According to the Harvard Business Review, and the post-COVID CMO survey, social media marketing spending saw a 74 per cent lift in 2020. In addition, traditional marketing activity was projected to decline during the same time period. Digital marketing is becoming more of the budget focus for companies, and rightly so. With the pandemic, the importance of having a digital focus has come sharply into view for many organizations. These same companies are looking to expand their digital growth.…
In the modern age of employer brand building, companies are racing to keep up with the sentiments and creative needs of employees. We know first-hand that emotionally engaged employees take better care of your customers and strive harder to fulfill the mission of the brand. So, it only makes sense for companies to double down on their efforts to invest in their employees and generate a powerful employer brand experience. Events are a strategic and creative way to engage…
The pandemic has been devastating for many people and industries but none more devastated than the hospitality and events industry. The mission of the events industry is to create, manage, stage, and facilitate events all over the world. These events encompass hundreds to thousands of attendees at a meeting, special event or conference. How has event planning changed? It has changed in numerous ways and impacted the meetings and events industry globally. Let us look at some of the…
Today, more than ever, cultivating a meaningful and intentional culture of inclusion and belonging for live events is essential to building community and making deep impacts. The most creative, strongest and resilient communities are those that are comprised of diverse kinds of people, from across all demographics. Whether you are designing an event to attract large crowds of people or to serve a particular small group, a common objective can be found: to create a sense of belonging and…
In 2020, during the meetings’ industry’s largest crisis to date, LinkedIn saw a massive spike in new users, and content creation on LinkedIn rose 60 per cent. This social and professional media platform is not only growing in popularity for job seekers, but it’s become one of the best platforms for you to project your personal brand and share your thought leadership. If you are a corporate meeting professional, there’s no better social media platform than LinkedIn to connect with…
Over the last 18 months, how we deliver events has shifted dramatically. Event organizers have had to throw out their budgeting plans and sort out new ways of understanding the costs and benefits of their event spend. We’ve seen a lot of change and have helped our clients navigate this shift over the last two years. As we look to the future, change is not going to subside. Understanding how to budget new formats and content delivery will go a…
With the easing of lockdown restrictions and reopening of borders worldwide, hybrid events are expected to return in a big way. In fact, a new research study revealed 58 per cent of organizers are running hybrid events in 2021, and another 17 per cent have already committed to do so in 2022. That same study showed organizers are feeling confident about the return of in-person events, with 71 per cent saying their attendees expressed readiness in meeting face-to-face this year.…
Even before COVID-19, event organizers had a laundry list of items to tackle when planning an event. The pandemic has added a whole new host of considerations to ensure the health and safety of all involved. As someone who always strives to learn new things, challenge ideas and provide value to our events team and clients, I decided late last year to pursue Pandemic Meeting and Event Design certification. Developed by the Event Leadership Institute in partnership with Meeting Professionals International, the…
Online events, specifically webinars, have seen immense changes over the past 18 months with the COVID-19 pandemic. Chief among them has been the increase in the number of people and businesses who now see how webinars can be used to engage prospects, delight customers and communicate with the world at large. But which webinar platform should you be using? There has never been more choice, which only adds to the confusion of selecting the right one. Before you move ahead, consider your…
A recently published study by EventMB found an overwhelming majority of event organizers (81 per cent) believe they have to design and execute separate, dedicated experiences for in-person and remote audiences when hosting a hybrid event. Fortunately, with the right production technology and expertise, you don’t have to plan two separate events when going hybrid. Here’s how. Focus on Content Hybrid formats allow you to produce one event with two outputs. Take Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference. The five-day event…
