Andrew Podolsky’s Post

40% of leads are generated BEFORE the event and another 8% AFTER it ends, leaving just 52% generated DURING the event itself. This insight from Swapcard’s “The State of Event Engagement” report highlights a key fact: Great events build momentum—before, during, and after the actual day. Attendees, speakers, and exhibitors don’t wait for the event doors to open to start engaging. Many are connecting beforehand, which means exhibitors must be prepared early and maintain momentum beyond the event. Event organizers should onboard and train exhibitors well in advance, so they’re equipped to capitalize on these early connections. And let’s not forget the importance of post-event follow-ups—continuing the conversation promptly after the event is crucial for maximizing ROI. Let's embrace the Event Momentum Cycle. The key question: How do you keep that momentum going? Tip: Interested in getting more insights? Join Swapcard's session "Event engagement gaps & lessons from 2.5M attendees", airing today (24.10.) at 2:00 pm CEST (Paris) and 2:00 pm EDT (New York). 👉🏻Link in comments. 👏 Emma Lomas, Arnaud Nouchy, Baptist Health

Are your events delivering what the next-gen attendee wants? New report finds a big disconnect between planner perceptions and attendee expectations. | by Barbara Bruns Palmer, PCMA Convene https://buff.ly/4eECBhT #associations #associationmanagement

Your association's big conference is just weeks away. The word is out, the buzz is in the air, but so is the flood of inquiries from attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors. Your team is inundated with questions, and the pressure is mounting. The sheer volume of these inquiries is overwhelming, leaving your team little time for proper planning and meaningful engagement. Enter your new custom SkillyAI, your association's frontline hero. 🔹 The Challenge: Your team is stretched thin, trying to provide timely and accurate information to everyone. The constant barrage of questions about pricing, registration, schedules, logistics, sponsorships, and exhibitor details is leaving them exhausted and attendees upset. 🔹 The Solution: You train and launch your custom SkillyAI in hours to handle the volume of inquiries on your event page, social channels, and email with ease. SkillyAI answers all questions instantly, and sharing the most relevant resources and links. No more digging through emails or static pages. Attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors get the information they need, when they need it, even after hours. 🔹 The Transformation: Now your staff can finally breathe a sigh of relief and focus on what truly matters—creating an unforgettable event experience and fostering deeper connections. Attendees, sponsors, and exhibitors enjoy seamless, personalized interactions, enhancing their overall experience. The difference is clear: a happy, well-informed, engaged community, and a staff that’s energized and focused on delivering value. SkillBuilder.io makes this possible. Ready to revolutionize your association’s engagement before, during, and after your events? Discover how SkillBuilder.io can help you build a stronger, more connected community! See you at the show!

💡💡 Welcome back to The Event Edge, a series exploring the  #EventIndustry's hottest topics for event producers. This week's topic is #IndustryRecognition 💡💡 The event industry globally has many different ways to recognize our community: ▶️ Industry awards ▶️ Industry 'Best Of' lists ▶️ Industry spotlights Today I want to talk about the Eventex Most Influential People in The Event Industry Index. This is an index that is curated from #EventProfs from all over the world who in EventEx's words: Recognizes exceptional industry figures from around the globe who have left a mark with their creativity, vision, and capacity for innovation. The list is decided entirely by the public who first get to nominate and then vote for who they believe has influenced the industry the most. I want to highlight one key factor, this is a publicly nominated and publicly voted list. You can't self nominate and you can't self vote. This is a list of who the public feels are the event professionals who have influenced the industry the most. On a personal level, I have been nominated this year for the 2nd year in a row (yay!). I have spent my entire career working on bringing my personal style to events and pushing the needle 1% at a time to make change and to level-up every client, project, and event I am fortunate to be a part of. Since this index is voted by the public, if you are reading this post and are comfortable, I would be honored if you would use the link at the bottom to vote for me. The #EventIndustry is something I live and breathe and is something I am incredibly passionate about. I work day-in-and-day-out to be the best event professional I can be and this would be a huge milestone and accomplishement to get on the list. Please use this link to vote for me: https://lnkd.in/g9_9YGwW #EventProfs #EventIndustry #EventTech #EventManager #EventProducer #EventLife #Eventing #CanadianEvents #TorontoEvents #CorporateEvents

Here's advice from event planners on how to make everyone—yes, even the introverts—feel connected at your next event. ~~ by Claire Hoffman, BizBash, hat tip to Association Briefings newsletter https://buff.ly/3YM4Yp7 #associations #associationmanagement #conferences

Event organizers want attendees to be fully present and engaged during every second of an event. However, attendees want to be able to duck in and out of sessions, take calls and keep up with work. Am I wrong? Are these two compatible? Perhaps the bigger question is whether we can design engaging event experiences that allow attendees can pick and choose what they actively participate in. Who has cracked this?

Please join us on Thursday, June 5 for the Official Book Launch of Leor Rotchild's amazing new book "How We Gather Matters" with special guest Shawna McKinley. Expect great conversation with these two industry experts, advising us all how to grow your audience, shrink your footprint, and change the world. This online event requires advance registration: https://lnkd.in/eSUMz5Js Events can help educate, inspire, and connect us to our community, but we can do better to make them sustainable.  “How We Gather Matters” is an invitation to reimagine the modern events industry as a powerful vehicle for change. How We Gather Matters enables and inspires festival, conference, tradeshow, wedding, concert and sporting event planners to: - Develop the financial and human resources required to implement green, sustainable gatherings - Collaborate effectively with diverse teams and stakeholders - Design events with impact and purpose, while supporting marketings and strategic goals - Engage participants authentically while aligning with positive and progressive values - Lead the shift towards net-zero emissions and zero waste by leveraging best practices and accepted international standards. Packed with personal insights, behind the scene stories, and case studies, “How We Gather Matters” is required reading for event professionals who want to decrease risk, increase profitability, and meaningfully contribute to a more just, inclusive and sustainable society. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eSUMz5Js

What Do Younger Attendees Want👀? In general, attendees go to conferences based on content, potential contacts, and convenience, not the attributes of the host convention center. However, the conference experience, which is strongly influenced by the venue, can be an important factor in an attendee’s decision to return to that event in the future 🏞 Click the link below to learn more about how to engage younger attendees 👇 #MeetingsNet #genz #millinnial

What has happened to our industry? Have we forgotten the importance of attendee experience? Are we too overworked to innovate, focusing only on getting the event done and not improving year over year? Yesterday, I posted a bit of a rant that shared my frustrations in a video, and the main takeaway was clear: attendee experience is being neglected. More planners are reaching out, eager to create their own events because traditional industry associations aren't meeting their needs. I've spoken to multiple planners who feel industry associations prioritize sponsors over attendees, diminishing event quality. Look around at these events—where are the planners? The focus on making the sponsors happy above all else seems to be driving them away. Am I alone in this observation? Planners, have you recently attended an event that truly provided value and engagement? Share your experiences—have you attended an event recently that truly prioritized attendee engagement? Let's discuss how we can bring innovation back to our industry.

📅 We’ve all been to those industry conferences where every session starts to feel the same—one speaker after another, panel after panel. It’s easy to get lost in the monotony, and staying engaged becomes a challenge. That’s why it’s so important for presenters to mix things up with fresh, dynamic formats that really connect with the audience and make the experience memorable. As someone who loves experimenting with creative engagement, I was excited to be invited to contribute to the Eventprofs VISION 2024 Session Format Guide, published by Eventprofs Vision and Skift Meetings. My session, “The Game Show,” is all about turning traditional panels into interactive, game-like experiences that keep people on their toes and encourage participation. 🎤✨ It’s wonderful to be featured alongside so many talented event pros. I’m looking forward to trying out some of the innovative formats in this guide and borrowing a few ideas for future events. If you’re looking for inspiration to shake up your own sessions, check out the guide at the link below (FREE & NO EMAIL REQUIRED) —it’s packed with unique and engaging formats. 💡📘 Big thanks to everyone who contributed—your creativity is truly inspiring, and I can’t wait to see these formats in action! 🎉🙌 Anthony Vade, CED, John Brewer - The Conference Bard, Holly Duckworth, Vanessa Lovatt, Tamar Beck, Claus Raasted, Tahira Endean, MsC, CITP, CMP, CED , Liz Lathan, CMP, Dahlia El Gazzar, Clare Forestier, Josh King, Adrian Segar, Kristen Hunter, HMCC, CED, Martin Smith, Pigalle Tavakkoli, Jim Ekanem, Huong N., Eric de Groot, Anca Platon Trifan, CMP, DES, WMEP, Ruby Sweeney, Thomas Lahnthaler, Ruud Janssen, DES, CMM, Mike Van Der Vijver, Naomi Clare Crellin, Alexa Martinez, Nico Meyer, Miguel Neves, David T. Stevens®, PMED, Elise Keith, Abi Cannons, Kim Myhre, Audette Sophia, Sina Bünte, CMP, DES, TMEP, HVED, Chris Bent 🥒, Juraj Holub, Victoria Matey, Steve Turney, Devon Montgomery Pasha CMP, CED Merijn van Buuren Skift Meetings #Eventprofs #EventDesign #SessionFormats #SkiftMeetings #EventInnovation #InteractiveSessions #EventMarketing #ExperientialLearning #GameShowFormat #EngagementStrategies #EventCommunity #MICEIndustry #ExperienceDesign #EventPlanning #ProfessionalNetworking #EventTrends #CreativeEventDesign #EventProfsVision #WorldExperienceOrganization #WXO #CreativeCollaboration #EventInspiration https://lnkd.in/g77kW2en