DC Chapter Friend, Lunch & Learn, Tech Challenges, Attendee Survey Findings, and more....

Letter from the Chair

Fall is suddenly upon us, and event season is in high gear for many organizations. It’s been fascinating to see how in-person events are evolving post-covid.

One major driver of change is in how potential attendees make the decision whether or not to attend an in-person event. Some people are still concerned about contact with groups, others are working from home and don’t want to travel as much unless the event is being held where they can combine vacation with business, while other professionals are eager to meet with their peers and exhibitors face-to-face.

In some markets, reduced staff and budget cuts mean that organizations are sending fewer people than in past years, and in some cases, pulling out from attending at all.

So how do we provide and communicate the value which drives attendance at our events? What is the role of a digital / online event component moving forward, knowing that it can broaden our audience reach even if we’re not streaming live sessions?

We’ve been having these conversations with our members, and it’s these questions and challenges our members and the industry face every day that drive the education content our chapter provides for you.

Your IAEE DC chapter strives to be your go-to place for networking with peers, sharing ideas and experiences, and helping you navigate the ever-evolving event marketplace to help you grow your attendance and exhibits, improve engagement, reduce time and costs, and produce other results for your events. For many, especially our Young Professionals, it’s also an ideal place to grow personally and advance your career.

As this year wraps up, I’m proud of the work the board and our volunteers have done to provide valuable content and new types of events like our Technology Challenge Virtual Series launched this year. We are already gearing up for 2023, and the board looks forward to providing a calendar full of events with in-person and virtual options and content that is important to you, our members. As always, we value your input and ideas, and of course, there are plenty of opportunities to be part of the board and committees and help drive our progress.

There are still several opportunities to learn and network this year, including... read the full letter.

Events

Lunch & Learn Programs

November Lunch & Learn

Current state of the events industry and a look into the future

The global exhibitions and events industry continues to rebound. The focus for this program will be on enhancing our programs through further engagements and “Return-On-Investment” for all stakeholders. The speakers will cover current event industry updates and ideas for growing events in the many industries our members serve.

Have some fun in our icebreaker event by wearing your favorite college or professional sports shirts and paraphernalia!!! We will wrap up the event with a heartfelt tribute to our beloved event colleague and DC Chapter board member, Phil Saims who lost his battle with cancer this year.

Please bring an unwrapped toy from A Wider Circle’s wish list or a gift card to a retailer (Amazon, Walmart, etc.) to help local families in need have a joyous holiday season. See more details below on the toy drive for A Wider Circle.

Speakers:

Carrie Ferenac

IAEE Chair

Co-Founder & President

CNTV

Cathy Breden, CMP, CAE, CEM

COO

International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE)

Date: Friday, November 18, 2022

Time: 11:30am to 2:00 pm EDT

Location: Freeman office, 11 Canal Center Plaza Suite 100 Alexandria, VA

Event Sponsor

Catering Sponsor

Expo! Expo! DC Chapter Reception

Come mingle and have fun with fellow DC Chapter members and event professionals from across the country at our popular chapter reception on the first night of Expo! Expo in Louisville!

Date: Tuesday, December 13

Time: 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Location: Omni Louisville Hotel in Commonwealth

ALL DC CHAPTER MEMBERS MUST REGISTER to receive their free drink tickets! Register today.

Reception sponsored by

Technology Challenge Virtual Series

We just held our second successful event of our new Technology Challenge Virtual Series. If you missed the previously held rapid-fire sessions on how you can use technology to improve event results, you can still view them on demand for FREE:

October Technology Challenge: Although in-person events are making a comeback, attendance and exhibit participation will take some time to reach pre-pandemic levels. Event organizers need to find new ways to provide more value, including connections, learning, and sourcing opportunities at the event and all year. This session explores how advanced technologies can be used to attract more attendees and exhibitors at in-person or virtual events, better engage the audience to improve satisfaction and retention, and extend the event year-round to reach a broader audience and generate new revenue streams. Access the session here.

Presenting Technology Providers:

August Technology Challenge: This session explored how event organizers can leverage data and artificial intelligence technologies to increase interactions between attendees and exhibitors / sponsors and effectively connect and match in-person attendees and exhibitors onsite, as well as with virtual audiences to improve all participants’ event experience and the value of your event brand. Access the session here.

Presenting Technology Providers:

A special thank you to our Virtual Platform sponsor:

Look for more Technology Challenges in 2023 to help you increase sales and attendance, enhance engagement and connections, reduce time and costs, make better decisions, extend your event year-round, and many other benefits. The sessions are FREE for event organizers and event management companies.

Call for Presentations from Technology Providers

If your technology company has solved challenges for event organizers and helped them to achieve better event results, we want to hear from you! We are looking for companies with innovative event management, marketing, CRM, virtual, data, and other technology solutions that can solve challenges for event organizers. Complete the submission form TODAY for an opportunity to present in a technology challenge in 2023.

Go to IAEE DC Chapter Events for more information and to register for these and other programs.

CEM Credits: Attendees can earn one (1) CEU credit for attending in-person or virtual events.

Results Corner

brought to you by mdg, A Freeman Company

Why a Growth Mindset is Essential for Event Marketers

Psychologist Carol Dweck coined the terms “fixed mindset” and “growth mindset” to describe the underlying beliefs people have about learning and intelligence. In short, someone with a growth mindset thrives on challenges, exercises intellectual curiosity and views failure as a springboard for growth and development. During the pandemic, event marketers with a growth mindset experimented with new ways to serve their audiences, collaborate with their remote teammates and generate revenue for their organizations. So, now that the worst of the pandemic is (fingers crossed) behind us, how can event marketers continue learning, innovating, experimenting and moving boldly into the future?

Chapter and Industry News

Member Spotlight

Congratulations to Joe Felperin on his new role as Director of Channel Partnerships at MapYourShow (MYS)!

We are still looking for volunteers for all DC Chapter committees. Get involved in 2023 to meet new people, develop your professional skills, and have fun! Complete the volunteer form.

Industry News You Can Use

Career Center

Have a job opening? Tell us and we will include it in our next newsletter. Email Karen Vogel, Director of Marketing for the DC Chapter, at karen@eagteam.com with information on your organization’s job openings.

Community Service

YP Volunteer Event

Calling all Young Professionals!! We have a fun volunteer event for you to work in the North Pole wrapping gifts and sorting through donations at A Wider Circle! Help families in need have a happy holiday season.

Date: Friday, December 9

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 noon EDT

Interested volunteers should email Cortney Whitlow at cwhitlow@fia.org and she can provide more details on the volunteer event.

Toy Drive for the Holidays

We will be holding a toy drive for our selected charity, A Wider Circle, so families in need in our community will have toys for their children during the holiday season. Please bring unwrapped toys from their Amazon wish list and/or gift cards to retailers (Amazon, Walmart, etc.) to the November 18^th lunch & learn.

Can't make it to the November event? You can still donate unwrapped toys or gift cards up to December 15^th, as follows.

Order from the Amazon wish list and ship the toys directly to A Wider Circle, 9159 Brookville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910
Drop off your donation directly at a Wider Circle located at 9159 Brookville Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Drop-Off Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday: 9 am - 5 pm EDT; Sunday: 12 pm – 5 pm.

Learn more about A Wider Circle.