In this episode of Event Experience by Bizzabo, host Rachel Moore interviews Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group, about the recent IMEX America event. Carina discusses the unique aspects of the event, including the introduction of a Brand Experience Summit aimed at bridging the gap between marketers and the events industry and the importance of community-led events that enhance the overall experience for attendees.

Carina emphasizes the significance of building a network within the events industry and the need for event planners to prioritize their time effectively. She highlights the value of partnerships in delivering specialized programs and the importance of creating personalized experiences for different sectors of attendees. The episode also touches on the long-term strategic goals of IMEX and the importance of innovation and incremental improvement in the events industry.

Carina Bauer is passionate about the business events sector and its impact on the world, taking a particular interest in issues around sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and mentoring the leaders of tomorrow. Carina also takes a keen interest in leadership development, and organizational best practices and culture.

Here’s what you’ll hear about in this conversation:

• Learn the importance of building a network in the events industry to avoid feeling isolated and to gain support from peers.

• Hear how IMEX America focuses on creating a community-led event experience, allowing attendees to craft unique micro experiences within the larger event.

• Understand the significance of stepping back to prioritize tasks effectively, ensuring time is spent on the most impactful work for event planners.

Carina Bauer

IMEX Group

Julius Solaris

Miguel Neves

Skift

For the full transcript, mentions, and more, visit www.bizzabo.com/podcast/imex-carina-bauer-community-innovation

In this conversation, Rachel Moore and Ashley Casal delve into the intricacies of event planning, focusing on budgeting and financial forecasting. Ashley shares her expertise in managing event logistics, emphasizing the importance of understanding costs, setting realistic budgets, and communicating effectively with stakeholders. The discussion also covers the significance of vendor relationships, the necessity of organization in budgeting, and practical advice for new event planners. Throughout the conversation, Ashley highlights the need for flexibility and creativity in maximizing event experiences while managing costs.

Ashley Casal is the Director of In-Person Events at Catalyst, where she excels in crafting immersive event experiences that foster community and drive engagement. Known for her expertise in live event strategy, Ashley brings a creative and results-focused approach to connecting audiences with Catalyst's mission. Her shoes of choice for the all-day events are Cole Haan Oxfords. 

Takeaways

• Financial Planning: Budget forecasting is essential for estimating financial needs and understanding ROI to make informed budgeting decisions.

• Event Management: Setting limits, leveraging sponsors, and investing in technology are crucial for successful event planning and maximization of the event budget.

• Attendee Experience: Food and beverage quality and collecting attendee feedback are vital for a positive attendee experience, which can inform future budgeting decisions.

• Operational Efficiency: Organization and building strong vendor relationships are key to effective budget management and potential cost savings. Flexibility in budgeting is necessary to adapt to changing costs.

Ashley CasalCatalyst

For the full transcript, mentions, and more, visit www.bizzabo.com/podcast/beyond-the-budget-ashley-casal

In this episode of Event Experience by Bizzabo, host Rachel Moore discusses tips for effective budgeting in 2025 with Noelle Feist, Senior of Global Strategic Events at Zendesk, Ashley Casal, Director of In-Person Events at Catalyst, and Rachel Burden, Head of Events and Sponsorships at Intuit Canada. 

They highlight the importance of contingency planning, how creative thinking is the key to creating exceptional experiences on a tight budget, and how to manage-up when budgets are stretched thin. 

Noelle Feist is the Senior of Global Strategic Events at Zendesk. In case you’re not familiar, Zendesk is a service-first CRM company that builds powerful and flexible software to meet the needs of any business.

Ashley Casal is the Director of In-Person Events at Catalyst, the go-to resource on advancing gender equity at work, leading women's inclusion and advancement and helping organizations drive systemic change.

Rachel Burden is the Head of Events and Sponsorships at Intuit Canada. Serving approximately 100 million customers worldwide with TurboTax, Credit Karma, QuickBooks, and Mailchimp, Intuit helps put more money in consumers’ and small businesses’ pockets, saving them time by eliminating work, and ensuring they have confidence in every financial decision they make.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this conversation:

• How to define your event objective and allocate your budget accordingly

• Tips for creating a flexible budget 

• Ideas for keeping event costs low

Noelle Feist on LinkedIn

Zendesk

Ashley Casal on LinkedIn

Catalyst

Rachel Burden on LinkedIn

Intuit Canada

For the full transcript, mentions, and more, visit www.bizzabo.com/podcast/tight-budgets-zendesk-catalyst-intuit-canada

In this episode of the Event Experience podcast by Bizzabo, host Rachel Moore welcomes Sarah Gannon, director of corporate events at MathWorks, to discuss key trends and priorities for the year 2025. They cover the importance of strategic measurement, addressing generational considerations in event planning, and incorporating wellness into events. Sarah shares her journey in the events industry and offers valuable insights on how to create impactful and memorable event experiences while also emphasizing the importance of continuous learning and community involvement in the industry.

Meet Sarah Gannon, a dynamic force in corporate experiential marketing with over 25 years of expertise in crafting impactful event strategies that leave a lasting impact and fuel company growth. She has worked with global giants like BMW, IBM, and GE, and now leads the Corporate Events Team at MathWorks, a Massachusetts software innovator accelerating the pace of engineering and science. Sarah serves as a Board Director for PCMA New England and has earned accolades like Meeting Professional of the Year from MPI New England. 

Here’s what you’ll hear about in this conversation:

• How to use events as part of your brand’s broader communication strategy

• Where to find volunteering opportunities in industry associations for your career growth

• How to define your event’s clear purpose and measurement strategy

• Sarah Gannon on LinkedIn

• Mathworks

• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins

For the full transcript, mentions, and more, visit www.bizzabo.com/podcast/sarah-gannon-generational-event-trends.

In this episode of Event Experience by Bizzabo, Rachel Moore moderates a discussion between Alon Alroy, co-founder and CMO of Bizzabo, and Sam Jacobs, CEO of Pavilion, focused on the intersection of events and community building for business growth. They highlight the importance of structure in event planning, the rise of smaller regional events, and the long-term benefits of community over immediate demand generation. Key points include how networking can be enhanced through structured events, the ROI of smaller micro-events, and how to measure the success of community building efforts.

Alon Alroy is the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Bizzabo. As a refresher, Bizzabo's Event Experience Operating System enables marketing and event teams to manage and scale their event programs. Alon helped build Bizzabo’s go-to-market teams since its founding in 2011. 

Sam Jacobs is the founder and CEO of Pavilion, the world’s #1 private community for GTM leaders. Since 2016, Sam has bootstrapped Pavilion to be a network of over 10,000 go-to-market professionals in B2B tech.

Here’s what you’ll hear about in this conversation:

• How crafting structure for your attendees enhances networking.

• How to see real ROI from hosting smaller events consistently. 

• How to play the long game of community building for overall revenue success. 

• Sam Jacobs on LinkedIn

• Alon Alroy on LinkedIn

• Pavilion Community

• Behind the Cloud by Marc Benioff

For the full transcript, mentions, and more, visit www.bizzabo.com/podcast/sam-jacobs-pavilion-community.

In this episode of Event Experience by Bizzabo, host Rachel Moore interviews Christine Renaud, CEO and founder of Braindate. They discuss how Braindate fosters meaningful exchanges at events by moving beyond transactional interactions and into true knowledge sharing and the exchange of experience. 

In 2008, Christine embarked on a ground-breaking mission: to transform gatherings into knowledge-sharing feasts. Fifteen years and over 1 million participants from 100 countries later, her technology company, Braindate has deeply enriched the lives of those who’ve engaged in meaningful exchanges. In 2015, Christine was selected as one of the “Most Innovative People in the Events Industry” by New York publication Bizbash, and also won the ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ award in 2016 by Startup Canada.  She was also listed in 2018 as one of the Canadian Inspiring Fifty, honoring 50 women shaping the future of technology in Canada.

Here’s what you’ll hear about in this conversation:

• How knowledge sharing improves your event ROI and attendee retention.

• How event professionals can design meaningful networking opportunities.

• How knowledge sharing works philosophically to foster a sense of belonging. 

• Christine Renaud on LinkedIn

• Braindate.com

• Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach

For the full transcript, mentions, and more, visit www.bizzabo.com/podcast/christine-renaud-knowledge-sharing-networking.

In this episode of Event Experience by Bizzabo, host Rachel Moore talks to Anh Nguyen, principal and co-founder of Spark Event Collective, about her team’s success with the grand opening of the BMO Centre in Calgary, Alberta. Anh shares her insights on managing large-scale events and emphasizing the importance of guiding guests through the experience, which included using over 300 entertainers to create flash mob transitions. 

She discusses the goals of the event, targeting current and prospective clients of the convention center, and highlights the collaborative effort required, involving a team of specialized senior event professionals. The episode also delves into the practical challenges and personal experiences faced by event planners, from footwear choices to overcoming setbacks.

Anh Nguyen possesses over 15 years of event design, production, and management experience. She has managed everything from intimate corporate functions to large, international events and is known for her keen eye for detail while being able to lead, inspire and manage large, global teams. She founded Spark Event Management, an award-winning, full-service event management firm, from which the Collective is spun off from. Having experienced first-hand the challenges, excitement, disappointments, and thrill of entrepreneurship, she is passionate about supporting independent planners in the pursuit of their professional goals.

Here’s what you’ll hear about in this conversation:

• How team culture impacts the success of winning contracts and clients

• How using positive peer pressure among event attendees can support activations

• How to make the event space itself play a leading role in the experience

• Anh Nguyen on LinkedIn

• Spark Event Collective

• BMO Centre, Calgary

• Likeable Badass by Alison Fragale

For the full transcript, mentions, and more, visit www.bizzabo.com/podcast/michael-barclay-energy-exchange-experiential.

In this episode of Event Experience by Bizzabo, Rachel interviews Michael Barclay II, executive vice president of experiential at Essence Ventures, about his career and the critical role of experiential marketing in consumer engagement. Michael shares personal insights, such as event day essentials, his reading interests in Afro futurism, and industry trends like 'funflation.'

Michael Barclay II is a top-tier experiential executive globally, known for driving success across companies, brands, and events. As the Executive Vice President of Experiential at ESSENCE Ventures, he spearheads the ESSENCE Festival of Culture, the largest festival in the U.S. by per-day attendance, attracting nearly 170,000 attendees daily to New Orleans. Recognized as an Industry Innovator by BizBash, Barclay's accolades include a Cannes Lion Bronze Award for the Simone Biles "Pause Is Power" Powerade campaign and a Clio Sports Bronze Award. 

Here’s what you’ll hear about in this conversation:

• How to worldbuild for your event experiences

• How to sustain attendee energy during and after events

• Michael’s new Crowded House creator platform

• Michael Barclay II on LinkedIn

• Essence Ventures

For the full transcript, mentions, and more, visit www.bizzabo.com/podcast/michael-barclay-energy-exchange-experiential.

In this episode of the Event Experience podcast by Bizzabo, you'll get a taste of the full discussion from our webinar featuring leading event tech experts: Liz King Caruso, CEO of techsytalk; Angie Ahrens, director of global events at MRI Real Estate Software; and Clark Hager, senior director of sales engineering with Bizzabo. 

Learn about the inefficiencies of outdated event tech and the benefits of consolidating to modern platforms (like Bizzabo OS), and explore the on-demand event to gain insights from the live Q&A with our panel of experts: 

Angie Ahrens is a lifelong learner and event professional who has found her passion in leading teams to create impactful experiences as the Director of Global Events for MRI Real Estate Software. She thrives on collaboration, communication, and adaptability, all while embracing change and nurturing a strong team culture, both in her professional life and her personal adventures. 

Clark Hager is a seasoned IT leader with over 15 years of experience, specializing in infrastructure and cloud solutions. As the Senior Director of Sales Engineering at Bizzabo, he excels in driving digital transformation, optimizing technology operations, and leading high-performing teams to deliver innovative and scalable software and hardware solutions. 

Liz Caruso has helped businesses and thought leaders grow their audience and sell their products through in-person, virtual, & hybrid events through her expansive knowledge as an event tech expert. For over a decade, as the CEO of techsytalk, she has been recognized as a “techy” and has been named as a Top 5 Women in Event Tech. 

Here’s what you’ll hear about in this conversation:

• Mistakes and gaps found in today’s event tech stacks.

• Benefits of open source technology for integrations.

• Real-world success stories of enhanced event management. 

• Liz King Caruso on LinkedIn

• Angie Ahrens on LinkedIn

• Clark Hager on LinkedIn

• Bizzabo OS solutions

For the full transcript, mentions, and more, visit www.bizzabo.com/podcast/event-tech-stack-liz-king-angie-ahrens-clark-hager.

This episode of Event Experience by Bizzabo, hosted by Rachel Moore, features a conversation with Mike Frost, founder of Expocast. Together, they discuss the challenges and opportunities in the recruitment sector of the events industry, particularly post-pandemic, focus on the importance of networking and strategies for job seekers, and reveal the current state of recruitment. Mike also covers the complexity of networking as an event professional and tips for making CVs and interviews more effective.

Mike is the Founder of Expocast, a globally recognised leader in recruitment excellence for the events industry. He has orchestrated the moves of CEOs, MDs, Directors, Managers and Executives into event companies across Europe, Asia, North America, Africa and Australia.

Here’s what you’ll hear about in this conversation:

• Insights to stand out on job applications

• Impact of geographical location on your career

• Importance of seeking mentorship to keep leveling up

• Mike Frost on LinkedIn

• Expocast

• Talent attraction assessment for employers

• Free course for finding a job in the events industry

For the full transcript, mentions, and more, visit www.bizzabo.com/podcast/mike-frost-events-career-tips.

In this episode of Event Experience by Bizzabo, host Rachel Moore interviews Rachel Stephan, Snöballer-in-Chief at Snöball Event Marketing about referral marketing, the importance of peer-to-peer sharing, and the metrics that matter in event marketing. Stephan also shares her personal journey as an immigrant and her adoption of various channels for sharing event content. 

Rachel Stephan has been on her career journey since 2001, when she started in advertising and moved into the heart of event marketing. As Snöballer-in-Chief for Snöball Event Marketing, she delves into all the ways to create a buzz and get the right attendees to events.

Here’s what you’ll hear about in this conversation:

• Gamifying the “who else is going” factor of event attendance.

• Effectively using AI in personalized marketing efforts.

• Leveraging employee advocacy in event amplification and reach. 

• Rachel Stephan on LinkedIn

• Snöball Event Marketing

• Headway audio book app

• Money 2020 LinkedIn “receipt” post

For the full transcript, mentions, and more, visit www.bizzabo.com/podcast/rachel-stephan-peer-to-peer-event-marketing.