Everything, everywhere, all at once
From the first day of spring, March 21st until now, this first week of April 2025, everything that has been in progress for 2 years came into play. If you are following me on any social media, you may feel a sense of being overwhelmed with the many projects in play I am talking about. Here’s the thing, most of these started a long time ago, and all just came to fruition now. Let me explain.
IMEX. As the Head of Program I have the incredible job of working with our team to deliver a world-class education program that is offered on a complimentary basis to anyone attending our shows. This is my sixth show in this role and I could not be more excited about the evolutions we have been making and the speakers we are bringing to you this year. Since we launch April 9th, you will see a lot of social activity about this exciting time. I am thrilled with Frankfurt and am actively planning for October in Las Vegas and into 2026 already, so if you are an #eventprofs we sure hope to see you at a show this year.
Writing. Our KPI is Joy: How Live Events Catalyze Happiness, Productivity and Trust launched at last. I started writing this in 2023 after submitting the book proposal as my final project for my Masters in Creativity and Change Leadership. I started, then stalled, and took time off from writing for a few months. Grief was more present than joy as we lost our good friends Jeff and Burke, Greg’s sister Donna, our IMEX PR star, John Starr, industry friends and icons Marin and Jennifer, and several close friends lost parents and spouses. I started writing again in the fall of 2024 and the words flowed, editing began and eventually the book was done. I am really enjoying seeing the messages from friends who are really enjoying it. In some cases, they have been devouring the content after opening it on arrival to just give it a quick glance! My favorite so far is a financial services planner who has already added a Joy Metric into her team’s planning!
Speaking. I have been speaking for many years and sharing knowledge feeds me. Last week I led a roundtable at the Northwest Event Show, and earlier in the year shared inspiration with the MPI Wisconson Chapter, SmartMeetings and GO West. Next up I will join Meeting Encore in Ottawa to share why Our KPI is Joy, with more coming this year. I appreciate every opportunity to share the power of our industry.
Teaching. Two years ago, David Tikkanen at BCIT recognized the need to update their long-standing event marketing programs to reflect today’s needs and asked if I would write a course proposal for Event Strategy and Design. This first course came to life for the January term. After a teaching hiatus (I taught regularly from 1999 – 2019) it was a stretch to build a 36 hour / 3 credit course all delivered and assessed virtually. When the final reflections came in from the students it was clear it is working – one student said it was a class where they would have welcomed a group project because they were so engaged! We have a talent challenge and knowing people coming into our industry with this passion is very rewarding.
Growing. Thanks to Marlene Emig who offered an AI for Creatives course to upgrade these skills and the picture above is one result. It certainly does not take the place of the amazing artists and creatives we know who have so much skill, this is definitely more about the process of determining where AI makes sense, and where humans are still required. It is definitely a tool and not a replacement for us.
Facilitating Change with Strategy Table. In 2021 as we wrestled with the pandemic, I decided to return to school and (ideally!) obtain a Masters in Creativity and Change Leadership at Buffalo State University. We had incredible instructors, a delightful cohort and a rich learning experience. When we first began, I met Ryan, and it seemed an unlikely friendship. What did I have in common with someone in the active military, with a young family and vastly different interests? It turns out our love for creativity and desire to facilitate change is more than enough. When Ryan met Anthony Vade, they too began conversations about creativity, collaboration, the quest for innovation and discovered a passion to make a difference. From this first conversation, an idea grew, and yesterday, we announced the formation of the Strategy Table and the Accessible Disruption Podcast. This is just the beginning.
Whew, I should be EXHAUSTED. I am not. I am EXHILERATED. There is alignment with the many facets of what I am capable of and enjoy. I am surrounded by people who are doing incredible, inspiring work. There are students whose curiosity delights me, experienced event designers building the best show in the global events community whose passion is inspiring, and a refreshed ability to make a positive impact in a complicated world. If there is anything you need support with, please ask.
