Speaking of Events

It’s a very special day for Speaking of Events! We celebrate reaching 30 episodes and today’s guest couldn’t be better for the occasion. Andrew Roby is the Corporate Event Planner at Andrew Roby Planner. Andrew joins the host Kerri Garbis to talk about diversity within the event industry and shares some of his tips on how to be a successful event planner.   Takeaways Events are a life-changing experience and more people need to appreciate that. Especially now during the pandemic, it is important to have those human connections with others. It’s important that there are still barriers that are being overcome in terms of race within the event space, we should be normalizing having more people of color in larger roles. You can walk the walk, but at the end of the day, you need to be able to talk to the talk as well. You can talk about being inclusive and having higher positions for other races but you need to prove that you are serious to your word as well. Roughly 25% of additional companies have begun to evaluate their diversity programs to make sure that they are not just going to the same people over and over again and are spreading their money around. A work/life balance is an important balance and a necessary part of life. Everything at the end of the day will come back to that and don’t feel like you have to work yourself to death. Andrew’s journey in events started with his time in the army. He helped put on the Coca-Cola classic and some fashion shows as well.  The best way to take care of an event professional is by asking them how you can help. It’s good to be their support system if they need one.   Quote of the Show 3:41 “I really wish people would see events for the life-changing experiences that they really are.”   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewrobyeventplanner/ Website: https://andrewrobyevents.com/   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a158d222-4beb-4c72-9569-0916e79a80f4/speaking-of-events Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-of-events/id1611059542 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/699re9JSEnwNXnrNLGLUkz Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlYWtpbmdvZmV2ZW50cy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiI6PWe2o73AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ&hl=en YouTube - https://youtu.be/i6tq6G7NhUc Speaking of Events is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest knows that each event being put on in the corporate world has a plan or a theme to it, and she aims to take advantage of each and every event. Daniela Arciniegas is the Manager of Corporate Events at The Intersect Group. Daniela joins the host Kerri Garbis to talk and share some of her tips for corporate event planning and how to make them run smoothly.   Takeaways There is a large business purpose behind having a corporate event. It allows large companies to have people network and gain more knowledge from the people around them. People tend to stay with the groups they arrived with when they go to an event but it’s essential to go around and network. Networking could help you to find a solution to a problem you might be having. While people at the executive level of a company are usually pretty busy, it’s important to come up to them with an elevator pitch and grab their attention before they are gone.  Younger event professionals tend to be more nervous or shy because of the online schooling they had to go through and losing that touch of human interaction.  Daniela’s favorite part of the event process is seeing how it looks before all the guests arrive. She enjoys seeing something that you visualised come to life.  The best way to take care of an event professional is to remind them to close their eyes and take a moment to take a few depths breaths to relax and recover from the stress of planning an event.   Quote of the Show 9:07 “Make that elevator pitch align with how you see your growth within the company.”   Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielaarciniegasl/ Website: https://www.theintersectgroup.com/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a158d222-4beb-4c72-9569-0916e79a80f4/speaking-of-events Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-of-events/id1611059542 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/699re9JSEnwNXnrNLGLUkz Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlYWtpbmdvZmV2ZW50cy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiI6PWe2o73AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ&hl=en YouTube - https://youtu.be/x_jhgItfe2s Speaking of Events is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest knows all about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making a live event run smoothly and seem flawless. Angela Alea, the Chief Revenue Officer at LASSO. Angela is also the host of the Corralling the Chaos Podcast. Angela joins the host Kerri Garbis to share her tips on how to successfully run a corporate event.   Takeaways: There needs to be more of an appreciation of what it takes to create these amazing experiences. It takes weeks of work for one event to be planned and can be a logistical nightmare.  The event industry is incredibly underserved when it comes to having good tools and investments in place. This means that people who work in this industry have to be even more careful to make sure events run smoothly.  During the pandemic, 38% of people in the event industry left that business altogether because of the stress it was causing them.  The pandemic allowed the event industry to take a reflective look at itself and move on from some of the bad habits in the industry and make it better for everyone. The event industry is very misunderstood. With people thinking it’s not as important as it actually is, it leads to a smaller amount of investments that come in.  Before COVID, the event industry was full of creative minds but you also need business-savvy minds who understand the financial aspects of creating an event. The best way to take care of an event professional is to treat them with respect. Every day they bring a lot to the table and their stress level is very high.   Quote of the Show 4:03 “The calmest part of any show is during the show.”   Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelaalea/ Website: https://www.lasso.io/ Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/corralling-the-chaos/id1635947568   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a158d222-4beb-4c72-9569-0916e79a80f4/speaking-of-events Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-of-events/id1611059542 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/699re9JSEnwNXnrNLGLUkz Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlYWtpbmdvZmV2ZW50cy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiI6PWe2o73AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ&hl=en YouTube - https://youtu.be/UzqXcQ69TMQ Speaking of Events is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is a results-driven professional who has 14 years of marketing and event management experience. Jennifer Delaney is the Manager of Corporate Events at Netsmart. Jennifer is passionate about events and making sure that event planners also take care of themselves. Jennifer joins the host Kerri Garbis to share some of her tips on professional event planning.   Takeaways The event industry is now faster-paced than it was before COVID took over. A lot of aspects of the industry had to change as well to keep up with the COVID guidelines. Event professionals aren’t just party planners. There is an incredible amount of thought and detail that goes on behind the scenes.  It’s important to take some time to recover mentally and really recharge. Planning events can be stressful and it can wear on you quickly if you aren’t careful. As an event professional, you have to be quick to react when things are happening and be more solution-focused rather than panicking. The last couple of years has re-validated why events are so important. Human interaction is a fundamental part of our everyday lives, and it helps our overall wellbeing You can use data to find a way to be more strategic with your communication and then that can lead to more people showing up to your events. Jennifer’s favorite moment in the event process is seeing when all the hard work has come to work   Quote of the Show 3:30 “[Event professionals] are like a duck on water. We're calm and cool and collected on top. And then underneath, we're just paddling like heck.” Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdelaney85/ Website: https://www.ntst.com/   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a158d222-4beb-4c72-9569-0916e79a80f4/speaking-of-events Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-of-events/id1611059542 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/699re9JSEnwNXnrNLGLUkz Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlYWtpbmdvZmV2ZW50cy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiI6PWe2o73AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ&hl=en YouTube - https://youtu.be/JrKnWOxhrFM Speaking of Events is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Have you heard the term “glamping” before? It’s camping but fancy! Today’s guest is big on glamping as an event professional, so it only makes for the best glampers out there to talk. Jennifer Cowie is the Corporate Event Manager at Canadian Water Network. Jennifer joins host Kerri Garbis to share some of her tips for professional event planning.   Takeaways The most important part of event planning is the feedback from guests on how the event went. It helps to shape all your events going forward.  You want to make the event that you are producing more eventful and impactful for the attendees. It’s good to be aware of the carbon footprint you are having by putting on an event. Try and plan an event that is environmentally friendly. Some events are more focused on internal events now rather than making virtual events for everyone to attend. There’s something incredible about an in-person event where you can see people connecting in person and building relationships. There are plenty of options available for hybrid events where you can change camera angles and give the speaker a tool to interact with the virtual audience.  When it comes to young professionals in the event space, you want them to feel like they are a part of the conversation and to not discount their questions.   Quote of the Show 3:12 “Feedback for me and, and how important your feedback is when you attend events, is really what helps us shape events as we move forward.”   Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-c-14ab0264/ Website: https://cwn-rce.ca/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a158d222-4beb-4c72-9569-0916e79a80f4/speaking-of-events Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-of-events/id1611059542 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/699re9JSEnwNXnrNLGLUkz Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlYWtpbmdvZmV2ZW50cy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiI6PWe2o73AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ&hl=en YouTube - https://youtu.be/Vl0CFpt7eeo   Speaking of Events is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest shares a passion for events as well as sometimes showing up undercover at events, the same way our fantastic host has done! Kat Deal is the Events and Program Manager at North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. Kat joins host Kerri Garbis to share some of her tips about professional event planning and how to make events run smoothly.    Takeaways Events seem more intimidating than they really are. Oftentimes event professionals are stressed about the timeline but most events are run in an organized fashion. Even if you are hesitant or nervous about going to an event, it’s worth it just to go anyway for the experience. When going to an event, have a business card ready to go and have a 30-second pitch of your company ready to go as well. If you see a person alone at an event, you should go talk to them because they joined the event with the intent to network. Everyone has the ability to use webinars if they want to have virtual or remote events and it is a great resource to have. The effects the pandemic had on the event industry are prominent and it changed the way most events looked, with more space and the ability to have the event done virtually. Kat’s favorite part of the event process is the execution of the final event.   Quote of the Show “I think that there's enough out there for everybody to have the ability to do webinars.”  Links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-deal/ Website: https://www.northcentralmass.com/ Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a158d222-4beb-4c72-9569-0916e79a80f4/speaking-of-events Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-of-events/id1611059542 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/699re9JSEnwNXnrNLGLUkz Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlYWtpbmdvZmV2ZW50cy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiI6PWe2o73AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ&hl=en YouTube - https://youtu.be/J4C-5eR3CME   Speaking of Events is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest is someone who brings unbridled passion to each and every event that they work on. Nicole Nichols is the Associated Director, Marketing and Event Management at The New York Academy of Medicine. Nicole has seen speaker successes and speaker disasters and joins host Kerri Garbis to share some of her tips on how to make an event run smoothly and be a success.   Takeaways Events are an experience. It’s about how you feel when you step into an event space and take part in an immersive experience. You want people to leave an event and when they see a certain brand or graphic it brings them back to the event they attended and they think about it in a positive way. The biggest return on investment is when you get return attendees for events and they can give their testimony to how great the event was. There’s always room to enhance or improve each event. You want your events to reach the next level and make them a little larger. When producing an event, you have to think about what you are offering and make it worthwhile for people to get out of their chairs and attend your event. As a speaker, you should do a little bit of research on the industry your audience is in. That way you can tie in personal touch points and make them relevant and impactful to your audience.  With corporate events, it's more of an experiential event marketing while non-profit is more knowledge-based.   Quote of the Show 3:44 “I wish people would know that events are an experience, they're not just events.”   Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nnichols2022/ Website: https://www.nyam.org/   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a158d222-4beb-4c72-9569-0916e79a80f4/speaking-of-events Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-of-events/id1611059542 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/699re9JSEnwNXnrNLGLUkz Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlYWtpbmdvZmV2ZW50cy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiI6PWe2o73AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ&hl=en YouTube - https://youtu.be/ienYClEvXZo   Speaking of Events is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/

Today’s guest comes to us all the way from Texas and is a fan of Blue Bell ice cream. Lindsay Martin-Bilbrey is the CEO at Nifty Method. She lives and breathes events and has a relentless love of engagement and experiences. Lindsay joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about professional event planning and shares some of the tips she has learned.   Takeaways: Events are a big team sport. It requires a lot of work with a large group of people in order to make the event run smoothly. The pandemic created a lot of struggles for the event industry but now that things are slowing down it has allowed the opportunity for events to emerge again. Your work is never fully done in event planning. You always want to take the next step forward and be better every year.  Take the time to get to know your audience. It will give you great content and you can include it in your speech to have better engagement. Coming down the road there is more change in the future for events. As recessions loom and pandemics occur, even professionals can do hybrid events. The decision making process for event planning professionals has become more complex now. The pandemic showed brought out the best speakers and humbled others and showed them how to improve in their craft.   Quote of the Show 12:04 “As we're coming out of a pandemic, it's like we can't catch a break and the dumpster just stopped being on fire.”   Links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaymartinbilbrey/ Website: https://www.niftymethod.com/   Ways to Tune In: Amazon Music - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/a158d222-4beb-4c72-9569-0916e79a80f4/speaking-of-events Apple Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speaking-of-events/id1611059542 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/699re9JSEnwNXnrNLGLUkz Google Play - https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuc3BlYWtpbmdvZmV2ZW50cy5jb20vZmVlZC54bWw?sa=X&ved=0CAMQ4aUDahcKEwiI6PWe2o73AhUAAAAAHQAAAAAQAQ&hl=en YouTube - https://youtu.be/E88CVuVfMIs Speaking of Events is produced by Ringmaster, on a mission to create connections through B2B podcasts. Learn more at https://ringmaster.com/