mdg and Freeman are proud to announce that the popular Leading through Disruption: An Executive Roundtable Series will continue, resuming on October 20, 2020. The exclusive six-week program, which launched in August, focused on future-scaping and change management and featured short presentations by subject matter experts followed by facilitated dialogue in small peer groups.
98 percent of participants — which included senior executives from leading industry associations, global for-profit event organizations, and corporate brands — expressed a desire for the series to continue, citing the invaluable opportunity to stay connected to their peer group during this time of disruption. Attendees appreciated the dialogue with practitioners at the forefront of trends in community management, online events, digital marketing, attendee acquisition, and the return to physical.
Kicking off on October 20, 2020 and continuing on a monthly basis, the roundtable format will stay largely the same: 20-minute presentations by thought leaders followed by 40 minutes of peer-to-peer breakout discussions.
Topics to be discussed include:
- Case studies presented by successful event organizers
- A reoccurring emphasis on industry data
- A deep dive into industry-specific technology solutions
- New ideas for keeping audiences engaged while awaiting the return to physical
Peer groups will change on a quarterly basis as a way of giving participants a variety of perspectives and helping them expand their networks of colleagues. Breakout discussion groups will be determined in advance and limited to ~15 participants to maintain a size conducive for idea sharing and networking.
New Session Descriptions:
10 Strategic Lessons from 10 Successful Online Events
October 20 | 2:00 pm Eastern
Tired of hearing hypothetical advice and “best practices”? Case studies from online events that have no relevance to yours? Innovations that aren’t all that innovative? Us, too. That’s why we’re using this 20-minute session to share what’s actually working in the realm of digital experiences. We’ve picked 10 events that exceeded projections, increased attendance, generated significant revenue, or otherwise #nailedit and two mdg strategists, along with Peter O’Neill of ASIS and John Toner of United Fresh, will be sharing the (not-so-secret) secrets to their successes. From planning to production to promotion, these events incorporated a special something that could be the inspiration you need right now.
How to Build and Nurture an Event Community
November 10, 2020 | 2:00 pm Eastern
Well before COVID-19, Sherry Huss was building bridges and fostering collaboration to inspire innovation. She’ll share how she (literally) wrote the playbook for community management with an event she launched in 2006 called Maker Faire and how the lessons she learned can be applied to today’s new reality. Huss will also share insights from groups she’s been tracking that are mobilizing to build and convene audiences in the midst of this pandemic, including one of her own. Sara Baliti, mdg marketing strategist, will translate Sherry’s inspirational wisdom into practical solutions for building and nurturing communities year-round through integrated business models.
Adapting International Event Marketing in the COVID-19 Era
December 16, 2020 | 2:00 pm Eastern
mdg’s International Marketing Specialist, Anjia Nicolaidis, will provide practical advice for nurturing global audiences while awaiting the return of physical events in the United States. Specifically, she’ll share how messaging and marketing tactics must to evolve in the era of COVID-19 and call on her network of international colleagues, including Doug Emslie of Tarsus Group, to share insights on how various markets have been impacted and those that will be among the first/last to resume travel. Lastly, Nicolaidis will share a case study for one virtual event that made history with 300,000+ participants from 6 continents and 102 countries.
Former attendees will be contacted to confirm their continued participation. New, qualified executive-level event organizers can email [email protected] to request an invitation to join the series.
