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.

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

The Improv Advantage: Memorable Experiences with Gary Hirsch

Have you ever imagined improvisation and business events going hand in hand? Our latest conversation with renowned artist and improv veteran, Gary Hirsch, will make you think again. We uncover the magic of improv in transforming your typical event into a dynamic, interactive, and co-created experience that is not only engaging but also profitable.

We reflect back on how the pandemic affected event engagement and share invaluable lessons learned on how to leverage psychology and improvisation to make your virtual events unforgettable.

Plus: common pitfalls and how to achieve a balance between the presenter, the content, and the audience.

PodcastNessa JimenezJanuary 16, 2024improv, event engagement, event strategy, attendee experience

Balancing technology with the human experience at events

We embark on a journey into the heart of event management, exploring the delicate interplay between community building, technology, and the human touch. Drawing inspiration from our recent conversation with Jedd Chang and the influential World Domination Summit, we unravel how technology can help and hurt the human connections at events.

PodcastNessa JimenezDecember 19, 2023event tech, attendee experience

Surprising and delighting audiences with Jedd Chang

This week we sit down with Jedd Chang to explore successful events, emphasizing effective attendee communication and the power of a well-managed experience. Drawing from his firsthand experiences including at the World Domination Summit, Jedd walks us through elevating the front-of-house experience while exposing common customer service pitfalls in the industry. We also dive into the concept of 'surprise and delight' within event experiences. Even small, purposeful actions can inject genuine joy into attendees' journeys, and add to the overall experience.

"A good attendee experience is making sure that all attendees are seen and heard and feel valued." - Jedd Chang

PodcastNessa JimenezDecember 12, 2023attendee experience, attendee journey, community engagement

Engaging Events: Where Business Meets Fun and Human Connections

Our conversation with Breanne Dyck from Visionary CEO Academy got us thinking: why are business events so afraid of fun? So this episode we chatted about creating experiences that hit all five senses and how adding some fun can be the element that’s missing for building strong connections in remote teams. And, of course, we dived into the important role of understanding your audience's context to make any event more engaging, entertaining, and, you guessed it, FUN! 😄

How to Increase Attendee Interaction and Engagement at a Conference

Part of the conference organizing process is giving thought to how to cultivate and encourage attendee interaction and engagement. Attendee engagement is the level at which conference attendees actively participate and interact with an event.

Engaged attendees are fully present, attentively listening to speakers, engaging in lively discussions with fellow attendees, and actively participating in workshops. Disengaged attendees might be busy with their phones, attending few or no workshops, and only superficially interacting with others.

We host conferences to create an environment that encourages engagement and attendee interaction. The energy of a live event is unparalleled, but it takes deliberate effort from conference organizers to cultivate this interaction and engagement.

ArticlesNessa JimenezAugust 22, 2023attendee journey, attendee interaction, attendee experience

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