Shows
Speaking of EventsCreating Meaningful Customer Experiences - Tina Schippers - Speaking of Events - Episode # 040Today’s guest is a highly skilled event management professional. She has been a member of EventFluence since 2008, and has been part of the event industry for 25 years. Please welcome to the show, the ever talented Tina Schippers! Tina is the Head of Events & Experiences at Allspring Global Investments, and she joins the host Kerri Garbis to talk about how events create deep human connections and how that can lead to increase in sales for your company.
Takeaways
Events are a major driving force for business development. Change can come from events and...2023-04-0636 min
Speaking of EventsMarathoning Events - Carrie Furnari - Speaking of Events - Episode # 039Today’s guest is a veteran marketing professional with over 20 years of experience. She excels at developing global market strategies and managing high performing teams. Please welcome to the show, Carrie Furnari! Carrie is the former Director of Events at JumpCloud, and not only does she have an addiction to running, but she also is passionate about putting on memorable events. Carrie joins the host Kerri Garbis to share her tips on how to create a successful and memorable event.
Takeaways
When most people think of events, they think of cocktail parties and a bea...2023-03-3030 min
Speaking of EventsLearning Through Global Events - Katy Romdall - Speaking of Events - Episode # 038Today’s guest understands the importance of giving yourself enough time to put together an event. With over 10 years of event planning, she knows what it takes to make an event special and bring the community together. Please welcome to the show, Katy Romdall! Katy is the Director of Global Events at Duolingo. She joins the host Kerri Garbis to talk about the event planning industry and shares her thoughts on some of the biggest pieces of event planning.
Takeaways
Putting on an event isn't as simple as people might assume them to be. To...2023-03-2337 min
Speaking of EventsBringing Together Creative Experiences - Ashley Grandis - Speaking of Events - Episode # 037Today’s guest thrives off engaging and connecting with audiences, and probably knows more about animals than other event professionals. She is a results driven professional with a natural hunger to test and optimize success. Please welcome to the show, Ashley Grandis! Ashley is the Manager, Global Events at Cybereason and she joins the host Kerri Garbis to share her tips on professional event planning.
Takeaways
Events allow for a marketing team to really connect with the people that they are trying to turn into potential customers. It brings the conversation deeper than just what...2023-02-2330 min
Speaking of EventsUnderstanding Events - Karen Snowden Yee - Speaking of Events - Episode # 036Today’s guest has spent more than 25 years navigating in Global C-Suite experiential keynote presentations. She has produced global event productions in China, Spain, Taiwan, among other places. Welcome to Speaking of Events Karen Yee! Karen is the former Director of Global Conferences at Gartner. She joins the host Kerri Garbis to share some of her insight into the professional event industry.
Takeaways
When a client thinks about an event, they might not understand the differences between certain terms and confuse certain things. To help clarify, an event is not an experience and it is...2023-02-0945 min
Speaking of EventsThe Speaker Journey - Peter Gentile - Speaking of Events - Episode # 035Today’s guest helps to elevate brands through unique events that stand apart from the rest. He has worked with all sorts of companies, from Fortune 500 to emerging startups. Peter Gentile is the Vice President of Sales at OVATION, INC. Not to be confused with Ovation Communication, LLC, the company that is run by our very own host Kerri Garbis. Peter joins Kerri to talk about what he has learned from the professional event industry and share some of his tips with the listeners today!
Takeaways:
Events allow for a better opportunity for human con...2022-12-2239 min
Speaking of EventsData Doesn’t Lie - Tara Salvatelli - Speaking of Events - Episode # 034Data Doesn’t Lie - Tara Salvatelli - Speaking of Events - Episode # 034
Preparation for any event is key in making sure the event goes off without a hitch. Today’s guest is an expert in doing just that. Tara Salvatelli is the Director of Global Events at N-able. Being an event coordinator can be a stressful job but Tara knows the hard work and preparation that goes into making it run smoothly. Tara joins the host Kerri Garbis to share some of her insight on the event planning industry.
Takeaways
The genera...2022-12-1539 min
Speaking of EventsImproving Your Speakers - Kerri Garbis - Speaking of Events - Episode # 033Welcome to season 2 of Speaking of Events! There is no better way to celebrate the new season than to have the host herself open it up. Kerri Garbis is not only the host of Speaking of Events, but she is the Founder and CEO of Ovation, the go-to resource for professional presence and speaker development training. Join in as Kerri shares her biggest tips for improving your speakers.
Takeaways
There are 5 key areas to focus on that will help to improve any speakers you decide to use: Create a “mistakes are good” culture with your...2022-12-0830 min
Speaking of EventsWorking With a Professional - Kati O’Brien - Speaking of Events - Episode # 032Today’s guest loves to create a vision and bring it to life. Kati O’Brien is the Director of Implementation and Training at SkedgeAlert. She sees the importance of event planning and how wonderful an event can be when it’s done with a planning professional. Kati joins the host Kerri Garbis to talk about her experience in the event industry.
Takeaways
Event planning professionals go through extensive training to be where they are today and use that training to help corporate companies put on amazing events. When companies try and do it on thei...2022-10-1336 min
Speaking of EventsArrow Heading Special Events - Jacquelyn Carroll - Speaking of Events - Episode # 031Today’s guest has seen more than her fair share of professional football games. Jacquelyn Carroll is the Corporate Events Manager with the Kansas City Chiefs. Jacquelyn is passionate about sports and providing guests to all the events at Arrowhead Stadium with an unforgettable experience. Jacquelyn joins the host Kerri Garbis to share some of her tips on professional event planning.
Takeaways
Behind every great event is a person with an idea and that is idea is made with good intentions about creating lasting memories. Events at the end of the day are a huma...2022-10-0628 min
Speaking of EventsSaying Yes to Yourself - Andrew Roby - Speaking of Events - Episode # 030It’s a very special day for Speaking of Events! We celebrate reaching 30 episodes and today’s guest couldn’t be better for the occasion. Andrew Roby is the Corporate Event Planner at Andrew Roby Planner. Andrew joins the host Kerri Garbis to talk about diversity within the event industry and shares some of his tips on how to be a successful event planner.
Takeaways
Events are a life-changing experience and more people need to appreciate that. Especially now during the pandemic, it is important to have those human connections with others.
It’s important...2022-09-2929 min
Speaking of EventsProfessionally Planned - Daniela Arciniegas - Speaking of Events - Episode # 029Today’s guest knows that each event being put on in the corporate world has a plan or a theme to it, and she aims to take advantage of each and every event. Daniela Arciniegas is the Manager of Corporate Events at The Intersect Group. Daniela joins the host Kerri Garbis to talk and share some of her tips for corporate event planning and how to make them run smoothly.
Takeaways
There is a large business purpose behind having a corporate event. It allows large companies to have people network and gain more knowledge fro...2022-09-2235 min
Speaking of EventsThe Show Must Go On - Angela Alea - Speaking of Events - Episode # 028Today’s guest knows all about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into making a live event run smoothly and seem flawless. Angela Alea, the Chief Revenue Officer at LASSO. Angela is also the host of the Corralling the Chaos Podcast. Angela joins the host Kerri Garbis to share her tips on how to successfully run a corporate event.
Takeaways:
There needs to be more of an appreciation of what it takes to create these amazing experiences. It takes weeks of work for one event to be planned and can be a logistical nightmare.
The even...2022-09-0830 min
Speaking of EventsProperly Planning Events - Jennifer Delaney - Speaking of Events - Episode # 027Today’s guest is a results-driven professional who has 14 years of marketing and event management experience. Jennifer Delaney is the Manager of Corporate Events at Netsmart. Jennifer is passionate about events and making sure that event planners also take care of themselves. Jennifer joins the host Kerri Garbis to share some of her tips on professional event planning.
Takeaways
The event industry is now faster-paced than it was before COVID took over. A lot of aspects of the industry had to change as well to keep up with the COVID guidelines.
Event professionals aren’t jus...2022-09-0139 min
Speaking of EventsBuilding a Relationship - Jennifer Cowie - Speaking of Events - Episode # 026Have you heard the term “glamping” before? It’s camping but fancy! Today’s guest is big on glamping as an event professional, so it only makes for the best glampers out there to talk. Jennifer Cowie is the Corporate Event Manager at Canadian Water Network. Jennifer joins host Kerri Garbis to share some of her tips for professional event planning.
Takeaways
The most important part of event planning is the feedback from guests on how the event went. It helps to shape all your events going forward.
You want to make the event that you a...2022-08-2537 min
Speaking of EventsPivoting Towards Events - Kat Deal - Speaking of Events - Episode # 025Today’s guest shares a passion for events as well as sometimes showing up undercover at events, the same way our fantastic host has done! Kat Deal is the Events and Program Manager at North Central Massachusetts Chamber of Commerce. Kat joins host Kerri Garbis to share some of her tips about professional event planning and how to make events run smoothly.
Takeaways
Events seem more intimidating than they really are. Oftentimes event professionals are stressed about the timeline but most events are run in an organized fashion.
Even if you are hesitant or nerv...2022-08-1843 min
Speaking of EventsThe Client Experience - Nicole Nichols - Speaking of Events - Episode # 024Today’s guest is someone who brings unbridled passion to each and every event that they work on. Nicole Nichols is the Associated Director, Marketing and Event Management at The New York Academy of Medicine. Nicole has seen speaker successes and speaker disasters and joins host Kerri Garbis to share some of her tips on how to make an event run smoothly and be a success.
Takeaways
Events are an experience. It’s about how you feel when you step into an event space and take part in an immersive experience.
You want people to le...2022-08-1135 min
Speaking of EventsOpening Up The World - Lindsay Martin-Bilbrey - Speaking of Events - Episode # 023Today’s guest comes to us all the way from Texas and is a fan of Blue Bell ice cream. Lindsay Martin-Bilbrey is the CEO at Nifty Method. She lives and breathes events and has a relentless love of engagement and experiences. Lindsay joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about professional event planning and shares some of the tips she has learned.
Takeaways:
Events are a big team sport. It requires a lot of work with a large group of people in order to make the event run smoothly.
The pandemic created a lot of...2022-08-0438 min
Speaking of EventsA New Now - Sandra Herriot - Speaking of Events - Episode # 022Canada is a wonderful place full of extremely nice people, which happens to include today’s guest! Sandra Herriot is the Acting Director of Education & Meeting Planner Events at CHMSE and the Managing Director at RPI Productions. Sandra joins host Kerri Gabris to share his tips on professional event planning.
Takeaways:
You want to have touchbase points to know where your clients and your team are coming from and to find the best way to support them.
People tend to forget how purposeful events are and the important role that they play in an...2022-07-2838 min
Speaking of EventsThe Power of a Great Speaker - Joe McKeown - Speaking of Events - Episode # 021Michigan is a very special place to Kerri and today’s guest just so happens to be from there! He has managed thousands of experiential and memorable events. Joe McKeown is the Head of Global Events and Partnerships at Ryan. Joe joins host Kerri Garbis to share some of his tips on how to expertly plan a corporate event.
Takeaways:
Events have a big impact on the audience. A lot of people aren’t aware of the big impact of events and instead just focus on how events happen.
You don’t want an...2022-07-2128 min
Speaking of EventsEvents as an Experience - Joan Wells - Speaking of Events - Episode # 020You’ve heard of the six degrees of separation, well now there is six degrees of Grease. Today’s guest met Kerri all the way back since 2016 during Kerri’s production of Grease in Kansas City. Joan Wells is the President of Experience at Augeo. She joined Augeo in 2021 and supports all live and virtual experiences. Joan joins host Kerri Garbis to share her tips on professional event planning.
Takeaways:
Events are the midpoint in a conversation. There is a whole other conversation and level of engagement that goes on before and after events.
When even...2022-07-1430 min
Speaking of EventsThe Big Pivot - Rachel Heller - Speaking of Events - Episode # 019Today’s guest has a passion for bringing people together. Appearing on her first non-company podcast, please welcome Rachel Heller, the Senior Event Content Manager at Bizzabo. Rachel thrives on making connections and is a self proclaimed “event content nerd”. Rachel joins Kerri to share her tips on professional event planning.
Takeaways:
Events bring people together and it creates amazing opportunities when you bring other people together who have never met each other.
During “The Big Pivot”, a lot of event professionals had to change over to getting speakers used to using webcams and s...2022-07-0738 min
Speaking of EventsEventful Beginnings - Megan Miller - Speaking of Events - Episode # 018Today’s guest is an avid runner and sports fan. She is passionate about events and loves discussing them with others. Megan Miller is the Manager, Events & Experiences at Fenway Sports Management. Megan joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about some of her tips for professional event planning and her stories from some of her times running.
Takeaways:
You don’t have to blow up your entire plan if one person has a negative comment or has some advice.
There’s a lot of organizational protocols and different steps you have to take in order t...2022-06-3034 min
Speaking of EventsPlanning For a Purpose - Folami Jenkins - Speaking of Events - Episode # 017Folami Jenkins is the Digital Event Strategist at Curve the Runway / Community Engagement Manager at Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group. She is from New Orleans and teaches a catering class for a group of young professionals who want to get into the event world. Folami joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about event planning and some of her tips for others.
Takeaways:
Events aren’t all about a room full of pretty things. Everything in an event is done purposefully and has meaning to it.
You want to provide your clients with their ideal...2022-06-1632 min
Speaking of EventsTricks of the Trade Show - Donna Jervis-Miller - Speaking of Events - Episode # 016Donna Jarvis-Miller is the Director of Membership Operations & Events / Conference Manager at American Public Human Services Association. Donna has a passion for trade shows, and she uses that passion to create memorable moments for the people showing up to these events. Donna joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about how both of their last names are easily mixed up and their passion for events!
Takeaways
Planning events takes a lot of time and people don’t realize that. There are plenty of pieces that need to fall into place to make it work...2022-06-0943 min
Speaking of EventsLeaving With a Story - Leora Kimmel Greene - Speaking of Events - Episode # 015Leora Kimmel Greene is the Founder & Principal at One28 Strategic Events. Even though her company is in Massachusetts, the name has nothing to do with Highway 128 in Massachusetts, they are focused on event planning and Leora has a lot of knowledge to share about that! Leora joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about event planning and the effort that goes into that.
Takeaways
Events are part of the overall strategic marketing and communications and fundraising plans, they aren’t just stand alone events.
When planning an event, you need a community that is ready to...2022-06-0236 min
Speaking of EventsThe Return of Events - Courtney McNeese - Speaking of Events - Episode # 014Courtney McNeese is the Head of Strategic Events at United Nations Global Compact. Both her and Kerri have a shared experience regarding the horrors of the New Jersey transit, but also share a passion for events! Courtney is impressed by the advancement in technology and how that can help corporate events better serve everyone. Courtney joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about event planning and provides her wonderful insight on how to make an event successful.
Takeaways:
The event industry was waiting for a disruption to happen, and covid came along and di...2022-05-2647 min
Speaking of EventsHaving Proper Patience - Kate Cardoso - Speaking of Events - Episode # 013Kate Cardoso is the Director, Strategic Events at HMI Performance Incentives. She is passionate about events and wants to make sure that attendees of events can better connect with the host, venue and everything else. Kate joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about event planning and shares some of her tips for success.
Takeaways
There are major staffing shortages right now and supply chain vendor issues, which leads to complications in event planning. It’s important to be patient during these times.
Availability of hotels during COVID has also made event pl...2022-05-1929 min
Speaking of EventsAll The World’s A Stage - Bob Bejan - Speaking of Events - Episode # 012Bob Bejan is the Corporate Vice President: Global Events, Production Studios and Marketing Community at Microsoft. He is passionate about event planning and finds the entire process to be cool and exciting. Bob joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about strategic events and his tips on how to make them run smoothly.
Takeaways
A lot of work goes into event planning in the corporate world but it can be very entertaining to plan it and put it together.
Human resilience is important when it comes to corporate event planning. When COVID...2022-05-1239 min
Speaking of EventsA Little Bit of Grace - Steve Brown - Speaking of Events - Episode # 011Steve Brown is an event professional. He’s worked his way up from being a paid actor as the energy police in England, wearing a big pink fuzzy hat and handing out magnets to people,all the way to being a full blown event professional. Steve joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about some of the tips he’s learned for professional event planning and how to make everything run smoothly.
Takeaways
It’s not as incredibly easy to put on events and make them appear seamless and effortless.
You want to ha...2022-05-0541 min
Speaking of EventsRemote First - Liam Martin - Speaking of Events - Episode # 010Liam Martin is the Director of Running Remote Conference. He is also the author of the book “Running Remote”. His business has been fully remote since it was first launched and he sees the advantage to having remote teams. Liam joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about remote work and event planning.
Takeaways
Events are easier to start up now than in the past. You can start them up in a similar way to how tech startups get going.
Pareto’s Principle says that for many outcomes, roughly 80% of the consequence...2022-04-2847 min
Speaking of EventsThe Theatrics of Event Planning - Susan Chebookjian - Speaking of Events - Episode # 009Susan Chebookjian is an Event Professional. Her and Kerri go back all the way to the days of Kerri helping her with a Christmas play. Susan has a passion for theater and event planning, which shows throughout her conversation. She joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about some of the tips she has when it comes to event planning.
Takeaways
Events are not like planning a birthday party. It is complex and there are tight deadlines that can not be pushed back.
Some elements are the same from one event to a...2022-04-2127 min
Speaking of EventsLeading with Empathy - Jeff Kalpak - Speaking of Events - Episode # 008Jeff Kalpak is the President of Americas at FIRST. His passion for events and public speaking is evident by the beautiful work that he does all the time. He uses the 10 principles of storytelling to influence his event planning style and it creates a lasting impression on guests. Jeff joins host Kerri Garbis to talk about all things event planning and what advice he might have for others.
Takeaways
Events have an incredible shelf life. If an event is done well, it stays with you for a long time. It’s some...2022-04-1432 min
Speaking of EventsReflecting on Your Event - Kevin Cobb - Speaking of Events - Episode #7Here we are with Kevin Cobb! This week we’re here to discuss how much time can really go into an event and how any event is so much more than just a one day ordeal. There’s plenty of work that goes into making sure your event is perfect both before and after it even starts and that is what Kevin is here with us to discuss! .
What do you wish more people knew about events: :
An event takes place before, during and after anyone arrives.
T...2022-04-0740 min
Speaking of EventsSerious Business - Lisa Lundeen - Speaking of Events - Episode #6Planning an event isn’t just planning a party, there are whole entire teams of people all working together to put on a great event that will help make brand new connections. After starting those new connections, that's where you can start to see the value of your event, and Lisa Lundeen is here to give you all the information you could ask for when it comes to it!
What do you wish more people knew about events:
Real business gets done at events, deals are made and pipelines are moving...2022-03-3139 min
Speaking of EventsTime and Effort - Jim Clapes - Speaking of Events - Episode #5Here we are this week with Jim ClapesDirector of Events at M3 Meet. He’s here to not only discuss some of his favorite musicals, but also to inform the listeners on what it really takes to put an entire event together. An event doesn’t just happen on its own and Jim is here to go deeper into all of the intricacies of what makes an event possible.
What do you wish more people knew about events?:
That more people understood and knew what it takes to put on an event.
...2022-03-1745 min
Speaking of EventsCustomizing Your Event - David Kliman - Speaking of Events - Episode #4On this episode it’s time to really dig deep into the impact that your event can have and the connections it can make! That’s why we have David Kliman with us to speak the truth on events, how you can make important connections at your event and how to nurture those connections.
What do you wish more people knew about events?:
Events can be business game-changing vehicles.
Takeaways
Events can be used as a way to finally meet face to face with someone an...2022-03-1042 min
Speaking of EventsQuality Content - Allison Crooker - Speaking of Events - Episode #3If there’s one thing that will always help boost the quality of your event, it’s content! And this week’s episode we have Allison Crooker with us to discuss what it means to have engaging content at your event. Allison also talks on why having event content as part of your strategy is incredibly important. If you’re looking to learn more about event content then this is for you!
What is the one thing you wished more people knew about events?:
Event content is important, and a lot more...2022-03-0436 min
Speaking of EventsEngaging Experiences - Dean Armintrout - Speaking of Events - Episode # 2Dean Armintrout is here with us today! An event planning expert, Dean shares with us the real facts of what goes into planning an event and why it’s not just planning a party. There are so many different cogs helping the event planning machine function and this episode has plenty of knowledge on that topic!
What do you wish people knew about events:
Planning an event is a much more difficult task than most people think.
Takeaways
A lot more time and eff...2022-02-1740 min
Speaking of EventsTeam Effort - Chuck Santoro - Speaking of Events - Episode #1On this very first episode of Speaking of Events we have Chuck Santoro, founder and Chief Creative of PROSCENIUM. Chuck is here to kick things off right for us with some wonderful conversations, giving us the insider knowledge of what it takes to really make an event a success. Hybrid events are discussed in-depth, can we really have the same experience if we’re not physically there? Find out right here on Speaking of Events!
What do you find most challenging?
Where are you going to have/host your event.
...2022-02-1047 min