The Event Tech Pull Up

In this episode, Tess Vismale and Keith Johnston examine whether WordPress remains the best choice for managing event and conference websites amid growing challenges. With changes in WordPress’s ecosystem and tensions with WP Engine, they discuss potential impacts on security and functionality for event planners. Tune in for expert insights on evaluating WordPress and exploring flexible alternativ...

In this episode of the Event Tech Pull Up, hosts Tess Vismale and Keith Johnston sit down with Seth Kenvin, the visionary Founder of There.app. They delve into how There.app revolutionizes on-site collaboration for event professionals, integrating live chat, file sharing, task tracking, and more into a single platform. Seth shares insights on the app’s focus on seamless teamwork, location-based fe...

In this episode of the podcast, Keith and Tess are talking rundowns, show flows, cue sheets, run of shows, event scripts, and production schedules. A million different names. Same thing. It is what keeps your live productions on track. For the past 20 years or so, this has been the domain of Excel. And this is a problem because you email that excel file over and over as changes happen and the vers...

In this episode of the podcast, Keith and Tess are talking apps! Not those crazy expensive, feature-heavy behemoths currently clogging up the app stores, we are talking about Joi's latest feature... The Joi event app. Joi is upending how event planners manage and execute events, making it accessible and practical even for smaller gatherings to have an app. Traditionally, event apps were deemed...

In today’s episode, we’re blending the worlds of tech, observation, and brand activation. To guide us through this intersection, we have with Ross Cooper, a Senior Integrated Strategist at Inspira Marketing Group. As many of you might know, Inspira isn’t just any marketing agency; they operate at the nexus of EQ (Emotional Intelligence) and IQ (Intellectual Quotient), crafting brand experiences th...

DJ Graffiti, known as The Keynote DJ, has defied conventions in his DJ career. Originating from Detroit, he initially made a name for himself as a prominent club and concert DJ, sharing stages with eminent artists such as Eminem, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg, and Big Sean. However, his path took an unconventional turn. DJ Graffiti ventured beyond the realm of music, applying his law and business deg...

In this episode of the podcast, Keith and Tess dive into the game-changing features of There. App, a revolutionary tool for event planners. They discuss how There. App transforms communication and collaboration, ensuring seamless connectivity among team members, vendors, and volunteers during conferences and events, enhancing on-site teamwork by offering access to project information, facilitating...

Today, we have a unique opportunity as Tess, our meeting and event superhero, is away. This gives me a chance to highlight something truly special. And what makes it so special, you may ask? Well, we have the privilege of featuring the creator of my favorite event technology of the past two years: Stagetimer. IO . For those who know me, it's no secret that I am an enormous fan of this product....

Unless you live under a rock or in a birdhouse, you have heard about Threads, the text-based, Twitter-like version of Instagram that Zuck says offers “a new, separate space for real-time updates and public conversations.”... But should it matter to meeting and event professionals, is it a social outpost where we need to be, and does it matter... Today, Tess and I are joined by Bob Toovey, publishe...

In this episode, we are talking about AI. What it is (and isn't) and how it is going to fundamentally change the meetings and events industry on a molecular level... AI is going to rewrite the DNA of what it means to be an event professional, it will make our lives easier, and it will make your events more engaging to attendees, sponsors, and speakers, which in turn will make the stakeholders...

ChatGPT and other AIs are taking the world by storm. The programs have the ability to help meeting and event planners plan better events, create better web copy, and make our lives easier, but AI also strikes fear into the hearts of many people that remember that these creations are only a few steps away from SkyNet or the Matrix movies… So, what can you do with AI, is it that frightening, and sho...

#EventTech nerds rejoice! Event Tech Live is coming to Las Vegas and Tess and Keith will be broadcasting during the event chatting with some of the meeting and event industry's coolest tech providers, forward thinkers, and the planners that put these gizmos, gadgets, and tools to work. ! In this episode, Tess and Keith are chatting about the sessions they are looking forward to and some of the com...

Everyone knows that we love Joi. Events and they have new features that we think everyone should know about. In the lastest release, they have added the ability for planners to add:  Resources  Assets  Budget  The new budget tool is something planners have been requesting for quite some time and they did not disappoint. The new budget section is perfect for agencies and organiz...

Sometimes you have a plan for an episode and the minute you start, you know it is headed off the rails in a good way! Such is the case with our conversation with InEvent.  What we intended to be a single episode, chatting about their virtual platform, became a two parter with some amazing twists and turns. We talked about everything from cameras and cables to virtual networking and the metave...

When  ya been quiet for a bit, it is always good to come back with a bang and  that is exactly what Tess and I set out to do after a WHOLE YEAR of no  episodes. This week, we are joined by our guest Tamsin Treasure Jones  (coolest name evah!) of Kubify to chat about their next generation of  technology that will take your  after-thought-crammed-into-the-moldy-basement...

For meeting and event people, things not going according to plan can be a disaster...but sometimes, not sticking with the script can be the best thing that can happen. This is what happened in this episode, we invited Ashanti Bentil-Dhue to come and discuss a variety of topics but we never actually made it past the news! We went down a whole host of rabbitholes talking about the recent YouTube out...

Some people are amazingly patient. You should know that Adam Parry is one of those people. This episode was actually recorded a couple of months ago and then boom... Things happened. A few client events here, new technologies to learn there, and the next thing you know, it is October. So, putting my procrastination aside, let's learn a little more about Adam before you dive into this episode. Most...

Dreams do Come True At  the age of 12, I was riding my bike around the neighborhood and goofing  off. I did not know up from down or left from right nevermind what I  wanted to do with my entire life… Good thing our next guest is nothing  like me. Donvil Collins had a clear vision of his future and where he  wanted to go and he made it happen, becoming a leader in the vide...

Experience Matters Women  leading event tech companies are rare, Black Women leading  event tech companies are few… But those who dare become legends. Such is  the case of our guests Zita Steglich-Ross, CMP and Lori Burke, CMP. Two  amazing EventProfs that are leading the way in online registration with  their company regmatch® . Together, they gathered up their seven &nbs...

Just like a mythical perfect storm, two pandemics are currently sweeping  the globe. One is new, never before seen on this earth and has caused  the global economy to come to a crushing halt. The other, centuries old,  continues its long march across the continents spreading its evil into  every corner of society. Together, they form an unlikely duo and as one,  we will ri...

There are  people you meet that you instantly forget and then there are people you  meet that you just know in your heart are going to change the world.  Jillian Cardinal is going to make waves in the meetings and events  industry and her enthusiasm for all things events and attendees is  infectious. You walk away from a conversation with her a better person  for just...

Engaging your attendees in any setting is tough and in a virtual  setting, it can seem downright daunting which is why for the next couple  of episodes, we will be focusing on guests that have some unique ideas  that will energize your event. First up is Dusty and Emma from Ink  Factory. If you are not in the know, Ink Factory helps engage your  audience, employees, and cl...

Tech and  marketing go hand in hand, especially in the 21st Century. In this  episode, Tess and Keith chat with Michelle Bergstein of Beat Creative  Marketing, a longtime collaborator and colleague, she is a Digital  Marketer with a passion for designing and implementing social media  campaigns across multiple platforms in the event and hospitality  markets. She is sm...

In this  episode, Keith and Tess get to sit down and chat with the one and only  Mike McAllen, Executive Director of the California Podcast Association  and Podcasting4Associations. Mike is one of the foremost experts about  podcasting and helps membership-based organizations retain and connect  with association members and build revenue-generating podcasts. Topics we dive...

In this  episode, Tess and Keith have a wide ranging discussion with very special  guest, Congressman Mike Quigley. During the interview, they touch on a  variety of subjects including the Covid-19 crisis, getting the meetings  and events industry back to work, data protection, and more. Keith and  Tess also talk about some industry news. Companies in Event Tech News: Face...