The Business of Meetings

We are delighted to have Garrett Gunderson joining us today to talk about his transition from being a financial advisor to becoming a stand-up comedian and doing a tour on stages across the US! In this episode, you will hear Garrett talk about his journey and the bright future he is building for himself.  We hope you enjoy today's inspiring conversation with Garrett Gunderson! Bio: A modern-day "r...

Today we have the great pleasure of speaking with Rafa Jimenez, the blockchain guru for ELCA and Secutix!  Rafa joins us today to shed light on blockchain and discuss its impact on the live event industry. He also discusses his career journey, shares his insights, and explains NFTs.  We hope you enjoy listening to today's captivating and informative conversation with Rafa Jimenez! Rafa Jimenez Bio...

We are delighted to be speaking with Johann Zietsmann today! Johann is the President and CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. He joins us to share his unique and fantastic journey and talk about servant leadership, the philosophy of Ubuntu, and the arts. We even sing a little bit!   We hope you enjoy listening to today's captivating conversation with Johann Zietsmann! Bio: Johann Zietsman: ...

  We are delighted to be speaking with another rock star in our industry today! Junior Tauvaa is the Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of Visit Anaheim.  Junior has had an amazing career! He shares some stories, ideas, and insights about how the CVB (Convention and Visitor Bureau) evolved to become the DMO (Destination Management Organization) and what today's younger generation is looking for in...

Today we are happy to speak with Mariska Kesteloo, the President and Founder of Word of MICE.  Mariska connects brands and influencers. In this episode, she talks about influencers and shares her unique and inspiring story of grit, grief, persistence, courage, and inspiring others.   We hope you enjoy listening to today's heartfelt conversation with Mariska Kesteloo! Bio: Mariska Kesteloo is an en...

We are delighted to be speaking with a legend in our industry today! Steven Foster is the Managing Partner of Foster+Fathom, a Leadership Training and Goodness Alliance in Dallas, Texas. Steven is the author of Full-Throttle Leadership: Passion, Power & Purpose on the Edge of America. He joins us today to tell the incredible story behind his solo motorcycle ride around the perimeter of the US and...

Episode 123: What are the Main Industry Trends with Will Curran Today we are happy to speak with Will Curran, the Chief Event Einstein of Endless Events! Will has been in our industry for many years and has an interesting perspective to share! In this episode, he talks about his journey, shares his insights, and discusses the trends we need to concentrate on.   We hope you enjoy listening to our f...

People, Planet, and Profit with Benoît Sauvage We are delighted to be speaking with Benoît Sauvage today! Benoît is an international entrepreneur who has worked for French presidents! He owns a DMC and consults on sustainability. Benoît has some interesting insights for us today! We talk about the DMC and sustainability, and Benoît shares some intriguing information and what he has learned from hi...

We are excited to speak with Dahlia El Gazzar, the Founder of Dahlia+ Agency, today! Dahlia is a tech, marketing, and digital agency specialist!  In this episode, Dahlia shares many valuable tips and insights for entrepreneurs and talks about tech, digital agencies, and digital marketing.  We hope you enjoy listening to our interesting and informative conversation with Dahlia El Gazzar today! Bio:...

We are delighted to be speaking with Leanne Calderwood today! Leanne trains people in the meetings and event industry. She is an expert in personal branding and has tons of experience with venue selection and meeting planning.  In this episode, Leanne shares her experience. She talks about personal branding and positioning and explains how to leverage LinkedIn. She also shares some actionable tips...

Today we have the pleasure of speaking with an amazing leader and a legend in our industry, Gary Shapiro! Gary is President and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association- the association that owns the famous Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. He is a New York Times bestselling author and was recently awarded a Legend of Honor.  Gary is full of drive and passion! In this episode, he tal...

  Today, we have the great pleasure of speaking with Jon Kazarian, the Founder, and CEO of Accelevents! In this episode, we talk about data, entrepreneurship, marketing, the role of events in marketing, and opportunities for the future of our industry.  We hope you enjoy listening to our conversation with Jon Kazarian today! Bio: Jonathan Kazarian is the Founder & CEO of Accelevents, a leading vir...

Today we have the great pleasure of speaking with Magdalena Bonnelly, the Founder and President of Event Strategies! Magdalena has worked all over the world, including in corporate America. She has also volunteered in the industry. She has a wonderful story of entrepreneurship, decision-making, and re-inventing herself to share!  We hope you enjoy listening to today's inspiring conversation with M...

How to Leverage Call Centers with Richard Blank Today, we are delighted to be speaking with Richard Blank, the CEO of Costa Rica's Call Center!  Richard has had an amazing journey! In this episode, he talks about call centers, sales, people retention, life, and entrepreneurship. He explains how to leverage call centers to connect better with your customers and grow your business.  We hope you enjo...

Today, we have the great pleasure of speaking with Liz Holtby! Liz is a giver! She is the Vice President of Operations for Meeting Escrow.  Liz has some important information to share about financial risk management and incentive travel. In this episode, she tells her story, talks about the services she provides and the value of incentive travel, and shares some great insights!   We hope you enjoy...

We have the great pleasure of speaking with Walker Deibel today! Walker is a fantastic individual and the number one name in acquisition entrepreneurship! He created the Acquisition Lab and wrote the book Buy Then Build.  Walker is an entrepreneur, teacher, and father. In this inspiring episode, he tells his story and talks about what it takes to be successful as an entrepreneur. He also gets into...

113: An Entrepreneurial Journey with Mahoganey Jones We are delighted to be speaking with a rockstar in our industry today! Mahoganey Jones is a truly inspiring individual, and she is very well-known in the meeting and events industry! She is the Founder of Event Specialists and the first Canadian Event professional ever to become a Certified Digital Event Strategist!  She tells her fascinating st...

Music was My First Love with Darryl Hurs - Episode 112 We are delighted to be speaking with a legend in the music industry today! Darryl Hurs is the Founder of Indie Week in Toronto. He is also the Managing Director of Downtown Global.  Darryl has created online conferences and worked with famous bands and musicians like U2, Madonna, Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Dave Matthews. Darryl is a fascinating indiv...

Innovation in Facilitation with Samme Allen We have the great pleasure of speaking with Samme Allen today! Samme has been in the meetings and events industry for many years. She is the Founder and CEO of ConferenceEmcees.   Samme has a fascinating and inspiring story to tell! In this episode, she shares her story and talks about what she is doing to help people reduce their carbon footprint. She a...

Relentless with Natasha Miller We are thrilled to be speaking with a fabulous entrepreneur today! Natasha Miller is the CEO of Entire Productions and a three times Inc. 5000 recipient. Natasha has just launched a book called Relentless: Homeless Teen to Achieving the Entrepreneur Dream. It tells the story of her life.  Natasha is joining us today to tell her unique story and share her experiences,...

We are delighted to be speaking with a legend today! Jack Daly is a phenomenal individual! He is known worldwide as a subject matter expert in the sales side of the house and as a business person who knows how to scale companies. About eight years ago, Jack wrote a book called Hyper Sales Growth which sold tremendously when it came out and continues to sell exceptionally well today.  A few weeks a...

Today, we are happy to be speaking with the legendary John Ruhlin! John is the founder of Giftology, and he is full of energy and great ideas! In this episode, John tells his fascinating story and talks about how he created Giftology. He explains how he developed the understanding of giving personal gifts and shares his best marketing and sales referral tool. He also discusses why you should focus...

  Today, we are thrilled to be speaking with a phenomenal lady! Rushia Brown is the President and Founder of the Women's Professional Basketball Alumni Association. She used to be a professional basketball player. She is now an entrepreneur, and she helps and inspires many people! Rushia has achieved a lot in her life! In this episode, she tells the inspiring story of her fascinating journey! It i...

Today we are delighted to speak to Samir Uberoi, one of the three partners of Designer Incentives & Conferences! Samir has had a fascinating journey! In this episode, he tells his story, and talks about what it means to do an incentive trip in India. He dives into what it takes to be a business owner and go through the rollercoaster life of an entrepreneur. He also shares some stories to inspire b...

Today we have the pleasure of speaking to Cerissa Miller! Cerissa is a leader in our industry. She started the Hospitality Family Facebook Group two years ago during the pandemic, and it now has over 60,000 members!  Cerissa has a very inspiring story to share! In this episode, she talks about mentorship, networking, finding her niche in teaching, and the Hospitality Family Group she started, on F...