#EventIcons

The year 2020 has established itself as the year of the pivot in the events industry. Since then, countless #EventIcons guests were brought on the podcast to talk about how they turned their in-person events into virtual ones and the importance of their community in these trying times. And because no two stories are the same, we’re back this week with another one!

Before the pandemic hit us, we took genuine human interactions at events for granted. Attendees mingled, networked, formed everlasting bonds, and had a great time while doing all of that. As the industry pivoted to virtual events, virtual audience engagement became one of the most talked-about challenges. How do we replicate genuine interpersonal dynamics in the virtual world? Is it even possible? Today’s #EventIcons guest thinks that it definitely is.

Last year, the virtual revolution completely transformed the events industry. We shifted our focus from venues to online platforms and brainstormed all kinds of ways to keep the audiences glued to the screens. And even though in-person events are making a glorious comeback, virtual events are here to stay. Moreover, they need to keep evolving! That's why on today's episode of #EventIcons, we will talk about reimagining the virtual experience. One size certainly doesn't fit all: when planning a virtual event, you have to talk to your community.

Today's iconic guest is Banu Kannu, the co-founder and CEO at Uncommon Conferences. She is a business development professional with over 15 years of international experience. She shares the success story of the award-winning Gas Fest and how they planned virtual workshops that took place in April 2021. Press play and join us for yet another #EventIcons!

Event platforms took the events industry by the storm. So much so that they can be considered as the new venues! There's more of them each year and some of them are even attracting huge investments. We've had countless enthusiastic guests talk about them on #EventIcons before, but today's guest is a little bit different. He says: down with third-party event platforms!

We don’t mean to beat a dead horse, yet we’re saying it again: the pandemic has drastically changed the events industry and sped up the evolution of virtual and hybrid events. The process is not over, either. On the contrary: we have just begun! The future of the events industry is uncertain, but today’s #EventIcons guest thinks that it’s going to split into two huge chunks: one belonging to the digital event planner and the other one to the in-person event planner.

Jason Koop is a writer, influencer, and the VP of business development at the Canadian Special Events Magazine. Above all, he is a fan of the events industry and is excited to see what the future will hold. Once he tried out VR, his mindset shifted forever. So, press play and get iconic with us!

We’ve all been through a lot in this past year. Health and wellness in the events industry have never mattered more than now, which is why today, Sarah welcomes not one, but three iconic guests to share what they’ve worked on since the pandemic started.

Kristin Horstman is a senior director at Salesforce and has been on our show just recently, Johnnie White is the CEO of the American Society of Appraisers, and Rachael Riggs is a WellBeing Leader at Maritz Global Events. And what does this panel have in common? Together, they wrote a guidebook on wellness and health in the events industry and that’s what they’ll be talking about today!

This week’s #EventIcons guest is one of the most respected figures in digital media. He has a 20-year history in thought leadership, experiential events, and technology. Got your attention? Read on!

This iconic guest has developed integrated digital video strategies for large media companies, including Viacom and  Discovery. And last but not least, he is the CEO of VidCon, the world’s largest convention for online video creators. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Jim Louderback!

#EventIcons podcast is all about talking to the cream of the events industry and getting to know what they do, how they do it, and what the current event trends are. Today’s guest is somebody with years of experience and a lot of charisma. Meet Kristin Horstman, the senior director at Salesforce!

Together with the rest of the world, she had to make a quick pivot to virtual events last year. Today, she shares with our audiences what she had learned. As a marketing leader, she focuses on marketing virtual events. And since our host Sarah is the head of marketing of Endless Events, the conversation is all the more worth listening to!

Hybrid events are the perfect synergy between virtual and in-person events, but it can be quite challenging for event planners to put them together. That’s why in this week’s episode of #EventIcons, Sarah welcomes Kelly Knowlen to talk about the most important hybrid event tips and tricks.

Kelly Knowlen is the executive director of sales engagement and special events at Hilton where she started building her career 28 years ago. She tells Sarah how Hilton pivoted in March 2020 and shares the resources they created to help their customers. They cover every important aspect of planning the perfect hybrid event: technology, safety measures, and audience engagement.

It's been a while since the industry made a tectonic shift to virtual events, and so far, we have covered the topic from nearly every angle imaginable. From choosing the right platform to delivering the best virtual content, we always first need to think about what kind of an experience we are providing for our virtual attendees. And who better to talk about experiential virtual events than today's event icon, AJ Williams from AJ Events who has been in the industry for over 25 years!

Join Sarah and our lovely guest in a delightful conversation about elevating virtual and hybrid events to the next level. They focus on three types of events: fundraising events, weddings, and corporate events. Spoiler alert: the episode includes awesome party in a box ideas and a shoutout to the roaring twenties!