Event Curation: The Role of Empathy and Curiosity in Event Design

Gearing up to host your first large-scale event? Imagine creating an experience that leaves attendees raving about its thoughtful design and inclusivity. In this interview, we delve into the incredible mind of Rachel Coddington, a seasoned event producer with a wealth of experience from prestigious gatherings like Design Week Portland and the renowned XOXO festival.

Rachel has spent years meticulously curating attendee experiences that cater to diverse attendee needs. From the art of pre-planning to the magic of on-site adaptability, Rachel's shares a roadmap for aspiring community leaders who want to host next-level experiences for their audience.

Plus, emphasizing the power of empathy, inclusivity, and practicality, the intersection of event strategy, audience understanding, and the delicate balance between creativity and logistics.

Creating Connections: The Journey of Being Boss from Podcast to Community Hub

Emily Thompson, a powerhouse in the realm of creative entrepreneurship, has the hands on experience of moving her online audience into a community connected in the real world. As the co-founder and host of Being Boss, Emily spearheaded a community and podcast that boasts over 12 million downloads. With over a decade of experience, Emily has been on the forefront of empowering creatives to monetize their passions and build sustainable online business models.

In this interview, we delve into Emily's experiences and advice for creatives looking to take their online communities to the next level and foster deeper relationships. We discuss how Being Boss went from a podcast to a strong community that still lives on despite the podcast ending last year.

ArticlesNessa JimenezMarch 5, 2024in person events, online community, community, community building

Creating Engaging Learning Experiences: Lessons from Live Training

The effectiveness of online educational content for small business owners isn’t just about the logistics of good delivery but the psychology of engagement and authenticity. We recently had a chat with Breanne Dyck, co-founder of the Visionary CEO Academy, and she talked about why she prefers live sessions over prerecorded videos for her events and how embracing the imperfection of being live trumps the glossy exterior of pre-scripted recordings.

It's all part of a deliberate strategy rooted in her blend of coaching and consulting, aptly coined "coach-sulting”, where the human touch is most important. By embracing imperfection, she’s disarming intimidation and fostering genuine connections and uses it to shape a community where vulnerability is celebrated, not shunned.

In the midst of this authenticity, Breanne doesn't lose sight of the endgame: outcomes! Drawing from her background in education, she emphasizes the importance of outcome-driven learning experiences, where every interaction is a tool for guiding people to make new and different choices.

As she aptly puts it, "Teaching isn't about what you can tell someone, it's about what they understand." And understanding, at its core, is a deeply human experience.

Read our full interview with Breanne Dyck below and you can find out more about the Visionary CEO Academy here.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Community Management, Emotional Labor and Building Better Professional Relationships

Tara McMullin is a wordsmith, podcast maestro, and creative mind deeply entrenched in the realm of understanding the present and future of work. Tara sat down with us to discuss, among other things, community management, emotional labor, our relationship with work and how these intertwine to influence how we connect as human beings.

Navigating Community Building through events: A Season 3 recap!

PodcastNessa JimenezFebruary 5, 2024

Exploring the Power and Influence of Storytelling: Becoming a better speaker

In this episode, we explore the nuanced role of storytelling in building trust and fostering connections with an audience. Coming right off of our fascinating conversation with speaker trainer Mike Pacchione, we dive into what it takes to craft meaningful narratives for an event audience.

PodcastNessa JimenezFebruary 2, 2024conference speakers, storytelling, event strategy

Fine-Tuning the Art of Storytelling with Mike Pacchione

What is the secret to delivering an unforgettable talk? That's what we're unpacking in our latest episode with Mike Pacchione. We get into the nuances of storytelling, differentiating between narratives and stories, and exploring how the right structure married with vivid details can paint vibrant pictures in the minds of the listeners that they’ll remember for years to come.

Making Space for Dance and Connection at Events

We explore how to make events engaging, energizing and profitable. We revisit our conversation with the amazing Jordan Hayles, examining the transformational power of community events and how we can make sure attendees leave an event transformed. We talk about considering the full humanity of attendees, creating moments of inclusiveness, and breaking away from the ideologies of capitalism to build truly meaningful experiences. Then, we explore the delicate balance of providing structure and guidance without forcing engagement, and how to foster an atmosphere that encourages people to take risks.

PodcastNessa JimenezJanuary 26, 2024attendee experience, community engagement, event strategy, dance, Jordan Hayles

Using Dance to Create Connection at events with Jordan Hayles

Get ready to move and groove with Jordan Hayles! In our chat with Jordan, she passionately shares her journey to becoming a dance ambassador, and the power she believes movement holds in connecting people. She gives us insight into how she incorporates movement into conferences, bringing energy, engagement, and excitement to the event. You'll learn about her unique ability to fill people's hearts with music and dance and how it helps bring out the best in everyone.

PodcastNessa JimenezJanuary 23, 2024audience engagement, attendee experience, dance, community engagement

Shifting Priorities and Event Engagement

After our conversation with master improviser Gary Hirsch we sit down to discuss our biggest takeaways and how we can use that to create better community experiences.

Some of the topics we touch on this episode:

how event dynamics have dramatically shifted in the post-pandemic world
how evolving priorities have affected interaction with events and how that is shaping event logistics
how online events have paved the way for synchronous social engagement, a feature often missing in traditional in-person events

PodcastNessa JimenezJanuary 19, 2024event engagement, event strategy, community engagement

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