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.

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

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

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

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

Less is more: Streamlining event tech

In this follow-up to our discussion with Brian Richards, we tackle the critical balance between efficiency and simplicity in event technology. Brian's 'lazy' approach to tech is a fantastic way to achieve efficiency and gain maximum impact from your efforts. We discuss the value of simplicity in maximizing the attendee experience and the benefits of having a minimum viable system to avoid over-reliance on technology.

Plus: marketing in driving event attendance, the role of swag in creating positive impacts, and the balance between educational content and relationship building.

PodcastNessa JimenezJanuary 9, 2024event tech, event strategy

Mastering Virtual Events with Brian Richards

We welcome event production expert Brian Richards, who brings over 15 years of experience. Brian shares insights on maximizing virtual event production by understanding systems and breaking them down. He discusses his journey in virtual events and the two essential elements for success. We also discuss trends in event sponsorships influenced by the pandemic and a glimpse into the future of the events industry.

PodcastNessa JimenezJanuary 2, 2024virtual events, event strategy

Building and leading a strong event team

What does it take to manage a successful event? How can you maintain your composure and treat everyone involved with respect? We reflect on our conversation with Rachel Coddington and we talk through the process of assigning roles and responsibilities, fostering a supportive environment, and keeping the gears of productivity and responsiveness moving in a team.

PodcastNessa JimenezDecember 5, 2023event production, event hosting, event strategy

Intentional Event Design with Rachel Coddington

If you've ever wondered about the inner workings of events like XOXO, World Domination Summit, Sneaker Week, and the One Motorcycle Show, you're in for a treat. Our guest this week, Rachel Coddington, shares the deets on how small teams can manage such large events and handle controversies with grace and poise.

PodcastNessa JimenezNovember 28, 2023event design, event strategy, event production

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! 😄

Resources