Ep 17: In conversation with Hugh Forrest, Co-President & Chief Programming Officer at SXSW

In the 18th episode of Building Awesome Events, host Ankush Gupta chats with Noelle Peterson, Senior Director of Global Event Experiences and Field Marketing at UserTesting. Noelle shares her fascinating journey from law to event marketing and discusses how her unique background influences her current role.Tune in and discover:Transitioning Careers: Noelle reveals how her shift from law to event marketing unfolded, detailing how skills like negotiation and communication have been vital in her success.Event Strategy at UserTesting: Learn about the comprehensive event portfolio Noelle manages, from owned events to flagship customer conferences, and how she ensures these events drive global brand adoption and meaningful connections.Adapting to Industry Changes: Noelle discusses the major shifts in event marketing post-pandemic, highlighting the renewed emphasis on in-person events and the growing importance of networking over content.Leveraging Social Proof: Discover how social proof plays a crucial role in Noelle's event marketing strategy, enhancing trust and credibility to boost event attendance and engagement.Join us for an engaging episode packed with insights from Noelle Peterson, as she offers valuable advice for event marketers and shares the key elements of her successful event strategies.#BuildingAwesomeEvents #EventProfs #EventMarketing #B2BEvents #UserTesting

In the 17th episode of "Building Awesome Events," host Ankush Gupta sits down with Hugh Forrest, Chief Programming Officer of SXSW, to uncover the magic behind one of the world’s most iconic events. Get ready to dive into the evolution, challenges, and triumphs that make SXSW a must-attend experience for innovators and creatives alike.  Tune in and discover: 1. The Growth of SXSW: Hugh Forrest shares captivating anecdotes from the inception of SXSW, providing a glimpse into the humble beginnings and the vision that propelled the festival to global fame.2. Adapting to Technological Advances: Discover how SXSW has continuously evolved by integrating cutting-edge technology, ensuring it remains a leading platform for innovation and creativity.3. Crafting Diverse and Impactful Programs: Hugh explains the meticulous planning and thought process behind the diverse programming at SXSW, aiming to deliver unforgettable experiences for attendees.4. Building a Strong Community: The episode delves into the importance of community at SXSW and how the festival fosters meaningful connections and collaborations among attendees.  Join us for this insightful episode as Hugh Forrest takes us behind the scenes of SXSW, sharing valuable lessons and stories that demonstrate the festival’s enduring impact and innovation. #BuildingAwesomeEvents #EventProfs #EventPlanning #B2BEvents #SXSW

In the 16th episode "Building Awesome Events," host Ankush Gupta is joined by Nick Borelli, the Marketing Director at Zenus. Together, they explore the transformative impact of ethical AI on the event industry, discussing its application in facial analysis for improving attendee experiences while preserving privacy.Listen to the episode which talks about the following:1. Pandemic's Impact and Shift to Virtual Events: Nick reflects on the significant changes brought by the pandemic, especially the shift towards virtual platforms.2. Role of AI in Event Management:  Nick explains the concept of ethical AI and its application in facial analysis to gather anonymous attendee reactions and behaviors without infringing on personal privacy. 3. Networking and Human Connections: Both Ankush and Nick lament the limitations of virtual events in replicating the spontaneity and depth of in-person interactions. They discuss how AI can enhance, but not replace, the personal connections formed during physical events. 4. Marketing Strategies and AI's Influence: Nick discusses the enduring effectiveness of email in event marketing and the potential of AI to enhance targeting through better segmentation and personalization. He stresses the importance of genuine storytelling and leveraging personal recommendations over traditional advertising.  Join the conversation and deep dive into how ethical AI and advanced facial analysis are revolutionizing the way we understand and engage audiences at events. #EventProfs #Zenus #FutureLeaders #AI #FacialAnalysis #Networking #B2BEvents

In the 15th episode of Building Awesome Events, host Ankush Gupta is joined by Erin McElroy, Former Program Director, Executive Programs & Events at IBM and currently Founder of Adhesion. She shares her extensive experience in the field, particularly her transformative journey in event marketing at IBM and her insights on integrating technology and creativity to craft unforgettable event experiences.Listen to this episode which talks about the following: 1. Career Transition: Erin discusses her shift from consulting to event marketing at IBM, highlighting how her diverse background helped integrate creative and technical skills.2. IBM Experience: She describes her role in managing and evolving IBM's large-scale event strategies, focusing on audience-specific content and strategic goals like lead generation.3. Experiential Events: Erin emphasizes the importance of engaging all senses in events to create memorable experiences tailored to the audience's needs.4. AI in Events: The discussion covers the use of AI to enhance event experiences, including practical examples from Erin's projects at IBM, like AI-driven interactive robots.Join the conversation and learn more about  the evolving landscape of event marketing, the need for creativity, deep audience understanding, and the strategic use of technology to create impactful and memorable events.🎙️ #EventProfs #IBM #Adhesion #FutureLeaders #AI #ExperientialEvents #CareerJourney

In our 14th episode of Building Awesome Events, we dove into the fascinating world of events and sustainability with Dale Hudson, the Knowledge and Events Director at the IMEX Group. Listen to this latest episode, which talks about the following:1. A Unique Career Journey: Dale shares her journey from considering geography to becoming an event industry expert, all thanks to her passion for environmental issues.2. IMEX's Evolution: Discover how IMEX adapted during the pandemic, offering both in-person and virtual experiences to keep their community engaged.3. Empowering Future Leaders: Learn about IMEX's commitment to nurturing future event professionals through the Future Leaders Forum, providing valuable networking and career opportunities.4. Speaker Engagement: IMEX welcomes engaging speakers for their events. Join the conversation and get inspired by Dale Hudson's incredible journey and IMEX's dedication to empowering the next generation of event professionals. 🎙️ #EventProfs #IMEXGroup #FutureLeaders #Sustainability #CareerJourney

Raf De Kimpe, the CEO of FinTech Week London and Chief Commercial Officer at Disrupt Media, was our guest on the Building Awesome Events podcast. In this episode, Raf shared the story of how he transitioned from the business software side to the world of event management. He spoke about his early experience working at a software research company where he got involved in organizing events and developed a passion for the industry. Later, after moving to a FinTech ecosystem in Brussels, Raf saw an opportunity to launch a dedicated FinTech event in the vibrant London ecosystem, which led to the creation of FinTech Week London.

In our new episode, Ankush Gupta interviews Ashly Priest, who has worked in event management for several years. They discuss her experience managing large-formatted events, such as the Women in Digital and Women in Analytics conferences, which aim to give a platform to women in STEM fields. They also talk about Priest's role as Head of Event Services at Hopin, a virtual event management software company. Priest shares that her team at Hopin worked with clients to ensure that their virtual events ran smoothly and that they aligned clients with the platform features they needed. They also discussed the challenges that event management companies face as the world moves towards a hybrid model of in-person and virtual events and how the benefits and drawbacks of each mode of delivery need to be reconciled.

In the 11th episode of Building Awesome Events, Lauren Grady, Strategic Events & Programming Lead at Vimeo, smashed it out of the park and gave us so many nuggets, you would have to listen to the whole podcast to get it all, but to summarize, she spoke with us about:-The importance of understanding all aspects of events to operate more efficiently.-The role of an event content manager in an organization and how it can make or break an event.-The need for a feedback system for attendees to express their opinions on the event and how it completes the loop of the event planning process.-How she set up an internal global speakers bureau to streamline messaging and the speaker experience for events.-How email marketing has been her number one source of registration, so perfecting email campaigns is crucial. This includes taking the time to segment the list, writing good copy, and tracking results.-The importance of social proof and ways to seamlessly add it to your materials.

Building Awesome Events is out with it's 10th episode with Allison Crooker, Director- Event Content, VMware. -In this episode, Allison graciously shares with us her amazing journey and some of the highlights of her career, including her experience working with big event portfolios at NVIDIA and VMWare.--She also talks about how she manages her current responsibilities at VMWare while pursuing her passion project with The Event Content Council and speaking engagements.--Allison emphasizes the importance of analyzing post-event surveys and shares her thoughts on event reviews on Eventible.--She even spills the beans on her number one channel for new audience acquisition and registrations.--Plus, she gives some great tips on what she looks for when hiring new team members - and we hear there's even an #openposition

Building Awesome Events presents its 9th episode, an interesting discussion between Ankush Gupta, the Founder of Eventible.com, and Jonathan Kazarian, CEO & Founder at Accelevents. During the conversation, Jonathan speaks about his journey from working at a hedge fund right out of school to hosting a fundraiser of about 1000 people to raise money for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and his search for the right technology to help him run the event.  Jonathan also talks about some of the events he has attended which has stuck on in his mind. Tune in to know more!About the Host:Ankush Gupta, Founder at Eventible.com - The TripAdvisor for EventsAnkush is a marketer with over 20 years of experience with global companies like the TATA Group and MPhasis. He is a pioneer in the space of B2B Media, having been nominated for a Digiday award for Publisher of the Year. Currently he is founder at - a platform designed from the ground up to help event profs get the word out and use the power of social proof to accelerate their event brand.