The BizBash IdeaFest Los Angeles will take place tomorrow at the Los Angeles Convention Center, and there's still time to register for the show online. New this year is the Event Innovation Forum, which will include two 90-minute sessions with insights from marketers, designers, and other inspiring professionals in the event and meeting industry. Registration for the forum includes access to a networking luncheon, the trade show floor, and the pre- and post-show parties.
Attendees can register at bizbash.com/ideafestla.
Below is the lineup of topics and presenters for tomorrow's forum:
Session 1 (11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.)
How I Landed My Event Company on the Inc. 500 List of Fastest-Growing Businesses
Brett Hyman, president, Night Vision Entertainment
Top companies in the event industry are recognized for their creative work through industry awards, media profiles, and the occasional book and TV appearances. Rarely, however, are they acknowledged for the way they run their businesses. In this session, Brett Hyman, the producer behind Seth MacFarlane’s Oscar party, will share strategies that helped Night Vision become one of the country's fastest-growing companies. Learn how to analyze your business for its scalability, how to take a critical eye to your company's true capabilities, how to aggressively build contacts through every job, and smart ways to drive sales and marketing.
How Million-Dollar Fund-Raisers Land Mega Sponsors
Judy Levy, founder, Levy Pazanti & Associates
Every fund-raising event is chasing the gold-level sponsor with the big check, but the typical offer of top-tier logo placement and prime table location rarely gets the job done. In this session, one of L.A.'s top fund-raising event consultants, Judy Levy, will share several case studies around creating unconventional sponsorship programs that resulted in major wins for her nonprofit clients and successful R.O.I. for the sponsors. Find out how Levy designed two completely different out-of-the-box solutions to bring Harry Winston and Virgin America in as key sponsors and how you can apply the same thought process to your events.
How to Build Brand Loyalty by Engaging Fans at Premieres
Chad Hudson, president and creative director, Chad Hudson Events
Social media may be the most popular tool to engage customers right now, but event producer Chad Hudson found a different way to turn fans of Summit Entertainment's Twilight Saga into a vehicle for publicity. During his session, find out how Hudson and the studio created official camping grounds for fans, offering activities and entertainment as well as providing bathrooms, Wi-Fi, and food deliveries. Learn how to develop your event's engagement strategy to boost buzz.
The Future of Mobile Apps: Unlocking Attendee Behavior
Lawrence Coburn, C.E.O. and founder, DoubleDutch
Every conference has an event app now, providing attendees immediate access to schedules, sessions, speakers, sponsors, and more. But those benefits are only the tip of the iceberg—the real treasure for the event organizer lies in the trove of data these apps are starting to uncover. In this session you'll learn how today's apps can provide insight into attendee interests and behavioral trends that will allow you to develop targeted prospect lists for sponsors, even if they never set foot in an exhibitor's booth. With an overview of what's new and available, as well as a peek into what's coming soon, you'll never look at apps the same way again.
What's Next in Event Design?
Rrivre Davies, C.E.O. and founder/designer, Rrivre Works Inc.
Hillary Harris, executive director, Warner Brothers Studios Special Events
David Merrell, president and creative director, AOO Events
Anna Sekula, executive editor, BizBash
No longer florists or mere decorators, today's event designers are charged with coming up with immersive, visually engaging environments that help their clients send messages in targeted, elegant ways. That's no easy task as guests become savvier and harder to impress. During this panel, attendees will learn about the new event design strategies—the biggest trends right now and what panelists think the next big idea will be.
Session 2 (2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.)
Amplify: Integrating Social Media Into Your Event Design
Cara Kleinhaut. founder, Caravents Inc.
Using social media to leverage an event's reach is not new, but weaving it into the fabric of an event so it feels organic is a fine art. In this session, Cara Kleinhaut will share insight into event initiatives and strategies for creating smart activations around the event space to engage guests and amplify the brand messaging through guests' social networks, from brands such as Target, Samsung, Elle, and Essence. Learn how to integrate R.F.I.D. and custom apps into photo stations, catering, and music in a way that extends the brand's messaging. Plus learn how to preprogram the messaging to eliminate pilot error on hashtags and handles and even eliminate the need for guests to use their phones at all.
Using Data & Analytics to Crush Your Sales Goals
Megan Buell, lead generation manager, Eventbrite
With the increasing number of analytical resources available to event marketers, now is the best time to utilize these tools and increase event attendance. In this session, Megan Buell will share practical tips and recommendations to help you exceed your event goals through tracking and analytics. Learn the importance of creating a marketing and editorial calendar, tracking your marketing efforts, collecting attendee information during registration, gathering the most important event reports, and tracking social media to take your event to the next level.
How I Created (and Licensed) a Successful Charitable Event Concept
Elaine Honig, founder and president, Wine, Women, and Shoes
Ever wondered how to take a smart idea and turn it into a nationally recognized brand? Elaine Honig, founder of Wine, Women, and Shoes, not only created an innovative fund-raising event, but also successfully licensed that concept to nonprofit organizations around the country. Learn the secrets behind her organization’s success and how Honig leveraged the platform to achieve a variety of goals, including raising awareness for charitable causes and helping net $12 million for various nonprofits around the country.
The Wisdom of a 17-Year-Old Event Pro
Luke Gulley, C.E.O. and president, LG Productions
Meet Luke Gulley. At 17 years old, he's too young to drink and too young to drive in most states, but he's old enough to produce killer events for top-tier clients. Hear his incredible story of growing up as an acrobat performing in front of thousands of people around the world, experimenting with event lighting at age 11, and starting an event company by 14. Gulley is the event industry's very own whiz kid; join us as he shares his vision for the future of events and hear what technological innovations are coming our way.
Driving Viral Buzz: Secrets Behind Coachella's Breakthrough Holographic Performance
Richard Steinau, vice president, AV Concepts
Richard Steinau of AV Concepts, the company known for bringing Tupac back to life at Coachella 2012, will share how his team mixes art with science to make noise and spread news about events across the social and non-social Web. Steinau will detail how to utilize audio, visual, staging, and immersive technologies to impress attendees—and to build buzz that lasts long after the event. He will reveal the technology behind the Coachella hologram-like appearance, as well as how similar technologies employed at events for Fortune 500 companies and iconic landmarks have led to widespread virality.
