Cathy Song Novelli is the senior vice president of marketing and communications at Hubilo, an engagement-focused virtual and hybrid event platform based in San Francisco.
How I got my start in event technology: I’ve dabbled with a lot of event tech throughout my career, but my expertise in event tech grew most when I began managing global event teams around 2017. Vetting and testing new event tech constantly gives you a much deeper appreciation for all that’s out there, so it’s very easy for me to geek out on event tech still today.
Why I'm passionate about event tech: 2020 exploded in terms of what ‘event tech’ even means, and the category is huge now. I’m beyond excited to see innovation advance the industry even more. We are at a tipping point and events are being completely reimagined, so I am passionate and completely invested in being a part of the industry that is molding the new future of hybrid events.
Where I see event tech in the future: Hybrid is the future. Virtual events are being reimagined and will become more engaging, entertaining and impactful, while in-person live events will likely scale down (I mean, who needs six days at a trade show anymore?). Event tech will be the nucleus to enabling the transition to and evolution of hybrid events. I see event tech enabling more immersive experiences and activations that match the impressiveness of in-person events. Event tech is the reason events are finally maturing into a full-fledged digital marketing channel. It’s an amazing time to be in the space!
My advice to other women breaking into the field: Don’t be afraid of the tech! I know many event organizers got into the business because they loved the creative, visual, connecting aspects of events. Event tech was not what they signed up for, and I can 100% empathize with that. I got into marketing decades ago because I loved advertising (back then that meant mostly TV, radio and magazines). Digital changed advertising and all marketing, and I had to evolve and constantly learn new technologies. Events are no different, so embrace the crazy and jump in.
Back to the full list of Most Influential Women in Event Tech 2021
