Thanks to the proliferation of social media, an event is a shareable experience: one that reaches beyond its borders into the multi-verse of messaging. Today’s events are about Instagrammable moments from your attendees to their social and business communities. Make your occasion an experience that can be posted with pride. How to do this? Let’s take a walk through some of the unique and innovative options that are available. And remember: the trick is to build branding into your…
Hyper-regional cooking refers to cuisine that focuses on the specific food traditions, ingredients, and cooking techniques of a very small and localized area — often down to a single town, village, or even a specific community within a region. It goes beyond general regional or national cuisine by highlighting the nuances of local ingredients, traditional preparation methods, and cultural influences that define that particular micro-region. For example, instead of “Italian” or even “Tuscan” cuisine, hyper-regional cooking might focus on…
What is experiential marketing (XM)? Simply put, it is a strategy for building customer loyalty and brand awareness by curating custom experiences that elicit an emotional response, create memories and influence buying behaviour. When we think about experiential marketing, the first thing that comes to mind are the brand activations at events like SXSW, Coachella and Burning Man where brands invest significant dollars in creating experiences. You might also think of things like the splashy activations that Netflix produced…
Planning an event often leaves you with the feeling that it shouldn’t end. There’s a unique joy in gathering like-minded people to make meaningful connections. As events evolve, planners are looking to amplify the impact of their events, particularly through speakers. Beyond the traditional keynote, new trends such as interactive Q&A sessions, gamification, and live polling are becoming popular, but is there more? Keynote speakers offer a unique value because you can take their impact out the door to…
by Joanne Burns Millar The business events industry has been a key driver of economic growth and cross-border collaboration between Canada and the United States for decades. With Canadian companies meeting in U.S. destinations, and U.S. organizations selecting Canada for their corporate gatherings, the sector consistently fuels job creation, sparks innovation, and drives tourism on both sides of the border. Extreme political and economic tensions are raising serious concerns for this vital sector. Strong Ties: The Power of Canada-USA Business…
The events industry is evolving rapidly, but with shifting attendee expectations, rising costs (inflation, cross-border tariffs, supply chain disruptions, etc.), and logistical hurdles, planners are facing new and ongoing challenges. This article aims to address only some of the current pain points faced by event planners and some practical strategies to tackle them. Unrealistic Timelines & Supplier Delays Event planners are increasingly pressured by clients (both internal and external) to execute high-quality events on unrealistic timelines. At the same…
When planning your next event, it’s a no-brainer to hire a videographer to capture the highlights. But have you thought about hiring a director to ensure the video truly serves your needs? A director’s role is to guide the vision, making sure every important aspect of your event is covered, and the final product works for all its intended purposes. Plan for Usage Beyond the Event Before the cameras roll, think about how the video will be used in…
Keeping an audience engaged in a meaningful way can be challenging. Attendees today are more demanding and expect new ways to experience content and connect with their peers – they are also quick to criticize if an event doesn’t quite hit the mark. Long sessions, networking small-talk, and digital distractions can make it difficult to hold their attention, which poses a challenge for planners striving to produce a successful experience. While traditional engagement strategies like Q&A sessions, panel discussions,…
You’ve done the work. You’ve created a corporate event that sponsors want to be a part of. They’ve returned your call and now you have a meeting on the books with them. You know they wouldn’t meet with you if they weren’t interested in sponsoring you. There’s revenue and commission there for the taking. Now it’s time for your meeting, and you need to understand what sort of sponsor proposal will get final approval. Here are some questions to…
by Heather Reid Hidden fees in event contracts can cause frustration, mistrust, and budgetary surprises for event planners. These unexpected charges, often appearing on post-event invoices, include everything from unexpected WiFi charges, minibar restocking fees, in-room safe usage, and early departure penalties for sleeping rooms, to charges for meeting space items like HVAC surcharges for after-hours events, charges for using wall sockets, fees for lighting panel access, and outdoor space fees for heaters or umbrellas. Addressing the issue requires not…
