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. 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. 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!) 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.
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
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