Inspiration Hub

Instagram and Snapchat now look more alike than ever, thanks to Instagram’s aggressive cloning of Snapchat’s biggest features. So you might be wondering: Is there still a difference between these two photo-based social networks? And if so, which one you should use for your event?

You are in the middle of organizing the most incredible event the digital marketing community has ever seen. Your speakers are exceptional, the venue is ideal, and the event content is refreshingly original. Now all there’s left to do is to stay organized and execute...

Unmanned aerial vehicles, otherwise known as drones, have been gaining major popularity over the last few years. They went from robots only movie producers or police could get their hands on, to becoming top selling items on Amazon for everyday gadget hobbyists. Not only are drones very fun and cool, but they can also grab some awesome images or video when a camera is attached or included on the device.

As a business author and professional speaker “living mouth to hand” (as Winston Churchill once described the speaking circuit), over the last 20 years I’ve made presentations in 63 different countries. Which means I have personally had a ring-side, up-close view of literally hundreds of conventions, conferences, and single-company events–big and small, some with trade shows and some without, some open-enrollment and some single-company, both exciting and boring, entertaining and academic.

Certain marketing initiatives take a lot more resources and capital than a single company can afford. This is especially the case with event marketing. Co-marketing presents a solution. Obviously, having the right event software is one way to help you do more with less. But that's not the only way. With co-marketing (or partnership marketing) companies achieve bigger initiatives more easily by collaborating with other companies.

Food and beverage is an important part of a meeting, conference or convention. Many delegates rate networking as one of or the key reason they attend, and much of the networking is done at meals or on breaks. Gala dinners can be another highlight. A facility with good food and beverage is important to event convenors when choosing a venue. For the venues, food and beverage is a key component of the offering.

Did you know that millennials make up a whopping one third of the U.S. population? This group, falling between the ages of 18-34, make up a huge percentage of your attendee base. But they’re a powerful audience for your events for another reason: 75% of millennials say they value experiences over things.

Not long ago, promotions went to employees with the most technical expertise. Companies bent over backward to gain specialized industry knowledge, so it made sense to promote based on its merit. But the times, as they say, are a-changin’. At a certain point in history, technical ingenuity began to take a back seat to interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence (EQ). In fact, a recent study by Harris Poll found that 77 percent of employers believe these “soft skills” are as important as talents directly related to specific job functions.

Let’s dive in first to the state of the event tech industry. If you’re not familiar, event organizers and event marketers have critically important jobs. In part, this is because organizers work in an industry that’s worth about a half-a-trillion dollars. Events account for the single-largest line item of most B2B CMOs. In fact, 24% of a CMO’s budget, is spent on live events.

Engagement is at the heart of conferences and meetings. Once attendees are in the room, planners have to compete for an attendee’s brain bandwidth that may be focused elsewhere. When attendees’ heads are down and looking at their phones or tablets, what are they looking at? Are they engaging with the brand message, content, each other, or something unconnected to the event?

People join associations for a number of reasons - professional development, networking opportunities, certifications and ongoing education, etc. But regardless of why they join, there are a few underlying expectations people have of your association - things they expect you to adhere to, regardless of size or industry.

The mass-personalization wave that is dramatically changing what and how we buy as consumers has application to conferences. I’ve been doing a lot of research and have learned that personalization can be achieved in a number of ways.

The event dates are set, the venue has been selected, and the contracts are in place. Let the planning process begin! As an event organizer, you have an enormous amount of logistics to coordinate and massage into place as the event rapidly approaches. Everything from the event schedule, to registration, speakers and sponsors, food and beverage, you are responsible for it all! The list goes on and on as you work to strategically organize each category down to the finest details.

When I heard early reports of what happened in Manchester at the Ariana Grande concert, I experienced the same feeling of receiving the news someone dear to me had died.

Out of respect we have waited to publish this article and to reflect on where we go from here. It is very easy to jump on some news and make a patronizing article. It’s very easy to say, we told you! It’s very easy to say, you should have thought about it!

Interviews can be your one chance to sell yourself effectively to a new boss and it is vital that you are well prepared and ready to impress. Difficult interview questions are there to put you under pressure to see how you cope. Navigating them effectively not only answers the specific questions but also gives an insight into your mindset. Here are some common interview questions and advice on how to respond to them. 

We all know about the standard memberships in the industry: Individual, Student, Corporate, Retired, etc. But what about those member types that you need to cover your more particular members? We’ve selected five types of members that you should try to include in your association to cast a wider net for potential new members.