The Event Tech Pull Up

In today’s episode, we’re blending the worlds of tech, observation, and brand activation. To guide us through this intersection, we have with Ross Cooper, a Senior Integrated Strategist at Inspira Marketing Group. As many of you might know, Inspira isn’t just any marketing agency; they operate at the nexus of EQ (Emotional Intelligence) and IQ (Intellectual Quotient), crafting brand experiences that resonate both emotionally and intellectually with audiences.

While data-driven insights play a monumental role in event planning – guiding decisions from venue selection to attendee engagement – it’s the human touch, the ability to observe and understand attendees, that crafts unforgettable moments. Ross knows this balance all too well. Consider the simple act of observing reactions during a keynote or the dynamics of a networking session. Such nuances, when combined with structured feedback mechanisms like digital tools and platforms, offer a full spectrum of insights. Take, for instance, the enthusiasm attendees might show when engaging with local artisans – while data might suggest the logistical advantage, human observation captures the essence, the ‘why’ behind that preference.

Event planning isn’t just about numbers or isolated observations. It’s a harmonious ballet of empirical evidence and experiential intuition. And as Ross and the Inspira Marketing Group demonstrate, when you fuel that harmony with a deep understanding of EQ and IQ, events transition from mere gatherings to transformative brand activations. Have a listen as we delve deeper into this fascinating synergy with our amazing guest!

FIND ROSS and INSPIRA MARKETING ON THE WEB

↳ Ross Cooper on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosscooper/

↳ Inspira Marketing on the Web | https://inspiramarketing.com/

DJ Graffiti, known as The Keynote DJ, has defied conventions in his DJ career. Originating from Detroit, he initially made a name for himself as a prominent club and concert DJ, sharing stages with eminent artists such as Eminem, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and Big Sean.

However, his path took an unconventional turn. DJ Graffiti ventured beyond the realm of music, applying his law and business degrees to establish a digital marketing agency. In this role, he adeptly guided clients in areas such as content strategy, traffic management, and sales conversion. Despite his achievements, he sensed a lack of personal fulfillment in his work.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a pivotal change. Recognizing an opportunity to uplift people's spirits through his talents, he initiated a series of virtual DJ sets. These sets, broadcasted on platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch, offered an avenue for individuals to temporarily escape their worries and immerse themselves in music.

Remarkably, even in the virtual landscape, DJ Graffiti could tangibly feel the positive energy of his virtual audience. This experience kindled his own enthusiasm as he realized his ability to serve as a beacon of positivity. It became evident that he was destined for more — to extend his services as a DJ to corporations for virtual gatherings and in-person celebrations.

This newfound pursuit resonates with him on a profound level, feeling like a true calling. He views each event as a unique occasion to effect change. Collaborating closely with clients, he harnesses his background in sales, marketing, and public speaking to craft tailor-made interactive experiences. These experiences not only elevate moods and boost morale but also bring together diverse and geographically dispersed audiences.

At the heart of it all, DJ Graffiti recognizes the power of music to nourish the soul, disseminate happiness, and provide respite from life's challenges. His DJ sets achieve precisely that, simultaneously inspiring contemplation and creativity.

Looking ahead, DJ Graffiti envisions cultivating enduring relationships with his clients, an array of esteemed names including GitLab, Nike, Google, Campbell's, Cisco, Workday, Dell, ManyChat, and SAS. His aspiration mirrors that of a gym membership, where he aims to continuously engage and inspire his clients through his exceptional DJ skills.

Join us as we chat with him about what DJing can teach you about experience design and how to create unforgettable events that tick all the boxes.

For this espisode, we have a little graphical help. If you are getting started in event design? Learn about the Event Canvas™️ methodology, a common visual language for event design, developed by Ruud Janssen and Roel Frissen. This handbook will change the way you think about how events change the world you live in. It shows the way to re-design your world on one sheet of paper using the #EventCanvas. This book identifies the starting point of any event and outlines steps of how events come to life. It focuses on the DNA of specific aspects of events, and provides insight into how to observe and analyze events, understand stakeholders, and define behavioural changes required to deliver value. It also identifies the levers and mechanisms that influence such behavioural changes in event design. You can learn more by clicking the link below!

✨ FIND DJ GRAFFITI ON THE WEB

↳ DJ Graffiti | https://shor.by/djgraffiti_live

↳ DJ Graffiti on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/djgraffiti/

✨ FIND EVENT CANVAS ON THE WEB

↳ Event Canvas | http://www.eventcanvas.org/

✨ FIND THE EVENT TECH PULL UP ON THE WEB

↳ Event Tech Pull Up | https://eventtechpullup.com/

↳ Tess on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessvismale/

↳ Keith on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithgjohnston/

In this episode of the podcast, Keith and Tess dive into the

Today, we have a unique opportunity as Tess, our meeting and event superhero, is away. This gives me a chance to highlight something truly special. And what makes it so special, you may ask? Well, we have the privilege of featuring the creator of my favorite event technology of the past two years: Stagetimer.IO.

For those who know me, it's no secret that I am an enormous fan of this product. Stagetimer is single-handedly revolutionizing the way we communicate the remaining time in a session. Gone are the days of renting those bulky red numbers in a big square box from the in-house AV company.

Stagetimer offers a host of remarkable features that elevate it even further. Need to count up? Not a problem! Want to showcase the time of day in a sleek clock format? Consider it done! Desire to convey messages directly to the talent through the confidence monitor? Boom, Stagetimer has you covered. And if you want the text to flash or change colors to captivate their attention because they just won't. Stop. Talking. Well, guess what? You can do that too.

Stagetimer also allows you to share the timer with your entire team, ensuring everyone stays synchronized. Simply send them a link, and they will gain access to the fullscreen timer, an agenda page with the session rundown, and even a moderator page to display messages.

What's more, Stagetimer plays seamlessly with other industry tools, including Companion, through its open API (ask your AV person, they'll know).

Accessing Stagetimer is a breeze. Whether through your web browser or natively on Windows or Mac, you can confidently rock the stage even without an internet connection.

Join us as we meet the brilliant mind behind this innovative creation. Lukas Hermann, a talented Full-Stack Engineer, and entrepreneur.

Unless you live under a rock or in a birdhouse, you have heard about

In this episode, we are talking about AI. What it is (and isn't) and how it is going to fundamentally change the meetings and events industry on a molecular level... AI is going to rewrite the DNA of what it means to be an event professional, it will make our lives easier, and it will make your events more engaging to attendees, sponsors, and speakers, which in turn will make the stakeholders happy.

Episode Guests

David Wood

David Wood is the Founder and CEO of Eventene, a company that offers SaaS cloud and mobile software for both in-person and virtual events. Their services are primarily targeted towards event planners and activity directors in small to medium-sized businesses, organizations, and associations. Prior to founding Eventene, David worked in management consulting roles for various companies in sectors such as education, healthcare, entertainment, social, and technology.

David began his career at Microsoft Corporation in Redmond, Washington, where he was involved in software development for Office applications like Word and Excel. He also worked in design and program management for Windows and Exchange Email systems, as well as commercial business development for advanced server products at Microsoft.

Jim Yokum

Jim Yocum serves as COO of Eventene, the digital event management platform. Jim was involved in the early development of the Eventene platform through its launch customer. Through his consultancy, Coastal Oak Systems, he provides expertise on Digital Health platforms, Federal systems and mobile applications. He also serves as a Board Chair for the digital health systems provider, One Degree. Until its sale in 2019, he was Senior Vice President of ConnectureDRX (fka DestinationRx), where he implemented and managed the longstanding health insurance exchange, the Medicare Plan Finder and Online Enrollment Center for Medicare.gov.

About Eventene

Eventene is a comprehensive platform that caters to event planners, offering a range of features and tools to streamline event planning for both in-person and virtual events. It provides cloud-based and mobile software solutions, allowing planners to create customized event websites and registration forms. The platform offers flexible attendee list management, collaborative planning capabilities, and real-time updates. For virtual events, Eventene includes features like live streaming integration and interactive tools. Additionally, it provides analytics and reporting functionality to gather insights on attendee engagement and event performance. Eventene aims to simplify event planning, enhance productivity, and deliver a seamless experience for planners and attendees, regardless of event size or type.

Links

↳ Eventene

↳ Jim Yokum

↳ David Wood

↳ The Event Tech Pull Up

ChatGPT and other AIs are taking the world by storm. The programs have the ability to help meeting and event planners plan better events, create better web copy, and make our lives easier, but AI also strikes fear into the hearts of many people that remember that these creations are only a few steps away from SkyNet or the Matrix movies… So, what can you do with AI, is it that frightening, and should you use AI in your planning process. Join us on this episode as we dive into the AI pool and take a swim in the artificial waters.

#EventTech nerds rejoice! Event Tech Live is coming to Las Vegas and Tess and Keith will be broadcasting during the event chatting with some of the meeting and event industry's coolest tech providers, forward thinkers, and the planners that put these gizmos, gadgets, and tools to work. ! In this episode, Tess and Keith are chatting about the sessions they are looking forward to and some of the companies they want to learn more about! 

There is still time to grab a seat in Las Vegas and best of all, attending is free for meeting and event planners. Check out the links below to learn more. 

✨ FIND EVENT TECH LIVE ON THE WEB

↳ Event Tech Live Website | https://eventtechlive.com/las-vegas/

↳ Event Tech Live on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/eventtechlive

↳ Event Tech Live on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/event-tech-live

↳ Event Tech Live on Insta | https://www.instagram.com/eventtechlive/

↳ Event Tech Live on YouTube | https://www.youtube.com/eventtechlive

↳ Event Tech Live on Twitter | https://twitter.com/eventtechlive

✨ FIND THE FAIRMONT LE CHATEAU FRONTENAC ON THE WEB

↳ Fairmont Le Château Frontenac Website | https://www.fairmont.com/frontenac-quebec/

✨ FIND OUR HOSTS ON THE WEB

↳ The Event Tech Pull Up Website | https://eventtechpullup.com/

↳Tess on Twitter | https://twitter.com/tessvis

↳ Keith on Twitter | https://twitter.com/PlannerWire

↳Tess on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/tessvismale/

↳Keith on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithgjohnston/

↳ The Event Tech Pull Up Facebook Page | https://www.facebook.com/The-Event-Tech-Pull-Up-102620968088268

↳  iSocialx on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/isocialx

↳ i3 Events on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/i3eventproductions

↳  iSocialx on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/isocialx/

↳ i3 Events on LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/company/i3-events-conferences

✨ ABOUT THE EVENT TECH PULL UP

The Event Tech Pull Up is a podcast where your Gen X heroes, Tess Vismale of iSocialx and Keith Johnston of i3 Events get all wound up talking about the event technology that will work for your organization. Seriously. They get all frothy talking about things like event apps, registration systems, and all kinds of productivity crap. And… Can you believe it! Someone thought it would be a good idea to let them have guests.

Everyone knows that we love Joi.Events and they have new features that we think everyone should know about. In the lastest release, they have added the ability for planners to add: 

The new budget tool is something planners have been requesting for quite some time and they did not disappoint. The new budget section is perfect for agencies and organizations alike.

Sometimes you have a plan for an episode and the minute you start, you know it is headed off the rails in a good way! Such is the case with our conversation with InEvent. 

What we intended to be a single episode, chatting about their virtual platform, became a two parter with some amazing twists and turns. We talked about everything from cameras and cables to virtual networking and the metaverse, looping back around in Part II to take a deep dive into the InEvent Platform so you can see just how easy it is to create an amazing virtual experience for your attendees. 

Some of the things we discuss in Part I:

About InEvent

InEvent is passionate about virtual and hybrid technologies. They are building one of the most powerful and versatile platforms for virtual and hybrid events.

Pedro Góes, CEO of InEvent

Pedro started a company back when he was in college where he had more than 10 000 monthly active paying users. He is a Y Combinator Alumni, a 40 under 40 founder by Association Magazine, a UK Event Tech Award Winner and a Gold Crocodile Award Winner.

Cecilia Lavin, Sales Director of InEvent

Cecelia has 14 years’ experience in the events industry ranging from venues and catering to events management and now technology with InEvent. This wealth of knowledge allows her to understand her clients needs so they can produce the best event experience possible.