It's a new year, and a new chance to shake things up in your career. We asked 11 event professionals to share the work-related resolutions and goals they're thinking about this week. Here's what they had to say...
"My word for 2023 is 'impact.' The goal is to focus on projects and events that will provide the most positive impact. Sometimes it’s about reminding people that the emphasis needs to always be on quality, not necessarily quantity. If you have the right people, in the right room, centered around the right discussions, you can make a much greater impact than if your main focus is packing out the venue with a specific attendance number or hosting a specific number of events per year. As the age-old saying goes, 'quality over quantity.'"
—Sara Roberts, global programs and event producer, Houston
"Let go. As strategists and producers, we are hired to look around corners and plan ahead, but it's important to loosen your grip a little, and leave room for the unexpected, the special, to happen. When you have fantastic collaborators and enthusiastic fans on board, magic always, inevitably unfolds—and you can never plan for that. Also... stop calling events "hybrid." Now, all events should have both virtual and IRL components. It's a given!"
—Kristin Whalley, managing partner, Do Great Projects, Los Angeles
"My resolution for 2023 is to have more focus. As teambuilding.com has grown, it was exciting to think about and start a wider range of products. We have subdomains, microsites, software, and a handful of other projects. There’s a saying that goes something like, 'If everything is a priority then nothing is a priority,' and that is how I started to feel [in 2022]—stretched thin, and not making enough progress with the few things that really matter. So in 2023 and beyond, I intend to cut the excess projects (I already have with many), and focus on the components that matter most to our business and clients."
—Michael Alexis, CEO, TeamBuilding.com, New York
"To be present where I'm present. With two young kids at home, it's often difficult to be present at work and equally challenging to be fully present for my kids when I'm stressing about work. This year, I want to be more present at work and home (hopefully without the Severance-style brain procedure!)."
—Lauren Austin, chief creative officer, MKG, New York
"At the risk of sounding cliche, I'm really working toward thinking outside the box. I say to my team frequently: 'What got you here, won't get you there.' Whether you're working at a legacy company or a new startup, this is important to keep in mind to continue to stretch yourself and your work. For us at Visible, we're not new enough to be considered a startup, but we're not a household name—yet! So for us, in 2023, it's about executing marketing initiatives in the smartest and most efficient way possible. How are we raising brand awareness, attracting new members, and maintaining member loyalty in 2023 in a way that we haven't before and that will be most effective in the current environment?"
—Cheryl Gresham, chief marketing officer, Visible by Verizon, Los Angeles
"My work-related new year’s resolution for 2023 is to continue to build a team that creates, innovates, and remains a leader in the convention center industry. At Sodexo Live!, we challenge our team members to 'make the most of every moment,' and I want to be able to support my culinary, front-of-house, back-of-house, and concessions team to always have this mentality for every event that comes through our doors."
—Josh Vaught, general manager, Sodexo Live! at the Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis
"My new year's resolution is to attend a networking event at least once a month in 2023. I recently started a new job, and it will be valuable to meet as many people at my company—and in the Los Angeles market—as possible. I have always loved networking, but took a pause during the pandemic; I want to prioritize this going into the new year."
—Rachel Russell, assistant director, field marketing, EY, Los Angeles
"To see more shows. Shows that I may personally not be interested in, but to see live music and theatrical performances where the stage and set designs are reported to be exceptional, and to take in these shows from various vantage points, relish in the emotion, and find even just a fragment of what could possibly be reimagined in the form of a completely different event experience."
—Eric Wielander, vice president of strategy and creative, Eventique, New York
"To implement new concepts that resonate with the audience more organically and focus on relatability. Most brands don’t have the luxury of doing a Stranger Things experience/event, so our goals for events moving forward would include visual FX, AI, connective live streams, sensory set pieces, and more."
—Brian Gallagher, president, Pitch 5 Productions, Los Angeles
"Be bold, in both our creativity and communication. After many years into our careers, we trust our gut instincts even more so than data, trends, or directives. In 2023, when we have a hunch to offer up something different, or veer in another direction, we are going to trust our intuition and keep confident in our expertise."
—Cory O'Donnell, managing partner, Do Great Projects, Los Angeles
"I want to put my phone down, and look at it less and not have it feel like it's attached to my brain. I would like to start meditating again, ideally two times a day, for five to 10 minutes each. I also want to meet more people in person daily, enhance my personal interactions, and do fewer Zoom calls."
—Josh Wood, CEO and founder, JWP (Josh Wood Productions), New York
Editor's note: Some of these comments were shared by readers on our social media networks. Join our discussions on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.
