Make It Kickass

Big name conference speakers, are they worth the big price tag they come with? Join Isaac and Nessa as they discuss why that $20k speaking fee does NOT mean what you think it does. Learn more at geteventlab.com

00:00 Intro

01:44 Today's question and what people are actually asking

02:42 The real problem is insecurity.

07:38 Solve it with strategy.

10:34 The results of having a "big name speaker" for the smaller conference host 

14:56 Recap 

• Celebrity speakers may get more bodies in a room, (and big emphasis on MAY) but… that’s about it.
• A celebrity speaker is not a marketing strategy and they won’t sell your event for you. Get your marketing strategy in order!
• You’ll get people to come back year after year by giving them well thought out, targeted content that serves their needs.
• If the content strategy of your conference sucks, there is no celebrity on earth that can  save it.

The question we started with was how to get a big name speaker for a conference. What people really want to know is how to sell tickets and impress people. We focus on marketing and program strategy to help leaders understand what their audience wants and needs. From there, you can identify the right people to be involved in your program and make sure you're delivering on that strategy authentically.

Go to geteventlab.com  to grab a free copy of the tool we use with our clients to help them build strong content strategies that keep attendees coming back: geteventlab.com  

Next episode: What platform should I host my event on?

How much does it really cost to host a conference? Isaac and Nessa explore what people are actually asking and how trying to host “a conference” instead of  your conference is holding you back! Learn more about us at geteventlab.com

00:00 Intro: Welcome to season 2!

01:52 How much does it cost to put on a conference? 

02:25 What people are actually asking?

03:34 What’s the actual problem?

12:23 How do we solve it?

• When people ask about conference costs, they usually are most concerned about logistics. BUT the logistics of a conference, like AV and catering, are in fact, the easiest to deal with!
• There’s a big difference between “a conference” and your conference! You don’t need the budget of a multi billion dollar company if you set a clear event strategy and goals in place. 
• When you define the conference that works for your business and your goals, the conference budget molds itself to your business, not the other way around.
• Don’t forget to look around yourself: What’s the makeup of your business and what are the resources you have at your disposal right now?

Grab a copy of the tool we use with our clients to help them answer all these questions and more: Go to geteventlab.com and get it for free.

Next episode: How do I get a big name speaker at my conference?

Episode edited by Justin Bott

Transcript via Descript

It's our birthday! In today's episode we dive into the history of KC, how it was born, how we got here and where we're going

Timestamps to relevant points within the episode:

00:00 Intro

01:46 Isaac experiences 2 very impactful events

07:29 From freelance to a "real business"

12:33 Nessa and Isaac share their favorite memories so far

20:49 TL;DL episode recap

If you found this episode helpful, please share it!

Visit our website at kickassconf.com

Follow us on LinkedIn

Next Episode: Why do so many conferences still only have white male speakers on their line ups? Nessa and Isaac address the controversy and discuss how creating an inclusive lineup isn't just simple, but non-negotiable.

The Code of Conduct is more than just a terms of service. They help your attendees feel safe. They help you know how to address potential issues. So what happens when something actually goes wrong?

Timestamps to relevant points within the episode:

00:00 Intro

00:49 Where do Codes of Conduct come from?

05:16 Three components of a good Code of Conduct

12:07 What should you actually do when a CoC violation is reported?

16:30 Codes of Conduct apply online too!

19:12 Taking action

22:29 TL;DL summary of the episode

Key takeaways

• Codes of Conduct you aren't willing to implement are useless!
• Your CoC needs to be updated constantly; You can't just copy and paste something that you found on a conference website from five years ago
• A good Code of Conduct is communicated. Put it out there to your attendees, your speakers, to your sponsors, even to internal staff. If you don't, then it makes it really hard to enforce or back that information up
• A good code of conduct is enforcement and has a plan of action attached to it
• A Code of Conduct is not "wokeness" cred. Stop using it that way.
• It's not just about what you're going to do when something happens. It's also, how are you paying attention to what's happening?

If you found this episode helpful, please share it!

Visit our website at kickassconf.com

Follow us on LinkedIn

Next episode: It's Kickass Conference's birthday! We are celebrating with a special episode.

Event accessibility is not just about captions or a ramp at the entrance. Accessibility is about full access. How are you making it easy for all of your attendees to participate fully in your event? This week we discuss our thoughts on accessibility in the events industry and some of our lessons learned.

Timestamps to relevant points within the episode:

00:00 - Intro

01:16 - #DisabilityDongles

03:40 - Accessibility is access

12:53 -Our lessons learned about captions

17:33 -Our lessons learned about geographic accessibility

23:47 - TL;DL recap

Key takeaways from this week's episode:

• Liz Jackson, disability advocate and strategist, teaches about #DisabilityDongles: solutions to a highly specific problem that isn't actually the solution to the problem.
• There's so many different ways we can talk about accessibility across an entire spectrum of people, abilities, modalities, and economic positions. Event organizers and producers just aren't thinking about this enough and instead use the ADA as their only basis for helping people access events.
• Even if you "only" have two or three people who have a direct benefit from a particular accessibility service, that service is still valuable and valid.
• Having captions for your virtual event isn't helpful if your captions are low quality (inaccurate) and hard to access.
• The same tools used to used at in person events do not necessarily translate in the same way as the tools that are available through live streaming. RESEARCH and adapt.
• In terms of geographical accessibility, are you presenting valuable content to people all around the world, or is it only designed for your specific region?
• How are you making your content/event easier for your international audience to consume and fully participate in?

Resources relevant to this episode

Liz Jackson: https://linktr.ee/eejackson

If you found this episode helpful, please share it!

Visit our website at kickassconf.com

Follow us on LinkedIn

Next episode: Codes of Conduct, what the heck are they for? And why do so many conferences use them wrong?

So you're going to speak at a conference. How do you make the most impact with your presentation, especially in this world where it could be virtual, it could be in-person, it could be hybrid, it could be something entirely different that we haven't even discovered yet. How do you do this? This week, what it really takes to give a talk the audience actually wants to listen to.

Timestamps to relevant points within the episode:

• [01:22] - How to give a standout talk in an intra-pandemic or post-pandemic world
• [05:10] - An attendee's surrender to the speaker
• [10:48] - Conference organizers should be caring more deeply and investing more heavily in the quality of the presentations being given at their conferences.
• [13:45] - The new set of skills speakers need to develop
• [18:07] - Start with good content
• [19:59] - TL;DL summary of the episode

Key takeaways:

• Care deeply about your topic
• Know who you're speaking to
• Know your outcomes. Start with the end.
• With online events, there is no social contract keeping the audience in their seats. It's more important than ever to work to keep them engaged.
• Start with good content and then develop the performance skills unique to the particular presentation format.
• Look to other types of performers who've figured out how to pivot to virtual; YouTubers, stand up comedians etc.
• Conference organizers should be caring more deeply and investing more heavily in the quality of the presentations being given at their conferences.
• Zoom fatigue is not an excuse for boring content.

If you found this episode helpful, please share it!

Visit our website at kickassconf.com

Follow us on LinkedIn

Next episode: Event accessibility, it's more than ramps.

With the avalanche of new online event platforms and tools launched in the last 15 months (thanks, pandemic), how are you supposed to know which one's the best? How do you choose what'll give you the greatest chance at success? Is there really "one to rule them all" event tech out there?

Timestamps to relevant points within the episode:

• [00:00] - Intro
• [02:15] - The two major types of event tools
• [08:32] - How to reframe your thoughts when looking for the right tools
• [11:00] - How do you figure out what you need?
• [15:19] - Building your tech stack
• [23:58] New segment! Too long; didn't listen, the TL;DR version of this episode

Key takeaways from today's episode

• Reframe your thinking: don't look for the best tool out there, know your strategy and goals first, then look for what serves those best.
• The event platform shouldn't be there first thing you look for when producing a conference.
• The only right tool is the one that works for your particular audience and your particular needs in that moment. There is no blanket 'right' thing.
• There isn't one event tool that does it all- yet. Instead, build up your tech stack with tools that play nicely together.

Learn about our EventLab at kickassconf.com/eventlab

If you found this episode helpful, please share it!

Visit our website at kickassconf.com

Follow us on LinkedIn

Music courtesy of When There Were Animals. Find them on Spotify

Next episode: Have you ever wanted to speak at a conference or make speaking your next career move? Find out how to attract attention from conference producers and hosts and put your best foot forward.

What makes an amazing conference host? What are their strong skills? What are the things that need work? We discuss three key characteristics of a kickass host based on past clients that lend themselves to creating an incredible end product for their audience.

Timestamps to relevant points within the episode:

[00:00] - Intro

[00:35] - Defining a "host"

[01:49] - Purpose

[05:23] - Curiosity and vulnerability

[11:00] - Strong work ethic

[17:30] - Bonus! Trust

[24:52] - Developing these characteristics

[30:40] - The entrepreneur's mindset

If you found this episode helpful, please share it!

Visit our website at kickassconf.com

Follow us on LinkedIn

Music courtesy of When There Were Animals. Find them on Spotify

Next episode

We wade into the waters of event tool overload and what to do when you're drowning in so many options.

As in person events are slowly making a comeback, the long list of online event platforms born during the pandemic are scrambling to keep their clients and stay on the market. Isaac and Nessa discuss the newest wave of platform marketing: the 365 event "experience" and declaring community the event trend of the year.

Timestamps to relevant points within the episode:

[00:00] - Intro

[01:23] - Why is community being called a trend and why now?

[05:20] - What is the 365 event experience?

[14:36] - What it actually takes to keep a community all year round

[26:22] - Brands and communities that do the community experience right

If you found this episode helpful, please share it!

Visit our website at kickassconf.com

Follow us on LinkedIn

Music courtesy of When There Were Animals. Find them on Spotify

Next episode, Nessa and Isaac break down 3 characteristics of what makes someone a kickass conference host.

How do you know your event was successful? Can you show someone your conference met your goals? What should or shouldn't you record to demonstrate ROI? This week Isaac and Nessa jump into figuring out how to define success for a conference and how to measure it.

If you found our conversation helpful, please share it!

Visit our website.

Follow us on LinkedIn

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Opening and closing theme is Just Dance by Patrick Patrikios