Event Mender

Are you leveraging AI to its full potential in your events? From attendee engagement to automation, AI has many use-cases. Unfortunately with so much noise, it becomes harder and harder to understand how to separate trends from transformation. That’s why in the next episode of Ctrl + Alt + Event, Bogdan Maran and Merijn van Buuren are joined by Colja Dams to explore: ✅ The real impact of AI on event strategies ✅ How agencies like VOK DAMS worldwide are integrating AI for different use-cases ✅ The AI-driven tools event professionals should be paying attention to ✅ AI’s role in shaping the next years in events So, for those of you who want to learn how to start implementing AI in your events beyond using Buzzwords, this episode is for you. Join us live on LinkedIn this Tuesday, March 18, 3 pm GMT / 4 pm CET PS. What’s the biggest AI challenge you’re facing right now? Let us know the comments so we can make sure to tackle it during the session.

Event tech shouldn't take away the human touch from your events. If that's happening, you're using the wrong tech or approach. Your event tech should ENHANCE and SCALE each attendee's individual experience. But where to start? To answer that question Bogdan and I invited Beth Lawrence, for next week's Ctrl + Alt + Event episode. We'll discuss: - Creating attendee-centric event experiences - Streamlining event logistics with the right tools - Empowering attendees with engagement-driven tech - Balancing innovation and sustainability in event planning If delivering next-level personal experiences for your attendees while streamlining your processes and project management is a priority, you won’t want to miss this. Join us live on LinkedIn, Tuesday March 4, at 3 pm GMT / 4 pm CET See you there!

You don't need more paid ads and media partnerships to sell more event tickets. Think about the last time you saw an ad that didn't speak to you. Yet the ad kept popping up everywhere. On LinkedIn. In your favorite newsletter. You've likely experienced either of these scenarios as a result: - Best case: You don't even notice it anymore - Worst case: You're put off by this said brand and don't want to hear from them ever again Neither scenario is the best return on ad spend. So before you start investing more in paid media, nail: ✅ A clear vision on you ideal attendee profiles ✅ The stories you tell about your event ✅ A highly relevant and specific value proposition ✅ Consistency of your message internally and externally ✅ Shareability If your ads aren't converting as they should, use these 5 points to see where you're leaving money on the table instead of raising your spend limit. P.S. If you have seen any event ads that hit the mark, share them below!

I may or may not be in the process of organizing the new reiteration of Eventprofs VISION, with a different twist, and I need your help. I’m looking for event professionals who are: - Leading the way in implementing sustainability in their events - Experts in sustainable practices Who should I be talking to? Who are your go-to experts for sustainability in events? P.S. Watch this space, details coming soon!

3 event agenda strategies to outdo your competitors: (My favorite is number 3) 👉 Your past data - Analyze post-event data (attendee feedback, engagement metrics) to refine your format, timing, and content. - Survey your audience well before the next event to uncover the topics they care about most right now. 👉 Personalized pathways - Run polls in your online communities and communications to let delegates vote on session topics you’ve brainstormed. - Give registered attendees the power to build their own agenda with personalized recommendations. 👉 Hidden agenda - Add surprise experiences, perks, or entertainment that align with the agenda but aren’t announced beforehand. - Cut everything that could have been an email or YouTube video. Focus on exclusive, can’t-miss content. Which strategy do you think makes the biggest impact?

Event tech often feels like a jungle. Confusing terminology. Overlapping features. Endless options. To just name a few. No wonder it's so easy to get lost or feel overwhelmed when trying to find the right solution. So for the next episode of Ctrl + Alt + Event, Bogdan and I have invited Josiah Taulbee to talk: - Practical frameworks for selecting the right tools. - Strategies to clarify your event tech needs. - How standardizing terminology could transform the industry. If you're looking for much-needed clarity navigating the event tech jungle, this episode is for you. Join us this Tuesday at 3 pm GMT / 4 pm CET on LinkedIn Live. Can’t wait to see you there!

If I had one superpower, it’d be duplicating myself, but this tech stack is the second best option: With multiple projects, events, and deadlines constantly competing for my attention, staying on top of everything sometimes feels like mission impossible. That’s why I rely on different technologies to keep things moving efficiently. - Asana/Monday/Motion→ Project & task management - WorkingHours→ Time tracking - Claude/GPT/ Perplexity→ Research & analysis - Fathom/Supernormal (note taking) - Canva/Adobe/Descript (content creation) - Hubspot/Pipedrive/Clay (sales management) - Zapier/Make/N8N (integrations) - Google AppScripts (automating spreadsheets) - SuperHuman (email management) - Cursor (coding) *These are the tools I use on a (almost) daily basis for my own and my client's projects. I'm curious to hear from you: 👉 What tool(s) make you feel like you’ve unlocked a superpower that I should check out? PS. if you're looking (or struggle) to implement any of the tools that are already in my list, feel free to reach out and I'll be happy to share my top tips and tricks with you, so you can hit the ground running.

Is it just me or are most registration pages still stuck in the 90’s? The registration page is in many ways the first real transaction touchpoint. It sets the tone for everything that is to come. It's also where you want to MINIMIZE friction as much as possible. The 90s approach doesn't work for the 2025 attendee. So how can we ensure this touchpoint is delivering on all those fronts? Luckily Bogdan and I invited Leanne Velky for the next episode of Ctrl + Alt + Event, to help you turn even the most complex registration challenges into seamless attendee experiences. We’ll be breaking down: - Why personalization is the key to success. - How automation can save hours of admin work. - What the future of registration tech looks like—and how to prepare for them. If you’ve ever struggled to balance complexity with simplicity in your registration process, this episode is for you. Join us live on LinkedIn, Tuesday, February 18, 3 pm GMT / 4 pm CET. I can’t wait to see you there!

15 highly relevant and practical event tech use cases that'll make your events more sustainable: These categories are the most common ones I come across when working with clients. Use them as your starting point to better prioritize. ✅ Reducing Food & Beverage Waste - AI-driven catering demand forecasting to reduce surplus food - Food rescue & redistribution platforms that connect surplus meals to local charities - Compostable & reusable smart packaging with QR codes for waste tracking ✅ Cutting Down on Unnecessary Travel & Emissions - AI-powered attendee travel optimization to suggest lower-emission transport & carpooling - Hybrid & virtual event formats to reduce the need for long-distance travel - Carbon offset platforms for travel & logistics integrated into attendee registration ✅ Reducing Venue Energy & Resource Consumption - Smart venue management with IoT sensors to optimize lighting, heating, and energy use. - Real-time energy monitoring dashboards to track sustainability KPIs during the event. - Automated climate control & smart LED lighting that adapts to attendee movement. ✅ Eliminating Paper, Plastics & Waste on Site - Digital ticketing, apps & interactive schedules to eliminate paper use - RFID/NFC and QR codes for check-ins & networking to replace business cards & printed materials - Smart waste sorting bins to improve recycling rates at venues ✅ Making Exhibitors & Sponsorships More Sustainable - Virtual swag bags & digital exhibitor brochures to replace printed giveaways - 3D-printed, reusable booth structures made from recycled materials - Digital asset management tools to track & repurpose event materials Event tech isn't just about increasing efficiency. You can and should incorporate it into the most important factors that impact the sustainability of your event.

Want event sponsors to say, 'Great investment, let’s do it again'? Follow these do’s and don’ts for post-show reports. THE DO's ✅ Align metrics with sponsor goals Make sure the quantitative and qualitative metrics you include match with the objectives they had mentioned to you in the earlier conversations. ✅ Use visuals to tell the story Use charts, graphs, pictures, and infographics to better illustrate metrics like attendance growth, lead quality and impressions over time to make your data shine. ✅ Provide actionable context Explain what the data means (e.g., "You mainly reached the audience with pain point X"), highlight if goals were achieved or exceeded, and recommend specific next steps (e.g., "Include solution Z in your follow-up to drive conversions"). THE DON'Ts ❌ Overwhelm sponsors with data Focus on actionable and relevant data, summarizing less critical metrics in appendices if necessary. ❌ Exclude competitive benchmarks Include benchmarks like average engagement rates or ROI for similar events to provide context and highlight your event’s value. ❌ Skip missed opportunities Include a brief section on missed opportunities, such as underutilized sponsorship activations, and suggest actionable ways to capitalize on them in future events. Taking these approaches ensure your sponsor relationships last longer. What would you add to this list?