After a sold-out debut last year, the Event Innovation Forum returns to Los Angeles as part of BizBash Live: The Expo. The educational portion of the annual trade show, scheduled for June 19 at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will once again bring innovative event professionals to discuss the latest ideas and strategies challenging the industry today.
Divided into two 90-minute sessions packed with a mix of presenters and presentation types, the forum will cover an array of topics, from facilitating engagement and planning on a budget to the impact of technology on event design and how to use mobile to market events. Attendees can register for the forum here.
Below is a sample of the topics and presenters; we’ll be announcing more participants in the coming weeks.
Understanding the Festival Generation
Rehan Choudhry, founder, Life Is Beautiful
Events are more than decor, design, and programming. In today’s world of heightened social interaction fueled by advances in technology, events have become much-needed opportunities for live human engagement. If event producers are simply facilitators for engagement, what does that mean for the future of events? In this session, Rehan Choudhry, founder of the Life Is Beautiful Festival, will tackle that question, sharing how understanding the human element was the key ingredient to creating his cutting-edge Las Vegas festival.
The Dos and Don'ts of Mobile Engagement at Events
Sean MacNeill, C.E.O., MobileCause
Mobile marketing has become an integral element of event strategy. From pre-event communications to on-site social media engagement, how attendees use mobile is quickly becoming a science. In this session, Sean MacNeill, C.E.O. of MobileCause, will share his tips on how mobile should be used to target audiences based upon their demographics and user preferences. MacNeill will share new ways to leverage mobile tools to maximize attendee engagement while also being mindful of key mistakes to never make.
Where Design and Technology Meet at Events
Carleen Cappelletti, president, Bounce-AEG
There's no doubt that new technology—apps, social media platforms, R.F.I.D.s, holograms, and more—has given industry professionals more tools to engage an audience at an event or meeting. But are guests truly paying attention to a speaker or performance if they spend their time staring at their phones? Does a sleek Twitter wall feel out of place if a gala is all about natural beauty? In this session Carleen Cappelletti, president of Bounce-AEG, and Anna Sekula, editor in chief of BizBash, will discuss the challenges organizers face today: where and when it makes sense to integrate technology into the design of an event and what technology can disrupt.
How to Plan on a Budget—and Still Be Innovative
Todd Hawkins, president and C.E.O., the Todd Group
Smart design and engaging experiences at events and meetings don't have to break the bank. From collaborating with sponsors to create clever activations to finding recyclable decor items that tie into an organization's identity, there are plenty of budget-friendly opportunities available to resourceful planners. In this session, the Todd Group's founder, Todd Hawkins, will share his experience as a producer, donor, and guest of fund-raisers, identifying ways corporate and nonprofit events can stand out from the crowd without sacrificing brand identity or budget.
