Since I started EventMB 11 years ago, the most recurring question has been:
‘When is Event Manager Blog going to do its own events?’
I’ve been hesitant. We are a content company, not an event company.
Yet, so many of you asked through the years to connect with other readers live. I had to do something about it.
But I am not in the business of creating networking events or mixers. I want to help progress this industry and change attendees lives. You don’t do that with free drinks.
The Event Innovation Lab™️ was born out of this mission.
If you are excited and want to sign up right away, you can do it here for Los Angeles and here for New York City.
##abovethefold##
About the Event
This event is an offline version of what we do online. Tangible, research-based content to grow your events.
By attending the Event Innovation Lab you are setting up yourself to grow your event by 50%.
We kept the event to the absolute minimum requirements to be able to roll out quickly and around the world.
To do that we needed an innovative venue which we found in Convene and a reliable technology partner, our friends at Evenium.
The Lab is a new type of event.
Since you are planning geeks, as I am, I wanted to share a little bit about the format and the thinking behind it.
No Frills
This is an event focused on the content, for those planners who want to learn. It is a networking opportunity as well but it is not a networking event. It’s about a private space with comfortable design and plenty of content to grow your event. It is for event professionals that take their career or business seriously.
A Secret Formula
Through the past 11 years of writing, publishing books downloaded by hundreds of thousands of event professional and speaking around the world, I devised a simple formula that can be applied to grow any event. Whether it is a birthday party or a 20,000-attendee convention. The Event Innovation Lab™️ takes you through that journey.
Attendee Based Content
Each attendee fills in a questionnaire before the event. That helps shaping what the formula will be applied to. Is it budgeting or sponsors? Is it meeting design or event technology? I don’t believe in universal programmes applied to the masses. Everybody talks customization, nobody wants to spend the time to actually customize the programme. I spent the last three weeks reviewing each and every attendee entry. If your event can’t do that, start brainstorming about customization today.
Challenging Sponsors
You find a lot of sponsored content on EventMB. Sometimes it performs better than our own content. We achieve that by working hand in hand with our sponsors and sharing with them rigorous editorial guidelines. I applied the same concept to the Lab. The sponsors will have a 10 minute slot during the event on my terms and my brief. No promotion, only value. Because suppliers have great stories to share and we want to hear those, not spam.
Only 40 Attendees
For our first event in Los Angeles next week, we received hundreds of applications. I believe the Lab delivers better with smaller audiences. It can be stretched to 70 but not more. Interaction needs to happen and needs to be immersive. Larger groups struggle to have intimacy. That will maybe change as we learn from events around the world. I am committed to scalability.
By Application Only
You can request to attend one of the Labs but we will review your application and select only those planners really motivated to attend. We don’t care about filling out the room. It’s very easy to do that. Getting only the relevant people in the room is another game.
A Free Event
I had many discussions about this topic with colleagues and friends. I don’t want price to be a limiting factor for the growth of the Event Innovation Lab™️. If you are a clever event professional, you will always find ways to sustain your event. A free event gives me the freedom to select only the people that really want to be there, sometimes they can be entrepreneurs that just started out and cannot afford a $1,750 ticket. We may introduce pricing later on but for the time being seeding the community means having the right people in the room.
Focus
How many interesting people do you usually meet at a 500 attendee conference? 20? 30? How many leads do sponsors get from a 500 conference? 10? Why not give it the best possible shot to both parties and carefully pick those that will be in the room so that it is almost inevitable to find relevant contacts and business prospects?
Event Planners Only
I love suppliers in our industry but some events are almost exclusively supplier gatherings. I want to align to those events that are just for planners. I think there is a space for suppliers that want to enable conversation, that is called sponsorship. Thanks to my sponsors for understanding that.
I Got to Know You Better
I’ve literally reviewed thousands of readers profiles to selectively invite you to attend. My ego is so proud right now. The most innovative and successful event professionals around the world read EventMB and are total fans. I could not ask for more.
Local
Rather than having attendees travel from all over the world, I decided to be on the road to come to a city near you. I believe it is important to customize content to specific geographic areas. The needs of planners in California are not the same as those in New York. If we really want to talk customization, we have to live by its predicaments. For those of you who think this approach cannot be scaled, let’s see what happens ;-).
Confirmed Events
Los Angeles – April 25th. We have a full room but I kept two spots for this announcement just to see if I missed someone I should have invited. If you can make it next week, apply now here.
New York – June 15th. I am publishing the page for this event together with this announcement. Be extremely fast if you want to come. If you are not sure, I will bombard you with RSVP confirmation emails, because I hate no shows. It’s disrespectful for those that wanted to make it. So apply now but be sure you can make it.
Get Involved
We will have more events coming your way, in Europe too. The good news is that you can help us planning more Labs in your region.
The Lab ambassador program enables you to share the planning with us and involve your local community of event professionals. Independent event professionals, suppliers, DMOs, corporate teams are more than welcome to get in touch [email protected].
In Conclusion
If you read EventMB you are more than just a reader. You are obsessed by the idea of improving your career, your event and your business. I will help you with that. I will also connect you to the top event professionals worldwide that think like you do.
If you are ready to enter the next phase of your event business, attend one of our Labs or get involved in planning one.
It’s time to go back to content that matters, with no frills and with only one objective in mind, making YOU successful.
