Event Engine Podcast

Would building a year-round community around your event allow you to offer more value? In this episode, I interview Neil Thompson from Delegate Wranglers. He shares his journey growing a Facebook community that exceeded any expectations.

We learn how he grew and monetised his platform, starting with just a simple newsletter and expanding to customised campaigns working with global brands. Neil also shares the amazing value he could add during the tough times of the pandemic, quickly pivoting to online content and community support.

As you listen, consider what a thriving year-round gathering place could do for your attendees, community, industry and bottom line. Neil shares how he cultivated an engaged, supportive culture that became the foundation of Delegate Wranglers' runaway success. Neil's story illustrates how listening to your community and continually evolving to meet needs can help transform a simple idea into a thriving member ecosystem.

If you’re looking for inspiration and a model to emulate, this in-depth chat with a true community leader is a must listen.

Full show notes: https://eecast.com/27

Running events can feel like a risky business at times. Between tight budgets, high partner expectations, and strong competition, the odds often seem stacked against us as event organizers. We're forced to pull off minor miracles at times on a strained budget.

My guest in this episode, Mads Kjer, bootstrapped Ticketbutler starting with just an idea and sheer determination. We learn how he went from "moonlighting side-hustler" to leading a thriving event ticketing and badge printing company armed only with hustle, smarts and an unwavering commitment to customer experience.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed trying to turn your idea into profit, you need to hear Mads' story. From leveraging side incomes to laser-focusing on customer pain points with his ticket builder software and portable badge printer hardware, he shares the tactics that allowed Ticketbutler to constantly punch above its weight class despite limited resources, and a lot of competition.

So whether you're looking to bootstrap your own event tech startup or simply take your existing event business to the next level without going into debt, don't miss the key lessons from Mads' journey on how he beat the odds through resilience, agility, and customer obsession to turn his passion project into a global reaching operation with just the power of bootstrapping.

Full show notes: https://eecast.com/32

Face to face or screen to screen? Which leaves you feeling more connected? In this episode Lisa and I discuss recent research showing that in-person interactions trigger increased neural activity compared to virtual interactions.

We explore a study analysing the differences in brain activity and eye contact when people interacted live versus through video chat. The results indicate our minds are wired to be more engaged with physical proximity - but why is that so? Lisa and I unpack the limitations of current virtual platforms, including how camera angles and lack of body language cues play a role.

If a picture speaks a thousand words, being in the same room conveys infinitely more. But could webcam capabilities ever replicate the nuances of sharing physical space?

With insights from neuroscience and psychology, we get to the heart of what builds bonds between humans.

Full show notes: https://eecast.com/30

Struggling to choose social platforms and create content that sells tickets for your event? In this practical episode, host I chat with marketing veteran Rachael Dines to share social media marketing tactics to boost your next event.

Learn how to select platforms strategically based on where your target audience spends time. Get tips on creating engaging content like speaker videos, event teasers, and more. Discover how to educate and collaborate with sponsors to mutually promote participation.

Whether you are new to social media marketing or looking to improve your strategy, Rachael lays out tangible tips to help you focus your efforts for greater impact. Expect to come away with clarity on where to devote time and resources to drive real ticket sales.

Full show notes: https://eventmartech.com/social-media-for-event-marketers

Struggling to get the word out about your event? Tired of expensive video productions that feel out of touch? What if the secret to selling your next event was already in your attendees' pockets?

In this episode, Dan Gable shares how smartphone videos filmed by attendees could provide authentic, cost-effective event promotion. Discover new techniques to capture organic event moments that professional shoots often miss. Learn how Dan's platform Shout Out makes it easy to share real-time videos that spark FOMO.

Whether you want to showcase speaker reactions, spread excitement, or give virtual attendees a taste of the experience, you’ll learn how tapping into this content can boost engagement on a budget. Attendee videos just might be the marketing secret weapon you’ve been overlooking.

Tune in to uncover the power of leveraging your existing event advocates and moments. You’ll come away with insight that could seriously impact how you promote and sell your next event!

Full show notes: https://eventmartech.com/sell-your-next-event-with-attendee-videos