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Team Eventcombo planned and rolled out the most significant and exciting inaugural industry event in its history: Eventicon 2021 - The Comeback . It was a virtual event like none other. The two-day event hosted an impressive line-up of globally reputed speakers, industry influencers, and senior event experts. The growing trend of “Phygital” (physical + digital) events was a key topic of discussion by various experts.
Saroosh Gull, CEO, Eventcombo launched Eventicon 2021 - The Comeback promising an exciting two days for the event industry, and the speakers delivered the same in spades. Karen Loftus, Adventuress in Chief of Women's Adventure Travels was the emcee for the event and engaged speakers and audiences with panache and style.
The event saw speakers sharing several success stories and best practices, which drew an enthusiastic participation from attendees via the chat function on the virtual and integrated event platform, Fireworks™ by Eventcombo.
Saroosh & Karen kicked it off in style!
Have a look at the highlights we’ve lined up for you.
Day One
Kaneisha Williams | Founder, Black In Events Network
Session: Creating Sustainable Brands in a Socially Charged World : The Ethical Obligation to Employees Due to Virtual Technology
Key Takeaways:
- Importance of one’s obligation to employees in a virtual world
- Importance of including DEI in a company’s sustainability plan
- The impact of 2020 on barriers with employees and how to overcome them
- Obtaining positive wins for everyone in the industry
Briana Snellgrove | CEO, Social Icon
Session: The Future of Digital Events in a Post-COVID World
Key Takeaways:
- Elevation of events through a “Phygital” model
- Creating a space for physical audience to connect with digital audiences
- How to turn attendees into a community
- Offering an audience with the best viewing/listening options with an amazing creative display of tech capabilities
- Communicating and navigating a leveled playing field for the ultimate collaboration
Samiran Ghosh | Forbes Tech Counsil Member, Senior Research Fellow
Key Takeaways:
- The role of emerging tech in the comeback of the event industry
- Sustaining future growth of the event industry with new tech
- Examples of emerging tech
- Sustainability models for the future
Shannon Sprau | Chief Event Officer, Meridian 360
Session: Customer Engagement or Lack Thereof in Virtual Events and How to Improve
Key Takeaways:
- Pros and cons of virtual engagement from an attendee’s, speaker’s and exhibitor’s POV
- Application of innovative ideas learned during the pandemic to future events
- Live demo of an engaging and interactive presentation prompting user input via QR codes
Todd Embley and Luke Tobin | Fireside Chat: Secret to Successful Startups- Moderated by Karen Loftus
Fireside Chat: Secret to Successful Startups - Moderated by Karen Loftus
Key Takeaways:
- The role of tech in startups
- Tech’s assistance in starting a company and marketing
- Future of startups in event tech space
- Philosophical best practices of being an entrepreneur
- The difference between "problem solving" and "solution selling" mindsets
- How "Failing Fast" can speed up winning
- Founder vs. Investor = Infinite vs. Finite horizons
- The importance of being customer obsessed and running to revenue
Tim Hughes | Co-founder & CEO, DLA Ignite
Session: Social Selling for Events
Key Takeaways:
- Evolving trends of sales and marketing world according to research
- Social media strategies to generate more sales
- 3 key prospects for social media
Ella Glasgow | CEO & Executive Producer, Beyond Virtual Events
Session: Adding Disney Effects to Your Virtual Events
Key Takeaways:
- Create impactful virtual events so one can wow a community, increase connections and commitment
- What Disney teaches one about events
- A Disney theme for your virtual event is a winner
Ethan Berg | Founder & CEO, Agora World Inc
Session: Web 3.0 The Future of the Spatial Web
Key Takeaways:
- Immersive VR experiences for audiences
- Improving social interaction in an intuitive and engaging way
- Live virtual events for museums, historical tours, workshops, online shopping and more
Megan Inhen | Mezzo-Soprano & Creative Placemaking Specialist
Session: The Virtual Concert Hall
Key Takeaways:
- The responses of classical music non-profits to the shuttering of venues in US
- Key learnings from the intense exploration of virtual performances
- Applications of virtual events for musical non-profits
- Creative placemaking strategies for companies
Day Two
Sarah Christl | Head of Marketing, Endless Events
Session: Don’t Abandon Technology in the Future of Events
Key Takeaways:
- Accessibility for events with the use of emerging tech
- Bridging the communication gap between great minds all over
Jerod Venma | CEO, Liveswitch Inc (Formerly Frozen Mountain)
Session: Trends in Livestreaming: Through the Pandemic and Beyond
Key Takeaways:
- Increased interest in hybrid events going forward
- Different kinds of events such as conferences, town halls/political functions, music events, and co-watching experiences
- New demographics pertaining to the live event spaces
Jay Powell | CEO & Founder, The Powell Group Consulting
Session: Running Effective Business to Business Events
Key Takeaways:
- The impact of having 3D events with avatars
- Lessons learned from 2.5 years of B2B events
Sonia Nagpal | CEO & Co-Founder Dissdash
Annette Naif | CEO & Creative Director Naif Production
Session:Fireside Chat Business Reinvented - Moderated by Karen Loftus
Key Takeaways:
- Relying in virtual tech to meet business challenges
- VR tech and how it helps combat COVID related challenges
- Third-party platforms for event space and their related problems
Liron David | Owner Eventique
Ashton Pike | Editorial Director Bizbash & Connect Meetings
Session: Interview with BizBash
Key Takeaways:
- Customer engagement or the lack of it in Virtual events
- Moving forward how much importance should we give to virtual events
- How do we engage the virtual audience in a hybrid event
- Access to events - virtual, hybrid, physical and the importance to engaging content
Kim Kleeman | Co-founder, Inner Circle
Session: Flipping the Script: Inner Circle Success Stories
Key Takeaways:
- The need for the networking community to go online
- Success stories of the inner circle
- Best practices for virtual events
Jason Levasseur | Creative Director, The Rock Star Project®
Jason Peskin | VP, Events & Corporate Development at Informa Markets Fashion
Session: How Events Can Attract, Retain and Engage Audiences - Moderated by Karen Loftus
Key Takeaways:
- What is the most challenging factor to attracting audiences for a virtual event v/s an in-person event?
- What are the best ways to attract, engage, and retain audiences in a virtual world?
- Do virtual events need a different content strategy? Why?
- What are the key data metrics that event planners should use to plan for audience engagement and retention?
Matt Griffin | Founder, 311 Institute and World Futures Forum
Session: The Future of the Event Industry 2030
Key Takeaways:
- Event industry data facts
- Current event industry
- Future of event industry
Lorne Svarc | Founder & CEO, Technodramatists
Session: Live Augmented Production
Key Takeaways:
- Using emerging technology like AI, AR and spacial computing for enhancing storytelling and entertainment
- Anyone can harness the power of AR using Live Augmented Production tools and save money
- Combining virtual props and costumes with real actors and physical sets
- Realtime effects and interactions for highlighting the magic of live performances
- Making the physical and virtual coexist seamlessly
