Kena Jones

Senior Events Manager
Salesforce

Folks are grieving all over the world—not only for souls lost to the COVID-19 pandemic, but grieving for the loss of jobs, community gatherings, eating out, travel, sports, face-to-face connections–everything about “the way things used to be.” Salesforce recently started hosting an online series called “B-well Together” to focus on wellness, self-care and to remind us that within this darkness, there are silver linings. What struck me the most was the focus on gratitude. In times where you might feel a bit rudderless, gratitude can fortify you.

So, CEMA, what are you grateful for?

I am grateful that my family is healthy, that my children are continuing to learn while at home, that I get to take daily morning walks (which I need because I have also rediscovered my love of baking!), and that living simply and slowly can actually be pleasant. I am grateful that I have a job that I love—even though I miss the cacophony and energy that only exists at live events. My favorite part is seeing attendees’ faces as they experience the journey we have developed for them.

I have developed a special affinity for a specific set of attendees–our attendees with disabilities. For the past few years I have been a champion for these attendees, understanding that our events must be experienced by everyone–-not only because the events are compelling, but because it’s the best thing for all of us. Equality is a core value at Salesforce so one of the many ways we bring that value to life is through inclusion at our events. Now that we have all made the shift to virtual connections and events, it’s more important than ever to keep our attendees of all abilities top of mind. I will be sharing the adjustments we are making to maintain our commitment to equality at CEMA Summit 2020.
I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this amazingly resilient community. Be grateful and B-well!

Executive Profile of the Month Featuring: Meeting & Incentives Worldwide

Alexander deHilster

Creative Design Manager
Meetings & Incentives Worldwide

Meet Alexander deHilster, the Creative Design Manager with Meetings & Incentives Worldwide (M&IW). In his role, Alexander has taken every opportunity to enrich client ideas with his own creative visions. Endowed with a true passion for the industry, he is proof positive of  his dedication to design events every bit as unique and out-of-the-ordinary as they are impactful and visually stunning. Originally specializing in the medical industry, he has overseen the design, planning, and execution of corporate, private, and special events globally at highly-coveted venues.

Alexander  is one of the most talented event designers in the industry. His list of accomplishments, customer accolades and awards span more than 25 years. In 2011, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame by Illinois Meetings & Events Magazine, and inducted again, in 2018 to the BizBash Hall of Fame. He has mastered an understanding of space–and its potential. Currently, he is consulting with clients and creating detailed 3D floor plans as part of virtual site visits and room set options for physical distancing.

Prior to joining M&IW, Alexander was an executive event producer with a Chicago-based firm and the principal of his own agency for six years. He was born in the Netherlands and speaks fluent English, German and French as well as his native Dutch and conversational in Spanish, rendering him an ideal candidate to coordinate events and meetings, both domestic and internationally. He is an avid philanthropist and currently serves on the board of the Friendship Botanic Gardens and the Lubeznik Art Center in Michigan City, Indiana and is involved with several other non-profit organizations. ​

Be sure to check the exciting work that Alexander and his team are doing in space planning. EventVisualizer is a 3D diagramming software that will give you peace of mind in creating a safe, yet inviting space for your in-person live events. https://www.meetings-incentives.com/reimagining-room-sets-and-event-design/

To learn more about Alexander, read: https://www.meetings-incentives.com/miws-alexander-dehilster-joins-bizbash-hall-of-fame/

Continuing to Shine Bright, We Thank Our CEMA Diamond Members

We are forever grateful to our CEMA Diamond Members, continuing to bring their support and expertise to our treasured community. Thank you to all of you at eventcore, GES and Freeman.

CEMA Members Share Insights and Advice on “The Pivot” at the first “Ask CEMA Live!” Webinar

More than 400 event professionals participated in our first “Ask CEMA Live!” webinar on April 9.  An expert CEMA member panel shared views and advice on how to manage the pivot from physical to virtual events in the new “low-touch” reality.

Moderated by Jimmy Ervin, founder and president of Velocity, the expert panel featured Colleen Bisconti, vice president of global conferences & events, IBM, Diana Cam, senior director, partner marketing, Workiva and Sara Straw, senior manager, event program strategy, Sage.

Panelists shared the status of their events programs, most of which have been cancelled or postponed until later in the year. The discussion shifted to how we evaluate whether or not a physical event can be re-cast as a virtual one, and how to best manage the pivot.

There was consensus that we can’t just take physical events, drop them into virtual platforms and expect everything to be the same. It’s important to deconstruct face-to-face events and identify the elements that really drive business impact, and attendee experience and value.  According to the panel, the elements that shift to digital may vary based on event structure, goals, and requirements. A successful pivot requires being creative and realistic about which ones can be made virtual in a meaningful way.

Our experts identified core experiential “buckets” that can be used to design the right platform, user interface, content formats and interactive environments to deliver them digitally.

• Delivering core content: How do we make sure our attendees have the robust content from keynotes and breakout sessions they need to take back to their businesses; how do we translate main stage activities and key announcements for a virtual environment, and how do we translate energy, excitement, anticipation – the human impact of live a presentation  –  to a digital environment?
• Attendees professional development: how do we ensure that we are delivering educational and technical content effectively in a way that informs, educates and helps attendees build skills?
• Networking: people go to events to meet with customers, peers, experts, and solutions providers. How do we facilitate networking in a meaningful way and in particular, how do we bring value to our partners and sponsors?
• Attendee engagement: people at home in front of a screen have myriad distractions and are prone to multitasking. How do we keep attendees engaged during a digital event?
• Marketing: Promotion must also pivot in line with how we engage attendees in a digital way. The messaging is not the same as marketing a face-to-face event. We have to convince people that there’s still value in participating.  It’s a challenge, especially when event marketers lack digital skills and digital experts don’t understand events. We need to embrace dual education.

The panel also discussed the probability that hybrid face-to-face events with digital extensions will become a long-term model for event marketers, even if we return to a scalable level in live events. As these models evolve, they will open up opportunities to attract new attendees and to deliver additional value to existing ones.

Our first Ask CEMA Live webinar proved to be a robust and meaningful exchange — a shining example of how the event marketing community comes together to enrich each other and help each other out.

Ask CEMA Live!  Episode Two: CEMA Experts Break Down the Pivot

In our second Ask CEMA Live! Webinar on April 23, our event executive panel dove deeper into the opportunities and challenges in creating powerful and profitable digital/virtual experiences.

The session was moderated by Jimmy Ervin, Founder & President, Velocity. The panel comprised expert perspectives from both the client and industry sides: Ken Madden– SVP, Head of Digital Engagement, George P. Johnson Experience Marketing, Stephanie Dubois– Event Director SAPPHIRE NOW, SAP, Derek Blake– Divisional Vice President, Global Learning and Development, PSAV and Elizabeth Murphy– Executive Producer, Senior Director, Corp. Global Events, Oracle.

We framed the webinar with the argument that virtual/ digital experience does not mean less impactful or scaled down experiences.  When content, messaging, and interactions are designed with a laser focus on business goals and audience needs, a virtual experiential event can truly become the confluence of art, science, experiences, and technology – to deliver high value.  Consider the following statistics on digital behavior:

• 44% of people watch more live-streaming events than live TV^[i]
• 30% of people are more likely to speak to a person in a virtual booth^[ii]
• Users comment 10 times more on live videos than regular videos^[iii]
• 80% of people favor a good quality live stream to a brand’s social media or blog^[iv]

With that vision in mind, the discussion kicked off with the burning question: how do we pivot?  The consensus of the panel was that successfully transitioning to virtual events requires understanding what planning, design and experiential elements carry over from the real world and which ones must be revented for digital.

• Carry over: objectives, attendee value, strategy, experience design, great content, and production quality
• Revent: planning, content delivery, attendee journey, attendee experience and technical environment

Through the discussion, panelists offered important insights into optimizing attendee experience online:

• Content is queen and less is more: be it graphics, video, text or spoken word, content must be tight, crisp, bite-sized and when possible interactive.
• Timing is critical: time conversion ratios are different online than on a live stage. Think purposefully about the flow between segments and don’t overload audiences with too many moving parts.
• Variety adds spice: three or four speakers will engage a virtual audience better than one.
• Live vs. taped: Live virtual events can be great, but they are risky, and glitches can muddle the experience. Consider a mix of pre-recorded, live, and on-demand content.
• User tech is uncontrollable: Virtual events need to reflect the different devices audiences use (computer, tablet, mobile device), where they are accessing the event (home, car, outdoors), and bandwidth.
• The platform doesn’t deliver production: the production team does.
• Online not necessarily less expensive: set leadership expectations for budgets, costs and RoI.
• Your space will become saturated with virtual events: anticipate demand and digital fatigue. Tailor content to audience segments, look for ways to add value, and consider niche content opportunities.

As we move into more virtual events through 2021 or beyond, we should continually pulse check our pivot activities and share intel, experience, and advice. The Ask CEMA Live! forums are a great way to do that.  We look forward to tapping into our member brain trust and taking deeper dives into these all-too-important ideas.

^[i] Interactive Advertising Bureau

^[ii] https://www.vfairs.com/virtual-events-will-be-big-2020

^[iii] Facebook- https://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2017/32869/the-rise-of-live-streaming-who-do-people-watch-and-how-can-brands-benefit-infographic

^[iv] Facebook- https://www.marketingprofs.com/chirp/2017/32869/the-rise-of-live-streaming-who-do-people-watch-and-how-can-brands-benefit-infographic

In 2020, “Revent” Will Dominate the Event Industry Lexicon

Kimberly Gishler, President & CEO, Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA)

We are in this together. Kim Gishler, President & CEO of CEMA, shares her thoughts on the tackling challenges today, and amazing possibilities for the future.

Read the Article

CEMA in The News

CEMA’s Ask CEMA Live Webinar was featured in Corporate Event News. Their coverage can be found via the link here.

EIC Creates COVID19 Business Recovery Task Force

CEMA members are helping to lead a Business Recovery Task Force to support the event industry’s recovery efforts. The new task force and its mission is covered in the article linked here.