They discuss partnerships, new ideas like glamping and leisure facilities, upcoming anniversary events, and how the venue plans long-term to stay relevant for future conferences and visitors.

This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Present Communications. Present provides broadcast-quality live, hybrid and virtual event production, trusted by organisations where reliability really matters. From corporate town halls and conferences to high-profile live streams, they design and deliver fully resilient systems that work first time.

To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

The episode celebrates the hotel’s 50 years of events and highlights the art of meeting client marketing objectives while delivering flawless execution and inventive, inclusive experiences.

This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Present Communications. Present provides broadcast-quality live, hybrid and virtual event production, trusted by organisations where reliability really matters. From corporate town halls and conferences to high-profile live streams, they design and deliver fully resilient systems that work first time.

To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

They discuss the Monarch, King and Palace suites, arena-style load-ins, evolving AV technology and LED walls, hybrid event integration, staffing strategies, and practical planning tips - like accounting for major fixtures such as the World Cup.

This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Present Communications. Present provides broadcast-quality live, hybrid and virtual event production, trusted by organisations where reliability really matters. From corporate town halls and conferences to high-profile live streams, they design and deliver fully resilient systems that work first time.

To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

They discuss practical event infrastructure, sustainability wins, new technology, the family business ethos, and what makes the October gathering a social and trade fixture for organisers, suppliers and venues.

This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Present Communications. Present provides broadcast-quality live, hybrid and virtual event production, trusted by organisations where reliability really matters. From corporate town halls and conferences to high-profile live streams, they design and deliver fully resilient systems that work first time.

To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Present Communications. Present provides broadcast-quality live, hybrid and virtual event production, trusted by organisations where reliability really matters. From corporate town halls and conferences to high-profile live streams, they design and deliver fully resilient systems that work first time.

To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

The episode highlights the difference between motivating 'good' stress and damaging stress, practical steps for teams and leaders, and directs listeners to download the full 2025 report at clinkclink.co.uk for detailed findings and recommendations.

This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Present Communications. Present provides broadcast-quality live, hybrid and virtual event production, trusted by organisations where reliability really matters. From corporate town halls and conferences to high-profile live streams, they design and deliver fully resilient systems that work first time.

To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

The episode highlights real examples and simple solutions that make events more inclusive, calm and effective for delegates, whether for small provincial meetings or large corporate conferences.

Thanks to our friends at Evolution Dome for helping make these episodes possible.

This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Present Communications. Present provides broadcast-quality live, hybrid and virtual event production, trusted by organisations where reliability really matters. From corporate town halls and conferences to high-profile live streams, they design and deliver fully resilient systems that work first time.

To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

This episode highlights safety, sustainability, and best practices for event organisers considering inflatable structures, and includes practical insights from both indoor and outdoor event use.

Thanks to our friends at Evolution Dome for helping make these episodes possible.

This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Present Communications. Present provides broadcast-quality live, hybrid and virtual event production, trusted by organisations where reliability really matters. From corporate town halls and conferences to high-profile live streams, they design and deliver fully resilient systems that work first time.

To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

The conversation covers how 3D renders and AI speed creative briefs, the importance of in-house synergy between design and production, sustainability through reusable assets, Manchester roots and international projects, and the logistics and opportunities shaping events today.

Find out more about Visual Architects 

Thanks to our friends at Evolution Dome for helping make these episodes possible.

To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

The episode covers course structure, industry partnerships, networking opportunities, accreditation plans, and practical realities of event work, plus where to find more information and a discount code (EPS200) at https://thetrainingdept.live/.

Thanks to our friends at Evolution Dome for helping make these episodes possible.

To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

They cover Jenny’s career path, examples of multi-room and sensory activations, and how sound, scent, performance and context make meals memorable for press, influencers and consumers.

Visit https://www.feast-fable.co.uk/ to find out more

To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

The episode also explores logistics, front-of-house staffing, street-food influences, staying creatively current, and how Bubble Food delivers standout experiences across venues.

Visit https://bubblefood.com/ to learn more.

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Nick explains why event professionals often struggle to monetise their skills, the importance of financial planning and relationship-building, how tech and AI should support, not replace, human connections, and practical tips for using simple tools like Notes and Excel to run events effectively.

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The episode offers practical ideas — using apps and algorithms for personalisation, psychographic design, breaking physical content compartments, and balancing ROI with meaningful attendee impact — to help organisers create more engaging, inclusive and future-proof events.

Thanks to our friends at Jacobs Massey for their help recording these live podcasts. Find out more about their great work here: https://jacobsmassey.co.uk/

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The episode highlights flexible event spaces, pitch-side experiences including an alfresco auditorium, the World Rugby Museum, and practical advice for planners on collaborating with venues to create memorable events.

Thanks to our friends at Jacobs Massey for their help recording these live podcasts. Find out more about their work here: https://jacobsmassey.co.uk/

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The episode covers the product’s circular design principles, recycled materials and integrated LED flooring, plus faster builds, configurable layouts and operational benefits for exhibitors and show organisers.

Guests discuss Wildfire’s show‑stopping props (yes, hovercrafts), the role of temporary staff and people-first culture, and how production teams add value through problem‑solving and client focus.

Conversation covers the technical side — live streaming, connectivity and production checks — alongside softer but crucial topics: wellbeing, inclusivity, teamwork and the power of adaptable, multi‑skilled crews.

Listen for practical tips, examples of great on-site professionalism, and resources from Event Industry News and Stream7 for anyone involved in planning and running live events.

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delighted to record this episode in person at the Stream7 studios in Sheffield.

Joining us for the conversation was a brilliant panel of Northern-based event professionals, all members of the fantastic NOWIE community:

• Emily Woods, Marketing at Stream7
• Lia Baron, expert in end-to-end event management
• Hannah Pugh, Freelance Event Manager and AAA 30Under30
• Evie Booth, Events & Marketing Freelancer

Together, they shared their journeys into the world of events, what they love most about the industry, and how being part of NOWIE has supported their careers and networking opportunities. We explored the importance of transferable skills, the common ground that connects their different paths, and even had a lively discussion about Sheffield’s legendary Tramlines festival. (And yes, we might have asked the big question - who really knows how to use a ratchet strap?)

It’s an insightful, fun, and inspiring episode, and we want to give a huge shout out to NOWIE – we’re proud to be corporate members and encourage you to find out more at nowie.org.

We can’t wait to check back in with these fantastic women in the future to hear how their journeys continue to unfold.

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The episode dives into working with event platforms, lessons learned from the virtual pivot, the Greenbelt festival project, team growth, and plenty of practical insight into delivering modern AV and streaming for events of every scale.

The Stream7 team will be exhibiting at Event Tech Live at Excel, London this November, be sure to meet with them there!

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Held in Melbourne, Australia, AIME is recognised as the leading business event in the Asia-Pacific region, drawing in 675 exhibitors from 30 countries and facilitating nearly 20,000 meetings.

Exploring the evolution of the event industry with insights into networking, the growing impact of AI, and the shift towards sustainability, this episode demonstrates that AIME is not just a trade show, but a hub of innovation and collaboration in the business events sector.

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With exciting developments underway at Olympia, Carly explains the shift towards viewing the venue as a comprehensive cultural destination, complete with new music halls, theaters, dining options, and office spaces. She highlights the importance of understanding and catering to diverse customer demographics to create seamless, memorable journeys for everyone who visits Olympia.

Carly emphasises the significance of collaboration among various departments and partners to align with the venue's evolving brand identity and customer expectations. Listen in to discover how Carly plans to integrate both modern and heritage elements to elevate Olympia's unique status while ensuring that every interaction with the brand is exceptional.

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In conversation with host and friend Adam Parry, Craig gives a detailed background to the thinking, decisions, and numbers that bore Project 30. Not just the want to run his own business but to do things a bit differently, and how that’s paying dividend – Bournemouth 7s, London Marathon and Glastonbury Festival among the Project 30 clients.

A free-flowing conversation, this episode takes in so much - the power of partnership, the currency of authenticity, behaviours the events industry should be challenging or dismantling, and how to choose who to support - by way of examples…

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Coming to the sector from working as a neuropsychology technician isn’t the most traditional route, but using those skills to analyse show content for optimal brain function, unlocking the secrets of neuroscience in event design, has proved to be an extraordinary asset.

This episode sees Lisa reunited with host Adam Parry, who she has worked with at Event Tech Live and Event Sustainability Live, discussing attention spans and how organisers can get people back in the groove.

Across a fascinating 40 minutes, Lisa and Adam look at ‘pattern interrupts’, combating the scrolling impulse, gamification, energising audiences after breaks/lunches, and memory mapping. Listen out for examples of events getting it right on one hand, and bad choices, such as over-stimulation, on the other. It’s all here…

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Duncan Strain started Silent Noize 16 years ago. A gamechanger.

In this episode, Duncan talks host Adam Parry through the journey from promoting Birmingham club nights to hearing about headphones for events from his business partner, launching Silent Noize and the circumstances/breakthroughs that led to the Silent Seminars offshoot some 10 years later.

Duncan, and Adam, remember the impact of introducing headphones to an early edition of Event Tech Live, at the Old Truman Brewery, and how the idea has become almost ubiquitous across the model since – at home and, increasingly, abroad.

The conversation takes in Goa beaches, Silent Seminars providing for silent yoga and meditation too, event wellness rooms, immersive experiences, cinemas, the spoils of headphones for students and staying in front of wireless earbuds. It covers new partnerships, the challenges running/expanding Silent Seminars, picking the right people, the enormity of the US market, and beyond.  

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Beyond the traditional background detail, Chris’s work with non-profits, the Covid tipping point et al, this episode is a fascinating focus on Sessionboard’s latest element, AI Evaluations.

With questions from host Adam Parry, Chris highlights the artificial intelligence impact on evaluating content workflow and indexing, why he’s introducing AI Evaluations now and how it will/can/is saving organisers’ time.

AI is a revolution in efficiency and accuracy, and in the context of such a finite element of the live event model this conversation combats conspiracists too, Chris stressing, ‘It’s about supporting people not replacing them’. He goes on to highlight safeguards and checks in the Evaluations template, input from the customer advisory group and feedback from the testing phase - getting the views of the many not the few…

A fascinating, truly educational 45-minutes then about the hottest tech topic.

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Prompted by host Adam Parry, Kevin, who’s picked a luxuriant backdrop, details his career history before focusing on the here and now.

This episode is about the triggers that spurred Kevin and company to develop a solution to the industry’s ‘biggest pain point’, data integration. Getting systems, which can be rooted in their own language, to talk to each other via RunMerge, a behind the scenes translation model.

The conversation pushes the platform’s bridge between people/relationships and tech. It details multi-tenant architecture, and how RunMerge can migrate to client clouds for super security, custom connectors, and who are the early adopters…

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Client director at Ascender Design, Christian Skelton, went on to co-found exhibitor management platform Eventflow in 2022, winning Best Technology Startup at the Event Tech Awards 12 months later. Adam Parry puts the questions, so there is a whole lot of apt experience on both side of the Teams table

In a non-stop 50 minutes the conversation looks at flaws in the onboarding process and the ensuing challenges for exhibitors, why some organisers neglect the problem, black holes, and ways to better management.

Adam and Christian go on to discuss insurance, AI, a world without forms, the Eventflow solution, and much more besides…

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Principal consultant with Crowdsafety.org since 2014, Steve toured with any number of big acts, Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Beastie Boys among them, and came up with a formal showstop procedure while working with Oasis in the 1990s. It’s something he’s instigated 32 times around the world, “Never a problem. No injuries, no deaths, no problems with the promoters, the artists, and happy fans who go home safely”.

In this episode, host Adam Parry steers the guests through a discussion thick with their experiences and expertise, encompassing reasons for a showstop, preparation for that potential on an event site, training/getting the procedure right, and the dangers of indecision.

An inspiring 20 minutes. Don’t miss it.

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In the context of this episode, Steve is a founder member and current Chair of the Events Industry Forum (EIF), which took over The Purple Guide from the HSE some 12 years ago.

Steve talks host Adam Parry through its evolution from ‘The Guide to Health & Safety at Pop Concerts and Similar Events’ to its current digital incarnation, before the conversation moves on to the Grant Scheme.

Raising money via subscriptions to the Guide, The Purple Grant Scheme has funded 24 diverse outdoor projects with more than £318k.

The EIF doesn’t let the pot get too big, putting the money to use quickly and Steve details the types of events it backs, extolling the virtues of transparency and how attitude is everything.

The conversation goes on to take in mental health, sustainability, young people, and future funding projects. A truly insightful 30 minutes.

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Hosted by Adam Parry, this episode starts quickly and keeps the pace. From answers to the post-COVID ‘what’s in it for me’ mindset the conversation goes on to look at shaping content for smaller audiences, ‘micro-strategies’.

With first-hand experience, Adam and Rodney look at ROI and economies of scale, efficiency comparisons - the price per head for micro-events can be expensive – the spoils of in-person shows, easy to make mistakes when you’re organising micro-events, and will they become the new norm? Or remain a niche?

It’s all here…

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Karen Saragoussi, owner of branded apparel/merch company TeamTogs, follows up her 2024 appearance on the podcast, accompanied by business development and sustainability manager Katie Noonan.  

Karen reiterates the impact of her time as an event producer, how it shapes TeamTogs’ create, supply and ‘take the pain away’ process. She goes on to highlight the power of face-to-face events and the role branding/uniforms can play in creating a lasting impression.

Sustainability is the hook to this episode, and Katie talks host James Dickson through the drivers behind the BPMA’s StepForward Pledge, which TeamTogs subscribes to, fostering similar ambitions across the supply chain, balancing the cost/quality/sustainability equation, and much more besides.  

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Referencing the impact of international sanctions on Russia in 2014 from first-hand experience, Baris looks at what to expect, and what might actually happen, as a result of the restless canon of US tariffs. 

Hosted by Adam Parry, Baris moves from the “cataclysmic potential” for people selling goods to the States, and the China question, to strategy advice for US and non-US organisers.

While these sanctions are clearly not nailed on, Baris highlights the crucial role for one-to-one buyers’ programmes, content, and technology, meantime.

Dr Baris Onay’s take on the tariff’s is clued up, on point, and this is an invaluable conversation for the events industry.

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Accepting an offer to serve as photographer for a friend’s project in Bhutan, Vincent found his chops, or his shots, on that eastern edge of the Himalayas. So much so that, returning to the States some 12 months later, he launched Big Event Media.

Talking from the company’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, this episode sees Vincent detailing the modern world of professional photography, how he and his team shoot conference/trade show/live event pictures and videos beyond the reach of the madding iPhoners.

With questions from host James Dickson, Vincent discusses the DSLR generation, how camera phones mean everyone knows more about photography, and how understanding, and getting, the angles is the great separator.

An engaging interviewee, Vincent gives his take on creativity, providing for clients’ social media alongside traditional picture/video wants, changes in the editing process, match cuts, turnaround times, meaningful content, Billy on the Street-style, and much more.     

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Alongside the business, Enrico has written a book: ‘In Person, a journey through the unstoppable evolution of events’, and that’s the topic here. 

Asked about his inspirations, Enrico highlights chats he’s had with people across the industry and how the perennial ‘future of the sector’ question is rooted in the past and the present.

Adam and Enrico talk about the forgetting curve, the broad benefits of a book over scrolling for information, and what core historical elements of events have been lost to time. Could they, should they, come back?

Asked for his most impactful event ‘moment’, Enrico details the gamut of emotion he felt watching U2 at The Sphere in Las Vegas, going on to amplify the value of shared experience, the ritual and spirituality, the sense of belonging, in events.

From gatherings around open fires in the Stone Age to the avatars of the 21st Century, this is a fascinating 50 minutes.

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Bitten by the events bug in his youth, Nathan switched away from drumming to found a small festival in his home town. From there, things went MEGA.

Nathan explains the journey from raves to his first touring brand, Big Freshers Icebeaker, and how MEGA moved onto food and drink shows, like the Great British Gin Festival and Rum & Reggae. Those, in turn, were stepping stones to bigger gigs across the country and internationally.

Nathan Reed highlights the strength in volume, the company went from 20 events a year to 200, and in managing as much as possible in-house, arrangements to production to marketing, and the value of a rigorous ‘testing phase’.

From the spoils of rolling tours to staying focused and staying on time, to shaping the Rock Orchestra, and success. This episode has it all.

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Founded in 2013, RainFocus made a fast mark on heavyweight shows like Oracle CloudWorld, VMworld, Cisco Live, and it’s gone on to have similar impact for the smallest events.

Speaking live from Utah, Brian, who joined RainFocus nearly 10 years ago, details the company’s journey from a data focus to all-encompassing event management.

Brian looks at the platform’s effect on marketing, highlighting key points in the customer journey, who’s engaging and how, and refining the pathways/campaigns as a result. He goes on to discuss evolving the onboarding process, accommodating shrinking budgets, best practices, integrating tech stacks, leveraging data and, particularly poignantly, the AI potential.

Sustainability strategy experts Sam Wilson, managing director at Syntiro Associates, and Dr Dominic Tantram, partner at Terrafiniti, present a podcast precursor to the ‘Unmasking Greenwashing in the Events Industry: Understanding, Identifying, and Avoiding Misleading Practices’ panel at Event Sustainability Live (ESL).

Succinctly titled ‘Greenwashing’, this episode sees Sam and Dominic do some background, their two companies having worked together, before defining the term and inadvertent incarnations.

Steered by host James Dickson, they go on to talk/to explain materiality and double materiality, comms traps and much more.

Clued-up contributors, real insight, and some telling hand gestures, this is a great use of time. It’s equally powerful as background to the ESL session on November 21st, where Tara Blackburn, environmental sustainability manager at Hearst Lab Scout, and executive director at Evcom, Claire Fennelow, will join Sam and Dominic for the session.

Event Sustainability Live takes place at ExCeL London between 20th-21st November and is free to attend, click here to register

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MJ Unpacked, the biggest trade event in a now burgeoning business, hits St Louis, Missouri, this month and Atlantic City, New Jersey, next spring.

Aimed exclusively at retail and brand executives on a national scale, it promises quality collaborations, product innovation and cutting-edge scientific advancements as well as access to deal flow and capital.

In this episode, George talks about starting a national cannabis CPG (consumer packaged goods) show before there was a national cannabis CPG market, the legalisation process, from Colorado to California and beyond – every state has its own regulatory structure, politics, tax, and infrastructure.

With questions from host James Dickson, George discusses the cannabis spoils, ‘This is some really powerful medicine from nature that’s been with us since we crawled out of our caves’, going on to dig into the makeup of MJ Unpacked, how it adapts for different cities/states, the benefit of controlling audiences and protecting exhibitors/suppliers. A real education in 30 minutes.

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Founder and CEO at Eventwise, Chris Carter, and company set out to transform financial management in the sector for ‘greater efficiency and control’.

Formerly a promoter in Bristol, Chris wanted to get into accounting. This episode, his first appearance on any sort of podcast, incidentally, serves to normalise that leap.

Starting with some background, and the focused switch from artist to event ‘whole’, Chris discusses the triggers and ambitions behind developing and launching the Eventwise platform, ‘replacing’ the spreadsheet.

Designed specifically for creatives, Eventwise isn’t complicated but it’s robust and structured. Prompted by host James Dickson, Chris goes on to talk about integrating with ticketing and other platforms, scenario planning, cost control and more besides.

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This episode benefits from Louisa’s experience, nous and personality as it looks at cultural relevance; what it means, how it plays a part in brand events, and beyond.

With host James Dickson putting the questions, Louisa talks education and the power of real-world brand immersion, going on to discuss budgets, timelines, and ‘talkability’.

The conversation covers communities, values and evolving brand activation, before looking at positioning by the likes of Adidas Originals, JD Sports, Microsoft Pride, all of them Seen clients, and, crucially, consistency.    

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In this episode, a fast, informative 35 minutes, Jamie takes host James Dickson back to the days, the trials of analogue registration, through the impact of digitising the process, and beyond.

James highlights SaaS, putting data to work, apps, good and bad technology.

An unabashed, eloquent proponent of AI, Jamie talks tracking success, visitor analysis, how physical manifestations of technology are adding to events rather than replacing them, before going on to detail the pandemic’s impact on Cvent, the learnings. And how the company focused on evolution rather than ‘pivoting’.    

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In this episode, Kate defines ESG – environment social and governance – emphasising its spoils and how crucial it is to embed those things into the GES psyche.

In discussion with host James Dickson, Kate goes on to compare Defra’s emission factors to GES’s specific calculations and how the two work together.

She talks measuring sustainability in flooring and graphics for organisers, the power of tech, energy, supporting events and their communities, the power of strategic warehouse location, reusing products, colour coding and ensuring ever greater efficiency on site. 

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In this episode, after detailing her career trajectory and giving some concise Sledge history, Sarah talks about event planning, looks between the lines of corporate speak, and highlights the value of talking to attendees.

Prompted by host James Dickson, the conversation goes on to inspiration and education at shows before digging into ‘digital’, budgets, creative thinking, sustainability, and how unique events can be, realistically.

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This episode sees Sam talking about Exhibit 3sixty’s development from straight-ahead stand builder when it launched sixteen years ago to delivering a full service for exhibitions.

With questions from host James Dickson, Sam goes on to discuss the spoils of the online ordering process and the power of exhibitors’ digital journey, repeat business, and how marketing the company has changed in his 18 months there.

Other subjects include role models, building supplier/client relationships, venues, ergonomic ordering, Ikea’s kitchen builder and augmented reality…

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Focused on the city’s green spaces, Richard talks host James Dickson through Sheffield’s new long-term agreement with Tramlines’ organisers, which is set to keep the event in its Hillsborough Park home long-term.

Richard discusses planning, the spoils of the festival for local businesses and the local community.

Reaction, weather, safety, transport and the greater Tramlines’ picture - it’s all here.  

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In this episode, Timm talks host James Dickson through the hard work behind Tramlines’ evolution from city centre to Hillsborough Park and how it’s scaled up while containing costs.

He goes on to highlight the benefits of being in a part of Sheffield used to hosting big events – not least the combination of great public transport network and ‘local’ audience fostering significant sustainability.

Over an engaging 40 minutes Timm discusses the show’s regional impact, changing Hillsborough’s cultural stamp, building a relationship with the local authority et al, Fringe at Tramlines and much more.

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Chrissie Beck, founder of sustainability consultancy for the live events industry, Worlds Better, joins host James Dickson in this episode of The Event Industry News Podcast.

Chrissie has worked in delivering events all over the world for 20 years and in her current role focusses on ensuring that sustainability targets are being met for agencies, event production companies and on delivery following observing how many companies were letting themselves down in their approach towards sustainability.

Last week saw the launch of the 'Delivering Sustainable Events' course. Developed by Worlds Better in partnership with the Event Academy, the course exclusively for experienced event managers will give professionals the knowledge and skills to deliver holistically sustainable events.

Topics covered include:

How sustainability should be viewed as a collaborative effort across the industry and not as a competition

The real reason why sustainability is important for the Event Industry

How small changes during event production can make a big difference

Click here for more information on the Delivering Sustainable Events training course

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• Valentina’s opinion on hybrid events and how best to approach them as two events in one

• Turning regular events into experiences, often overlooked but the little things really take an event to the next level

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Launched in 2006, full name The Next Web, TNW is a product of its founders’ interest in the future of tech. Buoyed by The FT buying a major stake, and ultimately acquiring the company, 2024 model TNW has four business lines: media platform www.thenextweb.com, commercial real estate, events and open innovation consulting programmes.

In this episode, Zach digs into the extraordinary – 6,000 per cent – growth in the TNW Conference numbers over its 18 years, emerging technologies, internationalism, and connecting dots across the community.

Talking to host James Dickson, he goes on to discuss the social aspect at events, changing the world through tech, sustainability and creativity. How the business has changed, the FT integration and its benefits, the pick of the platforms and relationships with suppliers. 

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This episode is a deep dive into The PIE, looking at its history, its drivers and the big splash it’s made in events-world.

An avowed internationalist, Clare studied languages, taking a job in marketing at the University of Arts, London, after she graduated. Meeting Amy Baker and Jane Gilham and discovering there wasn’t a media platform that addressed the whole of the billion-dollar international education sector, brought a team together to build one and call it PIE.

Taking questions from host James Dickson, Clare discusses the brand’s evolution, from its digital news platform, still going strong, the quarterly print magazine that ‘folded’ during the pandemic, to the awards and to PIE Live.

The conversation focuses on the founders’ fluidity, their nous, and how, without any experience of the industry, that overcame ‘cultural nuances’ and took their events across the world to extraordinary success.  

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In this episode, Rakim discusses that career journey, exploring the ‘head of digital’ role, finding the right tech and scrapping old-school show guides.

With host James Dickson putting the questions, Rakim goes on to talk pressure of time, the power of collaboration, analysing data and high purchase intent.

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This episode looks at his career path before turning its attention to the now.

John details the brief behind the job title, which he helped create, before discussing how systems are used effectively, inside the Informa walls and across its portfolio.

Prompted by host James Dickson, John goes on to detail the time he takes studying new platforms and understanding the people set to use them, before introducing any tech. He talks about learning from Formula 1, the future of hybrid events, and the value in having specialist teams for live and digital elements working together to deliver a show.   

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Andrew Dewey, vice president, EMEA, for Strategic and Business development at the same company, is also Interim CEO at the Royal Association for Deaf people.

With an interpreter on hand, this episode delivers insightful background from Ashley and Andrew, highlighting their drive, their motivation, to make events more accessible.

They look at the evolution of sign language, right through to it being recognised as an ‘official language’ in the UK two years ago, going on to discuss the growth in the number of interpreters since the 1990s, video interpretating, sharing resources and the value of booking people early in event planning. How last minute doesn’t work.

Look out too for the technology lever, the Spice Girls’ late 1990s arena tour, and understanding the broad reach of sustainability…

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In events for more than 12 years, a career that’s taken her from sales and marketing to the heady world she’s now a part of, Maria talks host James Dickson through that background and the lessons learned before digging into the bigger picture.

This episode touches on the pros and cons of studying event management at university, understanding the industry and picking a path. Maria goes on talk about her role at Informa before the Bahrain job, how event companies big and small manage the myriad platforms available, the benefits of having a tech specialist on the team, analysing data, ‘always on’ connectivity and much more.    

This episode is about Laura’s frontline experience, how serving the sector has changed since 2011. She talks strength in diversity, creating Clinical Pharmacy Congress (CPC), Europe’s largest event of its kind, and the value in CSM’s carryover learnings from its tech shows. 

Answering host James Dickson’s questions, Laura goes on to discuss shaping content around the medical market’s rules and regulations, delegate bags, sustainability, programme grids/moving away from show guides and breaking the boundaries of Closer Still Media’s traditional geography.

Fisher’s altruism, fostered by his own experience living with bi-polar disorder, has seen him offering support via LinkedIn and helping his own situation at the same time.

Focused on mental health, this episode sees Tom discussing triggers – social media and deep fakes among them – the next generation’s better work/life/empathy balance, pride versus taking time off, incidentals and longer-term conditions.

In this episode, live and direct from Fairfax, Virginia, Sanjib Kalita discusses his years at Money 2020 and how that experience triggered his move to Fintech Meetup, a brand committed to ‘revolutionising how the fintech industry connects, collaborates and does business’.

Taking questions from host James Dickson, Kalita looks at the impact of increased digitisation, the electronification of payments and other accelerators driven by the pandemic, growth in event tech, and finding the right solutions for events.

Look out too for the insider take on planning and accommodating 175 speakers, RFID tags and always making space for networking…

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In this episode of the Event Industry News Podcast host, James Dickson, is joined by Terrapinn COO Sharon Roessen. Sharon has been with Terrapinn for 30 years this year, starting in marketing and progressing through the company.

Terrapinn is a global Business to Business events company with a mix of exhibitions and tradeshows in its portfolio, the largest of which sees 40,000 registered attendees and 500/600 exhibitors, big events with content being the main focus.

Reflecting on Sharon’s experiences, this episode explores how working in B2B events has evolved. Do the fundamentals remain the same or is the approach to engage target demographics different from even 10 years ago?

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Jeremy brings a wealth of expertise to the table, having steered Festival of Media to new heights in the dynamic landscape of events.

Festival of Media has been shining a spotlight on the very best media and marketing campaigns since 2007. Their numerous awards programmes highlighting the best in media, marketing and advertising around the globe.

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This time, they unravel the secrets behind running a stellar exhibition in 2024, focusing on the pivotal role of data and digital upskilling.

In this episode discover how harnessing the power of data can elevate your event game, providing insights that transcend the ordinary. Emily Clark, with her wealth of experience at Informa, shares invaluable tips and strategies that could be the game-changer for your next exhibition.

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The latest episode of our podcast, "The Intersection of Event Design Experience and Artificial Intelligence," delves into the fascinating world where event design meets cutting-edge technology. Joining us for this insightful conversation are three industry leaders: Ryan Howard, Global Event Experience Technology Lead at Google; Panos Moutafis, CEO and founder of Zenus.ai, a trailblazer in facial analysis for the events industry; and our very own Adam Parry, podcast host from Event Industry News.

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This episode is a deep dive into the brand, with a particular focus on Cvent Connect Europe, the company runs a similar event in North America, and how event tech fits into event design.

With questions from host James Dickson, Felicia talks about the attendee journey at “the largest supplier-based event technology show in Europe”, the value of significant breaks between sessions, and the lessons Cvent Connect teaches the company about its clients.

Across an engaging 45 minutes, Felicia Asiedu goes on to discuss balancing traditional trade show wants with technology, audience demographics, data capture and content tracks, providing for leadership, passive and active tracking.

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Joining IMEX, ‘where the global meetings industry comes together’, right after its first event nearly 20 years ago, Oli has worked across pretty much every facet of the show/the brand. He knows his IMEX onions.

Meanwhile, Panos has worked on facial analysis since 2011, founding Zenus – a company committed to protecting people’s privacy while providing pivotal data to clients, typically at business events and brand activations.

Talking to host Adam Parry, Oli and Panos discuss the motivation for the Zenus/IMEX partnership, looking at strategic event design, neutralising natural bias with data and the importance of multi-measurement tools.

This truly engaging 50 minutes sees Panos highlight the difference between facial recognition and facial analysis before addressing relevant privacy and ethics concerns. Look out too for Oli’s take on educating the IMEX audience about Zenus tech and the importance of transparency. It’s all here.

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This episode sees Orson talk through the background, strengths and processes of the FT’s event division. A clued-up speaker, he tells podcast host James Dickson through the USPs, finding the most viable markets from an extraordinary reach, profitability, resources, the international team and growing subscribers through events.

Guided by the FT’s north star, Orson goes on to discuss the in-person/digital balance, a sumptuous menu of choices, bespoke activations, increasing brand strength via dividends of data, the spoils of a crisis, lead times, costs and much more.

FT Live is a key part of a brand that’s still bucking media trends and Orson Francescone’s take on the model is well worth tuning into.

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

With a focus on the latter, this episode sees Rachel talk host James Dickson through her five-point career development plan. 1) Choosing the right career path and the potential in sideways steps. 2) Bouncing back – learning from mistakes and not worrying about making them. 3) Playing to your strengths – taking on extra responsibilities and being honest. 4) The grass isn’t always greener – research shows 40 per cent of employees would consider a position with a company they previously worked for. And 5) Knowing when to leave…  

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

Céline Laukemann, head of internationalisation at German-based ‘full-service registration solution’ ADITUS GmbH, and Elinor Honigstein, business development & international growth partnerships at LinkedIn, know the secret.

In this episode, hosted James Dickson, they discuss LinkedIn’s interest in events, its Community Builder and the ADITUS role in that platform. They look at registration and diffuse the notion it’s a ‘necessary evil’, at generating benefits for all stakeholders, at modern marketing and at content creation.

Céline and Elinor go on to talk increasing the discovery, the reach, of an event, converting attendees into followers, reaching for the converted, combating late registrations and aggregated metrics. More too of course…

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

Focused on engagement at in-person events, this episode sees Jesse talking to host James Dickson about the customer journey and fostering that ‘I belong’ feeling.

They discuss the components that make up an event, and the best ways of getting them to work together. The registration process, audience engagement - how it can differ from event to event - and the specific start point in that relationship.

The conversation also covers the AI space, using social media, networking, the good food trigger, connection points and much more.

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

Live and direct from Montreal, Canada, Jesse Gainer is VP growth and partnerships at C2 – a company spawned from equal measures of two impactful locals - ad agency Sid Lee and Cirque de Soleil.

Best known for the shapeshifting C2 Montreal, ‘Canada’s leading creative business summit’ launched in response to the 2008 financial crisis, which has featured A-list speakers, Spike Lee, Martha Stewart, Arianna Huffington, Steve Wozniak, Jane Fonda, and Snoop Dogg among them, C2 has gone on to take that category-defying philosophy to brands around the world.

This episode sees Jesse consider the question ‘Does hybrid exist’? He talks about the delivery progress from 2019 to 2023, Jurassic Park, mistakes, video on demand, inclusivity, tailoring event feeds to fit, what happened to the Metaverse and more besides. 

Full of ideas, eloquent, and keen on hand gestures, these 40 minutes or so with Jesse Garner, hosted by James Dickson, are well worth tuning into. 

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

Tellingly, Rachel wrote a blog for the Github site, ‘9 tips to go from attendee to speaker at a tech conference’ and that’s what this episode is all about.

Rachel talks about the journey; the call for sessions, inspiring people to apply, networking, crafting talks, writing a good bio and, ultimately, becoming a familiar name to organisers.

Rachel goes on to highlight a couple of tips from her blog – not least helping the review committee to understand how long your content can live beyond the event. She discusses the thin line between a conference keynote and a podcast, taking advantage of the real-time experience, practising content ideas in front of people with no knowledge of your industry, passion projects, preparation, and vocal techniques.

It’s a really to-the-point, insightful 30 minutes that brings the stage much closer to the audience.

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

In this episode, Ade talks advances in event tech, the sector’s move from the fringes to the heartbeat of contemporary shows, tools that help people connect, and generating data to help organisers better understand their audience.

Prompted by host James Dickson, Ade goes on to discuss the spoils of cameras in the halls, algorithmic Bluetooth navigation/tracking and measuring success, QR codes, engagement touchpoints, IOS update – airdrop and namedrop – incorporating audience-owned tech, or not, and clients’ common questions.

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

In this episode, with a focus on the post-pandemic push for new order, Caroline details the spawn of enforced downtime, changing formulas for awards ceremonies and conferences, and how covid crushed historical data’s validity.

Talking to host James Dickson, Caroline goes on to discuss everything from fostering event relationships after pandemic ground zero, the unity of inexperience, unpredictable schedules to setting new trends and compartmentalisation.

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

This episode is about Hackathons, a term for a social coding event that brings computer programmers and other interested people together to improve upon, or build, new software.

Ewelina talks host James Dickson through the customer journey, dispelling myths and clarifying the makeup of a Hackathon.

She goes on to discuss the value in collaboration, the high energy atmosphere of these get-togethers, in-person or remote and who benefits.

Ewelina details the duration, building teams, commitments, connectivity, skills diversity, structure, judges, unpolished results, networks, ensuing relationships, and… the Hackers Club. 

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

Working at Emirates Old Trafford since 2013, Angela Hobson has been sales director at the home to Lancashire County Cricket club for more than three years.

Talking to host James Dickson just after the third Ashes Test had decided the series, Australia retaining the urn, Angela does the detail about the venue’s massive redevelopment – a £45m programme over 15 years.

She discusses the planning and delivery behind a Test match and Emirates Old Trafford’s new-look provision for the greater events model, the Point controversy, getting other elements of the portfolio up to standard, the versatility of the Pavilion and the Player & Media Centre.

Angela Hobson goes on to detail the ecological terrace and the greater sustainability picture, the Sensory Room and the on-site 150-bedroom Hilton Garden Inn, replete with pitch views and balconies, and providing for everything from 60,000 cap concerts to conferences to board meetings. And beyond those boundaries…

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

In this episode, the focus is on how music sews, or should sew, events together. Thomas Serrano discusses the experience clients want to create, mapping their collective or independent emotional journey through sound, and how that system can make events memorable as well as meaningful.

Talking to host James Dickson, Serrano goes on to explain how music fits the Exclamation Group model, live versus pre-recorded sound, compositions behind the reveal of a new car, the value of researching an audience, the data behind a playlist, drawing/keeping attention and the power of the unexpected.

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

Launched in 2003, IMEX Frankfurt is the heartbeat of the global business events community. And that’s what it says on the show’s homepage.

In this episode, IMEX design manager Anna Gyseman and Oli Bailey, interaction designer, detail the considerable process involved in giving a new look to the practised, proven event.

In conversation with host James Dickson they discuss 18 months research – not least with 50 external partners - how it’s a refresh not a rebrand, modernising and streamlining the stamp, physically and digitally.

They go on to talk diligence in the process – through prototypes in context, animation, sponsorships and timing, ahead of the big reveal.

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

Raccoon Media Group, formerly Raccoon Events, launched in a garden shed and delivered the award-winning National Running Show, at Birmingham NEC, less than two years later.

In this episode, CEO Mike Seaman talks host James Dickson through Raccoon’s growth, how it currently runs 10 shows, eight of them homegrown, two acquired.

Mike discusses rebranding during Covid, delivering for the 500,000 people on the Raccoon database, turning ideas into realities, the resurgence of events post-pandemic, the future of Raccoon as a blended events and digital business, and the vetting process among target communities.

The podcast also touches on engagement and galvanising groups of people, similarities between running and equine events, sustainability, and the metrics of taking shows across the Pond.   

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This episode of the Event Industry News Podcast is sponsored by Evolution dome, award-winning temporary event structures. Take a look at their structures at evolutiondome.com

Co-founder Garm Lucassen, who has a history in business infomatics, took his experience of blockchain and NFTs to co-found TURF, which is focused on cartographic/map-based art. Every piece in its global collection is available just once and TURF is working with First Event and Cardano Foundation to deliver a new dimension in event giveaways.

In this episode, Garm is joined by Alex Maaza, outreach development manager at Swiss-based Cardano, a not-for-profit organisation focused on furthering the public digital infrastructure, and Max Collishaw, who is head of digital at corporate event management specialist First Event.

With host James Dickson putting the questions, the participants discuss the TURF collection and its impact on events, the 2022 Cardano Summit by way of example, the concept of NTFs and Blockchain, authenticity, gifting gold NFTs, gamification and much, much more.

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With so many people knocked out of their employment stride by the pandemic, Reid was able to put together a top team of co-founders and launch, in the shape of a week of webinars against the clock in 2021.

Since then, Reset Connect has found its in-person feet and this episode, recorded two weeks out from the 2023 edition, sees Duncan talk host James Dickson through those stages.

They discuss the COVID-19-era ‘concentration of minds’, and its products, choosing the UK’s first carbon neutral venue to host the show - one element in the pressure to contain the inevitable uplift in emissions switching from virtual to hybrid in 2022, and the growth in want for sustainability across events-world and beyond. Aimed at business leaders, Reset Connect has a multi-sector reach.

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This episode features the company’s events strategist, Emily Maule, and Saskya Liney, EMC3’s head of sustainability.

Host James Dickson does some background, not least finding out about From Now, the environmental services specialist Saskya co-founded during the pandemic, before digging into the document itself.

Emily and Saskya discuss the thinking and process behind the white paper, how event organisers need to think about their locations - about leaving these people, these places, these communities better off - the risks we face, timeframes, atmospheric data, human resources and investing in people, fostering interest in the next generation right through to greenwashing and the truth behind tote bags…

One key takeaway – do something different!

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With 15 global chief executives at its core, from the likes of the London Stock Exchange, Apple, the BBC, Sky, Sony and Microsoft, together with 485 equally important others, the Valuable 500 is working to end disability exclusion.

In this episode, Ryan Curtis-Johnson details the group’s makeup and motivation, highlighting the 1.3bn people around the world who have a disability and means to better include them, not least through steps Valuable 500 companies have made.

Ryan tells host James Dickson how inclusion means action, talks advice and guidelines, hidden disabilities, making events open to everybody without waiting for a prompt, budgets, technology, all the time emphasising best practice.

Insightful, practical steps, supported by switched on businesses, to making event world a more inclusive place.

With 25-years’ experience in the industry, primarily venue side, Andrew noted how the teams coming in to put events together under those roofs didn’t have a place to go between jobs/shifts/times.

After providing host James Dickson with a weight of background information, this episode sees Andrew discussing his Event Club process, from finding an investor during the pandemic to seeking out founding members to working out what these venues – and there could be as many as six – should provide.

Andrew Morrow talks creches, rest pods, commuting, comparisons with other members’ clubs, in terms of facilities and costs, sharing memberships in a company, food and drink quality – how to compete with the Pret/Starbucks models - and much more.

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In this episode, Robin talks host James Dickson through volunteering as a governor at a new local SEN school and the impact that’s had. He discusses sustainability in some of its myriad shapes and the notion of accessibility at events, applauding its growth and questioning its depth.

With more than 35 years in events Robin Carlisle is a voice of true experience and these 30 next generation minutes are well worth listening to.

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After giving host James Dickson some background on the company, this episode sees Touchdreams founder Dane Rossenrode talk about bringing his broad experience to bear, specialising in sites for the events industry.

Rossenrode discusses complacency – how much people are looking beyond traditional websites – what the practical alternatives are, adjusting mindsets, presentation, engagement, competing with ‘drag and drop’ solutions, budgets and integrating with other platforms.  

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Joining the podcast from Sydney, Australia, Rob Vass digs into Joi, a “productivity tool for events”, detailing its capacity for truly joined up thinking. He details how the system makes it easy to put an agenda together, sending a schedule to people via URL so any changes made are visible to all. Move a performer, their programme updates automatically. No more running around giving people update notes.

Later on, Joi’s budgeting tool is dissected and discussed; think multipliers and currencies. A revolution then, in quite a technical 45 minutes

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Joining the podcast from Dallas, Texas, Holmgreen talks host James Dickson through MPI’s method behind its live events ahead of the European Meetings & Events Conference (EMEC), which comes to Brighton, Sussex later this month. The first ‘live’ iteration since post-pandemic.

He looks back at the learnings, how MPI’s North American show, World Education Congress, in November 2020, was the first industry event to take place under the COVID shadow - 600 people gathered together at a venue in North Texas. And how a “dramatic focus” on safety for attendees and staff/crew resulted in zero news cases of the virus.

Going on to discuss EMEC 2023, Drew Holmgreen highlights its “primary pillars”, the focus on innovation, taking design risks with the event to lead by example, and the influence of the local environment – how Brighton fortes like the arts, sustainability, and pubs, will help to shape the agenda.   

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In this episode, having detailed Tag’s mission - how it works exclusively with organisers around the world helping to grow their events - with host James Dickson putting the questions, Nicola looks at new model marketing.

Across an energised, educational 40 minutes, they talk data blindness, cookies, AI, the astonishing breadth of data capture, touchpoints, audience extension, digital packages, privacy laws, tracking, the trials of a marketing manager, the value of an integrated approach and Google advertising.

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To that end he has invested in new machinery, brought in more people and grown the company to what it is today, delivering projects for Kendal Calling and Boomtown Fair through to Cirque du Soleil and Puma in the process.

In this episode, Manchester-based Lefteris Angelidis and host James Dickson discuss 

how social media has driven/is driving change in events’ visual identity, the likely impact of the Metaverse, creativity and the structure/longevity of set items.

The sustainability question spawns conversation about branding solutions for ‘off the shelf’ products, bean bags and recycling polystyrene, transport – vehicle cost and emissions – and electric vans’ reach limitations.

They go on to talk LED screen technology, 3D mapping, creativity v budgets, planning, Beyonce and beyond.  

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A remote-first company, none of the now 250 plus employees at vFairs work in a specific office, they’re at home or a location close-by of their choosing. Quite sensibly, that model prioritises right people over right location, amplified by the way Younas talks “regions” in the shape of America and Europe rather than Boston, Massachusetts or Slough, Berkshire. And vFairs has a stronger workforce as a result.

In this episode, taking questions from host James Dickson, Muhammed Younas discusses how working, and being productive, from home can facilitate a better return from hybrid and virtual events.

He talks online job fairs, rethinking the excitement of ‘onboarding’ for remote environments, technology development – making the most of more sophisticated platforms - capturing the office experience and how companies on the other hill, vehemently against ‘home working’ pre-pandemic, have, or haven’t, taken to the new dynamic.  

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Clusivity mantra ‘take a data-driven approach to diversity, equity and inclusion’ is the essence of its new white paper - How diversity, equity and inclusion could radically transform the events industry - the subject of this episode. 

After a bit of background from both participants and establishing the reasons for the document, which is a follow-up on research undertaken two years ago, Meera Somji and Andrew Carney do the detail.

They highlight, for instance, how the white paper marries data with real-life stories and

quotes from senior leaders in events world, what we miss out on if we don’t drive change, who defines progress, the benefits of benchmarks, comparisons with other industries. And how to increase the number of new joiners from minoritised ethnic groups and, crucially, retaining those already on staff through promotion and progression.

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This episode sees Andrew discussing a recent project for luxury Diageo brand Johnnie Walker Blue Label in Singapore and the Chorus capacity for bringing theatrical elements into the immersive experience.

He goes on to talk host James Dickson through the agency’s pandemic learnings, house term ‘radical creative’, living and dying by the idea, exploiting sound, provoking long-term experiences and brand advocates.

Across some 45 minutes the podcast looks at the ‘blank page brief’, extending the reach of content from a live activation, digital thinking and becoming more integrated with the bigger picture before diving into the Chorus makeup and its evolution.

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A regular on the podcast, Jelmer van Ast goes on to discuss ‘back to normal’, the benefits of on demand, the subscription model, micro events, refining the hybrid handle, on demand, using event tech across the formats and the rebranded Conference Compass platform. More too of course.

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Customer data highlighting trends in the virtual events market, the document revealed an upsurge in attendance for webinars and virtual events alongside increased engagement before and after thanks to the hooks – the downloads, live chats et al.

Host James Dickson jumps straight into this episode, analysing the report with Notified’s appropriately named chief revenue officer, Daniel Lotzof.

Starting with some report history, from 2018/19 and the “10 years’ progression” in the last two years, Daniel details the new percentages, the best day to produce an event, the ‘time-length’ to produce different formats. Broadcast environment, evolving definitions, video-use post-pandemic, sponsorship and much more – all drawn from the data.

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Thick with life experiences, from interviewee and from interviewer/host James Dickson, this episode delivers a deep examination of the Shocklogic method and the Martinez management mindset.

John Martinez talks rethinking the work/life balance, always delivering for the team, intelligence and discipline, algorithms, taking opportunities, the 10,000-hour rule and the ‘love the one you’re with’ logic.

Prompted by James Dickson he goes on to discuss the company’s cultural shift, its ‘always on’ commitment to simplifying the lives of event organisers, meditation, ‘quieting the chat box’, mindfulness for the Shocklogic masses and a whole lot more.

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Richard starts this episode explaining what First Sight Media does at ETL, front of house and behind the scenes, going on to detail changing audience perspectives post-pandemic, the dividends from community building, pre-event marketing, FOMO, engagement, blended content, sustainability, and the value of livestream

With Event Tech Live as the context, Richard Belcher goes on to give host James Dickson a take on the metaverse and ‘always on’, DJ Graffiti, webinars, breaking the barrier between hybrid as a single broadcast and ‘blended’, the Bonus stage and much, much more…  

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In this episode, Morris and host James Dickson look at the realities post-the UFI’s Global Recovery Insights 2021 report. Have things bounced back as predicted and what the driving factors are if so.

Morris goes on to consider the parameters of ‘experiential’, how virtual is no replacement for face-to-face in event world, the increase in the want for global reach through Covid and out this side and how travel can heighten anticipation and productivity. Much more too, of course.

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In this episode Pickett explains what ‘quiet quitting’ is, the causes behind the concept, the impact on employers and, crucially, what they can do about it.

Steered by host James Dickson, Pickett discusses motivating a team and the individuals within it. Keeping people engaged and how crucial that is in the events industry.

He unwraps ‘how do I need to deliver my message’ and talks post-pandemic mania – balancing the in-person, hybrid, virtual equation. 

Pickett goes on to talk ticking the boxes – how many advantages the employees have and the potential benefits, on both sides, of allowing teams to work flexibly. Much more too of course.

Surveys show, incidentally, that disengagement at work costs some $70bn in lost productivity. And that 74 per cent of employees are actively looking for jobs within six months of taking on a new role. 

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On the premise that Metaverse is a work in progress, and everyone, everywhere, has a different perspective, this episode is part wish list, part comparison.

All three participants are resolute supporters of in-person events and hope this next iteration of the virtual world can, to an extent at least, be dictated by consumers.

Unconstrained by traditional parameters, the conversation covers everything from the funding question and sating the five senses to gaming, Metaverse gigs and the Queen’s funeral, underscored by the perennial ‘what it could be good for’.

Across some 40 minutes, this episode’s focus is the largest CRM system in the world and how Blackthorn’s apps, which are native to Salesforce, make processing payments and managing events easy.

With host James Dickson containing the conversation, Matt Frank talks Blackthorn’s capacity to help customers get the best from Salesforce – understanding its extraordinary reach and capacity - how having data in one place allows you to create the bespoke experience stakeholders have come to expect.

Matt discusses creating an event platform, the Salesforce tools, how Blackthorn tech is designed to be absolutely straightforward to operate and much more.

In this episode, Wei talks host James Dickson through the launch of Zoom Events in July of 2021, discussing pandemic impact., mitigation, and highlighting the system’s extraordinary updates and innovations impetus.

Referencing the hybrid user and partner conference Zoomtopia 2022, which takes place later this month, Wei discusses Zoom Webinar’s ‘green room’, called ‘backstage’, where remote presenters can hang out between sessions – talk to each other and watch what’s going on ‘front of house’.

Detailing the Zoom roadmap, she highlights Zoom Events’ networking features, the Q&A function, hosting with the proper production tools, engagement, interactivity, the ‘webinar reaction’ feature, which embraces feedback from virtual and physical attendees, getting beyond tech stacks and much, much more.

Following Jamie’s potted perspective on some of CONNECT 2022’s content, and the show’s primary takeaways, this short episode focuses on the Cvent culture and what the greater industry can learn from it.

Jamie Vaughan takes another tack on the virtual/hybrid evolution that Patrick Smith discussed in part one, going on to define Cvent as it stands, beyond the ‘software company’ label, and how the team there is developing a structure for anything that comes next.

A special episode – Event Tech Talks and Walks – this is a focus on marketing; adapting to the new event model post-pandemic.

Host Adam Parry introduces the discussion and Patrick Smith talks quickly, covering a lot of ground in these 25 minutes.

Having done just one, experimental, virtual event prior to 2020, like so many other companies Cvent has dug deep into hybrid delivery since.

Patrick details the benefits to a show like CONNECT Europe, where weight of numbers, physical or virtual, adds to the storytelling, the thought leadership, the best practice and the value in choosing the right event option for you.

He goes on to discuss adjusting budgets, the total event programme, how one size won’t fit all, the difference between and a webinar and a virtual event and more.

They went out to market with a series of small buyer/seller speed meeting shows in 2011 creating the brand and launched RecFest three years later – a festival-style event in a conference room, AstroTurf on the floor, attended by some 100 people.

In this episode, Jamie takes host James Dickson through the subsequent evolution of RecFest – how the founders and their small team turned the idea into an event that saw 4,000 recruiters at this year’s edition.

Held at Knebworth House, RecFest 2022 was the iconic location’s follow-up show to Liam Gallagher.

Jamie Leonard explains how, with its 10 stages of themed content and more than 100 speakers, RecFest combines the key elements of a conference with a trade show – buyers and sellers going there to connect, to seek clients and find out about new tech – wrapped up in a festival feel.

And, crucially, how the escapism, the no judgement of festivals, creates stronger relationships at the largest event in the world for talent acquisition.

Robin details the background – how November 5th fireworks held in parks out of town spawned the inaugural River of Light in 2016, winding its way back into the city and helping to address, to mitigate, the hospitality industry’s traditional autumn challenges – 150,000 people enjoyed the event in 2021.

He goes on to discuss the River of Light’s evolution and its geography. How the show has moved from 50/60 smaller works, which didn’t flow for the target audience which wants scale, and the subsequent move to a fraction of that number, altogether bigger and more spectacular. 

Robin Kemp tells podcast host James Dickson about working with topical themes, Rhythm of Light last year inspired by Liverpool’s links with music and Unexpected Twist for 2022, in step with the World Gymnastics Championships, which is in town at the same time. And how it’s always embracing more of the city.

In this episode Mike Frost, co-founder of recruitment consultancy Expocast, and Alex Hewitt, CEO and head of strategy at AOK Events, a company that saw its staff numbers cut by 70 per cent across the pandemic pinch point, join host James Dixon to discuss the state of things.

A good balance between want and supply, the podcast looks at whether this is a recruitment crisis – considering the weight of opportunity at the delivery end, where the bulk of the redundancies were, while senior vacancies are outstripped by candidates.

It highlights the importance of culture and environment in a company’s recruitment allure, going on to consider the likes of creative marketing and attracting talent from outside events – how experience doesn’t have to be everything if the training model is good.

In this episode, Coburn talks through selling DoubleDutch, another business he launched - an early leader in the mobile event app space, to focus Twine on the networking element or “software that brings people together”.

Lawrence Coburn goes on to discuss developing the business, riding the Covid-19 wave and the cost of competing, building a web version and partnering with proven event tech platforms. How working with Zoom – a hard to get alliance launched just two months ago - put the accelerator down for product-led growth. The subsequent trajectory of usage/ the user experience, watching the dashboards, cultivating a viral loop and more besides.

A fascinating, fast-paced half an hour.  

A fanatical music fan since childhood, Katz moved from promoting shows to record label world in the mid-1990s. He went on to start his own ‘non-traditional’ label, selling it in 2016 to fund a deep dive into crypto, blockchain and, ultimately, YellowHeart.

In this episode, Katz talks host James Dickson through Web 3, NFTs, cutting out the middlemen to working directly with artists, touts, transparency, security, fragmentation, enhancing the fan experience through recognition/rewards and more besides.

Pact three partners with teams seeking to be more conscious towards the community, planet, and their employees, working with organisations, assessing their social and environmental impact.

In this episode, which, as the title suggests, is about the positives, Jenny digs into the motivations behind her business discussing what it does and how it helps.

Passionate and motivated, Jenny goes on to discuss the value for events clients in Pact Three working outside the sector too, understanding sustainability, staffing and the recruitment process, the younger generation and their better grasp of environmentalism and the flaws in pursuing perfection.

With host James Dickson putting the questions – ‘do’ the regular prefix – Jenny Morgan goes on to talk measurables, certifications, doing things differently and much, much more. 

The company launched in lockdown, providing Hay with an opportunity to hone her virtual and hybrid event skills.

In this episode, Tinique Hay talks host James Dickson through her background, her inspirations for the new business and why she singled out the entrepreneur niche.

Hay highlights the trials of taking a company from theory to practice through the eye of the Covid-19 crisis and finding its physical event form in January this year. She goes on to discuss using social media, building her portfolio via recommendations and word of mouth, budgets, strategy, planning and evolution, sponsorship and much more.

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In this episode, Dawn digs into her learnings from COP26, which was at the SEC in late 2021 making equally sought-after and stellar steps - not least $130tn towards net zero and climate risk disclosure for companies.

Dawn talks host James Dickson through the ‘corona-coaster’, the prestige of hosting COP26 despite the tension wrought by Covid-19 in the run-up, the sense of team it fostered, the “off the charts” media coverage, maintaining that sense of purpose, why it’s worth reading the subsequent Sustainability Report, how hosting the summit has influenced Dawn Lauder’s manifesto for change and much more.

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Typically focused in Sefton Park, Covid 19’s impact on the city’s celebrated portfolio for live music has seen a telling switch in LIMF’s structure for 2022. This episode is the story of a festival working for its surrounds, for its community – fans, artists and promoters.

Recorded two weeks ahead of the event, Yaw discusses how, coming off the pandemic, with Liverpool venues suffering, LIMF model 2022 is moving indoors - delivering a cultural tour of the city and making sure venues “get the fair end of the stick”.

In a fascinating 40 minutes Yaw talks inclusivity, logos and theming the event around Liverpool’s huge appetite for music.

This year the theme, and the formula for his longlist of potential players, is Power To The People & Purpose – a mission Yaw fully explained to performers so they can play a full part in its delivery.

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In this episode, the focus is back on event tech - in the particular context of 2022, the uptick in optimism, getting back to live events and analysing the changes post-pandemic.

Devin Cleary highlights the new air of confidence, going on to compare tighter commercial purse strings with consumer spending and balancing the cost/sustainability equation in light of the big virtual/hybrid steps taken through the last two years plus.

Cleary goes on to talk, at some pace, about on demand, getting creative and the happiness hangover, the podcasts model, the greater post-event follow-up, a host of invaluable show floor tips, be it in-person, hybrid or virtual, delivering takeaways and much more.

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In this episode, Adam talks host James Dickson through his 20 years plus in events world, from studying hospitality business management in Leeds via a conference and banqueting role at the Langham through to setting up ACA.

With drinks brands a core component in the company’s impressive list of clients, then and now, that’s the focus as Adam discusses their presence, their value, at green field sites, adding to the audience experience, the post-pandemic appetite for the festival model, its pain point, using technology, social media, and much more. 

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In this episode, Rick explains why OIOV has recently been rebranded The Power of Events (TPOE) – a partnership with, but not limited to, Greenwich, Westminster, Surrey, Leeds Beckett, Bournemouth, UWS, Edinburgh Napier, Ulster, Swansea and Cardiff Met.

A persuasive speaker with a whole lot to say, Rick talks about the Covid-19 impact and his ‘diplomatic crusade’ which brought OIOV together two long years ago, getting commitment from myriad trade associations and businesses. 

Rick goes on to mention the opportunities and the recovery process, the potential for newcomers, as well as the lack of respect from the media and government, and how that fits with a ‘completely party agnostic, non-lobbying’ TPOE.  

In this episode, Jelmer talks event adaptability with host James Dickson, the science of technology and increasing engagement.

He goes on to discuss investing in product development and, crucially, why organisers have to build in an ongoing level of malleability post-pandemic. Despite the inherent fear of dramatic change, it’s ‘adapt or die’!

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In this episode, under the umbrella ‘Consumers’ attitudes to events’, Louise talks about shows’ sustainability initiatives pre-pandemic having to catch up with the public’s invigorated passion for the subject, how quickly negative, and positive, communications can spill out from an event, how crucial it is to get the message right from the start of a campaign and how the collective social consciousness has sharpened up, and become more particular, over the last couple of years.

Louise uses Energy PR clients to detail her thoughts, telling host James Dickson about the Packaging Innovation Show’s zero landfill policy and how the green room at Plant Based World is truly green – everything in there being plant based.

Louise and James also discuss making use of venue ‘downtime’, where possible, for community projects, how shows have stepped up, incorporating tech to make takeaways digital rather than paper – for exhibitors and visitors, putting social media to work and much more.  

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In this episode, which has more answers than questions, Dax’s primary focus is a job Smyle did for the National Grid and how that relationship started during lockdown.

Dax looks at best means of telling the story that helps brands connect with their audiences and how Smyle’s creative/stratgic expertise solutions helped National Grid  to revinvent its capital markets day.

Dax Callner tells host James Dickson about the power, the potential, in dumb questions,

how National Grid is ‘super cool’ in its initatives, picking key stories and ‘rock starring’ them, updating antiquated systems, finding key high emotion moments in the room and online, creating a sense of intimacy via video and much more.

In this episode, Ben Heaysman, film and content creator at Sledge, discusses the company’s experience with the hybrid model pre-pandemic and bringing it to bear for clients caught out by lockdown; framing shots, lighting, sound quality et al.

Among much more, Ben tells host James Dickson about crafting content to keep a virtual audience engaged, gamification, indoor v outdoor shoots, studio time, audio-only presentations and changing technology.

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In this episode, Ryan, who thinks and talks quickly, explains the premise for Seatlab, how its NFT (non-fungible token) or ‘smart contract’ solution amplifies and secures proof of ownership, beating touts, bots and fraud in the process.

Ryan tells host James Dickson about bridging the gap between traditional tickets and NFTs, how simple the system is to use, the control it gives, royalty splits and the benefit to artists in the resale market, educating people in the ideas, getting the world to listen and more. Much more.

In this episode, after doing the background on AMR, Denzil talks about writing Reinventing Live – The Always on Future of Events with Marco Giberti through lockdown, before digging into the company’s new Exhibition 3.0 framework.  

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In this episode, Simon discusses ‘Why the right event host is more important than ever’, looking at the pandemic impact on his role in the short-term and its legacy as the world started to open up again.

He talks about tailoring his practice in engagement to lockdown events, getting people involved physically, leftfield thinking, being unpredictable, the difference between a good storyteller and a good host, relating to an audience and, of course, much more.

Triggered by his background in social media and years spent managing remote teams across eight years in marketing, Remo rings the changes.

In this episode, Hoyin talks connectivity, what’s stopping us from cultivating online relationships every bit as deep, meaningful and enriching as those that develop in person, developing the idea for Remo, the time spent in testing and market research, Covid-19’s ‘accelerator’ impact, changing the business post rather than pre-pandemic, how it works and much more.

A product of interviews with business leaders and fellow agency owners coupled with John’s own considerable experience - empathy is a cornerstone to his leadership style at MCM – this episode looks at the motivation behind the book and its ambitions.

Aimed at anyone running a small team, in any sector, John McMahon discusses being described as a ‘soft leader’, the limits of the workplace, the benefits of working from home on the back of all the pandemic lessons, the power of trust and much more.

Nicola came to the job from six plus years in a similar role at the Hilton St George’s Park - home to all 24 England football teams and a centre for coach education.

In this episode, host James Dickson asks Nicola Underhill about the Hilton Birmingham Metropole’s multi-million-pound refurbishment; due to complete in April it includes all the hotel’s event spaces along with a new bar, a new restaurant and a new executive lounge.

Nicola talks digital technology too, staying competitive – with a spotlight on the Hilton Metropole’s event relations managers – as well as looking back on her career to date.

Emma joined the team at Brooklyn Bowl, a former iron foundry in ‘hip’ Williamsburg, three years ago.

A sought-after mix of live music, award winning food and bowling, since its 2009 launch Brooklyn Bowl has spawned three other venues in the group, one in Vegas, one in Nashville and one in Philadelphia.

In this episode, Emma Tietze talks through her background before emphasising the Importance of venues like the Bowl post-pandemic, not least the flexibility of the room and how much that helps in responding to client wants.

Emma goes on to discuss leadership roles for women in events, business development and targeted marketing, networking at the Bowl, working with other venues, partnering with local hotels and watching the neighbourhood grow.

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Involved with trade associations throughout his career, Carlo was president of the ILEA from 2017 to 2018 and continues to be an active board member of the Europe chapter.

In this episode Carlo Zoccali’s focus is beyond the airshow (FIA) which, cancelled in 2020, comes back to the site in July this year. It’s on newer heights instead, the 12,500sq m exhibition hall opened in 2018 and the similar size space outside among them – and how that combination delivered as live events slowly came back to life from mid-2021.

Carlo Zoccali talks about the Farnborough footprint facilitating everything from exhibitions and experiential events through to conferences and product launches in its new meeting room portfolio, re-connecting people in 2022, audience-driven demand, niche events, elevating experiences and contemporary delivery.

Creating pictures that summarise key takeaways for conferences, meetings, brainstorming sessions, show content and much more, Ink Factory clients include Adobe, Amazon, CAT, Deloitte, Ford, Unilever, Whole Foods Market and the YMCA,

In this episode, Ryan Robinson, the company’s co-founder and CMO, discusses the business before digging into the immediate gratification audiences get from visuals and its benefits in retaining information and recalling it.

Ryan Robinson goes on to talks bookmarks in the brain, using keywords, colours, the focus on training, listening and adapting, videos, illustrations and preventing distraction.

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In this episode, Marley details her background, from cooking school in Paris and egotistical chefs right through to standing out in the event planner crowd.

The conversation with host James Dickson covers celebrity endorsement/the publicity machine, organising events in LA, big budget clients, contracts, confidentiality agreements, young starters’ expectations and much more.    

Vendoir also allows clients to book vendors based on their reputation, budget, location, event type etc., with just a few taps.

In this episode, co-founders Oshoma Zekeri (CEO) and Yoma James Kukor (COO), discuss the personal and professional experiences that got them thinking.

They highlight the app’s focus on quality, ratings and reviews, local talent – everywhere - calendar/geography/budget functionality, payment protection, getting the best out of everybody and opening doors for freelancers.   

Music: Wish Background by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4633-wish-background License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Helen Moon founded the not-for-profit CCLG social enterprise in 2017 to serve as the mental health and voice of the event industry.

Talking to host James Dickson at the Association of Event Venues (AEV) annual conference in the Business Design Centre, Helen Moon discusses mental health first aid, the impact of increased workloads post-‘freedom day’, the potential for burnout, the spoils of proper planning, on site EventWell hubs/quiet rooms, working memory, the benefits of repetition and much, much, more…

Music: Wish Background by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4633-wish-background

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

In these four rapid-fire Q&A sets, James talks to management from some key locations, north and south.

We kick off with Kate Simpson, marketing and comms director at the BDC, together with Paddy Lynn, head of events management at P&J Live, a conference and events venue in Scotland.

Both venues have served as vaccination centres and the focus here is, post ‘freedom day’’/pre-Omicron, on getting the event needle back on the record - dealing with diaries, delays and postponements, managing turnarounds, the sanitising everything process, concessions from organisers, branding and beyond.

Max Ball, executive director at the Business Design Centre, is in the second podcast with Sean Hinds, Manchester Central ‘s chief exec, and Simon Mill, chief commercial officer at Excel.  Beyond the AEV 2021 success story, they discuss their lockdown learnings, the benefits of what has turned out to be a short return to live events and the pressure venues had to put on government to reopen beforehand.

Up next, Alden Arnold, project manager for the Association of Event Venues, has a quick look at shorter lead times, the hunger for the original live return, collaborations and compromise, asset sharing, interaction and attentivity. 

This edition of the EIN podcast wraps with Lauren Hudson, health, safety and sustainability advisor at Manchester Central, and Siân Richards, who’s in a similar role at Olympia London, talking sustainability and the pandemic impact on objectives and execution. They touch on the net zero roadmap, COP26, conscientious thinking, fielding questions from organisers and energy usage on the show floor.          

In this episode, Tony Kula, founder & CEO at MEETYOO, and Product Management Lead Tim Gutsche talk about starting the company and its evolution – organic and through acquisition - over the last nearly 12 years.

Kula and Gutsche detail background knowledge about digital platforms ahead of the pandemic push on the sector, product development, and customer service since March 2020. Additionally to flexibility, conveying a unique experience, developing engagement, support, managing expectations, data, and much more…  

Working out of Seattle, CLIPr, uses machine learning to index every minute of a video and generates an automated table of contents by identifying topics and sub-topics.

In this episode, Humphrey Chen highlights the CLIPr revolution,, from personalising the video experience, fostering interaction and reaction, adding bookmarks, finding key content across a whole event to making 365 a reality.

Chen talks new revenue streams, advanced analytics, the network effect, synchronous and asynchronous modes, and much more.

In this episode, CEO Jelmer van Ast, who founded the company more than 11 years ago, discusses the thinking behind the publication and what its ambitions are before going on to look at the trends, or steps, towards hybrid, the strength in smaller/more local events and rethinking the reach for a larger audience.

Jelmer van Ast also highlights the value in learning from repetition and engagement, developing the Conference Compass platform over the last 12 months, targeting the technical wants of the hybrid model, the crucial relationship with AV partners and much more.

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In this episode, Alecia May talks about using 87 – EIGHTY SEVEN - virtual event platforms over the past three and half years and the key takeaways from that extraordinary weight of experience.

May goes on to discuss different clients/different requirements, being at the forefront of technology, the benefits of familiarising yourself with a platform, ‘test it, test it, test it’, workarounds, tech stacks and much more.

Having seen, and drawn from, the shallow waters of practiced options, in July 2021 Lauralee launched Spectrum Speakers & Entertainers, the UK’s first diversity focused content bureau.

In this episode, she discusses the motivation behind that move and why speakers at events from different backgrounds are invariably asked to talk about their experience as a minority more than anything else.

Lauralee Whyte looks at learnings from lockdown, inspiration, representation and opportunity, tapping into micro-communities and working with Brixton Finishing School.  

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With more than 16 years’ experience designing and delivering diverse experiential marketing programmes for b2b, non-profit and consumer markets, Devin has an enviable track record in strategising and executing in-person, virtual and hybrid events.

In this episode, Devin Cleary discusses budget cuts, which began pre-pandemic, and how chief marketing officers (CMOs) can prepare for this era of redefined events, what the impact of Covid-19’s delta variant on in-person events is likely to be and how event professionals and CMOs can effectively collaborate through that window.

Cleary also looks at in-person sponsorships and how the event marketing landscape has changed over the longer term – from 2010 on.

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In this episode, Baris Onay discusses his learnings from the Covid-19 pandemic, the story behind the company name, cost efficiency, mitigating risk with event series, moving away from the make or break mentality, the untapped value in the virtual world and much more.

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Throughout, Event Genius has stayed in step with Hossenally’s original ambition – and the company name - to provide promoters with a better means to sell tickets and to manage all aspects of the business.

In this episode, Reshad Hossenally details his role in the recent flurry of Liverpool test events, which, with clinical tests for audiences either side, required no social distancing and no face masks. He talks about Event Genius’ cashless payment system as well. Crucially, post-Covid, it facilitates speed in event transactions and prevents congregation in typical pinch points, reducing risk of contamination and the potential for identifying contacts via RFID bands.

Look out for Hossenally detailing the system’s new functionality too.

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In this episode, James Gower talks about the Fair’s considerable history – the late Prince Philip famously branded it the ‘shop window of the countryside’ - before digging into fallow 2020 and the positive impact that had on the 2021 show. How build time was cut from 12 weeks to four, adjustments to the site layout, new elements to the audience – a product of the lockdown reconnection with the great outdoors - and much more besides.

In this episode, Anthony Vade digs into his background, and details the CED in his current job title, before detailing exactly what Event Design Collective does for organisers. With plenty of hand gestures, he talks bringing about change, facing the challenge of the events and tech mindset collision, digital dexterity, partnership relationships and why it’s worth budgeting for some tech redundancy.

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Tellingly, CEO Shaun Hinds, who is also director/vice chair of the Association of Event Venues, featured on the EIN podcast pre-pandemic, in October 2019.

This episode, in a wholly different world, sees Hinds talking about Manchester Central events before, during and after lockdown. How staff and suppliers to the venue worked right through the installation of NHS Nightingale North West at the site, how the event industry was “absolutely fundamental” in establishing the chain of those facilities across the country and the lack of understanding in the corridors of power about the planning and delivery that goes into live events nevertheless.

Hinds also discusses the resurgent appetite for the live model and how that will stimulate new event genres, making better use of outdoor spaces, vaccine passports, mitigation measures and personal responsibility.

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In this episode, Sophie Bannister gives host James Dickson her take on everything from lockdown media days via Zoom, and other platforms, understanding the consumer journey, and rethinking content, through to planning live events again post ‘freedom day’.

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In this episode, Josh Hotsenpiller discusses, among other things, the thinking behind JUNO publication ‘All events are hybrid: a planning workbook’.

Rife with sporting analogy and self-help missives the conversation touches on variables, the power of empathy, making challenges smaller, the benefits of a pen and paper approach, user generated content and how removing boundaries is the future of the world…  

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Launched in 2010, Recess is tech designed to marry brands with perfect match live events and venues efficiently – without all the searching/emailing and calling. Crucially, there are 100s of brands and agencies signed up, so Recess is a balanced equation.

Jack Shannon explains the switch he and his business partner made 11 years ago, from event organisers to facilitators, and the attendant value in truly understanding the challenge prior to rolling out Recess.

This episode goes on to look at the difference between ‘unfair advantage’ and seizing opportunities, the behemoth of the US collegiate system, the pandemic impact, creative thinking and, because Shannon thinks and talks quickly, much, much more….

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The July 2021 launch of subsidiary platform EventMarket is at the core of this episode, Góes detailing its capacity to hook clients up with proven local agencies around the world, giving InEvent a new level of global reach.

Host James Dickson asks about the impact, the spoils, of joining the Y Combinator seed accelerator program in 2019, just ahead of the Covid 19 crush, and how much it helped InEvent adapt and deliver through the pandemic.

Pedro Góes also highlights how consumer tech companies are waking up to the value in event tech and much more besides.

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In this episode, Woodall and Mathie discuss the impact of the government’s stop, start, stop again approach to live events – or most of them. They highlight the lack of understanding, the myriad flaws in Westminster’s approach to financial support for the sector, how Dodge Woodall has dug deep to keep the Bournemouth 7s team together, the value of relationships through the festival’s 14 years and much more besides.

Published on www.raccoonevents.com – under the News tab – Seaman asks ‘Why are exhibitions being discriminated against?’

In this episode, referencing his post, Mike Seamon talks about the value of the sector, coping with moving shows, getting freelancers and the rest of the supply chain back to work, the built in ‘track and trace’ at live events, why big businesses/big personalities have stayed quiet and whole lot more.

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Lock On slowly became more of a media comms agency, ultimately developing tech solutions and Bo Shields co-founded Totem Hybrid in June 2020.

In this episode, Christopher Bo Shields talks about the past, his thoughts on the event industry model through the pandemic, changing strategy as the goalposts moved, the new values of virtual, data, capacity to test events online and accessibility over broadcast ‘quality’ before focusing on Totem’s own hybrid platform.

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Mike steered Just Eat into the FTSE 250 where it was the fastest growing company for a good while, leaving the business to seek new adventure in 2016 after that huge growth phase.

In this episode, Mike Wroe talks about meeting JLL founder/MD Jack Linaker and making the move into the events industry, opportunities in a changing world, the benefits of being ‘fiercely competitive’, digital acceptance and how hybrid might be the hardest step.

Mike also mentions the Brexit word…

Launched at the turn of the century, initially focused on event logistics, Unbridled acquired a travel agency in 2002, going on to add registration to the mix in 2004, creative services in 2007 and production 2008, since when the company has enjoyed a “wild ride” in growth.

Currently, Unbridled produces about 400 events a year, with a mix of services and industries, from 50 capacity to 10,000.

In this episode, Tim Woodring highlights the value in connecting employees with their employer and how working from home has changed the map in terms of what job people feel they can apply for.

Woodring also discusses Unbridled staff’s sprint to adopt/adapt to the virtual world in spring 2020, the metamorphosis from ‘webinar’ to virtual event, how professional sport has the ultimate hybrid show for years, Thomas Kuhn’s book The Structure of Scientific Revolutions and more besides.

In this episode, EMMC founders Dax Callner, strategy director at Smyle, Katie Streten, head of experiential strategy for VMLY&R Commerce and Matt Sincaglia, VP of strategy & analytics at RedPeg Marketing, talk about the inspiration they drew from the lack of certified approaches to measurement in “our space” and the subsequent thinking and planning behind the coalition.

They discuss measuring what matters, bypassing the competitive instinct to deliver telling detail for the whole membership, which includes the likes of Astound, DRP, Explori, George P Johnson, Impact and Velocity, presenting understandable core metrics and the ‘So What’ test.

In this episode, David Ball discusses the race and pace of change over the last 12 months and the resulting new efficiency. How to balance the live and virtual equation, the impact of talent leaving the live events world and helping freelancers to get ‘match fit’ again through the company’s Plus One programme.

Host James Dickson also asks about sustainability and David details dealing with the ISO process and setting a target to make Brandfuel a net zero emissions business by June 2022.

In this episode, Michael Wyrley-Birch, the company’s chief executive, and client partner Lucy Knill discuss TRO’s ‘How to thrive in a post-pandemic experience economy’ white paper.

Adding individual perspectives to the document, Michael and Lucy look at the value of direct interaction, then and now, how everything from holidays to a walk with friends has a new worth, being/staying aligned with an audience, the demand for new content, defining culture in 2021, how to stay relevant and the new experiential universe.

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In this episode, Guy Horner discusses the changing landscape for brand experiences, virtual launches, unpacking the power of the pivot, platforms and tech, extending the footprint for exhibitions, storytelling in 2021 and TBA’s recent acquisition of marketing agency Top Banana.

Set for a bumper time 12 months ago, with huge B2B and B2C plans in place, 90 per cent of them live, Clarke’s commitment to a digital edge on everything meant Undercurrent was able to pivot quickly and effectively in the first lockdown, keeping all staff gainfully employed.

In this episode, Damian Clarke discussed how the brand experience hasn’t changed it’s just moved online, how Undercurrent gets into the minds of customers beyond the bots, how integration is the buzz word and how ‘experiential’ has changed over the last 20 years – with everyone being able to access everything all of the time.

Clarke also does the detail on The Current Collective, which he launched three years ago. An umbrella over staff, stunts and a video content agencies, and how each feeds the other.

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In this episode, Ally Wolf looks back at the Grand’s origins and history, going on to talk about, hosting successful test events post-lockdown 1, working with the Music Venues Trust and with DCMS, representing the venue model and the greater industry, reduced capacity events, costing Covid test protocols and where we go next - before and after June 2021.

#eventprofs #getreadytorestart #eventprofsuk #eventnews #eventindustrynews #virtualevents #hybridevents #eventplanning #eventproduction #events #event #eventblog #eventplanners #evento #eventmarketing #experiential #activations #eventtech #eventmanager #eventmanagement #corporateevents #brandevent #meetings #exhibitions #marketing #greenevents #sustainability

Dan came back to the UK for a job as advance project manager with the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic torch relays. Then, chronologically, he was head of event delivery and finishes manager at the Tour de France 2014, head of ops with Manchester City and head of venue operations across town at Manchester Utd.

That weight of experience led Dan Schofield to launch digital charity initiative Play. Fund. Win last October, a timely cash free business designed to play for events of all sizes and their fans.

In this episode, Dan discusses the ambition behind the idea, the benefits it brings to both sides of the digital ticket – every pot is split 50/50 between event and winners – and, crucially, how the system works.

Nick sits on the NOEA Council, is a vice chair of the AIF and BVEP, a member of the NTIA and has recently joined the Festival DCMS/Public Health England workforce

In this episode Nick Morgan discusses lockdown and using it to develop solutions across an event timetable that typically leaves little time for experimentation, how supply chains have suffered, competition for kit as lockdown lifts and demand for tickets booms and where next for the live event model.

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Alongside a number of high-net-worth individuals, her clients include Manchester Utd and Coronation Street. 

In light of Boris Johnson’s lifting lockdown announcement, this episode focuses on restarting the event industry safely, Liz Taylor talking vaccine passports and the value of compromise, insurance restrictions, moral responsibility and looking after the next generation of event professionals.

A creative comms agency with a weight of global clients, Top Banana was in a practised position for the streaming revolution, which started in March last year.

In this episode, Richard Twamley talks to host James Dickson about the changing landscape in terms of culture and people, event timelines, flexibility of response, hybridisation and the cost saving for clients through the pivot.

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James, who has put the questions across some 200 EIN podcast editions, and counting, contracted Covid-19 ahead of the pandemic’s first peak, in March 2020.

Taken to hospital by ambulance, James was put on a ventilator for two weeks before starting his recovery programme.

In this episode, Adam asks about that experience, and James’ key learnings from it, before moving on to his plans for the podcasts now he’s back behind the microphone – including the two James has already recorded.

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Running between 50 and 100 executive summits every year pre-pandemic, for clients as illustrious as IBM and Dell, the GDS model already incorporated the virtual world so was a few steps ahead come the travel restrictions and lockdowns.

In this episode, among other things, Harlan Davis talks through the company background before focusing on the pivot, the advantage in experience, understanding the value in digital and its benefits in terms of accelerated learning. 

With a focus on attendee/delegate interaction, Shindig replicates the ‘mingling’ aspect of live events, so people can come across others with similar interests, start conversations, meet and join groups and so on.

This episode see host Adam Parry leave the comforts of Zoom to put Shindig through its paces and to ask Steve about his history in and around events, the motivations behind Shindig, how clients as illustrious as Amazon, Netflix and Mary J Blige are using it and what the future holds.

With a BBC contract confirmed and several other big sponsorship names in the frame for 2021, in this episode Spelfie CEO, Chris Newlands, details the design and development behind the tech, how it works and what an effective, cost-efficient space shot means for micro-influencers.  

In this episode Jelmer discusses the Covid tipping point for his business, how it invested its way around the crisis, developing solutions to help customers, new and existing, with their pivots into the virtual world.

The focus here though is the greater Conference Compass vision for a ‘one community’ platform. How using its tech, or similar, to connect people globally and bring them together regularly is, or should be, the game changing thing for this sector. And how the notion of delivering an event once a year then disappearing on them for 11 months is not sustainable in the face of hybrid and virtual shows delivering real value – and community – around the clock, across the calendar.  

Established back in 1975, Live Group has been focusing on digital events and streaming for almost as long as Bruce has been with the business.

Expect really interesting content in this episode then and great delivery, focused on Events 2.0 – Live Group’s timely solution to traditional thinking – and all the benefits of that reset: inclusivity, accessibility, content and connecting people.

In this episode we discuss the DCMS exhibition pilot Lou attended ahead of the proposed restart in October and the learnings she took from that as a visitor. How reduced numbers and social distancing, coupled with masks, can suck the noise from a show floor, how more catering spaces rather than less might help foster interaction in the new order and how, in six months’ time, the event industry will be under considerable pressure to meet expectation.

Lou also talks about her upcoming role as chair of ESSA, the importance of associations as a flag for represented elements of the industry and, crucially, as a means to lobby government.

On the back of World Mental Health Day, the focus for this episode is stress and mental wellbeing. Famously, event organisation/delivery turns the dial right up – a recent Stress Matters report highlights how 28 per cent of respondents had taken some time off attributed to being overworked or stressed and Covid-19 has further impacted the industry.

Working from home can make it harder for people to share or network with their work family and Ashley discusses some of the initiatives he has introduced to keep his team’s moral up.

These include one to ones, ‘town halls’ where people can anonymously ask questions in a public forum and by being open and honest about where the business is financially and in its projections.

Ashley also highlights the benefits of an initiative like employee of the month, a simple, well received way to give some invaluable recognition.

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In this episode, Mike talks about the reasons clients wanted to switch away from physical show in those early days, highlighting how budget constraints took one company from hybrid and on to fully virtual within about three years, but kept all the plates spinning.

Among a number of topics, we discuss the formats that get great events going online, their learnings, how tech has a whole lot of answers if you know who to ask. The ‘always on’ of virtual events and the potential for year-round partnerships with agencies. 

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In this episode, Anna discusses the huge appetite for solutions she discovered in putting the organisation together last year, how she has worked with agencies in the thick of the industry, her founding partners, to take the competition out of the sustainability question and how there should be basic, minimum standards that everyone works to.  

We talk about the collective want for an independent, representative body that inspired Isla, the organisation’s training manifest, how to manage sustainability, setting KPIs, approaches to event design, the budget question and much more besides. 

In this episode, hear how First Sight has adapted its experience to fit the new environment since March 2020, fitting with the speed people/clients want to work in delivering their virtual and hybrid pivots.

As well as discussing some of the common misconceptions, Richard highlights how investment in terms of production value of the content is vital if you want to present a brand properly – especially if you’re charging people to watch.

On the flipside of that, he mentions the monetisation around ‘eyeball’ marketing via an example of an event that attracted 36,000 visitors on Facebook and its value to a sponsor that just wants to be in front of an audience.

Touching on Kendal Calling and the company mantra, in this episode Ben focuses on music, science and culture fest buedot, typically at Jodrell Bank University, and transforming the event for a virtual audience in 2020, which, with a lot of the content educational, wasn’t a straight swap.

Hear how turning the bluedot dates into A Weekend in Outer Space gave the team behind it a new impetus during lockdown, keeping them creative, how the new-look is driving funding to Jodrell Bank and a whole lot more.

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Essex-based Showcase AVi had business halt for several months due to the pandemic’s effect and founder/managing director, Ben Collings, mounts a passionate defence for the greater industry in this podcast

We talk hybrid and virtual events first, how Showcase AVi shifted its focus over lockdown to provide a platform for filming, live streaming and green screen technology as well as looking after speakers – the human kind – in the virtual world.

Borrowing from football parlance, the final third of our chat sees Ben highlighting the flaws in the Chancellor’s provision for the event industry, how his strategy should be better educated and more productively focused.

In this episode we talk about the transition from physical to virtual events, the value of having that alternative in the shadow of a pandemic, creating effective content and delivering it, in both domains, social engagement and more besides.

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As an influencer, Bernard works with companies including Microsoft, Cisco and IBM to help them “amplify their voice” while ‘Nes’ has seen extraordinary demand for solutions to support the global switch to online business interaction.

In this episode we discuss what virtual events look like, how tech is supporting an industry that can’t meet, and the role they will play as a marketing strategy going forward. How COVID-19 has triggered new ways of thinking, how Marr pivoted to find fertile new pastures live streaming content on LinkedIn and YouTube, to the tune of 20,000-strong audiences. Still greater reach for his ideas, his brand, and no airports, no hotels and no time away from home.

As Nes explains, people did their education through lockdown. Now they’re asking more technical questions, using tech to keep their businesses afloat through the pandemic,

because, like Bernard, they’re ready for the virtual world order.

And how hybrid events, online reach coupled to a physical event, will be the new/better than normal.

Committed to pushing against the traditional advertising/marketing tide, Kommando moved into the digital space and saw the tide change with social media.

The group of companies that sit under its umbrella, including Nomadix Media, research and develop tech for brand development and for rethinking/adapting the experiential space.

In this episode Mark talks about setting the company up, his Buddha background and beyond, going on to highlight Halo, a new product incorporating facial detection, which can be added to any screen/camera set up to provide public or personalised messaging to key locations in a venue or event.

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In this episode, Ed takes on an odds-defying journey - from the theory of Ricoh Arena, Coventry, where the show floor would have featured half a rugby pitch, to the reality of the virtual world.

Back to the drawing board, Ed and team focused on the nascent Rugby Show’s strengths: mission, brand, reach, influencers et al.

With 95 per cent of the content delivered live, realising 73 Media’s strengths and working with Silverstream TV to produce/deliver the live streams, 100 per cent to time and high quality, was a crucial element in the event’s success.

While it has a weight of backing from the British and Irish game, stepping across to the virtual world brought speakers to the podium a physical Rugby Show never dreamed of.

73 Media is an event organiser and agency hybrid. Delivering consumer, B2B and corporate events, company highlights include The One Earth Show as well as The Rugby Show.

With management roles at Miller Freeman, Centaur, Informa and Mark Allen Group on his CV Ed Tranter is also a member of the AEO board.

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In this episode Ashanti talks about how the events model should stop simply talking about diversity and start implementing changes, highlighting issues that can creep in as early as the interview process to prevent a business from being diverse.

Ashanti also discusses the challenges facing the industry and the myths 

that need demystifying… 

Diversity Ally provides a platform of discussion, a safe place for individuals to discuss diversity without prejudice and a framework that organisations can follow in order to create change. 

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In this episode, Jason Megson, managing director at George P. Johnson Experience Marketing, discusses the company’s reach, its mission, client objectives and more besides.

We talk about the pandemic challenges too of course, the growth in hybrid/virtual events, technologies, platforms and solutions.  

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Pierre Metrailler started with SpotMe as a software engineer. Eighteen years later he’s the company’s CEO.

We talk about that journey in this edition, how SpotMe arguably created the first event ‘app’ in the shape of a hardware tool, going on to discuss the burgeoning hybrid market and how the industry is crying out for investment in digital skills.

Looking at the coronavirus effect that continues to shake the boundaries of human interaction, Pierre highlights the pre-COVID 19 virtual events numbers - just 7 per cent of SpotMe’s turnover - and how the pandemic has spun the wheel on that statistic.

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In this episode Allie discusses how the event industry Stateside, and Hubb in particular, has changed, or adapted, under the COVID-19 shadow, new partnerships, what the rest of 2020 looks like and more besides.

We also talk about Allie’s virtual conference, Untethered, ‘created by and for the event industry’ early in lockdown with all proceeds, some $17,500 and counting, going to the Meeting Industry Fund.

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In enterprise and SaaS sales for 20 years, Lorch discusses the new tech behind virtual events, the elements he thinks will endure on the other side of the coronavirus window and the ones that won’t. 

We also look at COVID-19’s impact on particular types of event and where, when and how the corporate/conference sector will find its feet again, in terms of situation and revenue, through the new normal and beyond. 

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www.apodcastmasterclass.com next course starts 20 May - see site for details Jason@JSJVS.Com   To keep up to date with all the news, subscribe for free here. If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form.

But, it’s just the beginning for founder Chloe Richardson, with virtual now being the new norm for the foreseeable future.

In this episode, Chloe talks me through the steps that organisations should take to make a success of the digital model and highlighted that events should remain at the heart of the customer to make it a success.

She also accepted that the rebook process might take a while longer due to more effort being needed during the pre and post-event periods.

I found this episode really interesting and the ideas shared can be applied to many business types.

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To be notified of its official launch subscribe to updates here. 

If you would like to take part in a podcast, then please complete our submission form. 

But, is there already light at the end of the tunnel?

On 3 April, China hosted what organisers claim is the first major trade fair to take place in the country following the Covid-19 pandemic. China’s first reported death was 11 January and reports today (7 April) show zero new deaths due to the outbreak.

If the UK were to follow the same timeline, then major events could start as early as the end of May.

If events do get the go ahead as soon as May then marketeers may need to act quick. This week, my podcast guest is Tag Digital’s Laura Davidson, a specialist in digital event marketing who highlights best event marketing practice.

Serving 2,000 events annually, Laura also shares key-analysis from when events began to cancel in Asia through to the more recent cancellations in Europe and the UK.

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The UK, in effect, is in Lockdown. As we all know, the event industry was one of the first sectors to be hit by the Covid-19 outbreak.

In this must-watch edition of our podcast, I talked to Craig Mathie, MD at Bournemouth 7’s about this year’s postponed festival.

Bournemouth 7’s decision to move the event from May to August Bank Holiday was for reasons including “giving the virus the best possible chance of passing”.Whilst this is no doubt a crisis, Craig explained that this industry is used to “planning for the worst and we’re constantly balancing severity and probability”.

Before the 2019 festival, Craig explained that a viral outbreak was one of the table-top exercises and that his multi-phase business continuity plan is now been rigidly worked through.

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Created less than a week ago, the petition has gained huge traction, attracting over 111,000 signatures so far.

Having created the petition and written a series of letters to government officials, Matt discussed exactly what he wants the petition to achieve and who should benefit.

Listen in to learn exactly what the event industry is lobbying for, what this “economic support” might look like and what else the government could do to support event professionals. 

Furthermore, learn what you can do to help support this petition and to get it discussed in Parliament.

If you haven’t signed the petition yet, you can do so here.

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Kicking off a week today (19th March), EVENTIT is an annual gathering of meetings and event professionals that takes place in Edinburgh. It is co-located with the bi-annual Business Events Leaders’ Summit (BELS) and comprises education, networking and lead-generation.

Celebrating its fifth edition, EVENTIT is returning to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre where it was hosted in its first year having been hosted in Glasgow for the past three years.

The Scottish event industry is worth £3.5bn. This includes events that are hosted outside of Scotland but created by Scottish companies. EVENTIT was created to help bolster that industry, not just in Scotland but across the UK.

Commenting on the location of the show and the notion that it is purely for Scottish companies, Judith said: “When we first set it up, that’s what we thought was going to happen, that it was just going to be a showcase for Scottish suppliers and Scottish buyers. That has changed quite dramatically since year one and we now have quite a number of exhibitors from outside of Scotland.”

If you think you have a relevant topic and would like to feature on a podcast episode, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Avantgarde is a global brand experience agency that has been designing measurable experiences for 35 years. Its 10 locations include Berlin, Cologne, Dresden, Dubai, London, Munich, São Paulo, Shanghai, Vienna and Zurich.

Speaking about the power of experiential events, Thom stated people seek out places and events where they can “feel something and see something different.”

He continued: “I don’t think digital necessarily relates just to screen-based content in the experience arena, I think it actually starts to become a lot more interesting, a lot more part of the story-telling.”

The fast advancement of technology in recent years, such as smart devices and the internet, has made people used to digital technology: it has become a part of daily life for most people. However, technology such as an “84-inch touchscreen” isn’t a usual occurrence so it is important to observe and monitor how audiences react to such technology to determine its success.

Giving an example, Thom said: “People have a much lower tolerance of getting things wrong when everyone is watching. You have to be so direct about what people need to do on that screen because, if they make a mistake, they feel silly and they leave, which is not what you want!”

This creates a challenge for designers to determine the balance of finding engaging content that attracts audiences and making it easy for them to navigate and use.

If you think you have a relevant topic to discuss and would like to feature on the Event Industry News podcast, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

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DBpixelhouse provides experiential solutions for temporary and permanent installations. It works directly with creative agencies, event organisers and brands to create memorable experiences for events and venues.

Because their services are better demonstrated than explained, Matt explained that they created the PixelLab -  a space in which the team can showcase its latest content and digital experiences: “Some of our solutions are quite difficult to explain, but if you’ve got someone there physically experiencing it, then it makes it a lot easier for them to get what it is that we do.”

DBpixelhouse encourages its clients to adopt experiential solutions, so Alastair stated PixelLab allows the team to practise what they preach.

Augmented reality, touchscreen apps and multi-faceted digital solutions are just some of the technology that is presented at PixelLab.

The meetings at PixelLab are by appointment only so that the team can offer clients undivided attention. 

To see for yourself what DBpixelhouse can offer you and your event, contact the team on 0345 226 3083 or info@dbpixelhouse.com. 

Follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

If you think you have a relevant topic and would like to feature on one of our weekly podcasts, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

This content is sponsored by DBpixelhouse.

With one in three event professionals suffering from ill mental health each year, EventWell is dedicated to providing the industry with resources, advice, knowledge and support on mental wellbeing.

#EventWell20 is the overarching umbrella that now encompasses two campaigns: #EventWellbeingDay on 26th February and #EventWellbeingWeek that will run from 21st-27th September.

“We’ve got quite an ambitious aim this year,” Helen stated. “I felt that it was important we where we do something where we promote action, for people to do something now and take ownership within their organisations and also as individuals to be better at looking after their self-care.”

Through a partnership with Time To Change, Helen created the EventWell Manifesto. Through this, she is calling for the mental health of all professionals be of top priority in the industry.

EventWell frequently conducts research into the wellbeing of professionals working in the event industry and Helen is concerned that she is not seeing much difference between her findings from year to year. This, she said, has driven her to encourage the industry into action to make relevant changes. Search the hashtag #PledgeForChange.

“We still have one in three event professionals who are suffering from mental ill health each year.”

If you would like to learn more information about #EventWell20 search the hashtags: #eventwell20 #eventwellbeingday20 #EWD20 

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Established in 2015, the ICEAWARDS were created exclusively for in-house corporate planners and to recognise and support their achievements. Launched in 2019, the ICEINSIGHTS research was created to explore the support currently provided for in-house corporate planners.

During the podcast, Anita explained the research that created the ICEINSIGHTS. It explored how in-house event planners can work more effectively, their relationships within their businesses and how data and tech can be utilised to coordinate efforts.

An area that was explored was the ‘proactive v reactive’ approach among in-house corporate planners. It states the proactive approach allows organisers to “prioritise events as part of a wider strategy with a focus on ROI and achieving objectives, embed events in the wider company strategy and decide which events to organise.”

Alternatively, taking a reactive approach means planners “receive a brief from stakeholders, have more flexibility about which events they organise and have less structure.” 

The research also tackles issues around consistency, metrics and technology for in-house corporate planners. 

The ICEAWARDS take place on 9th July 2020 in London.

If you think you have a relevant topic and would like to feature on one of our weekly podcasts, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Founded in 2015, Eventbaxx was created to provide a digital version of an event goody bag. It is nearly impossible to monitor the interaction of physical goody bags and they are often discarded. Digitalising it created a plausible means of monitoring its engagement, offering a strand of measurement to sponsors and organisers not otherwise available before.

Physical goody bags also create questions regarding sustainability and cost: is the handing out of physical ‘goodies’ responsible in today’s climate and can sponsors correctly estimate how many they will need?

“Massive amounts of these goody bags end up in the trash minutes after being handed out. That’s why we think it’s not very efficient at all,” Lennart said, explaining that physical freebies are neither logical, reliable or responsible.

With Fanomena, organisers can measure the amount of goody bags issued, their engagement and who has received one. Fanomena also supports organisers to make the most of the platform and ensure they maximise the full advantages of it.

Fanomena can be used from any mobile device or desktop and incorporates a very detailed reporting system.

Evantbaxx was in the market for three and a half years before Fanomena was born. 

You can follow Fanomena on Twitter at @fanomena

If you think you have a relevant topic and would like to feature on one of our weekly podcasts, get in touch at molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Commenting on the rarity of attaining a keynote speaker with absolutely no agenda, podcast host, James, advised that organisers should be conscious of hiring speakers who may have bias/other intentions.

Agreeing, Samuel explained, “if you bring on someone who works for a marketing agency, they will be promoting the services that the agency provides.” Particularly if the speaker is not being paid, they will attempt to gain some benefits from the session by pitching their company or services.

Approaching a speech with no side agenda allows speakers to offer nothing but honest opinions and assessments. This is not only picked up on by the audiences, but the event organisers as well.

Delivering speeches puts one in a unique position of influencing and informing large numbers of people. This makes fact-checking absolutely vital. Even stats and data can be interpreted differently by two different people depending on their bias so keeping your information as neutral as possible allows audiences to form their own opinions on it.

Samuel also advised not to turn your back on your audience to read from the screen behind you. If necessary, keep a monitor in front of you to refer to. This constant turning suggests to your audience and employers that you are underprepared.

If you think you have a relevant discussion topic and would like to feature on one of our podcast episodes, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Huddleston has been a senior figure at Certain for three years, first as the senior director of product marketing before becoming VP and head of marketing in September 2019.

Certain is a provider of end-to-end event automation software that helps organisers and planners deliver top results.

Huddleston stated that marketers have become more “data-driven” in recent years than ever before. He explained that marketers can now utilise an unprecedented amount of analytics, attendee information and event results to design marketing strategies. This hard evidence of data, therefore, helps justify marketing ideas.

Though data is essential, we may be at risk of suffering data-overload. Huddleston stated that events offer attendees the advantage of having that one-to-one contact with prospective clients and business partners to help cut through the data noise: “The pendulum is swinging back towards the power of face-to-face interaction. That’s why our customers see a lot of investment in events.

“Events are that channel that truly cuts through the noise.” 

Offering one-to-one meetings at events is a significant player in driving registration. Providing people with one strong prospective business contact compared to hundreds of generic businesses is more reliable in guaranteeing their attendance. “As an attendee myself, I’m always looking to open my network,” Huddleston said.

If you think you have a relevant topic of discussion for our podcast and would like to feature, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com. 

Charlie is the first head of digital at the ICC Belfast, having joined in April 2018. He designs and delivers the digital strategy for the venue, using its website and digital marketing channels (such as email marketing and social media) to accomplish his goals.

In the past 18 months, Charlie and the team reviewed all their “customer touchpoints” to work towards improving them, create a more targeted approach and enhancing the customer experience.

Some of the changes they made involved removing steps from their website’s booking forms, improved the seating map and added more information. Within a short space of time after doing this, Charlie found the basket abandonment rate dropped by 30%.

Not only did Charlie dive into the site’s analytics to learn how consumers were using the site, but he conducted surveys to learn customers’ opinions. “The data and the information we got from those responses were, in my mind, the real change in how we developed our website.”

The ICC Belfast has the Ulster Hall and the Waterfront Hall which, not too long ago, all had duel-branding and the same website. This created confusion among consumers who would search for the Ulster Hall and be subsequently presented with the Waterfront Hall logo and vice versa. Moreover, there was limited information on offer about which events were hosted in which hall.

Additionally, creating a brand specifically for the conference side of the business allowed the venue to attract the relevant attention. “It’s had a massive impact on conferencing because it’s made it very clear a) our capability and b) what we represent.” This also diminished any confusion caused by mixing the conference and entertainment aspects of the venue together.

If you would like to feature on an upcoming episode of our podcast, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

On this episode, Neil and Gaby explained the creative design process the team at Universal Live undertakes with each project and how it may differ from client to client. They delved into the various tools, hardware and programmes they use as well as discussed how they generate ideas from brief to brief.

The Universal Live duo discussed the tools and programmes they use in the design process, stating that drawing their ideas is much more beneficial than trying to describe them over email or on paper. Having a visual representation of their ideas immediately allows clients to understand exactly what they are thinking, and discussions become a lot more fluid.

Additionally, Gaby explained that if her creative process was dependent on the tools she already had at her disposal, she would already be starting off on “the back foot”. Neil added: “You’re hindering yourself if you have to use just what’s in the warehouse. You’ve put walls up on your design.”

The team at Universal Live utilises virtual reality to help them demonstrate their designs to clients. “We can take the client to the venue, put the VR goggles on and our design is there, almost in the flesh,” Gaby explained, stating that using VR technology in this way allows them to walk their clients through the event design. 

“They can experience it from different angles, have the content playing on the screens.”

Neil and Gaby also described the hurdles that are often thrown their way during the design process – whether it be client expectations, the venue space or brief deadlines – and how they overcome them.

If you would like to feature on the Event Industry News podcast, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Speaking from the head offices in Canada, Aaron stated that Fifth Element Group was born from him discovering a “gap in the industry” 16 years ago when clients’ expectations were not being met properly. Aaron wanted to merge the management and design of an event into one firm.

Transparency between event planners and clients regarding fees is critical for a successful relationship. Aaron explained the planner should break down each rental/purchase to the client who then, in turn, appreciates where their money is going. Hiding costs suggests the planner is not confident they are providing good value for money. 

Aaron also claimed that healthy competition is ideal within the industry. “Going after” your competitors and their clients is something that should be practised to stir up business for companies. However, he stressed that this needn’t result in bitterness between event professionals. 

“We’re in business to do business.”

He also stated that he uses business practices to obtain his objectives. As an event organiser, he needs to create memorable experiences for his clients, therefore, if “any solution” gives him the opportunity to do that, he will absolutely do it: “That’s business ownership.” 

Overall, Aaron believes that organisers should follow solutions that will help them continue to conduct business. Though the event industry is fuelled by creativity, it is fundamentally a business.

If you would like to feature on an episode of the Event Industry News podcast, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Deborah used her time on the podcast to discuss how best to choose a speaker for your event and describe her top practices to get the best out of them.

Deborah lives by what she calls the ‘KFDs’. Before speaking, she asks herself, what does she want her audience to know by the end of her presentation; what does she want them to feel and what does she want them to do.

Additionally, she claimed that if your speaker can describe in simple, concise terms what their subject is about and the key points they wish the audience will take away, you, as an organiser, can feel reassured that they will transfer this concise description to their presentation.

“If [your speaker] can’t tell you in one paragraph what their talk is about, then they might ramble in the actual talk itself,” Deborah said.

She also suggested that allowing speakers access to the area in which they will be presenting prior to their session is beneficial. It allows them to “own the stage” and do their own “mental rehearsal” to better prepare themselves.

Lastly, Deborah explained her “seven Cs” to which she refers when choosing a speaker where she questions their:

• Ability to connect
• Credibility
• Ability to put their thoughts into context
• Conviction
• Ability to collaborate or build a sense of collaboration in the room
• Ability to cause action and inspire people
• Ability to create a community

If you would like to feature on an upcoming podcast, email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Speaking during the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Congress, Jelmer explained the benefits of designing and developing an app for one specific sector. 

Due to the event industry being so broad, the technology that supports it has to be adaptable. Though both are live events, a band concert in a park and a multi-strand conference are two very different occasions, therefore, they require different products, services and technology. This is also the same for the event app.

Focusing on creating apps for the conference sector allows the team at Conference Compass to develop sector-specific solutions for organisers.

“Pick one thing and do it well,” James agreed, stating that an app that is suitable for different events would offer a “diluted” offering as opposed to something that is specifically designed for one type of event.

Conference Compass set out to replace the printed programme with a digital version before developing the technology to create more interaction with attendees.

Other technological advancements such as new mobile devices, WiFi and internet speeds help guide Conference Compass’ developments. Jelmer explained that he develops apps that do not solely rely on external technology such as WiFi and data – if the external technology is faulty, it makes the app look faulty. 

If you would like to feature on one of our weekly podcasts, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Make Events is a corporate event agency based in Cheshire that revolves around creating the “ultimate experience” for top brands including Garmin, Myprotein and Twitter.

Last February, Holly ran an event for her staff. She believes that the best way to drive a message home is through a live event and so she put this into practice for her own team which served as the delegates to the two-day conference. 

This event allowed Holly to communicate the agency’s strategy for 2019 as well as remind the team of Make Events’ core values.

“The event was two-pronged: to drive the message of Make Events forward for the financial year and to give them [her team] the experience of an event that they loved so that they could sell it to clients,” Holly said.

She stressed that the devil is in the detail when it comes to planning. During her event, delegates (her team members) were presented with their favourite beverages and snacks while their favourite quotes were written on their bedroom mirrors. 

Holly also wove research into the event and ensured all sessions were no more than 22 minutes. This has been proven to be the length of time an audience’s attention is captivated, so any content beyond this point of time is more likely to be wasted.

“Everyone’s attention span is so much shorter than what it used to be. If you leave more time for Q&A, the sessions become much more authentic.”

If you would like to feature on a podcast episode, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

The SEC is a meeting and event venue in Glasgow composed of three buildings: the SEC Centre (five interconnected exhibition and meeting spaces), the SEC Armadillo (3,000-capacity) and The SSE Hydro (a 13,000-capacity concert, sporting and special event arena).

Originally the SECC (Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre), the venue rebranded to the SEC to offer more clarity on its venues and services.

It offers event spaces suitable for conferences, exhibitions, sporting events, concerts and corporate events. It can be accessed via train, taxi or plane; the SEC shares a city with Glasgow Airport and has a dedicated Metro station on the campus.

Dan described the in-house team’s approach as hands-on, helping with concepts and discussing with clients about their objectives and requirements. “We want to make shows as strong as possible – we don’t want unsuccessful launches.”

Praising the venue’s location, Dan stated that visitors have a broad choice of hotels, restaurants, bars etc., from which to choose should they want to take a break from exhibiting or their meetings. He said: “We encourage them to travel into Glasgow and see the best of what the city has to offer. Exhibitors are sometimes here three, four nights at a time.

“There’s lots to do in the immediate vicinity but two stops on the train and you’re in the city.”

If you would like to feature on one of our weekly podcasts, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Brandt is a technical producer, educator, speaker and consultant for the meeting and events industry who describes himself as a “geek dad and husband”. He is the founder of Event Technology Consulting and is based in Minnesota, USA.

Will Curran is the founder of Endless Events, an AV production company that has been running for 12 years. 

Both guests are hosts for a weekly podcast dedicated to event technology.

Explaining that he believes there is a “time and a place” for all models of AV production, Brandt stated that the occasion dictates whether it is best to use in-house AV, a third party or to buy/hire in your own AV equipment.

Over the course of the podcast, Will and Brandt described some of their worst experiences in the AV sector, drawing on these examples to demonstrate where certain situations went wrong.

Overpricing proved to be a common “malpractice” in the world of AV, with some venues inflating their starting bids for organisers to use their in-house AV production. Additionally, organisers can then feel trapped if they are contractually bound to use the in-house supplier.

Will and Brandt explored the different practices that organisers can undertake to avoid losing money or time on AV.

If you would like to feature on an episode of the Event Industry News podcast, email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Wonder is a creative events agency composed of experienced event specialists. It works with companies such as Google, BT, VISA and Deliveroo to design and create events across the B2B, B2C and B2E sectors.

Yesterday, it launched Future Live Today – a new agency to fulfil the evolving requirements to build more technology into events’ ecosystems so they increase in value.

Stating that event technology and marketing technology are complex facets in the world of events, he believes that clients, event organisers and even event agencies need additional support to make efficient decisions.

“Decisions that seem straight forward at the time aren’t always the best decisions financially or effectively,” he said, stating that Future Live aims to educate and inform professionals to make better decisions.

“I think we’ve seen a new era of event technology companies coming through.”

Neil also offered his professional opinions on the use of technology for both organisers and consumers, stating that events can be driven from both the professional and user perspective.

“If you are building anything that human beings are going to be interacting with, you have to have something that augments an experience.”

If you would like to feature on an episode of our weekly podcast, email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

With more than 25 years in the hospitality, property and business service sectors, Shaun was appointed CEO in June 2017 after serving in leadership roles at the Association of Event Venues, YourWelcome and the BridgeStreet Global Hospitality.

“We’re proud of our heritage but we need to remain relevant and we need to remain contemporary in a very fast-moving world,” Shaun stated when explaining how Manchester Central facilitates the needs of the modern event organiser.

The team at Manchester Central commits itself to provide a flawless infrastructure so that clients can deliver unique and top-of-the-range experiences. The team works with specialists and its existing infrastructure to explore that they, as a venue, can offer their clients.

Situated among universities, Media City, hotels, stations and retail areas, the venue lends itself well to event organisers looking for their next venue.

Drawing Shaun’s attention to the venue’s sustainability focus, James asked what Manchester Central is doing to improve its carbon footprint.

Shaun stated that he increasingly sees sustainability being placed in the top three places on clients’ agendas because clients themselves are becoming increasingly conscious of their own environmental impacts. 

“As a venue, we take it pretty seriously,” Shaun said, explaining the recycling and waste policies the venue has in operation. The venue also has a dedicated team that is responsible for managing the supply chains and audit trails to follow its recycling.

If you would like to feature on one of our weekly podcasts, email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Returning to the podcast for the third time, Rob explained the role Exposure Analytics plays in live events: “We help brands and agencies determine how effective their events are through the use of data and footfall analytics.”

Data, as Rob explained, is only effective when people know how to use it. The data that is presented from experiential analytics companies can accurately demonstrate where footfall was heaviest, the number of entries, the flow of visitors and dwell time, among other things.

“What our clients are interested in is the truth. Whether it’s a good number or a bad one; they want to know because then they can act on it,” Rob stated, explaining that receiving high statistics is not as useful as receiving high-quality statistics.

In terms of using facial recognition (FR) to capture data, GDPR poses several obstacles. “[With FR], we’re picking up personal data. Your face is your personal data.” However, some of Exposure Analytics’ devices can pick up an individual’s mood, expression, facial features and gender. This allows his clients to identify any trends within their audiences: whether the majority were male or female, for example.

At Event Tech Live this year, Rob will share a panel with 2LK’s Andy Sexton, VenuIQ’s Oliver Rowe and Crystal Interactive’s Rob Curtis. You can find the full list of Event Tech Live’s educational sessions here.

If you would like to feature on an upcoming podcast, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Having given a presentation on the subject at the Event Tech Live Exhibitor Masterclass in September, Hellen was invited on our podcast to elaborate.

Data protection is not a new concept with the previous data protection act being enforced in 1998. However, within the last 20 years, technology has changed in such a way that laws were struggling to keep up. Particularly within the event industry, professionals use various databases in their day-to-day jobs and handle copious amounts of data.

Cautioning event companies that buy data, Hellen said: “Be really careful when buying data. Because buying data is like putting a drop of oil in your water source; the minute you buy dirty data, your entire database is dirty.”

She described data as a person’s most important asset, so businesses need to take care when collecting it and ensure they only collect the data that is necessary for the business.

Hellen finished by explaining the ICO – the Information Commissioner’s Office – is the statutory authority for the UK and it regulates the data protection within Britain. The law requires that organisations or sole traders who process personal information to register with the ICO.

James is registered with the ICO and he described the process as easy and worthwhile.

Registration is simple, quick and can cost as little as £35 per year. Find out more on www.ico.org.uk. 

If you would like to feature one of our weekly podcasts, please email molly@eventindustrynews.com.

Reviewing the long-standing partnership that Universal Live and Capita Travel and Events have had, the two event professionals explore the supplier chain when planning events.

“It’s a ‘one-team-approach’ all the way,” Jason said, describing his opinion on how clients and suppliers should plan the events. He stated that both clients and suppliers alike should be open with each other when discussing the pitch.

Agreeing with this, Neil said one company won’t be experts in every facet of planning events: some may be proficient in event management, another in production. It is, therefore, important to recognise this and bring in different partners to help create the event that the client wants.

Listen to the podcast to learn how Capita Travel and Events and Universal Live approach clients’ pitches, budgets and negotiations. 

If you would like to feature on one of our weekly podcasts, please email editor@eventindustrynews.com.

As hosts of the How Great Events Happen podcasts, Brooke and Cody were able to offer our podcast host, James Dickson, invaluable advice on how to use podcasts for events.

Podcasts are useful for event professionals to broaden their scope of expertise and knowledge. They are also convenient, accessible and not restricted by time or location – they can be listened to anytime, anywhere!

Technological advancements have been such that digital content can be created easily and inexpensively. Easily produced, Podcasts are beneficial for creating or expanding the topics of conversation out in the industry, offering professionals otherwise inaccessible information/education.

Additionally, podcasts are an added platform to market events: professionals can easily use them to “tease” content out of plug their events. Post-event, podcasts can keep the momentum of engagement going, offering guests a platform to express their comments, keep updated with event information and find content from the event itself.

Offering her advice to professionals who may seem hesitant to launching a podcast, Brooke said, “Go for it. See what the audience likes and use those learnings for when you do your next season.”

Cody agreed: “It’s really interesting to analyse what we think our audience wants to listen to and what our audience actually wants to listen to.” 

If you would like to feature on one of our weekly podcasts, please email editor@eventindustrynews.com.

Here, he discussed the various training and qualifications we can now receive within the event industry.

“Never dry”, the event industry is constantly evolving, with new techniques, practices and technologies being introduced all the time. Various training courses within the industry may help professionals from being left behind.

However, is there such a thing as ‘over-education’? Should those hoping to gain entry into the event industry focus on work-based education rather than classroom-based?

The event industry is no longer focused on hosting a repetition of conferences or parties; it endeavours to move audiences’ emotions to create memorable experiences. Professionals hosting the same, tired events each year fail to understand the value of “spectacular” events and will, therefore, be overshadowed by “specialists”.

Kevin believes that event professionals, especially those just starting out, should “cherry-pick” courses and training sessions and follow a specific line of education to give themselves an edge over their colleagues. Broad-scale event training courses may produce a conveyer belt of generic event professionals with no distinctive knowledge, experience or ability.

If you would like to feature on one of our weekly podcasts, please email editor@eventindustrynews.com.

Louise believes that working with many sectors, not just events, gives her a unique edge to her work as she is open to new ideas, sees various perspectives and discovers trends in multiple industries.

During the podcast, Louise took us back to the beginning of her career where technology and restrictions confined her to doing things very differently. Nowadays, technology allows us to communicate, track data and create work instantly, infinitely changing the disciplines of every industry.

PR has become more reactive to people due to the instantaneous nature of today’s technology. Social media posts and digital content has added another layer to work responsibilities in PR and other sectors.

“There’s a lot of scope to be incredibly engaged with your audience which I think is fantastic for show organisers.”

She also describes the difference between working on a B2B and B2C show regarding press coverage and interview opportunities. “With B2B, you’ve got a more focus niche of media that’s going to be interested.

“With B2B, there’s still a really solid incentive for businesses to attend shows.”

Listen on to hear Louise discuss different aspects of working with event organisers, covering topics regarding creating ideas, negotiations and show coverage.

To feature on one of our weekly podcasts, please email editor@eventindustrynews.com.