Dahlia El Gazzar is the founder of DAHLIA+Agency, a Boston-based agency assisting event planners working with event technology companies.
How I got my start in event technology: I got started in event technology when I saw the need for a liaison between organizers and tech companies. When technology partners were trying to explain to the planners how the platforms work for them, the planners’ faces looked like deer caught in the headlights. So now, I am the person who sits in on those conversations and is able to help the event tech companies, as well as the planners, figure out what is the best mix of technology, digital solutions and experience design that will help them and their team excel in events.
Why I’m passionate about event tech: I see how it can be an enabler for great experience design. I also see how team deficiencies can give insight to the right data points for organizers to take their events from good to awesome.
Where I see event tech in the future: Event technology will help with the evolution of experiences in the industry as an enabler, not as the only solution for event experiences. It’s going to add agility for organizers to be able to design more personalized experiences that are based on data and based on insight going forward.
My advice to other women breaking into the field: Find a mentor or someone who can help you figure out what your expertise is and what your points of credibility are that will work for the benefit of the technology company (from the perspective of the buyers as well as the clients that they cater to). And the biggest thing is for women to design their dream job description and not to settle for anything less.
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