I was excited to attend PCMA’s Omnichannel Convening Leaders event last week. Having attended more than 20 of PCMA’s Annual Meetings over the years (both in person and virtually), I expected high energy, experimental delivery and great content. I wasn’t expecting to connect with my friends or to feel the same high I get from the in-person meetings. … [Read More...]
[Webinar] Rethink, Restart, Refresh Your Panels: Advice for 2021
Ring in the New Year with advice from two renowned experts on speaker coaching and panel improvement, Kristin Arnold and Sarah Michel. The shift to virtual events has magnified the need to add spice and spunk to your conference’s panel discussions so that you leave the audience begging for … [Read More...]
Get Conference Inspiration from Trusted Peer Connections
So many in our industry have been pushed to their limits in 2020. Whether that has manifested in job loss, interrupted work/life patterns, isolation, grieving the loss of a loved one, unimaginable work pressure or needing to be “always-on” on Zoom or Teams, it has been a year of disruption unlike … [Read More...]
2021 Virtual-Conference Big Ideas
In 2020, attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors were more forgiving of our virtual conferences than they will be in 2021. They, like you, are all experiencing Zoom fatigue and will have much higher expectations for conferences this coming year — especially those they are investing their precious time … [Read More...]
Normal is Over(rated) – For Now
This is a guest post by Joy S. Davis, CAE, based on an email she sent to me after reading Lisa Block’s recent post, “I Am Sorry, But We Are Not All Fine.” Joy is Managing Director, Member Products, for the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. Not too long ago, I gently asked my … [Read More...]
I Am Sorry, but We Are Not All “Fine”
I was inspired by a post by Lisa Cowley, CEO of Beacon, who penned a moving article entitled “It Is Okay Not to Be Okay.” I recommend you read her moving story and then come back. Some days, I can relate! Application for Associations It’s getting harder and harder to see the light at … [Read More...]
Six Attributes of Successful Women’s Conferences
This article was originally written for the April issue of PCMA’s Convene magazine. The timing was right before the lockdown and a couple months before the 2020 social justice movement eclipsed. While things have changed, these tenets will hold true and the principles can be applied to other D&I … [Read More...]
Expos Don’t Work Well in a Virtual Environment
Virtual Expo Truths Nearly every conference and trade show professional is searching for that perfect virtual platform or pricing model for replacing lost expo revenue. I’ve got bad news for you. Virtual expos will never be able to come close to replacing the revenue generated from your … [Read More...]
Does the Perfect Virtual Event Platform Exist?
The answer, based on my unscientific survey of a dozen association leaders, is a resounding no. Planners are wading through recommendations from colleagues, trusted vendors and online forums to find the best platform for their needs. And it’s a murky and often frustrating experience. While there … [Read More...]
