Seeking feedback from industry experts can elevate your live event by offering fresh perspectives and insights that may not be immediately obvious. Experts can provide constructive criticism on your planning, execution, and engagement strategies, allowing you to refine your approach and increase the likelihood of a successful event.

We are all experts in our own field, until we're not. We all have a network around us that we should take advantage of. Whether it's your direct team, contacts your team has, or even to open platforms such as here, the resources are out there. As long as you are comfortable with it, reach out to someone who is from a corner of the world you're unfamiliar with, but you're going there with a client. It'll make your life a lot easier in preparing and executing an operation in an otherwise unknown territory to you prior to that conversation. Live events have so many natural variables anyway, so why not try to cut that number down?

You can #DIY just about anything from remodeling your home to advancing your career, elevating your brand to organizing a live event, however, there is no substitution for the experience of a proven professional. A professional’s specific knowledge from planning through execution is invaluable; not to mention all the WORK they will do that you do not have to do yourself. The key is finding a qualified professional to assist you! Ask questions, ask for references, ask what you will get for your investment! #GoPro

If you ask me, there's nothing better than being in a room (figuratively speaking sometimes) with like minded individuals all working toward the same goal. Even if it's working through a project from other sides of the world, just by supporting, you have ownership in that project and you learn from it. But, most importantly, you build a bond with those people and expand your network. With that bond comes trust and value to know you have more people to lean on that quite possibly have been in that seat and can help navigate a road block you may come across. The value of networking is extremely underrated. Never hesitate to reach out.

I find it helpful to have a cohort of 4-5 industry folks that you stay in constant contact with that you constantly refer to for feedback, insights and POVs. It’s an easy way to build network but also build friendships and trust among opinions. Not to say you cannot branch out to more than 4-5 but having that circle of 4-5 “go-to” industry pros/friends is great.

While we explore the upside, events can become complicated quite quickly. If you are not careful enough, you may not see how it all spirals - especially in the early days. Learn from the experts. They have a wealth of (wild) stories to pick up on and get your penny-university degree in this field. Try to be as detailed as possible and remember those insights. It's all proportional - the more detailed you are, the lesser the mistakes, the better the live experience.

Few things that I keep in mind when partnering with programming and content teams: - Know your personas beyond just title and company - Make it personal. It’s not easy leaving home and the life you’re used to so create experiences and opportunities where people have time to bring their whole selves to your event. - Tier your experiences to the dotted line. Create VIP tracks for top decision makers that are a bit more curated and 1:1. The closer the buyer to the dotted line, the more of a unique experience you should attempt to create. - Wellness is not one sided. Have options beyond massages and yoga. - Recognize cultural observances and create space and opportunity for people to practice their beliefs if your event conflicts.

Marketing plans for an event are crucial but not singularly responsible for driving interest and registration. There should be a holistic approach between marketing, sales, events, and executive leadership to ensure you are putting your best food forward in bringing attention and conversion to your event. Everyone is accountable.

Always on feedback laps are important for pre-, during and post- event. We shouldn’t just collect feedback after an event. There’s touch points throughout the entire event journey that warrant feedback. This is how you build proactive pivot points where you change strategy based on progress to goal attainment. Think full event journey and keep that feedback loop always on.

Continuous improvement is key. We're always learning from our peers. I'm a firm believer in having eyes on something I'm involved in from an outside perspective to poke holes in what I'm doing at any stage of the project. Getting ideas from others that have been there, done that has always held way more value to me than any internal evaluations I could exercise. Collaborative conversations and global views from the outside prove over and over again to be beneficial in my experience. Bottom line is we're never done learning...