Event Planning

In today's digital age, leveraging celebrity brand ambassadors has become a popular strategy for businesses, including startups. As someone who's been a brand ambassador for various companies over the years and dabbled in startups myself, I've seen firsthand the ups & downs of this approach. People often ask if it's always beneficial to have a celebrity endorse your products or services. I’ll break it down to the most important things to consider. Visibility - Celebrities bring a massive following, offering increased visibility & reach to a wider audience that may have been difficult to engage otherwise. This exposure could enhance brand recognition & create positive associations in consumers' minds. Credibility -  The right kind of celebrity could inject a dose of credibility into your brand. Consumers may in turn perceive your product as reliable, particularly important for startups aiming to build a solid reputation & carve out a slice of the market. Engagement - Some celebrities are able to forge personal connections with their community. By aligning your startup with a celebrity, you may be tapping into that emotional connection & that community may be more likely to show interest in your brand. Costs - Engaging a celebrity ambassador comes at a price. Even if you opt for an equity-based deal, you still need to allocate valuable resources to amplify the association, potentially diverting funds from other key areas of requirement. Authenticity - The alignment between the celebrity & your product must seem genuine. If the partnership feels like a misfit or forced, the results can be counter productive. Today's consumers are evolved & can sense inauthenticity from a distance. Sustenance - While celebrities can generate a buzz in the short term, building interest & loyalty requires consistent effort & a solid value offering that goes beyond the celebrity association. Your product still needs to deliver exceptional value beyond the initial buzz.. Relevance - Ensure the celebrity aligns with the startup's target audience, values & offerings. The endorsement should make sense within the startup's brand identity & goals. Budget - Assess whether the startup can afford the associated costs, especially including the ongoing marketing efforts. Do not assume that bringing a celebrity on board itself is going to win you the war. It’s just a head start. Long-Term Strategy - A well-crafted partnership should naturally integrate into your overall marketing & branding strategy & solidify your position & bring sustained growth. Timing - Most importantly, remember, spending so much in early stages, or early dilution in equity can have long-term consequences, so ask yourself if you’re really ready at this stage. Ultimately, the decision to engage a celebrity brand ambassador should be based on your unique circumstances & goals. Hopefully this will help some make an informed decision. #BrandAmbassadors #CelebrityEndorsements #InfluencerMarketing

As a speaker, one of the most powerful skills you can develop is the ability to meet your audience where they are. Every audience is unique, shaped by their environment, culture, and expectations. In some parts of the world, people respond with high energy, enthusiasm, and animation—these are the moments when you must match that vitality, bringing the same level of excitement, humor, and passion to the stage. Your energy will resonate with them, fostering a dynamic connection that amplifies the impact of your message. But not all audiences are the same. In other settings, especially in more academic or reserved environments, the audience may not express themselves as openly or energetically. This doesn't mean they're less engaged—it simply means their way of connecting is different. In these settings, it’s crucial to meet them where they are by adjusting your tone, pacing, and content.

Most workshop evaluations questions are ineffective. Try these two questions to drive behaviour change and generate insights. In my 23 years of designing and running learning and development experiences, I've found that asking the right questions can be a gamechanger. Especially if you're self-employed. And you want to charge more for your services. Because you drive behaviour chance. So, forget the mundane sliding scale rating: ❌ The session ❌ The material ❌ The facilitators Here are two simple questions that support impact 📝 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐤𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐩? This question forces participants to commit to a specific action. ↳ It’s not just about learning; it’s about doing. 📝 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩? This question uncovers potential obstacles. ↳ It also shows that you care about their long-term success, not just the workshop. Why these questions work: ✅ Prompt reflection on learning. ↳ A critical step in the learning process. ✅  Provides proxy measure of impact ↳ Reflections guided to consider action. ✅ Provides insights on obstacles ↳ Allowing you to improve the workshop Next time you run a workshop, ditch the old evaluation forms. Try these questions instead. Support behaviour change Demonstrate impact Increase your fees Give it a go. ~~ ♻️ Share if you found useful ✍️ What other powerful questions do you use in your evaluations?

Think about the last presentation you sat through. Do you remember anything from it? Probably not. Most presentations fail because they are: ❌ Overloaded with bullet points ❌ Devoid of emotion ❌ Data dumps with no clear story The good news? You can make your presentation unforgettable with these 7 simple shifts: 1. Start with a Hook, Not an Intro Most presenters begin with "I'm excited to be here today..." and lose the audience immediately. Fix: Grab attention from the start. Example: “Your company is losing $10M a year—and you don’t even know why.” 2. Tell a Story, Not Just Data People remember stories, not statistics. Instead of listing facts, wrap them in a compelling narrative. Fix: Use the “Problem → Struggle → Solution” technique. Example: "Before using our system, Sarah’s team spent 3 hours a day on reports. She tried different tools, but nothing worked—until she found our solution. Now? Just 15 minutes a day." 3. Use Contrast & Surprise The brain is wired for novelty. If your presentation sounds predictable, people will tune out. Fix: Vary your tone, pace, and visuals. Drop in an unexpected question, statistic, or pause to keep them engaged. 4. Say Less, Mean More Too much information overloads the audience. They’ll remember nothing. Fix: Cut the fluff. Stick to one core message per slide, per section, per speech. 5. Make It Visual Bullet points don’t inspire. Images and metaphors do. Fix: Instead of saying “Our product is faster,” show a race car next to a bicycle. 6. End with a Bang, Not a Fizzle Most presentations end with “Thank you” and no real impact. Fix: Leave them with one key idea and a clear next step. Example: “If you only take away one thing today, let it be this…” 7. Master the Pause Most speakers talk too fast and leave no room for ideas to sink in. Fix: Silence is power. Pause after key points to let them land. 💡 A great presentation isn’t about information—it’s about transformation. Make your next one impossible to forget. What’s the most memorable presentation you’ve ever seen? Drop a comment below! ⬇

I thought I knew how to talk to important people. I'd had CEOs/celebrities on my YouTube channel and been on major podcasts (they always went great). Then I met this well-known comedian and made a huge mistake. I kept asking him questions, trying to get him to tell funny stories. The more I asked, the quieter he got. My conversation starters weren't working; he was shutting down completely. Then another guest walked into the green room and immediately started telling fascinating stories. Suddenly, the comedian lit up, started asking questions, and became totally engaged. That's when it clicked: He entertains for a living. In his downtime, the LAST thing he wants is more spotlight. This failure taught me something crucial: There are two types of VIPs, and if you get it wrong, you'll be forgotten instantly. __ Type 1: The Entertainers These VIPs love being the center of attention. They'll go ON and ON when you ask questions. They love telling stories, making people laugh, and talking about themselves. With them: Ask as many questions as possible. Let them command the room. Don't interrupt. Ask follow-ups that let them feel impressive. __ Type 2: The Entertained These VIPs perform all day long. They're constantly asked hard questions, solving problems, and giving speeches. They want YOU to entertain THEM with stories, insights, or information they don't usually get. __ Here's how this plays out in real life: I had a student whose boss (a manager's manager) always gave her short, vague answers and found excuses to walk away. Classic Type 2 behavior. Instead of asking more questions, she started saving juicy customer service anecdotes. Next time she saw him: "I wanted to tell you about this really interesting call I had with a client..." He immediately perked up. "Oh really? What kind of call?" She told him how a client was using their product in this unique way. He lit up, asked questions, and wanted more details. Why it worked: He interfaces with internal problems all day but rarely gets direct customer insights. She gave him the one thing he didn't have access to. Now he seeks her out during breaks because he knows she might have an interesting story. The VIP Test: Ask one basic question and watch what happens. • Long, detailed answer? → Keep asking questions, be their audience • Short, vague response that gets quieter? → Time for YOU to shine Bonus tip: Master the graceful exit. Watch for non-verbal cues: checking their watch, phone, looking around. The moment you sense they need to go, say: "I don't want to take up too much of your time." Either they'll say "No, I'm good!" or they'll gratefully escape ("Thanks, my parking meter's about to expire!").

Love this campaign by Stella. "Worth it" ✨ Playing off a familiar scene we all know. That claustrophobic bar. Enter "Claustrobar" You're crammed shoulder to shoulder... Getting bumped left and right. Then you get your first sip. Makes it all worth it. 👀 Or does it...? We're seeing the OPPOSITE trend for B2B events. Marketers want smaller more niche events. Think dinners with 15 to 25 people. ONLY the exact ICP they want. We just did our Q1 retro at The Alliance 🧵 NEW Q1 EVENT DATA FOR YOU: Dinners under 25 people drove 3.4 times higher average pipeline per attendee than 200+ person field events Sponsor satisfaction scores were 27 points higher for private dinners vs traditional happy hours Events with personalized pre invite cadences had a 35 percent average acceptance rate among ICP targets Renewal rates on sponsor programs anchored around curated dinners hit 82 percent, compared to 58 percent for "open bar" events Thats why we're doubling down on niche events. Dinners and intimate VIP exeperiences. Why they worked so well: Step 1: ICP first targeting Every attendee list starts with sponsor aligned ICP firmographic filters: Company size, role seniority, industry fit, existing buying intent. Step 2: Personalized outreach Dedicated in house teams send direct invites framed around relevance. We track weekly acceptance rates and optimize touchpoints if we fall below 30 percent. Step 3: Pre event intel Sponsors get attendee insights two weeks before the dinner. They know which companies and titles are coming so they can plan the content PRECISELY for that audience to make it hyper relevant. Step 4: Structured conversations No loud music. No random crowds. Strategic seating charts and guided conversation topics aligned to the topics attendees and sponsors care about. This makes the experiences great for BOTH the company sponsoring and the attendees. Ends in a win win for everyone. Example for you: At our Austin dinner for a sponsor in Jan - 17 handpicked senior leaders attended - 76 percent of attendees booked follow up demos within 21 days - The sponsor sourced $3.2 million in net new pipeline which was 3.1 times their original goal TLDR Invest in more dinners ✌️ 

Here's a different perspective on the first gender equal Olympics Let's start with the headlines More women have participated than ever before And that can only be a good thing But what is not being said? Well, six countries brought no women at all. And a another cohort of countries had less than 15% of women participating. And only around 20% of coaches were women. But numbers only ever show so much What about the treatment? Well, the controlling of what female participants wore, from a range of angles including cultural and sporting associations, still say a lot about autonomy. Who remembers Nikes proposed Team USA women's outfit? Everybody loved the male Turkish shooter, but what about his female shooting partner who also shunned the high tech equipment? Raygun the breakdancer went viral and was praised for courage and mocked for her performance, what she was wearing, did she appropriate culture, a lot of questions. The less I say about the treatment of Imane Khelif, the better. That's for another post. I just think that the difference between the noise surrounding her in comparison to the noise surrounding Stephen Van De Velde says a lot. Certain spaces are still not so equitable, with female photographers getting barged around, male commentators making sexism remarks and governing bodies still low on women's representation. So after a week to reflect My final thoughts are A real sporting event to remember Great strides on diversity should be celebrated But not divert from the fact there is still a whole lot of work to do from an inclusion and equity perspective And hopefully by 2028, steps will have been taken To really make a gender equal Olympics beyond the surface. That would be a spectacle indeed. Los Angeles, over to you.

Budgeting ≠ Cutting down expenses Instead, it is about making smarter financial decisions that fuel growth, whether for your finances or business. But did you know there are different ways to build a budget? Here are four methods and when to use them:  → Incremental Budgeting –  This is the simplest and most common budgeting method. It works by taking last year’s budget and adjusting it slightly based on expected changes (inflation, growth, cost increases).  → Activity-Based Budgeting (ABB) - Instead of just tweaking last year’s numbers, ABB starts from scratch and links every cost to a specific business activity. It helps businesses optimize spending by understanding what truly drives costs.  → Value Proposition Budgeting – This method ensures every budget item contributes to the company’s value proposition. If an expense doesn’t add value to customers, employees, or stakeholders, it’s questioned or cut.  → Zero-Based Budgeting (ZBB) - ZBB requires every expense to be justified from scratch, rather than assuming past expenses should continue. It’s a powerful way to eliminate inefficiencies and ensure spending aligns with strategic goals.  Each approach has its pros and cons and the best method depends on your goals and business model. Some companies even use a mix of these methods for different departments.  Have you tried any of these methods? #personalfinance

I’ve changed my mind about trade shows. 6 months ago, I talked about how ineffective they were as a marketing tactic. - Booths cost £1000s - No one gets new business. - You get ignored by attendees. - Everyone is just pitching at you. - There are 100s of competitors there. - You get drowned out by other vendors. They’re a massive waste of time. Or at least that’s what I thought… Then I got sent the photos (below) from one of our clients’ booths at a recent trade show. That’s when I realised trade shows aren’t the issue. ↳ It’s how companies approach them that’s broken. The key: Create a campaign around your booth. Here’s the playbook for getting noticed at trade shows: 1/ Don’t Make Yourself The Attraction Our client hired Kaleb from Clarkson’s Farm to be at their booth. Crowds flocked for a chat, photo, or simply to see what all the fuss was about. They came for Kaleb. ↳ But then they’d chat to our client. —— 2/ Turning a Booth Into an Experience They ditched the usual trade show freebies and brought in a VR welding setup. Kaleb set a time. ↳ People tried to beat it. ↳ If they did they won a prize. This meant visitors weren’t just walking by—they were staying, engaging, and talking about it. —— 3/ Force Them To Remember You Here’s where it got clever: Our client offered a hefty reward for the person who won the VR welding game. But they wouldn’t find out if they won until the end of the day. That meant the last booth people went to was there. ↳ Keeping them top of mind on the way home. —— Don’t get me wrong, most trade shows are a waste of money. But if you go into them: - With a clear strategy. - An approach to get noticed. - A campaign around your booth. They can really make an impact. Definitely going to be doing more of this with clients. P.S. Follow me to learn how to get your company noticed Niall Ratcliffe 📚

Your distributed teams need connection; Zillow built the blueprint for making it happen at scale. Steve Bennett and team at Zillow run 200+ intentional gatherings annually for 7,000 remote employees. The payoff? All-time high engagement scores, major efficiencies that save tens of millions, and 93% of attendees saying retreats improve how they work together afterward. Most companies treat team gatherings like afterthoughts—logistics scrambles that leave everyone exhausted—if they haven't gutted them altogether. Zillow built an operating system instead. 🎯 Purpose over productivity. "We gather for connection, not to get work done—we can do that remotely." When teams know they're there to connect, everything changes. 📅 Plan annually. Calendar published in October for the following year. Budget set per person. Space packages by group size. 🏢 Redesign spaces. They converted 75% of office space to gathering areas. Optimize real estate for when people do come together, and coordinate trips to overlap groups who wouldn't ever meet even in an office! Intentional design can make distributed teams more connected than office-based are. 👉 Want to know what they've built, how and why? Read on: https://lnkd.in/gX4bYJ_4 How are you building connections for your distributed organization? #connection #workplace #engagement