Velvet Chainsaw

JULY 24, 2023

Last week I attended the National Speakers Association’s (NSA) Annual Meeting, Influence 2023. As a 25+ year member of NSA, I was eager to see how they would weave in their 50-year anniversary and deliver on a promise to elevate the education and main room experiences. Create a Welcoming Conference Culture.

Education 370

Education Sponsorships 2023 Speakers 370

Velvet Chainsaw

JULY 31, 2017

As a conference organizer, how purpose-driven are you? Successful conference organizers are purpose-driven! They design conference experiences that become meaning-making opportunities for their participants. And they make their planning teams’ work important. Purpose-Driven Conference Organizers’ Mindset.

Conference 199

Conference Conference Planning Education Meetings 199

Master the Event

APRIL 5, 2022

So drum roll please, conference planners are some of the hardest working multi-taskers I know. And there’s a whole heck of a lot (and I do mean a lot) that goes into planning conferences. In general, the success of every meeting and conference starts with the experience, skills and organization of the conference planner.

Conference Planning 40

Conference Planning Conference Negotiating Education 40

InitLive

NOVEMBER 29, 2019

Whether you are new to conference management or just starting out, as you prepare for your next conference it's always a good idea to step outside your box and explore what's changed. Not surprisingly conferences have played a big part in my responsibilities over the years. Been there Done that!

Conference Planning 63

Conference Planning Conference Social Media Management 63

Velvet Chainsaw

JANUARY 11, 2019

So is this the right strategy for your association and conference? It’s not uncommon to see student pricing that is $200–$300 below the per-person direct meeting costs. When looking at the annual meeting repeat attendance of students into the early years of their career, we usually see conversion rates below 20 percent.

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Conference Education 2018 Travel 252

Velvet Chainsaw

JULY 10, 2017

In order to design relevant education and networking experiences at our conferences, we need to be focused to the point of obsession with our target audience. Over the past 18 months, we’ve carefully scrubbed and analyzed the attendance of 20 major conferences. Who has the professional development budget to attend every year?

Conference 288

Conference Education 2017 Speakers 288

Velvet Chainsaw

JULY 27, 2017

Most conferences offer some type of learning opportunities for their participants. The education opportunities abound. Traditionally, the goal of conference education is to deliver as much information as possible as fast as possible to as many people as possible. Well, we succeeded at delivering information.

Conference 256

Conference Education Speakers Meetings 256

Velvet Chainsaw

NOVEMBER 8, 2016

Big business, conferences, education, government, medicine, membership associations, nonprofits, professional societies, religious organizations, trade organizations, etc. Yes, your conference and your membership organization are customary, standard institutions. The same is happening in the association and meetings industry.

Conference 394

Conference Government Education Meetings 394

ePly

MARCH 22, 2024

A great conference agenda defines the event’s purpose, who will speak and when, and the conference location and activity. It is the most important tool available for encouraging attendee engagement , establishing expectations for their experience, and guiding them to the right locations at the right times during the conference.

Conference 62

Conference Speakers Food and Beverage Venues 62

Velvet Chainsaw

FEBRUARY 6, 2018

As a conference organizer, you can seed your annual meeting with experiences that nurture authentic conversations, deep connections and community. You can design, structure and facilitate conference experiences that foster and reclaim meaningful dialogue in an age of digital disruptions. Groups matter!

Conference 294

Conference Education Technology Meetings 294

Velvet Chainsaw

JUNE 26, 2018

Within the conference arena, innovation is the process through which new value is created and delivered to customers. Our conferences need innovation in processes, systems and design more than it needs new inventions in technology. Innovation within the conference and meetings space is going to be about the way we do conferences.

Conference 199

Conference Conference Planning Consulting Technology 199

SevenEvents

JULY 12, 2023

Are you currently thinking of organising a conference event for your company ? The success of your event depends on meticulous planning and flawless execution. That’s where our conference planning service can make all the difference.

Conference 52

Conference Conference Planning Speakers Event Management 52

Velvet Chainsaw

JUNE 23, 2016

Savvy 21st Century conference organizers can effectively demonstrate strategic learning alignment of their conference networking and education programming. Smart conference professionals are skilled at articulating the value of their event’s networking and learning opportunities. Wearing Your Future Focused Glasses.

Conference 256

Conference Conference Networking Education Speakers 256

Velvet Chainsaw

JANUARY 18, 2017

It’s the adventures of your next conference experience across the eighth dimension. Well, similar to Buckaroo’s adventures, you have the opportunity to take your band of conference participants into the 21st Century conference dimension. These conference programming trends are headed your way.

2017 150

2017 Conference Education Speakers 150

Master the Event

FEBRUARY 9, 2024

I’ve been in the conference and convention planning business for well over 20 years (that’s a whole other story). Many of my friends assume that meeting planners and industry suppliers have a lot of down time over the holidays. Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA)’s annual conference is held in January.

2013 40

2013 Meetings Conference Conference Planning 40

Eventinterface

JULY 12, 2017

She has experience working on multi-day customer appreciation events, educational seminars and social events. Today, we are speaking with Julia on how Meeting and Event Professionals can make their projects sustainable and what this means to the success story of these events. Planning the audience experience and PR for your events.

Sustainability 174

Sustainability Conference Consulting 2015 174

Velvet Chainsaw

OCTOBER 1, 2021

With many organizations actively planning for an upcoming in-person conference or tradeshow, now is the time to make firm decisions for your attendee-experience, staffing and safety plans. Most Q3 and Q4, 2021 conferences are reporting attendance numbers that are 40 – 60% below 2019. Hybrid, or Not. Staff and Vendors.

Sponsorships 370

Sponsorships Conference 2021 2019 370

Velvet Chainsaw

MARCH 22, 2017

You can make your conference the purple cow of all conference experiences. By creating conference experiences that help your participants think smarter! This means designing conference experiences that go full frontal ! The Traditional Low Level Cognitive Conference. Most conference experiences are passive.

Conference 208

Conference Speakers Education Meetings 208

MeetingsNet

MAY 13, 2024

Most meeting planners have likely discovered the benefits of ChatGPT and other generative-A.I. produces over time could become increasingly unoriginal—the opposite of what event planners need in their educational and promotional content. While touted as a time-saver, generative A.I.

Site Selections 52

Site Selections Education Conference Planning Speakers 52

Velvet Chainsaw

SEPTEMBER 15, 2016

It is much more effective to provide opportunities for conference participants to solve their own problems, then telling them how to solve it. Conference organizers automatically assume that if someone is attending their event, they expect the conference to help them solve their problems. Paraphrase Dr. A. There is another way!

Conference 150

Conference Education Meetings Conference Planning 150

Eventinterface

JUNE 3, 2018

She has experience working on multi-day customer appreciation events, educational seminars and social events. Today, we are speaking with Julia on how Meeting and Event Professionals can make their projects sustainable and what this means to the success story of these events. Planning the audience experience and PR for your events.

Sustainability 100

Sustainability Conference 2015 Consulting 100

Eventinterface

JUNE 3, 2018

She has experience working on multi-day customer appreciation events, educational seminars and social events. Today, we are speaking with Julia on how Meeting and Event Professionals can make their projects sustainable and what this means to the success story of these events. Planning the audience experience and PR for your events.

Sustainability 100

Sustainability Conference 2015 Consulting 100

Master the Event

APRIL 1, 2022

As a result, City Planning Conferences are happening with an increased frequency to address this growing issue. (no City Planning Conferences – The Numbers are a Little Surprising. On conferencealerts.com there were over 100 meetings, conferences and events scheduled in “Urban studies, architecture and related fields”.

Conference 40

Conference 2011 2012 Education 40

Hubilo Blog

NOVEMBER 18, 2021

By now you probably already know how to host a virtual conference. But what does it take to run a virtual conference that delivers? Most importantly, a virtual conference that achieves its goals. Organizing a virtual conference is an intricate process that involves many layers. What is a virtual conference?

Conference 90

Conference Social Media Technology Education 90

Velvet Chainsaw

SEPTEMBER 16, 2016

Are 50%-80% of your conference attendees in your programming at any given time? One thing is certain, if your conference attendees are not fully engaged in the experience you provide, there is little, if any, chance that they will leave your event with any real ROI. Four Factors That Affect Your Conference Attendees’ Engagement.

Conference 150

Conference 2009 Education Speakers 150

Velvet Chainsaw

NOVEMBER 2, 2021

Since the pandemic moved our event cheese, industry experts have been quick to proclaim that meetings are forever changed and hybrid is here to stay. Discuss five lesser known truths about hybrid meetings. If only it was that easy! Event organizers are quickly realizing that hybrid isn’t cheap and it requires a lot more work.

2022 370

2022 Education Meetings Management 370

Velvet Chainsaw

JANUARY 19, 2017

They would embrace the context of each dimension much like you need to embrace these current conference programming trends. Five More Cadillac Conference Programming Trends. Here are the next five 2017 conference programming trends. Strategically Using The Conference As An On-Ramp Not A Cul-De-Sac. Take a look at them.

Conference 150

Conference 2017 Education Technology 150

Velvet Chainsaw

AUGUST 3, 2017

Personalization—it seems to be the 2017 buzzword for nonprofit associations and conferences. Data and technology can help make your conference more configurable. Personalization of a conference experience is a much deeper and complex ambition than making it configurable. So be forewarned associations and conference organizers.

Education 285

Education Social Media Conference Technology 285

Coterie Spark

JUNE 28, 2021

Overwhelmed by fall conference planning options? Well partner, what’s it gonna be: a virtual, in-person, or hybrid conference this fall? COVID-19 has changed the world, and has shifted how events and conferences are imagined/planned, it’s a new frontier! Virtual Conferences. In-Person Conferences.

Conference 52

Conference Event Planning Transportation Conference Planning 52

Velvet Chainsaw

JULY 28, 2017

But most conference experiences have changed very little, if at all. So what type of conference education are you serving your customers—shallow learning, advancement learning or deep learning? So what percentage of your conference education falls into each of the following three categories? Shallow Learning.

Education 240

Education Conference Government Speakers 240

Smart Meetings

JUNE 5, 2023

In her new position as director of hotel sales at Visit Houston after 15 years in the hotel industry, Melinda Mintz spoke with Smart Meetings about her personal and professional journey. Q: How did you get into the meetings industry? How important is mentorship in the meetings industry? A: It was a little bit like a fluke.

Hotels 52

Hotels Hospitality Conference Planning 2023 52

Expo Logic

MARCH 26, 2020

Are you looking to change your in-person conference into an interactive virtual conference? If so, our Virtual Conference Software can help you achieve a full, online conference experience complete with live networking, virtual sessions and exhibit halls and even virtual poster sessions. About the Author.

Conference 36

Conference Education Events Marketing 36

Connect Your Meetings

AUGUST 3, 2018

as conferences manager at NMAC. What I do: I educate leaders to stop the HIV epidemic. Through conference planning, I work to keep adult education interesting and relevant so my attendees continue to fight HIV in and for their communities. Alison Jo McKeithen, MBA, CMP, 38, works in Washington, D.C.,

2018 76

2018 2016 Education 2017 76

Velvet Chainsaw

MARCH 2, 2017

Imagine designing your next conference or annual meeting from scratch around content instead of picking up the template you’ve been using for years and tweaking it. Not just your education programming, but your breaks, meals, even your exhibit hall (which we advocate for evolving into a solutions center, including changing the name).

Conference 150

Conference Education Speakers Meetings 150

Smart Meetings

MAY 20, 2022

Read IMEX CEO Carina Bauer’s goals for the return to European meeting. IMEX initiatives and efforts in this domain may provide inspiration and a roadmap of ideas for those teams seeking to apply practices in their own conferences, meetings and events. Questions such as: “Where are we meeting?” “How

Sustainability 98

Sustainability 2022 Transportation 2011 98

Expo Logic

OCTOBER 23, 2020

Organizers and planners are continuing to move forward to create virtual conferences and facilitate an online experience for their attendees and replicate what would have been in-person. Typical components of a successful virtual conference include: Education. Live engagement and networking. Entertainment. Exhibition Hall.

Conference 36

Conference Sponsorships Social Media Speakers 36

Core-apps

MARCH 7, 2018

With more than a decade of experience in the meetings industry working both on the planning side and with associations to improve their events, Dahlia is known as the ‘go-to’ source for trend-setting solutions, tech news, and social media advice. dahliaelgazzar. dahliaelgazzar. plannerwire.

Healthcare 107

Healthcare Social Media Event Apps 2015 107