EXPERTS & OPINIONS
Aug 05, 2020
Many trade show and conference producers have found themselves in unchartered territory as they’ve made the in-person to online event pivot over the past several months. These professionals have been reading about best practices, researching new vendors, consulting with industry peers and otherwise learning as they go. Meanwhile, there’s another group of industry professionals—a subset of Freeman called Freeman Digital Ventures—that has been producing digital events since 2015. I asked three of the strategists that align with this group, Mark Fein, Stacy O’Connell and Tyler Day, to share what… more
Comments (0)
Jul 30, 2020
Do you know how large of a role the live events industry plays in our nation’s economy? If you’re in the events industry, you likely do — but not all Americans are aware. As Congress prepares to deliver new business relief legislation in the upcoming weeks, it’s important to note how big that impact is, as well as the critical characteristics for that legislation to be most effective — for all small businesses and especially those in the events business.
The live events industry employs roughly 2.8 million people, and when factoring in direct jobs and indirect jobs (which includes labor,… more
Comments (0)
Jul 22, 2020
Right now, it’s a challenge for many to simply visit the grocery store. What will it be like once things start reopening on a large scale? Will people immediately resume their pre-coronavirus behavior, or will they be wary about being in places with large groups of people? For the events industry, this is a crucial question to unpack, as it determines how they will approach business going forward. What steps will they need to take to ensure that people will continue to attend conferences, expos, panels, and the like?
Combining in-person and virtual events
With infection numbers on the rise… more
Comments (0)
Jul 16, 2020
In the early days of March, the world began retreating to their houses and home offices in response to the growing threat of the coronavirus, changing — and testing — business as we knew it. Corporate event planners had to make the difficult decision to postpone, cancel or transition their in-person events into digital experiences. It wasn’t possible to gather, yet the guessing game of when we might resume life as we knew it was too difficult to understand.
Even now, after four months of stay-at-home or safer-at-home orders under our belts, the return of in-person events remains elusive. Yet… more
Comments (0)
Jul 08, 2020
As we’ve watched events be forced to postpone, change location and/or go virtual, it got us at Fixation Marketing thinking: Do these changes affect an event’s brand?
Not if the brand story is strong.
Your brand story is a narrative you create around your event that inspires an emotional response. It goes beyond the standard value proposition of describing event features to convey how the experience helps participants be more productive, make more money and advance their careers. In telling a brand story, you draw people into a narrative they not only want to be a part of, but also feel they… more
Comments (0)
Jul 01, 2020
In the past four months, events have radically shifted from in-person gatherings to virtual events. Speakers play an integral role and can make or break the attendee experience. Understanding the importance presenters play into this dynamic, here are some tips for helping you to create a positive virtual experience for your attendees.
1. Test, Test, Test
To ensure everything runs smoothly, schedule a rehearsal with your speakers. Here is a short checklist of items to practice:
Test microphone and audio to confirm optimum sound.
Test lighting (i.e., not sitting with back to a window).… more
Comments (0)
Jun 26, 2020
The sudden onset of remote work has impacted companies and organizations across the United States and around the world.
It happened almost overnight. The COVID-19 pandemic led business offices to close their doors and employees to find a way to conduct their work from home. We all went from congregating in meeting spaces and around cubicles to interacting “face to face” via our computer screens. For the past few months, we’ve found ourselves catching glimpses of each other’s homes, hearing dogs barks, and listening to children yell and laugh during video conferences. While we’ve never been… more
Comments (0)
Jun 15, 2020
At a trade show, we used to say you have three seconds to capture the attention of someone walking by your booth. But in a virtual event, engagement isn’t just earned once. You have to earn it again and again.
The past few months have reshaped the events industry, but now is the time to accept changes and retool. Virtual events might look a little different, but the goal is the same: to tell your unique story.
While most live events have exclusive access to their venues, virtual spaces are shared with a barrage of distractions. Between email notifications, news and streaming services, it’s… more
Comments (0)
Jun 10, 2020
There's a lot of "shiny object syndrome" driving our decisions as we try to adapt to changing conditions, but our best strategy might be to focus on the fundamentals.
I read an interesting quote about Jeff Bezos. He said that everyone asks him what will change in the future, and really dismissed the question as interesting but irrelevant.
Yeah. Irrelevant.
He said what is important is what won’t change in the next decade. Bezos believes that 10 years from now, people will still want a wide selection of quality products available at the lowest possible price. Hard to argue that Amazon isn… more
Comments (0)
Jun 03, 2020
It seems like every trade show and event is “pivoting” to virtual right now. For those live events that didn’t integrate a virtual component before COVID-19, it’s been a painful lesson as they struggle to adapt – and quickly. Regardless of what’s happening in the world, virtual should now be a natural extension of any live event, one that provides an even greater opportunity for any organization to further its mission.
There are obvious and not-so-obvious benefits to offering a virtual option. Not only are more people able to access your content, but it also provides critical access to… more
Comments (0)
Partner Voices
MGM Resorts is renowned for its exceptional service and diverse venue options across Las Vegas, Detroit, Springfield, National Harbor, Biloxi, and Atlantic City, providing flexible spaces for meetings of any size. Beyond these offerings, MGM Resorts distinguishes itself through a strong commitment to social responsibility and sustainability, making it an ideal choice for your next meeting.
At the core of MGM Resorts' company values is its platform, "Focused on What Matters," dedicated to meeting customer needs while advancing socially responsible practices. This commitment is evident more