put on your big girl panties and get over it. If you want to broaden your career options, I suggest you start networking. You’re very good at making friends, so go to these events and talk to people about their kids, their dogs, or where they went to college. It’s just a conversation with people and checking in with them every once and a while.”

Will adds to Deanna’s advice. “You’re going to go to your first ever ILEA meeting, and you’re going to be so afraid because everyone’s in their cliques,” he says. “Do what Deanna said. Networking is not just about selling your services and being professional; it’s about building lasting friendships that turn into business relationships.” 

Arianna agrees. “I recommend that you create space for something to be intimidated by in the first place. You’re at risk of being so busy just surviving the job that you don’t take the time to look at the long-term implications of this career. So I advise that you pull back and make space for thinking intentionally about your career. Make relationships that show you where you can go.”

Prompted by Arianna’s advice, Deanna raises a point about curiosity. “You need to be more curious. You have to take some risks and challenge yourself. You’ve boxed yourself into what being an event professional looks like. You want to grow on a linear path, but sometimes growth will be lateral. It won’t be a promotion or taking on more responsibility. It might be moving to a different organization with different resources. It’s great that you’ve got a great position, and it’s cozy, but you need to stretch yourself a little bit.”

Push the Envelope (Be Edgy)

Will’s next piece of advice is to “be edgy.” He encourages his former self to push the boundaries of being a “professional.”

“Don’t think there’s this definition of what ‘professional’ is,” he says. For example, “cussing on a podcast or in a presentation, or talking about cannabis in an Event Brew episode. I’ve learned that the more I’m willing to put myself out there and be edgy, the more people care about you.”  

Deanna raises an interesting point about the power and value of young event professionals. “I think we often don’t realize our voice holds just as much power as other people,” she says. “Don’t let the fact that you’re inexperienced hold you back. New people fail to realize that you bring a fresh perspective to a situation. When you have an opinion, speak it. Many times, a new person can come to a situation with so much clarity. So don’t be afraid to use your voice or question the norm.” 

“Fast forward to 2020, you realize you can have a voice in the industry,” she continues. “You can be on a podcast, have a LinkedIn presence, and have a website. People will listen to it and look for your content. The fact that you haven’t worked at some Fortune 500 company with a fancy title means nothing.”

Know Your Worth

This next piece of advice is for all the entrepreneurs listening, and it comes from Will. “Pay yourself a salary,” he says. “You’re going to think, ‘I’ll just pull money out of the company account as I go along. When times are slow, I’ll take less; when times are good, I’ll take more.’ Pay yourself a consistent salary. It sets the expectation that you need to make that salary to keep yourself happy. I wish I had started paying myself a salary a long time ago.” 

Deanna adds to this tip for W-2 employees. She says to her younger self, “You need to negotiate. You might think, ‘This is great. This is going to meet my needs.’ That’s not what it’s about. It’s about market value. Your value on the market is higher than what you’re being paid, and you need to negotiate when you accept jobs. Be a little more proactive with your annual raises and performance reviews. I don’t know if Chris Voss has written ‘Never Split the Difference’ yet, but if he has, read it. People pleasing will not get you as far as you think.” 

“Along the negotiation line, understand that doing the work around career development is part of the job,” adds Arianna. “You’re not taking time away from the project if you pause to research it. I always felt like I had to grow and develop on my own time. I didn’t understand that sometimes it would be legitimate to be paid to learn. Take every learning opportunity.”  

Learn How to Communicate Your Value

Young event professionals can easily get caught up in perceived social capital. But certifications, event names, big companies, and fancy titles are not the only things that make event professionals valuable. 

“The CMP is not all you think it is,” says Deanna. “Before everyone comes with their pitch pitchforks and tiki torches, I just renewed my CMP. There’s some value in it. But where I’m going with this is it’s not the be-all and end-all. What’s more important is the experience on your resume and how you demonstrate that value.”

“You need to do a much better job of tracking what you’re doing, what projects you’re working on, and when you’re getting additional responsibilities that aren’t necessarily apparent because your job title stays the same,” she explains. For example, “I’ve gone from 30-person seminars to hundred-person conferences. I launched a new conference that didn’t have any event history. You need to track your accomplishments and tell people just how awesome you are.”

“Document, document, document,” says Arianna in agreeance. “Document impact, scope, and connection to the overall business objectives. If you are in the trenches and you’re producing, producing, producing, you haven’t pulled back to see just how much you have done and just what that net impact is.”

Arianna continues: “Deanna, what you said about understanding that just because you’re not working at a Fortune 500 doesn’t mean you haven’t done some really big things ties into something for me. I know that I’ve had some impact that I’ve only learned how to speak to in the last decade. So understand how to speak to your impact or to speak to increasing ticket prices from $99 to $349 with no drop off in overall attendance. Understanding how to speak to the number will do you what the large company and event names might have otherwise done.” 

Final Thanks

Deanna steers the crew toward a moment of gratitude as the Brew Crew wraps up this reflective episode. “I feel like we’ve said our advice, but I will say thank you to young Deanna for going into the event industry. That was a kickass decision, and you won’t regret it one bit.”

“I want to thank 2020 me,” adds Arianna. “You carved a space for yourself and exponentially increased your thought leadership and access to really interesting people and ideas. This has been such an interesting time in the absence of experts. You become one because you paid attention, and I hope you don’t go back to swimming in imposter syndrome. Your ideas are valuable because you pay attention to human behavior, and events at the end of the day are containers for human behavior.” 

“I’m happy I got into this industry,” says Will. “I always thought to myself, ‘What would I do if I wasn’t doing this?’ And I realized this industry is what I want to do. It can be something you can do career long. There are so many opportunities to touch the industry. I’m just glad I never left.” 

And with that last piece of gratitude from Will, Arianna concludes this episode with one final word of advice. “I hope we carry advice forward to our future selves too. It’s not just about looking back, but it’s about taking what you learned and being your own best teacher,” she concludes. 

What advice would you give your younger self? We’d love for you to share your thoughts, so make sure to send us an email. We read every email! We’ll catch you here next time for another episode of the Event Brew podcast.

Whether online or in-person, events are a great way to drive brand awareness, generate leads, and connect with customers. 60% of business leaders and 80% of marketers believe that events are critical for success. 

People are aching for events. So let’s give your audience what they want.

Want to plan a superstar event that fulfills all of your marketing goals? Follow these six tips to blend event promotions with your 2023 marketing plan seamlessly.

Create a Launch Plan Leading Up to Your Big Event

Treat your event like it’s the biggest product launch of the decade for your company.

Take time to outline the necessary steps to plan a successful event. What’s the event goal? How will you promote this event? 

What’s your budget? Don’t be afraid to crunch the numbers early on so you know your launch plan’s feasibility. Make sure you consider these high-ticket items at a minimum:

• Venue 
• Speakers
• Food and beverage
• Furniture and equipment
• Staffing (event coordinators, clean up, security, etc.)
• Decorations and event design
• Marketing and promotional materials
• Guest experience

Start early, reach out to vendors, and store all your launch plans in one place. Feed your event planning into your existing marketing calendar. Having all the details in a single location will make it easier to cross-reference information and share details with your team.

Create an Event Community

Online communities are virtual spaces that bring like-minded people together. This is your tribe: these are the people who want to chat about your business, attend your events, and buy products. An active event community generates buzz and excitement about events, which can ultimately increase attendance rates and sales.

By the way, communities can also become readymade sales and marketing reps for your business, so if you haven’t leveraged a community to market your events, you’re missing out.

If you’re just starting out, you can create event communities on platforms like Facebook and Slack. These platforms enable businesses to grow tight-knit communities and allow users to share content. This includes value-based content like blogs and guides and engaging content like stories and memes. Admins can adjust member posting privileges and set whether the community is private or public.

Event platforms like Eventbrite are also popular. These platforms offer a single digital access point for people to attend webinars, read exclusive content, and network with others. 

Of course, the issue is that you don’t own the community on any of these platforms. And you can’t host your event and community in the same place, either. That’s why it’s usually better to opt for an event marketing technology platform to do your promotions, community, and events in one place.

Promote Yourself

If you want to add more events to your marketing calendar, you must make a big impression in 2023. There are several ways to market your event, but you need a solid message for starters. You’ll use this message as the backbone for your marketing content across multiple platforms.

Ask yourself:

• Who are you?
• What makes your event unique?
• What made your audience fall in love with your brand?
• Why does your audience want to attend this event? 
• What value will attendees get from your event?
• Will people think the event is worth it?

After considering these questions, it’s time to start crafting your marketing materials. You don’t have to get fancy here: use the marketing channels you’re already using to promote your business. This helps save time and ensures you engage with your brand’s existing followers.

Make sure you promote your event via the following: 

• Organic and paid social media
• Email marketing
• Webinars
• Custom landing pages
• Influencer partnerships

The tricky part is finding a balance between your company’s typical marketing content and your event promotions. Be sure to blend your event to-dos with your company-wide marketing calendar. 

Whether you use a Kanban board, Google Calendar, or an old-fashioned calendar on the wall, make sure your event promotions don’t take away from other important posts. For example, don’t announce event details on important days, like Women’s History Month, which will take away from more time-sensitive messaging. Double-check your promotions calendar before you hit the “publish” button.

Source Event Sponsors

One of the biggest hurdles for event planners is cost. Instead of trimming event perks to meet your budget, you can source sponsors to make events more affordable. If you get the right types of sponsorship deals, you might even be able to squeeze a few more events into your 2023 marketing plan — and we’d call that a win. 

Sponsors provide financial assistance or in-kind support for your event in exchange for advertising, publicity, or other benefits. Since sponsors want more people to see their messaging during your event, they’ll help you co-promote the event to reach even more potential attendees. 

To find event sponsors, you must start your search ASAP. Start by visiting SponsorMyEvent. This platform plays matchmaker between brands and events, helping you source potential sponsors for less effort. 

Promote Your Big Event With Small Virtual Events

Small virtual events, like webinars and virtual experiences, are a great way to promote your bigger, high-ticket events. Since your audience isn’t limited to a single location, small online events can increase your overall reach. It’s also a great way to interact more directly with a live audience that can react and ask questions — which is perfect if you need practice for a hybrid event. 

But you don’t have to create a stuffy, old-fashioned webinar. Try gamifying your small virtual events to build traction. Gamified interactive content is more memorable and increases engagement. These attendees will remember interacting with your out-of-the-box virtual event.

The only sticking point is that you’ll need an event platform to pull off the perfect gamified experience. Endless Events’ technology solutions make it a cinch to sprinkle more frequent events into your 2023 marketing plan.

Track Your Performance With Event Marketing Metrics

You need to justify every dime you spend on event marketing. To fit events into your 2023 marketing plan, you must prove your events generate ROI. 

Track essential KPIs to measure the impact events have on your brand. Every event is different, but this often includes metrics like: 

• Website traffic by promo code
• Discount code redemptions
• Social media mentions
• Post-event surveys
• Lead generation
• Product sales

You can’t use Google Analytics alone to wrangle these KPIs, either. You’ll need an event technology platform to track all your KPIs in one place. It might sound like an additional step, but metrics can help marketers prove event ROI, so this is a must-have for embracing events in 2023.

Give Events a Seat at the Table in 2023

2023 will be challenging, but that doesn’t mean brands should give up on events. On the contrary: Events can offer a lot of firepower in challenging times as long as you blend them with your existing marketing plans. 

You don’t have to drop everything to do events, either. As long as you thoughtfully introduce events to your existing 2023 marketing plan, you can turn a lot of heads with minimal fuss. 

Of course, you can’t do it alone. Whether you opt for in-person or online events, you need the right technology and strategy to back them up. See how Endless Events can help your marketing team effortlessly embrace events in 2023.

Visual AI

Will kick this conversation off with a disclaimer. “If you’re listening to this episode, Brandt and I are not hype-train people. We don’t jump on the coolest newest trends just because,” he explains. “But it may be worth discussing the AI tool that broke huge news in 2022, the DALL-E art-generating tool. Did you get a chance to play with it at all?” 

“I have played with Midjourney and DALL-E,” says Brandt. “What’s fascinating to me is how accurate you can be. It’s advancing quickly. And what’s making the headlines right now is that these services allow you to upload photos and generate avatar images. Now there’s another road we can go down, where you can upload other people’s pictures. Or say, I want a picture of X politician doing some horrible thing. They’ve put some guardrails up to try and prevent those things, but it’s pretty easy to get around them because humans are very inventive creatures.”

Brandt continues: “These AI tools are holding up a mirror to us, as humanity, and all of our biases. This stuff is trained on publicly accessible images. It has no morality or judgments. So in one of these avatar-developing apps, what people are finding is that women who upload their photos are getting much more sexualized results compared to men.”

“That’s interesting,” responds Will. “One of the great things about these tools is if you’re not happy with the results, you just hit generate again. But they definitely need to fix these biases. Ironically, you would think a machine would be the most unbiased. People need to know that the way this gets all the information is: it’s as if you do a Google image search; it’s taking all the results and compiling them.”

While AI tools are fed data from the internet, Brandt also points out that the user can significantly impact the results AI spits out. “Most of these things depend on the prompt you’re giving it,” he says. “As the creator, you still have to give it a prompt. That’s where we can take back some of that control. So, to bring it around to events, we’re already starting to see this implemented because people are using it to generate images. Rather than going to stock footage archives, you could type that prompt into an AI generator. Some are photorealistic and good, but others look terrible.” 

Brandt thinks AI tools are a great way to start things, even if you don’t use them to generate final images. “Say, I want an image that looks like this, and you describe it to the AI. Then you give the result to an actual graphic designer and say, ‘This is where my head’s at, make it look better.’ That’s where we’re going to see a recurring theme, the idea of AI getting you 80% of the way there, and then you refine it.”

Text-Based AI

In addition to art-generating AI tools, text-based tools are also making headlines. Examples of these include Copy.ai, Jasper, and ChatGPT. And over the years, they’ve been growing faster and easier to use. 

For those unfamiliar with these tools, Will shares an example of how you can use them. “You give them a topic, say, ‘How to Save Money on AV.’ And it generates an outline for you based on all the articles across the entire web,” he says. “Many people said it would put blog writers out of business. Instead, writers said you can accomplish way more and faster. Instead of taking the time to write the outline, they can focus on the thing they’re best at, editing, adding story, and tweaking. Now you can go from doing one blog post to 20 blog posts a day, or something like that.”

“It’s the same concept. It’ll get you 80% of the way there,” says Brandt. “In preparation for this episode, I’ve been playing around with ChatGPT. I asked it to tell me ways to save money on AV. It says, ‘Think about renting audio-visual equipment instead of buying it.’ That makes sense. I can get behind that. ‘Compare quotes from different vendors to get the best price.’ And ‘Negotiate prices.’ And then I hit number four, ‘Use in-house audio-visual equipment instead of hiring outside vendors.’ I think it’s trying to say, ‘If you own it, you can save money.’ But I thought that was interesting.”

Even though AI-generated text can sound expertly written, Will raises a good point about its truthfulness. “Just be careful. Sometimes, even if it’s well written, it seems factual, but it isn’t. It’s only over time that these tools get smarter and smarter,” he says. “And what we recommend is to play around with it.”

AI Tools for Events: How can They be Used?

Already having provided an example of how event professionals can use art-generating AI, Will demonstrates how you can use them to write text for events. He gives an AI tool the task of writing a session description for “2023 event trends.” Here’s what he got.     

“2023 event trends: what to expect in the coming year as we look ahead in the new year. It’s important to stay on top of the latest trends in the events industry. In the session, we’ll explore some of the key trends to expect to shape the event landscape in 2023, from virtual to hybrid events to sustainability to experiential marketing. We’ll delve into trends that will be driving the industry forward. This session will be perfect for event planners, marketers, or anyone staying ahead of the curve in a fast-paced world of events.”

Will is thrilled with those results. “I’m never writing a session description again,” he says. “That was way better than I could ever write. Session descriptions, bye! Session titles, bye! It’s a place to get kick-started in your writing or designing. I might have added some tweaks to that session description, but it’s still a huge time saver.”

“These tools aren’t meant to replace you,” continues Will. “They’re meant to help you. They’re meant to be tools, not robots taking over your job. So play around with them and see how they work. All of this is a playground meant for you to test things. This is definitely a tool you don’t want to put your head in the sand and say bah humbug about.”

AI Tools: Our Final Demonstration

For the tech duo’s final AI demonstration, Brandt asks ChatGPT to help him conclude the podcast. “I’ll prompt you with what it recommends, and you respond to it,” says Brandt.

1. Recap of the Main Points Discussed in the Episode

“First, DALL-E is a great tool for image generation. Check that out,” says Will. “ChatGPT-3 is a great one for chatting. It’s going to get you 80% of the way there. Be prepared to edit something potentially offensive or not factually correct. And have fun with it.”  

2. Offer Additional Resources or Recommendations  

“First, Google these things. And I’ll add another tool that lets me stay on top of this stuff: Product Hunt. It’s a great newsletter that shows you newer interesting products.”

3. Encourage Listener Feedback.

“You can always email us. We’d love to know how you see it. Feel free to write an AI-generated response. We’re happy to respond!”

4. Promote upcoming episodes or events.  

“We do this every single week. Also, you and I are starting to kick up the speaking circuit again, So stay tuned to industry and marketing conferences where Brandt and I are speaking all the time.”

And if this topic interests you, we encourage you to check out an earlier Event Tech episode where we talk about how many AI tools use predictive analytics rather than true AI. 

It’s an exciting time to be in the events industry, especially as more and more AI tools and technologies emerge. With advancements like chat GPT, Dall-E, and others, there are many opportunities to create better-written content, graphic designs, visuals, and text for event planning. 

Understanding the ethical implications is essential. We must know how these powerful tools are changing how we plan events and the greater impacts of their usage, existence, and code. With the right attitude, knowledge, and principles guiding our decisions, utilizing AI tools for events can be an excellent addition for savvy event planners. So explore Chat GPT, Dall-E, and other AI solutions.

We’ll catch you here next time for another episode of the Event Tech podcast. (And if you’re still with us, surprise! Jasper AI wrote most of the final two paragraphs in this conclusion.) 

From CBD wellness retreats to cannabis at HR conferences, events are experiences that can benefit from intentional design with cannabis in mind. And today, the Brew Crew wonders how long it will be until you can find cannabis at an event near you. In this episode of the Event Brew podcast, Nick, Will, and Deanna make a joint effort to discuss the similarities and differences between cannabis and alcohol, what event professionals should prepare for, and how to make an excellent cannabis introduction at your event.

How Does Cannabis for Events Compare to Alcohol?

Nick believes the national legalization of marijuana is inevitable. Still, because it’s not legal nationwide at the time of recording, he starts today’s conversation with a conditional: if nationwide legalization happens, cannabis will compete with alcohol. 

“If [legalization] is the case, then we’re looking at a recreational thing that would compete with alcohol,” says Nick. “Live events have leaned, maybe too heavily, on alcohol for their entire existence. It’s gone from being a potentially huge risk factor to something that, if you don’t have it at your event, it doesn’t feel like an event. Do you feel cannabis is as risky as alcohol in a live event?” he asks. 

Will doesn’t think so. “When someone’s getting high, the biggest thing you have to worry about is putting out enough snacks for everybody,” he says. In contrast, he thinks alcohol poses risks of passing out or blacking out. “When you’re high, you lean more toward a positive attitude than, sometimes, when you’re drunk. So for me, the risk drops significantly when it comes to cannabis versus alcohol.” 

“Do you feel as though the event’s mission is more, less, or equally as likely to succeed with the introduction of marijuana?” asks Nick.  

“It depends,” responds Deanna. “Are we utilizing cannabis for networking, where alcohol is traditionally used? I feel like there’s an opportunity for cannabis that you don’t have with alcohol, and that’s for workshopping environments, creative brainstorms, and things where removing inhibition adds to the experience.” But from a networking standpoint? It depends. “It affects everyone differently. Removing inhibition where it may be a more professional environment is not always a good thing.”

Delivery is also something to consider. “It especially depends on if it’s delivered via edibles, oils, or lighting up,” continues Deanna. “That can affect the balance in everyone’s bloodstream. At the end of the day, it’s a substance.” 

“It’s interesting that we don’t have these questions about alcohol, though,” says Nick. But, “Like you said, there isn’t really a symptom of how marijuana makes people feel. There’s a big range. How do you design for something that could either hurt or help your agenda? But then, I think of alcohol, and that’s true of alcohol as well.”

What Would be the Ideal Experience for Cannabis?

Designing events for unknown or unpredictable factors is a challenge the Brew Crew knows well. “I don’t know if you can say, design your experiences to create a system of parameters that will have a likely effect on something with such a big potential impact,” says Nick. He raises a great point about alcohol and cannabis sales, “We’re not forcing any of this stuff down people’s throats. The person is in control. But coming from a design perspective, does it facilitate the design? When would it be ideal?” 

“I think the best place to start would be at a party scenario,” says Will. “A lot of people are letting loose. You’re usually designing around that; you have couches and things that help facilitate a better experience when you’re high. So I think, start with a party, and gather data too.”

Next, Nick wants to know if there are any events where cannabis might help planners achieve a specific objective. “Deanna, do you think there are events or communities where this could help achieve a goal?”

“We haven’t seen enough applications of it, even in their industry, let alone outside of it, to have tons of use cases,” says Deanna. “In 2023, it’s come a long way. There is less stigma attached to it. However, the sub-social norms around alcohol have been applied in multiple contexts. It’s been applied at networking events and when you’re going out with your friends. I don’t think we’ve had enough experience with cannabis to say. We have to see more trial and error, and then we can say, ‘That’s a clear application. How could I tweak that for my use case?’” 

Should Event Professionals Prepare?

Implementing marijuana at an event would be risky even today. So Nick wants to know what the Brew Crew thinks event professionals should prepare for. “There are 50 million things that could go wrong with alcohol, and it seems most events are comfortable with that. Is there something special about marijuana that you feel we would need to be even more diligent about?”

“I think it’s the people who don’t see cannabis as politically correct. The people in favor of protesting it, whether they’re protesting by not attending or lobbying your community, sponsors, executives, or your stakeholders,” explains Deanna. 

“I think for the first-time planner incorporating cannabis, it doesn’t matter how liberal or accepting your audience is,” she continues. “There has to be a lock-tight PR strategy, a good persuasion analysis, and a use case. Anytime we try something new, you must educate your attendee on why you’re doing it. You have to ensure they’re on board so that you don’t have Debbie Downers crashing the party. And then you also have to educate them on how to be safe.”

Will agrees. “I think that will be really important moving forward,” he says. “You’re not going to put a bunch of edibles on a table and say, go at it. As much as we hate the term ‘budtender,’ it’s good to have because those people are serving as educational people moving forward. Similar to the high-end mixologist you would hire to create a custom cocktail for your event.”

What Would a Great Intro to Cannabis Look Like?

Now that everyone has discussed the challenges, political and logistical, of cannabis for events, Deanna turns the crew toward a lighter topic. “Let’s say you had a client that was like, ‘Our audience, stakeholders, and executives are on board. Everyone’s on board. We’ll bring cannabis in and give you free rein to plan the experience.’ What would a great intro to cannabis at an event look like to you?”

In Nick’s experience, the people working in dispensaries make his experience unforgettable. “I’m blown away. That person is a certified genius in getting high. It’s amazing. So I would want that kind of experience, someone who is the consultant running the show. Someone who creates a white-glove experience around personalization.” 

“My brain immediately goes to the environment you can create once someone is high,” says Will. “Unless I’m dancing, I don’t usually want to stand when I’m high. So having places for people to sit, things like couches and beanbags, can be fantastic. I would also suggest snacks that are healthy but rich in flavor. And then the other piece of that food system is to make it so that the person doesn’t have to keep returning to get more snacks.”

“When you’re high, your inhibitions are lower too,” continues Will. “You become honest and open to deeper conversations. So I would grab a bunch of reflection card games. They’ll have questions like, ‘Tell me about a childhood memory you love.’ Those things can blow people’s minds and build insanely deep connections they wouldn’t have otherwise.”

“And then make the experience fun. If you create an environment where people feel safe, that can be impactful. Music festivals can be a great example of this in many ways. For example, they’ll have rangers walking around checking on everyone, and they’re always super friendly. They talk at a nice volume and pleasant pitch. It makes you feel like you’re in a good place.”

Final Thoughts

Even though cannabis may not be the taboo subject it once was, it’s clear that the events industry still has work to do before you can safely incorporate it into your event. But as legalization continues to make its way through the states, opportunities will continue to emerge for event professionals to explore how cannabis can compete and coexist with alcohol. As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts. Would you introduce cannabis to your event communities? And if so, how? We’ll catch you here next time for another episode of the Event Brew podcast.