There’s never been a better time to experiment with new meeting elements or to say goodbye to some time-worn ones, Dave Lutz, managing director of Velvet Chainsaw Consulting, said in this recent VCC post. Dave will talk about his forecasts for future trends for association events at a virtual education session on July 15 at 10 a.m. EDT for the Reston Herndon Meeting Planners, “Ready or Not, Here They Come: 5 Post-Pandemic Conference Design Changes.” He believes leadership will be more open to … [Read more...]
I Think We Cracked the Code on Digital Networking!
If you missed our recent webinar on Cracking the Code on Digital Networking, you can watch it on-demand. It is well worth your time to learn from two masters: Amanda Kaiser (pictured, top right) and Arianna Rehak (pictured, bottom), co-founders of the 2021 Virtual Networking Incubator. We had a lot of ground to cover and didn’t get to all of the questions. I had an opportunity to follow up with Amanda to get them answered. Be sure to check out all the great resources and ideas, with links you … [Read more...]
5 Post-Pandemic Conference Program Design Changes
“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 up the ladder in the past. It’s a good time for planners to challenge their organizations to make the meeting experience more valuable than ever. As we work with conference … [Read more...]
[WEBINAR]: Cracking the Code on Event Networking
Register now for our next VCC webinar, May, 19th, 2021, 12:00-1:00 PM EDT. Space is limited. What is every meeting owner’s quest for the holy grail? Delivering meaningful networking and connecting experiences in a digital or hybrid experience. In February, our two guests founded the 2021 Virtual Networking Incubator. They were determined to bring together some of the best minds from around the country to crack the code on how to deliver on the promise of making meaningful connections. Now, … [Read more...]
My Turbulent Love Affair With Digital-Event Networking
I have been a loyal and passionate disciple of networking for all of my adult life. I have spent decades learning, speaking and writing about it. Yet when our world was turned upside down last March, and all meaningful connection with everyone was forced into a digital world, I suddenly felt like I lost my footing and became very unstable. I learned a lot over the first nine months of the pandemic as I collaborated with clients to design and deliver high-value networking experiences in the … [Read more...]
Risk, Revenue Recognition and Recovery
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, most organizations were able to make decisions six months out without incurring liability. That window has tightened to 90 days. By May or June, facilities are less … [Read more...]
Does Your Conference Need an Emcee?
Having an emcee at your event was a nice-to-have prior to 2020. Now it’s a must-have. Talk to any meeting owner who has managed a large virtual event this past year using a skilled emcee and he or she will tell you it made all the difference. An emcee ensures that an event flows seamlessly with all of its threads – content, speakers, audience and suppliers – woven together into a cohesive narrative. That’s why we like to refer to this role as a Content Weaver. The event’s flow and energy … [Read more...]
The High Cost of Hybrid
Our clients and leading industry associations (for example, PCMA’s latest glimpse or our industry’s future, the business recovery dashboard) are turning their attention to future hybrid and face-to-face (f2f) events. While everyone keeps saying that hybrid is here to stay, most association event pros have limited bandwidth and budget to plan and execute robust in-person and digital events simultaneously. In part one of this post, I covered some of the significant risks our clients are facing … [Read more...]
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