2017 European Meetings & Events Conference

0.5 Clock Hours | Domain I: Marketing

Great ideas need great voice! Learn how to deliver a winning pitch from Startup Pitch Coach David Beckett, who will share his process, tools, tips and inspiration with you.

1 Clock Hour | Domain I: Marketing 

Monica Deza, founder and CEO of the innovation and marketing firm Bendit Thinking, will discuss the new wave of innovation that is transforming societies, cultures and businesses, and how to successfully navigate within the “Maverick Economy.”

1 Clock Hour | Domain F: Stakeholder Management 

Learn how to remember more names and faces than you ever thought possible. In his TED style talk, neuroscientist Boris Nikolai Konrad, PhD, CSP will begin with a fascinating demonstration of his own world-class memory, followed by teaching you five distinct steps to create a powerful memory that’s ripe for networking.

1 Clock Hour | Domaing G: Meeting or Event Design 

Can events really hold someone’s attention for a sustained period of time? Is the brain hardwired for it? In this session we will define what a slow meeting is, how mindfulness and intentionality relate to the way people learn and interact, and how it can be structured to provide the maximum experience.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the concept of slow meetings
• Gain perspective about how slow meetings can change the way meetings are currently structured
• Be inspired to participate in the development of slow meetings

1 Clock Hour | Domain G: Meeting or Event Design 

What do Pokémon Go, driverless cars and the Internet of Things have to do with the meeting and event industry? They’re all technologies disrupting how we do business. Today, everyone with a smartphone is walking around with a fully-loaded production studio in their pocket. What will meetings look like in 2036?

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze the behavioral science behind today's hottest technology trends.
• Understand how next-generation technology can be immediately applied to meetings and events.
• Evaluate the ways in which these technologies might disrupt the industry and the way people engage face-to-face in the future.

1 Clock Hour | Domain F: Stakeholder Management 

Suppliers, walk through the steps planners take in order to make a buying decision. Ciara’s Steps to WIN Program teaches you how to align your sales process to the planner’s buying process. Understanding the steps your potential clients take in order to buy will help you to WIN a lot more business.

Learning Objectives:

• Gain an understanding of 5 Steps to focus on to position your venue for more WINS.
• How to take the focus off rate and position yourself as a partner in this market instead of as a supplier – it’s a position that is a lot more lucrative.
• Do a quick self-assessment of your properties performance in these 5 Steps - walk away with a quick action plan of where to focus, to start winning more business.

1 Clock Hour | Domain C: Risk Management 

In an increasingly complex world with a growing problematic in terms of security, it becomes essential for event companies to prepare for crisis management. The objective of this session is to present the topic of crisis management from 2 points of view: that of a specialist in event security and that of a professional rescuer.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand what a crisis is.
• Identify the key points to resolve efficiently a crisis.
• Find some recommendations to anticipate a terrorist actions.

1 Clock Hour | Domain I: Marketing 

Develop your winning pitch in this high energy interactive class where you’ll learn and practice the Open-3-Close© pitch methodology with Startup and Innovation Pitch Coach David Beckett.

Learning Objectives:

• Get the pitch out of your head so that you can organize your storyline before touching slide software.
• Make a strong opening and closing, so that your audience consider you a true professional and take your message seriously.
• Use the Power of Three to turn complex concepts into memorable and easy to understand content.

1 Clock Hour | Domain I: Marketing 

To quote Tim Sanders: “Meeting and event organizers are the movie producers of the corporate world.” You have the power to change behavior, educate, entertain and emotionally engage your participants. Experiential marketing is the most obvious way MICE managers can do this, but the best practices have not been known. Until now.

Learning Objectives:

• Analyze what makes experiential marketing campaigns effective.
• Understand the components involved in creating an experiential marketing plan.
• Create an experiential marketing manifesto.

1 Clock Hour | Domain I: Marketing 

During what is, let’s be honest, the sh*ttiest weather season of the year, Slush brings together the leading actors of the global tech scene to Helsinki for something very special. Described by many as “Burning Man meets TED,” Slush has grown exponentially, but the philosophy behind Slush has remained the same—to help the next generation of great, world-conquering companies move forward. Join Jessica Blechingberg, head of Nordic Operations at Slush, who will unveil some of the many lessons there are to learn.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the importance of community.
• Learn how to build a global movement.
• Learn why attitude is everything.

1 Clock Hour | Domain I: Marketing 

Ever wonder what makes some people good influences or why some ideas spread fast? Our brain processes information in two ways, spontaneously and impulsively or in a more intentional, thinking-before-acting approach. We explore how these processing systems play a role in the ability to influence and persuade in sales and events.

Learning Objectives:

• Discus how the two fundamental brain processes affect us
• Learn why stories work and the ways to make them even more impactful
• Explore the power of spacing, priming, and framing to accelerate understanding

1 Clock Hour | Domain A: Strategic Planning

By 2035, nearly 70% of the population will live in urban areas. In this session, explore how you can be a part of solutions to urban challenges. See how you, as a meeting and event professional, can create purpose, inspire and redefine the way we interact, be it as a tourist, conference attendee, or individual.

1 Clock Hour | Domain A: Strategic Planning

Tradeshows are sometimes a controversial event format. Building a presence requires a significant investment and corporate event managers struggle to show the value and ROI from them. The “coldness” of the leads generated and the variety of contacts made are not always relevant for the business. Dissolved corporate presence, PR difficulties and the reduced brand showcase and meeting space are some of the concerns that are common when deciding on tradeshow participation.

In this session we will provide corporate event managers with tips, based on experience, to tackle these issues. Congress center and tradeshow managers will also benefit from this session by learning the expectations of potential exhibitors in order to craft offers and tools that are attractive in an event sales process.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify the most common pain points around tradeshow decision making.
• Define an implement a successful tradeshow strategy. Learn elements of a “tradeshow culture” and how to incorporate them on the event portfolio, including Communication tools and campaign management techniques, as well as measurement strategies.
• How to manage exhibitor expectations and value added offerings.

1.5 Clock Hours | Domain G: Meeting or Event Design 

The economy has changed. Products, services and even experiences are becoming commoditized, and only the truly remarkable stand out from the crowd. Crawl inside the mind of Larp Guru Claus Raasted and the memorable experience designer Paul Bulencea as they share their secrets of how to thrive in the Experience Economy. This keynote is an immersive experience in itself, where you get challenged and get yanked out of your comfort zone and where focus isn’t only on learning-by-listening, but also on learning-by-doing.

Learning Objectives:

• You will be provoked and confronted by your own prejudices.
• You will be inspired and want to think in new ways.
• You will get to hear the Batman joke. And understand what it means and why it is important.