Better Because You Were There November 4, 2021 by Dave Lutz According to The New York Times, living with the pandemic “has pushed us to reckon with our deepest questions … [about] how we make meaning of our time on this earth.” In particular, COVID-19 has brought the issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, social responsibility, and wellness to the fore. A number of our consulting … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning
Will Use-It-or-Lose-It Budgeting Negatively Impact Expo and Sponsor Revenue? October 14, 2021 by Dave Lutz Our crystal balls are pretty foggy when it comes to predicting the return of in-person expo and sponsor revenue. Three of the big questions are: With the advancement of digital demos, will exhibitors opt for smaller booth spaces? If marketing budgets intended for show participation in 2020 or 2021 were reallocated, or not spent, will … [Read more…] Filed Under: Business Model, Sponsorship & Exhibits
Conference Organizers: What Is Your Duty of Care? August 31, 2021 by Dave Lutz Just when we thought we were turning the corner on a rise in Covid cases, we are hearing about short-term cancellations of conventions once again as the Delta variant causes cases to rise. Several conventions that occurred in June and July resulted in a number of positive COVID tests, including breakthrough cases among fully vaccinated … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning, Hybrid & Virtual Tagged With: , conference organizer duty of care, duty of care, event organizer duty of care, risk management
5 Post-Pandemic Conference Program Design Changes May 20, 2021 by Dave Lutz “Never let a good crisis go to waste” has become a popular adage in the business world over the past year, for good reason. As it becomes more apparent that face-to-face events will return in some form this year, conference organizers have an opportunity to make changes that would have been more difficult to sell … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design, Hybrid & Virtual Tagged With: , community spaces, hallway conversations, hybrid conferences, hybrid meetings, main room events, more white space, post pandemic conferences, virtual conferences, virtual meetings
Special Recognition for Sarah Michel, CSP May 13, 2021 by Dave Lutz Please join the Velvet Chainsaw team in congratulating our very own Sarah Michel! Last week she was presented with the National Speakers Association – Colorado Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award. Sarah is in an exclusive club: She is only the sixth person to receive this honor in the past 25 years. Sarah is a Past President … [Read more…] Filed Under: Ramblings
Risk, Revenue Recognition and Recovery April 14, 2021 by Dave Lutz For well over a year, we’ve consulted with dozens of associations on their go/no-go event strategies. One of our early — and still applicable — recommendations was for conference organizers to communicate and publish the date when they expect to make the decision for their in-person conference. Over the summer and the fall of 2020, … [Read more…] Filed Under: Business Model, Hybrid & Virtual
Beyond Hybrid: Repackaging Your Conference Content February 8, 2021 by Dave Lutz Over the past nine months, many industry experts have proclaimed that meetings and conferences are forever changed and hybrid is here to stay. While I agree in principle, I think the future is so much more than hybrid. Meetings of the future will be improved and monetized by embracing the tenets of strategic product management. … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design, Hybrid & Virtual Tagged With: , content creation, content on-demand, content repackaging, digital conferences, hybrid meetings, virtual conferences
2021 Virtual-Conference Big Ideas December 3, 2020 by Dave Lutz 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 and money. Don’t waste a good crisis. Use … [Read more…] Filed Under: Experience Design, Hybrid & Virtual Tagged With: , 2021 virtual conference, experience design, future of virtual conference, hybrid conferences, virtual conferences, Zoom fatigue
Normal is Over(rated) – For Now November 16, 2020 by Dave Lutz 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 Executive … [Read more…] Filed Under: Business Model, Hybrid & Virtual Tagged With: , apology meetings, event strategy, hybrid conferences, return to normal, the new normal, virtual conferences
Six Attributes of Successful Women’s Conferences October 20, 2020 by Dave Lutz 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 conferences and events. After studying and … [Read more…] Filed Under: Event Planning, Experience Design
