Category: The Checklist Podcast

We’re kicking off season 2 of The Checklist with our favorite Canadian event boss, Karlena Waugh of Mini K Creations and The Biz Mixer! With events shifting back in-person, we asked the most important question: how does this affect event planning and production moving forward and what should we expect? Check out this episode to hear a different event perspective and get her three tips for preparing for the next phase of events.

In this episode, we discussed:

• How event planning has changed
• The importance of planning your event experience in stages
• Predictions on Q3 & Q4 for events

Listen to the full episode here:

About Karlena Waugh

Recipient of the Top 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada 2020 and Nominated for the Young Women in Business “Favorite Local Women Entrepreneur’s List” and the 28th Annual RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards, Karlena is a millennial entrepreneur who is passionate about community building and collaboration.⁣⁣⁠
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With a diverse background in community building, Karlena utilizes these skills to effortlessly build rapport with clients, create a sense of community, and nurture strong business relationships. Through her event planning company (Mini K Creations), Karlena aims to create memorable experiences for her clients and spaces for entrepreneurs to showcase their businesses and build relationships across industries. ⁣⁣She is also a community leader of a monthly event and group of creatives and entrepreneurs @thebizmixer focused on resource-sharing, collaboration and peer-learning. ⁠
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Multi-faceted by nature, Karlena is also a speaker and host, as seen on CBC Our Toronto, FuckUp Nights Toronto, University of Waterloo’s Career Perspectives, Xero Accounting’s Small Business Series, and The Black Business Report (to name a few!)⁣⁣⁠
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When Karlena isn’t producing events, she is a facilitator with an organization, Girls of Destiny, whose aim is to provide mentorship for teenage girls within the community.⁠

You can learn more about Karlena by following her on Instagram: @catchkarhere & @thebizmixer

On the next episode of The Checklist, we had the opportunity to talk to Olivia F. Scott of Omerge Alliances about how to sustain brand experience in the virtual space.

As a marketing strategist with 26 years of experience in marketing and public relations, Olivia has an extensive background with Essencefest and companies like Live Nation, VIBE Magazine, and Carol’s Daughter.

In this episode, we discussed:

• How event marketing has been affected
• How to maintain brand consistency online and offline
• What brand partnerships will look like in the future

Listen to the full episode here:

About Olivia F. Scott

Olivia F. Scott is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Omerge Alliances, an integrated marketing management consultancy. Delivering brand strategy, marketing planning, media buying & wellness experience brand solutions, Omerge’s current and previous clients include ESSENCE Festival, ESSENCE, Media Storm, IMAN Cosmetics, Andre Walker Hair, BRWL Studios, Urban Skin Rx, among others.

Olivia has served as an Adjunct Professor since 2009, teaching a range of classes including Competitive Strategy, Media Management, Events Marketing and Partnership Marketing courses at New York University and Institute of Audio Research. Olivia has also been served as an expert marketing witness for Morgan & Morgan Law Firm identifying unethical marketing practices in the beauty industry.

Olivia’s professional experiences include serving as Chief Marketing Officer, Carol’s Daughter; Associate Publisher/Head of Marketing, VIBE Magazine; Vice President, Alliances, Live Nation; Director of Partnership Marketing, iN DEMAND TV, in addition to account management roles at DDB, Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, Draft and Frankel agencies.

Olivia has led strategy for wellness & entertainment experiences for ESSENCE Festival since 2014, and also creates community & workplace wellness experiences via her Freedom At The Mat platform. Olivia earned a Bachelor’s of Journalism from University of Missouri-Columbia, and a Master’s of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University. She resides in Harlem, NYC and New Orleans.

About Omerge Alliances

With grace, leadership & respect, Omerge Alliances leads their beauty, health and wellness brand clients through the marketing management process, providing services such as: live & virtual experiential strategy & event creation; direct-to-consumer advertising, including Google AdWords & Facebook/Instagram ads; marketing strategy & media planning; and influencer marketing.

Learn more here: https://omergealliances.com/

This episode, we had the opportunity to talk to Michael Sabani of Swoogo Virtual regarding the status of events and how companies nowadays are adjusting to virtual/hybrid events.

With over 10 years of experience in event tech and product marketing, he shares his thoughts on the integration of virtual events and discusses how companies are currently adapting to these changes.

In this episode, we discussed:

• The need for virtual events ⁠
• Why innovation in event tech is important ⁠
• Why hybrid events are the future⁠

Listen to the full episode here:

About Michael Sabani

A former Disney Cast Member, Michael has a passion for creating amazing customer experiences from the first moment they interact with a product to the last. With almost a decade developing, marketing, and supporting both virtual meeting and event software under his belt, Michael has taken on the role of Director of Swoogo Virtual and is focused on delivering a personalized, exceptional experience to prospects, customers, and anyone who encounters the Swoogo brand. From developing and managing his own 501(c)(3) nonprofit to editing his own Star Wars prequel cut, Michael is never afraid to roll up his sleeves to create something awesome— an attitude he applies daily in the event tech space.

About Swoogo

Hearty technology, lightweight package. Swoogo combines serious event software with a platform designed for regular humans and a price structure built for modern events. What’s not to love? They specialize in: Event Registration ▪ Event Websites ▪ Event Software ▪ Event Apps ▪ Event Marketing ▪ Event Planning ▪ Event Management

On the next episode of The Checklist, we spoke with Curt Johnson of Four Moon Productions, about “How To Pivot As A Vendor.” He broke down his experience with his company pivoting early in the game and how it has helped them stay afloat.

In this episode, we discussed:

• The future of events and how it will impact vendors
• The ups and downs of pivoting into the digital world as a vendor
• Tips to transition into virtual events

Listen to the full episode here:

About Curt Johnson

Curt Johnson is a native of Omaha, Nebraska. He relocated to Las Vegas where he began his career in events as a driver transporting production equipment. Twenty years later, after working in various positions in the A/V field, he currently serves as the National Sales Director for Four Moon Productions. Using his knowledge of all facets of the corporate production industry, he assists his clients with meeting their needs big or small. He has developed and produced many groundbreaking events touting locations around the globe with thousands of attendees, managing everything from break out rooms to general sessions and each small detail in between. Bringing his talents to the tech space, Curt has had the pleasure of partnering with Four Moon’s host of clients among them Zoom, Blavity, Great Place to Work, and Afrotech to name a few. In his spare time Curt enjoys dancing, quality time with family, and anything that involves great food. 

About Four Moon Productions

Four Moon Productions is a full-service audio/visual production company. From set design and content creation to streaming and everything in between, Four Moon is a one-stop solution for live corporate events. Four Moon is a completely mobile production company, servicing all corners of the globe. Learn more at: https://www.fourmoon.com/

We’re so excited to introduce our new podcast, The Checklist, where we talk with event experts about the state of event culture and tips to elevate your next event.

On our first episode, we spoke with Enovia Bedford of Vettdeck, about “How To Attract Money To Your Events.” She broke down the do’s and don’ts of exploring sponsorship with the current state of events and how that applies to attracting money for your online events.

In this episode, we discussed:

• The most important things to include in your sponsorship deck
• The best time to approach a sponsor (considering the sponsorship cycle)
• How to find the right brands to work with for your event

Listen to the full episode here. Other ways to listen: Youtube | Soundcloud | iTunes

You can learn more about Enovia by following her on Instagram: @novey.b @vettdeck  

About Vettdeck

Vettdeck is a sponsorship matching platform that simplifies and streamlines the sponsorship process for event organizers and brands. Visit them online at: www.vettdeck.com