Great event professionals know that it's vital to always have a plan B ready when planning events. They know how to deal with bad weather at events , and how to build a crisis communication plan . However, according to Event Brew, many are yet to master planning disruption-proof events amidst the pandemic - or at least master the way they communicate the unavoidable uncertainty. This Event Brew episode might be short, but it's nonetheless a treat: after many weeks apart, we're finally going to h...
Feb 10, 2022•27 min•Ep. 87
We might be over the biggest obstacles that COVID-19 has thrown at us (at least we can hope so), but in-person attendance is still nowhere as high as it was pre-2020. While we've talked a lot about how the pandemic affected planners and attendees, we haven't focused on exhibitors' experience all that much. We've talked about exhibitors at virtual events and virtual event sponsorship ideas. But it turns out that the biggest challenge exhibitors face doesn't live in digital space but in a world of...
Jan 27, 2022•47 min•Ep. 86
New year, new Event Brew episodes! We're kicking off the year in Thuy and Will's company - Dustin and Nick had to take a raincheck. Excited for the year ahead, they talk about business strategy for events and planning in these uncertain times. They talk about what event strategy means to them, who is involved in the decision-making process, and share how they go about creating a business strategy at their own respective workplaces. So, brew something up, sit back, and join Thuy and Will in a bra...
Jan 13, 2022•47 min•Ep. 85
The Event Brew is back after a well-deserved holiday break! Inspired by their time off, the Brew Crew will talk about taking a break as an event professional. Will, Dustin, and Thuy know all about staying productive all year round and have all experienced event-industry-related burnout in the past. But as they matured, they learned their ways to work around it. In this episode, they share their tips to stay energized when the going gets tough. They also share how they spent their time off in Dec...
Jan 06, 2022•35 min•Ep. 84
As they start wrapping up the year, the Brew Crew talks about the final quarter. It turns out that it's the most productive season for most of them! But while some reached peak productivity in October, others are putting lots of hours in in December. In the final 2021 episode of the Event Brew podcast, Nick, Thuy, and Will talk about their workload in December and Q4 in general. They talk about the (not so good) old days when they were more prone to exhaustion and burnout. But as they got more f...
Dec 16, 2021•30 min•Ep. 83
November might generally be an uneventful month, but not for the events industry. For us, it's time to do business and reunite in person at one of the biggest and most exciting trade shows in our industry: IMEX! This week, Nick, Thuy, and Will review their experience at IMEX America 2021, held for the very first time at Mandalay Bay. Everyone was looking forward to going to IMEX America 2021, especially since the iconic trade show was canceled last year due to COVID . The Brew Crew talks about t...
Dec 07, 2021•52 min•Ep. 82
Have you ever thought about how we could make the world a better place? Since the events industry is all about bringing people together and nurturing communities, that's kind of what event professionals indirectly try to do. At least that's the case that the Brew Crew will try to make today. For this occasion, Will and Nick are joined by a very special guest: Brandt Krueger , Will's co-host on the Event Tech Podcast . What is this, a crossover episode? Well, kind of, except the trio doesn't talk...
Nov 18, 2021•53 min•Ep. 81
Two weeks ago, a brave whistleblower came forward and told the world the ugly truth about Facebook. The result? The social network came crashing down and many users decided to abandon the platform once and for all. Since the Brew Crew never shies away from giving their perspective on current events, they decided to talk about social networks: the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's not the first time that the charismatic foursome talked about social media , and it's probably not the last time eith...
Oct 21, 2021•46 min•Ep. 79
What’s brewing, event prof? Have you been reevaluating the events industry lately? If not, you might want to press play and hear out what the Event Brew hosts have to say about that. It seems that our industry changes on a weekly basis; one week, we’re planning a safe return to in-person events, only to be advised to play it safe and pivot to virtual again the next. Our passionate commentators, Will Curran, Nick Borelli, and Dustin Westling, recently had a candid conversation, sparked by one par...
Oct 07, 2021•39 min•Ep. 78
It's Thursday, which means it's time to get brewing! Since Thuy had to skip today's episode, it's only the guys who will keep you company today. And what's on the menu? Today's episode is not an event brew, but rather an event stew. Nick, Dustin, and Will share what's on their minds regarding the events industry in 2021. Everything goes! They review some of the biggest summer 2021 events, Nick and Will talk a little bit about the news surrounding virtual event platforms, and Dustin speaks his mi...
Sep 23, 2021•52 min•Ep. 77
After a hopeful summer, filled with festivals, industry events , and a whole lot of catching up, event planners and professionals find themselves in a pickle yet again. COVID-19 cases are rising, rules and regulations around COVID-19 compliance for events are changing every month, and now, in-person events are getting canceled left and right all over again. The Brew Crew decided it's high time they share their thoughts about the dramatic return of COVID-19 in 2021 and see how their opinions have...
Sep 09, 2021•48 min•Ep. 76
The Brew Crew is continuing its summer trend of reviewing the industry events! Today, they review The Special Event (TSE) that took place at the Miami Convention Center from July 19th to July 22nd. Thuy, Dustin, and Nick all got to see each other while there. Will transformed into an interviewer, asking the Brew Crew what they loved about the event and what they thought could've been better. This particular Event Brew episode is quick, humorous, and dynamic. Sit back and press play; besides the ...
Aug 26, 2021•58 min•Ep. 75
The Event Brew crew is on a roll of covering events this summer. Will attended a 15,000-person event and Thuy recently raved about her experience as a virtual attendee at PCMA EduCon 2021 . Today is Nick's turn to share his story. In June, he flew to Las Vegas to go to Meeting Professionals International's World Education Congress - or MPI WEC 2021 in short. Granted, it's been two months since he shook hands with fellow event profs in Caesars Forum, but the memories linger on. Nick shares what h...
Aug 12, 2021•54 min•Ep. 74
Since the dawn of civilization, humans have fostered and admired creativity. Being creative is a wonderful feeling, a rush of sorts, and one that pretty much powers the most wonderful things in life. And in many ways, creativity is exactly what’s at the heart of the events industry. Every little piece, every small thought and detail, from the choice of venue to the catering and the experience we want attendees to have must invariably involve some degree of creativity. Perhaps no other instance f...
Jul 29, 2021•48 min•Ep. 72
For those who might have missed it, there was an awesome hybrid event happening in Phoenix, Arizona last week: PCMA EduCon: We Are Better Together! As anticipated, it was a huge success and the Event Brew hosts are here to tell the story. Will, Thuy, and Nick revisit PCMA EduCon 2021 and share three different perspectives: one of a co-host, one of a virtual attendee, and one of an educated outside observer. What went right and what went wrong? They spill it all!
Jul 15, 2021•57 min•Ep. 73
Will has exciting news to share with Dustin and Thuy today. Last Saturday, he had his first 2021 live event experience when he went to a 15,000-person music festival in Arizona. Wait, what!? And there's more! There were no masks in sight - just people having some good old time. He's ready to spill all the tea about this unforgettable experience and wants to know what his co-hosts have to say about it. Whether you're in B2B, B2C, or you simply love music festivals, this episode offers an insightf...
Jun 24, 2021•47 min•Ep. 71
Our day-to-day lives have changed dramatically in this past year - both on a professional as well as on a personal level. In today's episode of Event Brew, Nick, Thuy, and Will will mostly talk about the latter portion of their lives. They will dive deep into social media and how their opinions about it have changed since the beginning of the pandemic. Since we were mostly confined to the walls of our homes, social media was often the only way we could communicate with one another. But as more t...
Jun 17, 2021•48 min•Ep. 70
These are exciting times for the events industry! We are returning to in-person events while fully embracing the biggest lessons we learned from pivoting to virtual events last year. Some might have taken them for granted in the past, but now, events are something everybody feels profoundly grateful for. It's only fitting that in this new era in the history of events industry, a new type of an event prof emerges. Let's put all the technology talk on a side and instead, welcome the holistic event...
Jun 03, 2021•53 min•Ep. 69
Networking at in-person events is seamless. It can happen serendipitously: when people bump into each other in the hallway or when they are in the middle of grabbing a cup of coffee. But no such thing is possible when it comes to virtual networking, which is why this is one of the biggest virtual event concerns that event planners deal with. In today's episode, Nick, Will, Dustin, and Chantel reminisce about the olden days when they could strike up a conversation about the weather to get the con...
May 20, 2021•49 min•Ep. 68
In this past year, the events industry has been through quite a shakeup. New trends emerged: we embraced hybrid events , put safety first, and saw an incredible surge in event app platforms . But today, Event Brew hosts, Will Curran and Nick Borelli, bring our attention to a very particular phenomenon: a brain drain in the events industry. Young professionals as well as seasoned event profs are migrating towards technology companies! What skills are they bringing with them? Was the shift going t...
May 06, 2021•41 min•Ep. 67
Oscars 2021 are just around the corner and the producers of the show have announced that attending virtually won't be a possibility this year . Hoping for the event to be inspirational and aspirational, they asked the attendees to come dressed to the nines and leave their casual attires at home. The Event Brew crew is not sure how they feel about in-person-only Oscars 2021 and the authenticity of the gala event's theme, "Stories Matter". Sure, we are all excited about the idea of attending in-pe...
Apr 22, 2021•49 min•Ep. 66
Talking about event budgeting can understandably seem daunting and confusing. What even goes into organizing an event and how can we know for sure that we can trust a certain event production company? The trusted hosts of Event Brew are not afraid to talk about budgets, though, so neither should be you! In today's Event Brew podcast, Will encourages Dustin, Nick, and Thuy to talk candidly about event budgeting. They approach the matter from the perspectives of both the event planners as well as ...
Apr 08, 2021•49 min•Ep. 65
It's Thursday, which means it's time to get your favorite brew and join the EventBrew crew as they talk about yet another subject of debate in the exciting new world of virtual events. They put their heads together and tried to answer the following question: are virtual events really more inclusive and accessible? As always, the answer to the question is complex, but our hosts succeeded to tackle it from various perspectives. Will, Dustin, Nick, and Thuy were brimming with wisdom this week. Tune...
Mar 25, 2021•46 min•Ep. 63
By now, you must have heard the big news: a lot of states have started lifting COVID restrictions . Things are going back to normal at last! Or are they? The Brew Crew is wary. Even with as many as 2 million people vaccinated in a day in the US, the events industry is still far from organizing post-COVID events. Join Dustin, Nick, Will, and Thuy as they discuss restrictions, vaccinations, and what the future might hold for the events industry in the wake of recent news. It's a great opportunity ...
Mar 11, 2021•54 min•Ep. 64
It's been almost a year since we were all told to stay at home. And while we've all been wondering when will in-person events make a comeback , event profs agree that it's time we adjust to the changes that were thrust upon us. Many didn't give remote workplace design a thought at first. Since remote work is here to stay, it's time to bring ourselves up to speed, don't you agree? In today's Even Brew, Will, Dustin, Nick, and Thuy talk about their experience working remotely, all things remote wo...
Feb 25, 2021•1 hr•Ep. 62
Recently, Marriott International announced COVID-19 testing capabilities if you wish to book one of their hotels for an event. As you'd expect, the headline stirred just a tad bit of controversy amongst the Brew Crew members, and a lot of interesting topics of conversation soon arose in the midst of Merriott's incredible announcement. Is this setting yet another precedent in our industry? Will venues' testing capabilities signify the full return to live events? And does this mean that even plann...
Feb 11, 2021•54 min•Ep. 61
This week's conversation on Event Brew is particularly interesting. It all started with an article that informed readers of the NFL's project to fill up a stadium with vaccinated healthcare workers. And while at first, this might sound like a topic that shouldn't spring up too much heat, you might want to think again. Because this specific article propelled Dustin, Nick, Will, and Thuy to have one of the most candid and interesting conversations featured on the podcast yet surrounding several im...
Jan 21, 2021•43 min•Ep. 60
Over the years, event profs had to ask themselves many questions. These were anything from "what AV company should I hire" to "what color palette should I choose" and beyond. But never before, at least not to this extent, did they have to wonder about the chances of attendees being seriously harmed - or even dying. But now that COVID-19 has become part of our day to day lives, things are different. And this is why this week we'll be talking about responsibility in events. Recently, it was report...
Jan 07, 2021•44 min•Ep. 59
Yes, we're finally asking the million-dollar question: do we even need in-person events anymore? And no, the Brew Crew isn't trying to trigger anyone here. But rather, they're interested in starting up a conversation about the challenges we are facing as an industry. And arguably one of the biggest is trying to convince people as to why spending so much money on live events is still worth it. Sure, when the pandemic subsides, we'll all run to the first concert we can find. But what happens when ...
Dec 17, 2020•31 min•Ep. 58
The state of the events industry…what is it, really? On the one hand, the pandemic seems to be doing nothing more than get worse. But on the other hand, some event profs are taking shots at doing in-person experiences safely. And in the midst of it all lives fear, uncertainty, hope, and the ever-lasting wish that things will return to what they used to be. With so many things flying around and our industry in a perpetual state of ambiguity, what should we think and feel? This week, the Brew Crew...
Dec 03, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 57
