Skift Meetings Podcast

Not many can say they grew up in the events industry, but Gregg Talley can. He has been at it for more than four decades. Gregg H. Talley is the chief executive officer of Talley Management Group, an association and event management firm that works with U.S. national global associations. Talley also has an affiliated association and event management firm in Africa. With a degree from Georgetown Un...

Joe Rivers is the director of experiences and partnerships for Czarnowski Collective, a group of studios that have come together to provide event production, fabrication, and trade show agency services. Rivers discusses his journey as an event professional, starting as a brand ambassador and tour manager before transitioning into business development. He emphasizes the importance of experiential m...

Visit Phoenix is redefining its role in the community. It is positioning itself as a key player in economic development through strategic storytelling and event management. Lorne Edwards, chief sales officer at Visit Phoenix, highlighted the organization's commitment to driving visitation and showcasing Phoenix's unique cultural narrative. Behind the Scenes of the Super Bowl Hosting the Super Bowl...

Rob Adams, the CEO and owner of Bishop-McCann, has a storied career that took a dramatic turn from a 12-year stint at tech giant Microsoft to the helm of a premier events company. Adams' transformation journey reveals some profound insights he's gathered along the way. From the simple yet profound mission of creating joy to savoring unique experiences and benefiting from the mindset shift of young...

What does it take to thrive in the high-stakes realm of event planning? Gianna Gaudini, a seasoned event strategist with a dazzling track record, divulges her insider knowledge on steering a purposeful career course, educating the next wave of event maestros, and why a sommelier certification could be more useful than you'd think. It's not all spreadsheets and venue bookings; Gaudini argues that s...

Last month, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) made waves in the events industry with the elevation of Kinsey Fabrizio as president. She joins longtime CEO Gary Shapiro at the helm of CTA, which owns and produces CES, following a meteoric rise over the past fifteen years.  Her journey with CTA began in 2008 when she joined the membership department. She ascended through the ranks learning t...

Nicola Kastner is one of the rare people who intentionally entered the events industry. The founder of The Event Strategist, a boutique consultancy firm, she helps her clients optimize their event experiences to drive bottom-line results. Before creating The Event Strategist, Kastner was the global vice president of event marketing strategy for SAP, a market leader in enterprise application softwa...

The world of association management is evolving, and Thomas Reiser, the executive director of the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis, is at the forefront of this. Reiser sat down with Skift Meetings to share his insights on what is shaping the future of associations and events in a post-Covid-pandemic landscape. "The traditional membership value is diminishing," Reiser candidly rev...

Hard work, resilience, intention, blessings, grit, and luck are what Monique Ruff-Bell, chief program and strategy officer at TED Conferences, attributes to her success. "If anyone told little girl, teenage, or even 20-year-old Monique what she would eventually get to do, she wouldn't have believed you," she says.  Ruff-Bell is the new chief program and strategy officer for TED. She oversees TED's...

Michelle Allgauer, senior vice president of education and engagement at the Financial Services Institute (FSI), shares the personal journey that ushered her into the world of event planning—an industry where resilience and relationships are pivotal. From a young age, Allgauer’s curiosity in planning was sparked by family vacation planning. Later, this fascination became a career trajectory when sh...

As associate director of meetings at the American Physical Society (APS), Andre Cholewinski plans a portfolio of meetings. The society's largest, the March meeting, brings together 13,000 physicists each year in a North American city. Meeting planning is not impervious to global socio-political issues, so such issues inevitably impact destination selection. The big question that arises is whether...

Martha Donato, founder and President of MAD Event Management, has been orchestrating events and conferences for nearly three decades. Community, collaboration, and connection are the focal points of her work. In this episode of the Skift Meetings Podcast, she shares some of the lessons learned and how the events industry has evolved over the past three decades.

In this episode, Sissi Lygnou, CEO of AFEA, discusses her lifelong ties to the meetings industry via her family's organisation, which she presides over today, and the brief step away in the early 2000s when she went to work for the Olympic Games organizing committee. Lygnou advocates for professional congress organizers, and this episode if full of insights on where she believes industry is curren...

In this episode, Dan Macsai, chief events officer of Time Magazine, shares his inspiring journey from editor to events evangelist. He offers a behind-the-scenes look at the magic of curating the iconic Time 100 gala and other influential gatherings. Discover the strategies behind Time's remarkable event success and Dan's insights on the future of the events industry. Whether you're an event profes...

This special edition of the Skift Meetings Podcast focuses on the "Skift Meetings Megatrends 2024" report, an incisive and forward-looking analysis that explores the ten pivotal trends revolutionizing the meetings industry. We navigate the complex interplay between remote work dynamics, AI advancements, and the climate crisis while addressing the impact of polarizing politics and the evolution of...

Mathias Sondermann, senior director of events at SAP, shares his transformative journey from event skeptic to passionate advocate. Sondermann discusses the evolution of events into strategic marketing tools enhanced by technology, especially in a post-pandemic world. He envisions artificial intelligence shaping personalized attendee experiences while maintaining the essence of shared moments. Sond...

In this episode of the Skift Meetings Podcast, we host acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor Joe Pine. Our conversation revolves around turning events into experiences. We explore how events that create memorable experiences are important creators of value and connection. Joe explains the difference between branding and experience. We discuss the incredible power of events to be part o...

Alex Reynolds, co-founder and CEO of Vendelux, discusses how the events industry is evolving by integrating connection-making with data-driven technology. Drawing from personal and professional experiences, Reynolds highlights the significance of events in business growth and relationship building. Vendelux's mission is to provide actionable insights into the most valuable events to attend and spo...

John Hense, CEO of Nth Degree and Fern Expo, champions grit as the essential ingredient for successful events, particularly in the high-pressure world of trade shows. The necessity for face-to-face interactions has intensified in the hybrid work era, a trend Hense believes will only grow. The industry, however, faces challenges like inflation, soaring transportation costs, and a decline in event a...

Delve into the visionary mind of Colja Dams, CEO of VOK DAMS, as he unpacks the transformative intersection of technological innovation, sustainability, and the enduring magic of live events destined to thrive in a post-pandemic world hungry for authentic connections. Subscribe to ensure you don't miss an episode of the Skift Meetings Podcast. Skift Meetings is defining the future of business even...

Amanda Armstrong is the senior vice president of communications and industry relations at Encore. Her career spans senior planning roles at Enterprise Rent-A-Car before joining Encore, with a wealth of operational and strategic experience. She also led Meeting Professionals International (MPI) as chair of the international board of directors. At Encore, she has been instrumental in driving initiat...

Jill Blood is not your average legal counsel. Since joining Maritz Global Events in 2017, she's tackled everything from international privacy laws to the legality of renting blimps. In the high-octane world of event planning, Blood's role is as thrilling as it is crucial. She's the mastermind of turning legal jargon into strategic victories and ensuring that every out-of-the-box idea lands safely...

Lance Trebesch, CEO at Eventgroove appreciates the palpable energy of events. He believes a foundational layer to producing events must be matched with a creative layer to make events truly great and memorable. His focus on clear and fair pricing is the basis of what Lance calls a true partnership. He and his team love to help organizations start to run events digitally and he is a big believer in...

In this episode, Skift Meetings Executive Editor Andrea Doyle speaks with RIMS CEO Gary LaBranche. The conversation revolves around risk and risk management, with a focus on the fatal shooting that took place near the 2023 RISKWORLD Conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Some topics covered are how to develop a citywide crisis plan, the need for fast collaboration in times of crisis, the real risk of cyb...

Gabriel Seder, Vice President, Global Development at Destinations International. discusses the future of destination organizations including the evolving role of destination organizations; the destination marketing vs management debate; the important role of destination organizations in advocating for the business events industry; why authentic travel experiences top of mind for destination organi...