Kira Learning’s Post

Today at noon I'm teaching a masterclass to The Squad called Host Your First Event...literally EVERYTHING you need to know about hosting an in-person conference, retreat or workshop. I'm talking event planning, programming, logistics, pricing, organic + paid marketing, ticket sales, speakers, vendors, contracts, venues, sponsors, team, swag, food + bev, post-event sales...and the "secret sauce" to making your event memorable and magical for your attendees (and YOU!) I'm rehearsing now and this training is a banger. Thinking of turning it into a mini-course, actually. For my people curious about hosting an event...what questions do YOU have?

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Our first ACC Conference was a success! Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth. After four days in San Antonio, TX, here are my main takeaways: 1.) ⏱ In the hustle and bustle of these lively conferences, you've got a breezy 30 seconds to convey what you do and why it matters. Being able to communicate that pitch is not just about spitting out facts; it's about highlighting how you can solve someone else's problem in an engaging way. 2.) 📊 After attending a breakout session, I was reminded about the importance of collecting and communicating data and metrics. They're our storytellers, narrating hard work and value to the whole team. Use them! 📈 3.) 🐶 Dogs like SWAG just as much as people do.

Friday I felt like I'd gone back to school for the day. I managed to nab a ticket to Hotbed's Founders Camp, a full day jam packed full of speakers and nuggets. Here's my takeaways: ✅ Miguel McKelvey reminded me of the art of forcing yourself out of the social wallflower so many of us fall back on, to breaking that social anxiety - what's the worst that could happen if you walk over and introduce yourself to someone at an event? ✅ His second point that really stood out was practicing the high conflict conversations NOW - go into the hard things earlier and often. If you practice them early, they won't be as daunting or difficult when the ones that matter do come up. ✅ Stella Smith illustrated how best to leverage our networks (if you meet someone interesting, follow up and then *action* it - email them to go for a coffee). ✅ She's also living proof of being clinical in your execution - our own mindset is so key. ✅ Watching the panels, speakers and then the demos at the end, I was reminded over and over of the importance of good delivery - I'm actively working on this with Pascalle and I know how much I need it! The organisers ran my favourite part of the day, like a quick-fire round of 25 tips in under 25 mins. My personal faves are: ✅ Speed wins ("fail fast") ✅ MVP = change this from minimum viable product to minimum *valuable* product ✅ Focus on the one thing you'd bet the house on ✅ Pitch with passion and energy, always ✅ Validate customers actually want to *buy* the product ✅ Demonstrate the "hair on fire" problem ✅ Pitch the vision & where you're going (not where you are now and where you've come from) ✅ Don't be humble (what a terrifying, daunting one!) I also seem to have forgotten the skill of just sitting and absorbing. I love to learn, I'm a knowledge sponge, but sitting still all day really taxed me. I'm so glad I stayed for the demos at the end, the pitches and the decks were really slick and great to learn from. Thanks again Neda Sahebelm of keshty for sharing this event, it wasn't even on my radar until you did. I took a whole bunch of other notes so my to do list for March is about to grow quite a bit. Better get to it!

Planning on exhibiting at conferences and trade shows in 2024? Get tips on how to make the most of your marketing dollars at the first SF University of 2024

Mark your calendar for next week’s April Happy Hour! Details below⬇️

If you’re in NE Ohio and interested in employee engagement, making connections, fostering a thriving culture and your own leadership, then check out the upcoming session with Ratliff & Taylor facilitated by Jennifer Cohen and Gregg A. Levine , MBA. Link below to register yourself and your team! ⬇️ #leadership #growthmindset #culture

📣 #DSSSEA is almost here! Get ready to learn about the latest innovations in #genai & #machinelearning from those leading the charge in AI. Make sure you stop by our booth to learn how Kolena's ML testing platform is helping teams scale their testing process and ship trustworthy models with confidence! 🤝 #ML #modeltesting #artificialintelligence Data Science Salon

Let’s talk swag + giveaways! What are meaningful swag/giveaways that you value + appreciate when you attend a conference? How about swag from your organization? What giveaways/swag are you tired of and can do without seeing ever again? Please share your feedback with a comment!

We have more contests coming up soon, are you registered on Conference Connect yet?!? It's Free! #contest #winner #remarkable #remarkabletablet #conference #conferences #speaker #speakers #keynote #breakout #mainstage #events #event #expo #expos #summit #summits #networking #travel #knowledge