Great Events

Execution will always be part of the job, but event leaders who want to grow their influence need to think beyond logistics. In this episode, Kelly Cheng sits down with Sara Ann Straw, Senior Director of Corporate Events at Kong, to discuss her approach to building more strategic event programs. Drawing from her SAS Framework, Sara explains how asking better questions, creating intentional programs, and building stronger partnerships can help event teams drive greater impact across the business. What you'll learn:How event marketers can move from execution to strategic leadershipWhy AI creates more space for strategy and creativityHow intentional networking can make events more valuable than scale aloneThings to listen for:(00:00) Meet Sara Ann Straw of Kong(02:10) Moving from execution to strategic leadership(03:55) Why event marketers should embrace AI(05:59) The first 90 days at a new role(07:50) Using events as a growth channel(11:24) Why strategic leaders stay hands-on(14:22) Bigger events are not always better

Better events do not always come from doing more. As expectations change, event teams are being pushed to rethink how they create value, where they focus their energy, and what actually makes an experience worth showing up for.In this episode, Rachel Andrews sits down with Tavar James, VP of Marketing & Global Head of Events at Forrester, for a wide-ranging conversation on the changing role of event leaders. They explore the pressure to do more with AI, the importance of building experiences around the right audiences, and what it takes to grow into a leadership role without losing sight of the people behind the event.What you'll learn:How a commercial mindset helps event leaders earn executive influenceWhy AI should accelerate event work without replacing human connectionHow to create more intentional eventsThings to listen for:(00:00) Meet Tavar James of Forrester(05:13) Finding the right role for AI in events(07:58) Growing your scope beyond the title(11:32) Why people want better, not more(15:18) Rethinking forced networking(16:41) Being intentional with your personal brand

Event professionals need to be fluent in marketing, operations, and finance. That range is what makes them qualified for leadership even if they don’t feel ready for it. In this episode, Rachel Andrews sits down with Angie Smith, Chief Executive Officer of InVision Communications, to discuss her unconventional career path and the lessons she learned along the way. Angie shares how community, curiosity, and overcoming self-doubt shaped her career. She also explains how AI can help event teams work smarter without replacing the human connection that drives great experiences.What you'll learn:How curiosity and relationships can shape a successful events careerWhen an agency partner makes more sense than a full-time employeeHow AI can improve event workflows without replacing human connectionThings to listen for:(00:00) Meet Angie Smith, CEO of InVision(01:14) Building a career across the events industry(05:52) Event pros already think like CEOs(08:04) Should you hire an agency or increase headcount?(11:42) Rethinking how AI creates value(16:56) Hiring for curiosity over experience

Don’t underestimate the power of webinars. A well-built webinar program can create ongoing opportunities to educate audiences, build relationships, and support sales teams. In this episode, Felicia Asiedu sits down with Sarah Jordan Usher, Global Events and Field Marketing Manager at Mastercam, to discuss how they built a scalable webinar strategy from scratch. Sarah shares how Mastercam grew its webinar program from a brand-new initiative into a consistent channel for customer engagement. She covers how to create repeatable webinar processes, measure success beyond attendance, use audience insights to inform follow-up, and connect digital and in-person experiences across the customer journey. What you'll learn:How to build repeatable webinar programs that scale engagementWebinar success metrics beyond attendance numbersThe importance of connecting webinars with broader event and field marketing programsThings to listen for:(00:00) Meet Sarah Jordan Usher of Mastercam(03:43) Understand your webinar audiences and goals(06:31) Using field events to build brand connections(09:09) How events build customer loyalty(11:45) Measuring ROI and customer journey impact(14:03) Building a repeatable webinar strategy

Great content isn't enough to wow audiences anymore. When every event can deliver a polished keynote, personalization becomes the real differentiator.In this episode, Stephanie Sweetland sits down with Nigel Reeves, Senior Director of Event Operations at YPO, who runs over 500 events a year for 37,000 members worldwide. They discuss how member data should inform event design, how to use AI to move faster without losing the personal touch, and what it takes to get a whole team to adopt new tools.What you'll learn:How to use data to create more personalized member experiencesWays AI can cut admin work for event plannersSignals that indicate an event program has outgrown its processThings to listen for:(00:00) Meet Nigel Reeves(02:27) Moving beyond content to create connection(06:08) Connecting event data across platforms(07:44) Events for younger audiences(08:47) Creating innovation teams for AI adoption(11:43) Advice for navigating event evolution