Drew Ianni, Founder, and Chairman of CDX, a conference series for senior digital executives, joins the show this week. Drew and Kevin discuss the merge into the Techonomy family and suggestions as to how we can best adjust to networking digitally for the time being. Drew also shares examples of speakers that connected to the audience and moved them with their words and messages, and also moments that didn't go to plan, and the lessons learned. He also mentions what we can expect from the virtual conference in June, and ways to take advantage of the editorial content that will be released soon.

Takeaways:

• What is happening now in the virtual conferencing space, and what we can expect in the future.
• What it was like for CDX to become part of the Techonomy family in this time of restructuring and reformatting how we connect and interact.
• Advice for conferences to get speakers and bring both actionable insights and connect with the audience.
• Why the CDX conference remains free to attend, and more about the editorial content that will soon be released.
• Ways that we can work through the setback of not being able to network face-to-face for the present moment, and best practices for digital networking.
• The success that conferences have when they get comfortable with being rejected from potential speakers, and continue to hustle and stay humble to book the best guests.
• Tips for speakers on customizing your speech according to the audience and city.
• Moments that the speakers and presentations at the CDX conference did not go as planned, and what lessons Drew took away from the experience.
• When you have respect for the people around you, your audience will get something relevant to them.

Quotes:

• "If you are doing weekly one-on-ones, you have to cherry-pick and pick the best people out of your network."
• "It's a temporary thing you have to figure out. The conference business will be back, and for those in the conference business, can you make it on through to the other side?"

Mentioned in This Episode:

Drew Ianni LinkedIn

Seeing Around Corners: How to Spot Inflection Points in Business Before they Happen, by Rita McGrath

Techonomy

Ad: Tech

Seth Godin

Clay Shirky

Web Summit

Jim McCann

Sir Martin Sorrell

Rishad Tobaccowala

Susan Bratton

Martin Sorrell at CDX Conference Video