SWS19 Jumpstart Session
7:15-8:15 a.m.
Tech Tools for Planners
Steven Stout, Executive Director, TSAE
Yes, there’s an app for that! Learn about tools and tricks that can help you take back your day. We’ve all had the to-do list that sits on our desk untouched because of the fires we spend the day putting out. The fires aren’t going away, but there are tools that can help you manage them and use your limited hours to be productive and stay on top of your schedule. Join Steven Stout, Executive Director of TSAE and an acknowledged master in the tech tools domain, to learn about the apps and even the websites that can help you stay in control of your day, and maybe even leave at the end of it with all the items on that to-do list crossed through. No practice required: walk away with useful tips and tricks that you can incorporate as soon as you get back to the office—if not before.
Sessions – 9:45-10:45 a.m.
Change Management – Thriving On Turbulence
Nancy Baird, President, Training Strategies Inc.
Every day the media reports mergers, buyouts, and restructuring. Most people understand that change is necessary to revitalize and improve organizational performance. Few understand what happens to the people within the organization who have to make the changes work. This workshop will provide participants with revival strategies to help them take charge of their professional destiny and strategically use change to open doors to personal growth and new opportunities. Learn a step-by-step approach to handling the stages of change, including:
- Pessimist Versus Optimist: It’s Between Your Ears
- Don’t Burn Your Bridges: Managing Change to Manage Your Future
- Become a Superhero at Work
Keep Your Attendees Safe and Looking Forward to Next Year
Chief Brian Manley, Austin Police Department
From elevated snipers to vehicles as weapons to active shooters to package bombs—it’s enough to make you stay home. Which is something the event industry can’t afford. Our task is to keep our attendees safe and sound and ready to come back year after year. Overt security could send the message that there is a threat in the offing, but insufficient security in this day and age won’t pass muster either. How to strike the balance that keeps attendees and members safe without scaring them away? Austin Police Chief Brian Manley is a 27-year veteran of the force that oversees and protects some of the largest festivals (Austin City Limits) and conferences (SxSW) in the U.S. Come hear an expert on securing events of all kinds as he provides insights on what to do—and what not to do—when it comes to keeping your event safe.
Mastering Your Memory
Tyler Enslin, Founder, Tyler Enslin International
The human brain possesses an incredible amount of power to store and recall information. Unfortunately most people are never taught how to fully access this ability. In this fun and highly engaging training program you will learn unique and exciting methods to increase your memory skills to extraordinary levels. Most importantly, you’ll learn how to use these new skills in daily life to make work easier and improve your personal credibility. Instantly recalling people’s names, giving presentations or leading meetings without notes, and improved mental organization are just a few of the practical benefits from this intriguing program. Tyler delivers the training in energetic fashion with no notes or PowerPoint to encourage maximum audience participation and to impart as much value as possible to all who attend.
The ROI of Attending Expos
Cathy Breden, CEO, Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR)
What are your attendees looking for when they come to your expo—and are they getting it? The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) conducted a study on how attendees define the ROI for attending an exhibition, and CEO Cathy Breden will share the lessons learned. Study insights will cover:
- To what extent do attendees determine the ROI of attending expos? How do expos compare with other avenues for meeting their business purchasing and information needs, such as in-person sales rep visits, emedia sources, print sources, etc.
- How does this evaluation process work, is it formal or informal?
- What are the most common factors in evaluating the ROI of attending?
- Are these factors the same as those used to evaluate the ROI for other resources?
- How effective is exhibiting when compared to other marketing channel activities?
- What are the gaps in exhibition offerings that if filled would enhance the ROI of attending?
Sessions – 11:00 a.m.-Noon
Behind the Curtain: Negotiation Secrets the Other Side Won’t Tell You
Shawna Suckow, Author and Speaker
Do you wish you had super X-ray glasses that let you see into the brain of the person you’re negotiating with? Something that would give you a peek at their thoughts, wishes, and their real priorities? Join Shawna Suckow as she pulls back the curtain and reveals secrets from both the planner and supplier side—in an atmosphere that’s entertaining, humorous, and non-confrontational. Uncover ways to make your case more effectively by understanding the current trends in how buyers buy, and how sellers must sell. You will learn from peers on both sides of the table what they value most in negotiations today, and you’ll discover the latest hot button issues from both the planner and supplier perspective. Plus . . . learn the #1 reason why we all must work more effectively as partners today (it’s not what you think!).
Creativity In Planning
Dee O’Neill, EEG Neurotechnology Specialist, Brain Coach, Speaker
The word “creativity” brings to mind writers, painters, playwrights. But planners have to be creative as well, finding new ways around obstacles and overcoming unexpected problems on a regular basis. Is it possible to goose those creative juices? Neuroscience has proven that innovative thinking is pivotal to our success both professionally and personally. Even small incremental improvements to innovative thinking can improve the end result. However, it is limited primarily by—us! Get into a rut and it’s easy to let your imagination stall, with less and less energy and new ideas every day. Dee O’Neill will show how we can become an entrepreneur of creative, innovative thinking that will lead to even more successful meetings and events. Come explore the neuroscience of innovative capacity and why you must leverage it for job success.
How To Say Anything To Anyone
Shari Harley, Founder & President of Candid Culture
You have a request for one of your co-workers but don’t know how to say it, so you don’t say anything. A project you worked on for six months has become a black hole and there is no information about the status. You’re frustrated, but you don’t say anything. Two employees aren’t working well together. It’s impacting the atmosphere in the office. You don’t know what to say, so you don’t say anything. Speaking up when we are frustrated is hard and, as a result, most of us don’t. Instead, either we tell other people (aka gossip) or we say nothing and relationships become strained. You can say anything to anyone, it doesn’t have to be hard. In this session you’ll learn how to lay the groundwork to make speaking up a lot easier and less stressful.
Trends in Food & Beverage
Brenton Schumacher, Executive Chef, and Hollace Genereux, Director of Culinary Operations, Pink Avocado Catering
Food & beverage is a fundamental component of meeting planning. Arguably one of the most important – serve a disappointing meal and you can practically hear your survey results hitting the floor. A standard food experience isn’t going to cut it any more – everyone wants to create memories and relationships through food knowing that the options can be limitless. What is trending, what is on its way in and out, and what do we hope never goes away? Is there a food styling trend to make note of that’s really memorable to attendees? How can you make your meeting unforgettable through food? What’s new in the way of craft cocktails and adult beverages? Join culinary trendsetters Brent Schumacher, executive chef, and Hollace Genereux, director of culinary operations of Austin’s award-winning Pink Avocado Catering, for a lively and interactive discussion on the latest in food, preparation, presentation, beverages and the food scene in general. Your attendees will be glad you did.