#EventIcons

Today we are diving into MPI’s World Education Congress. The World Education Congress (WEC) is a gathering where both MPI members and non-members alike come to gain education, network and more. The event has grown to about 2500 attendees and each year MPI is working to raise the bar. They strive to change the way we meet and it’s working!

In 2018 MPI’s World Education Congress had a complete overhaul. The World Education Congress went through the event design canvas process, where all stakeholders needs were considered and the event was completely redesigned to be in line with what their needs were. There was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears that went into the planning and redesigning and it really paid off. The hard work resulted in an even better World Education Congress. No detail was too small, MPI really kept in mind the needs and desires of attendees during overhauling the event. Changes were made to allow attendees more flexibility, open floor concept that allows attendees to choose and customize their experiences, keynotes were called Pep Rallies, and they even had welcoming airport lounges (yes, you read that right!). It’s safe to say the World Education Congress breaks the traditional conference mold and will push the rest of the industry forward.

Joining us today are the iconic Crystal Shipps MPI’s talented Program Manager, and Lori Pugh Marcum MPI’s Manager of Global Education & Event Production. This dynamic team will take you through the stories behind this change. Crystal and Lori will also talk about the changes they made, the feedback they received after making major changes, what they learned during the overhaul process, and well as what the future holds for MPI’s World of Education Congress 2019 in Toronto. Let’s jump in!

Are you looking to create a more engaging event? Click here to download our free

Below, in our Epic Resources section, we link the awesome insider favorites that were mentioned in this episode! You WANT to check these out! What has been your favorite episode so far? Comment below and let us know!

You’re watching this recording of our event industry podcast episode here on our blog, but wouldn’t you rather watch live, ask your own questions, and participate in person? Subscribe now to watch live! (We’ll remind you of upcoming episodes.) We would love for you to join us LIVE and bring your questions for our icons.

• Click here to watch the show live and get email notifications of new episodes.

• Crystal Shipps of MPI (@MPI) 

• MPI

Did you attend MPI’s 2018 World Education Congress in Indiana? Comment below to let us know your favorite part!

For the second time ever, the International Live Event Association (ILEA) held the Global Events Forum in August 2018 in Denver, Colorado. The forum brought together 30 of the brightest and biggest influencers in the events industry to delve deep into issues, challenges, and opportunities facing the event industry today. The influencers who were a mixture of partners, producers and planners took a hard look at issues such as commodity pricing, education within the industry, data security and much more.

Joining us today are our iconic guests Kevin White of XPL, Keri Miller of e=mc² events, Sara Grauf of Giants Enterprises, and Christian Seidenstuecker of JOKE Event AG. They will be discussing their findings from the Global Events Forum and even give you a sneak peek at the topics we might see at the 2019 Global Events Forum. Listen below to hear what these brilliant minds have to say about the opportunities, as well as challenges facing our industry and their unique perspectives on the Global Events Forum!

Below, in our Epic Resources section, we link the awesome insider favorites that were mentioned in this episode! You WANT to check these out! What has been your favorite episode so far? Comment below and let us know!

You’re watching this recording of our event industry podcast episode here on our blog, but wouldn’t you rather watch live, ask your own questions, and participate in person? Subscribe now to watch live! (We’ll remind you of upcoming episodes.) We would love for you to join us LIVE and bring your questions for our icons.

• Click here to watch the show live and get email notifications of new episodes.

• Kevin White of  XPL (@2XPL)

• International Live Events Association (ILEA) 

Today we are joined with a dynamic duo Samantha Vogel and Judy Payne of GameStop. Together their event department raises millions of dollars in sponsorships and create an event that crosses generational boundaries, uses creative ideas to engage their audience, all while meeting stakeholder objectives.

For those not familiar, GameStop is a worldwide retailer and the largest selling retailer in the video game industry. They also own ThinkGeek. On top of these impressive facts, they hold an annual trade show and conference with approximately 5000 store owners, 100-200 international partners, 150 different vendor companies and 2000 vendor staff. There are over a quarter million square feet of exhibit space, yes, you read that right. If that wasn’t impressive enough, occasionally they open the tradeshow portion of the conference up to the public which adds roughly an additional 5000 attendees.

In this episode, our iconic guests Samantha Vogel and Judy Payne will answer your burning questions about this truly inspiring event. They will discuss a wide variety of topics including the best out of the box ideas for their events in the past, how they work with their sponsors as partners, ways GameStop creates unique immersive experiences and so much more. This is a truly inspiring episode you do not want to miss.

Below, in our Epic Resources section, we link the awesome insider favorites that were mentioned in this episode! You WANT to check these out! What has been your favorite episode so far? Comment below and let us know!

You’re watching this recording of our event industry podcast episode here on our blog, but wouldn’t you rather watch live, ask your own questions, and participate in person? Subscribe now to watch live! (We’ll remind you of upcoming episodes.) We would love for you to join us LIVE and bring your questions for our icons.

• Click here to watch the show live and get email notifications of new episodes.

• Judy Payne of GameStop (@JudyRAnderson)

• Smart Meetings

How Funko Became The #1 Collectible In The World – #EventIcons Episode 30

PCMA

Event Manager Blog

Adobe Photoshop

Adobe Illustrator

What are ways you ensure your sponsors are treated like partners? Comment below and let us know.

One of the main reasons people attendee events is for education and development. However, 80% of what is learned at events is forgotten in 48 hours. It is crucial to make sure you implementing learning and performance design for your event. Designing meaningful educational settings and formats can truly set your organization apart, improve retention and application of knowledge attendees learn and ultimately deliver on personal and professional needs of participant and organization.

On this episode, our iconic guests Avinash Chandarana of MCI Group, and Dru Cutler of Drury Design Group are here to discuss learning and performance design and how it can enhance your event and improve your attendee’s experiences. If you want your information and sessions to stick you need to watch this episode!

You’re watching this recording of our event industry podcast episode here on our blog, but wouldn’t you rather watch live, ask your own questions, and participate in person? Subscribe now to watch live! (We’ll remind you of upcoming episodes.) We would love for you to join us LIVE and bring your questions for our icons.

• Click here to watch the show live and get email notifications of new episodes.

• Avinash Chandarana of MCI Group (@avo_globalnomad)

• DUARTE

What are your favorite tips and tricks for creating and designing for learning and performance? Comment below and let us know.

Women are everywhere in the event industry, crossing all sectors of the industry and from entry-level positions to the most senior roles.  It’s clear women are making an impact and have made great strides. But women still face unique challenges at every level, there are still many glass ceilings to shatter.

Joining us today are three incredible women in the industry Kiki Fox the co-founder of the Association for Women in Events,  motivational speaker and social impact champion, Courtney Stanley, and Sarah Soliman of Soliman Productions. They are smart, strong, powerful women and paving the way for others. This episode is a must watch for men and women. If we want to make big changes and see women move up into more powerful roles it takes a village.

Below, in our Epic Resources section, we link the awesome insider favorites that were mentioned in this episode! You WANT to check these out! What has been your favorite episode so far? Comment below and let us know!

You’re watching this recording of our event industry podcast episode here on our blog, but wouldn’t you rather watch live, ask your own questions, and participate in person? Subscribe now to watch live! (We’ll remind you of upcoming episodes.) We would love for you to join us LIVE and bring your questions for our icons. This is all for you!

• Click here to watch the show live and get email notifications of new episodes.

• Kiki Fox @janssk

• Elevate! Powered by AWE

What have you seen change for women in the industry, do you think women have made much progress? Still a lot of glass ceilings to shatter? Comment below and let us know.

Are you thinking beyond the surface of event sponsorship? Sure almost every event requires sponsorship but long gone are the days that it is enough to just plaster up a few banners from your sponsors and call it good. Now more than ever before event sponsors need to enhance your event and your attendee’s experience, and planners need to be able to highlight the benefits that your event can bring to potential event sponsors. You should have a mutually beneficial partnership with your sponsors.

In this episode, Peter Poehle returns to offer his annual update on the status of event sponsorship. He will answer questions about what sponsors truly need, mistakes planners make in proposals, inbound sponsorship and so much more. Always useful, always interesting, this is a don’t miss episode!

Below, in our Epic Resources section, we link the awesome insider favorites that were mentioned in this episode! You WANT to check these out! What has been your favorite episode so far? Comment below and let us know!

You’re watching this recording of our event industry podcast episode here on our blog, but wouldn’t you rather watch live, ask your own questions, and participate in person? Subscribe now to watch live! (We’ll remind you of upcoming episodes.) We would love for you to join us LIVE and bring your questions for our icons. This is all for you!

• Click here to watch the show live and get email notifications of new episodes.

• Peter Poehle of SponsorMyEvent (@peterpoehle)

• SponsorMyEvent 

What are your favorite event sponsorship experiences you have seen at events? Comment below and let us know.

On this episode of #EventIcons we are live from GO WEST! GO WEST is the largest gathering of event professionals in Western Canada. The event focuses on education, innovation, and networking. Getting everyone connected and building relationships is one of the events main goals.

Today our iconic guests; Dustin Westling of OneWest Event Design, Brent Taylor of Timewise Event Management Inc., and Arlene Schilke of Timewise Event Management Inc. are joining us to talk all about the 2019 GO WEST. They will cover why they started the event, how they get attendees engaged in their experience hall, the amazing food served and best moments from the event. If you have ever been curious about GO WEST this is a great show to watch! Lets jump in below!

Below, in our Epic Resources section, we link the awesome insider favorites that were mentioned in this episode! You WANT to check these out! What has been your favorite episode so far? Comment below and let us know!

You’re watching this recording of our event industry podcast episode here on our blog, but wouldn’t you rather watch live, ask your own questions, and participate in person? Subscribe now to watch live! (We’ll remind you of upcoming episodes.) We would love for you to join us LIVE and bring your questions for our icons.

• Click here to watch the show live and get email notifications of new episodes.

• Dustin Westling of OneWest Event Design (@DustinWestling)

• Go West 2019 – An annual event that focuses on education, innovation and networking.

What are your favorite tips and tricks for creating an engaging event? Comment below and let us know.

We have come to a time and place where event Wi-Fi is expected. Unfortunately, it’s not always delivered as you expected maybe the quality is terrible or the price is through the roof, none of these are surprises you want to run into your event. But how do you avoid these issues? How can you ensure you are getting great Wi-Fi for your event? Today we are getting down into the nerdy details of just how you can make sure your event Wi-Fi doesn’t suck.

Today on #EventIcons our host Will Curran and iconic guests Matt King of Glisser Ltd., and Ian Framson of Trade Show Internet are going to answer all your burning questions and share their best tips on how to make sure you have the best Wi-Fi possible at your next event. They know planning your event wi-fi can seem daunting and stressful. They will answer questions regarding speeds, signal strengths, contract negotiations, and so much more. This is a can’t miss episode!

Below, in our Epic Resources section, we link the awesome insider favorites that were mentioned in this episode! You WANT to check these out! What has been your favorite episode so far? Comment below and let us know!

You’re watching this recording of our event industry podcast episode here on our blog, but wouldn’t you rather watch live, ask your own questions, and participate in person? Subscribe now to watch live! (We’ll remind you of upcoming episodes.) We would love for you to join us LIVE and bring your questions for our icons. This is all for you!

• Click here to watch the show live and get email notifications of new episodes.

• Will Curran of Endless Events (@itswillcurran)

• Audience & Student Engagement Blog – Glisser – Glisser’s audience engagement and event analytics blog.

What are your favorite tips and tricks for creating the best event Wi-Fi? Comment below and let us know.

January is national human trafficking awareness and prevention month. Sex trafficking is an issue that feels almost impossible to solve but if everyone took steps to recognize the signs and help we could make an impact. The International labor organization estimates that over 40 million people are living in trafficking worldwide, 1 out of 4 being children. This isn’t an issue in a far away country either, human trafficking has been reported in all 50 states. Everyone should be aware of human trafficking signs.

Today we will talk about how the Events and Meeting industry can take steps to slow human trafficking down. It’s a difficult and multi-sector issue and we are all responsible for helping prevent and catch it.

Joining us today is the iconic Michelle Guelbart, Director of Private Sector Engagement at ECPAT-USA. ECPAT-USA is a policy advocacy organization that works to end the sex trafficking of children. They are part of a larger international network with offices in 94 countries. She will teach us about human trafficking signs to look for and recognize potential trafficking situations, and why it’s important meeting and event planners take action and so much more. This is an episode you truly must watch.

Below, in our Epic Resources section, we link the awesome insider favorites that were mentioned in this episode! You WANT to check these out! What has been your favorite episode so far? Comment below and let us know!

You’re watching this recording of our episode here on our blog, but wouldn’t you rather watch live, ask your own questions, and participate in person? Subscribe now to watch live! (We’ll remind you of upcoming episodes.) We would love for you to join us LIVE and bring your questions for our icons. This is all for you! And now for the main topic in the episode below, how meeting planners and hotels can stop human trafficking by looking for human trafficking signs and so much more.

• Click here to watch the show live and get email notifications of new episodes.

• Brandt Krueger of Event Technology Consulting (@BrandtKrueger)

• ECPAT-USA

Today we are giving you an exclusive sneak peek into our 2019 #EventIcons show line up. We are stepping up the game for event industry podcasts. From tips on how to grow your business, to event safety and technology there will be something for everyone! We even are filling you in on some of our mega guests who will be joining us! Don’t miss this preview! What do you want to see from #EventIcons in 2019? Leave us a comment below and let us know.

Below, in our Epic Resources section, we link the awesome insider favorites that were mentioned in this episode! You WANT to check these out! What has been your favorite episode so far? Comment below and let us know!

You’re watching this recording of our event industry podcast episode here on our blog, but wouldn’t you rather watch live, ask your own questions, and participate in person? Subscribe now to watch live! (We’ll remind you of upcoming episodes.) We would love for you to join us LIVE and bring your questions for our icons. This is all for you! And now for the main topic in the episode below, #EventIcons 2019 Sneak Peak!

• Click here to watch the show live and get email notifications of new episodes.

• Will Curran of Endless Events (@itswillcurran)

• VR At Events- Everything You Need to Know – #EventIcons Episode 105 – How do you use VR as a group experience and not have it be isolating? What are the challenges of virtual reality at events in the events industry? We discuss all of this and more in this episode.

What are your favorite tips and tricks for using event furniture to engage? Comment below and let us know.