As conference organizers strive to develop more innovative session formats, headphones are being used more often. What began as a novelty has now evolved into a seemingly essential element in our toolkit — but we should use headphones purposefully and wisely.

Living in Orlando provides me with the opportunity to get event-design inspiration from Disney, Universal, and other entertainment attractions. I also have the chance to go on site at the

You may think you do a good job of preparing your presenters, but there’s a lot at stake. Here are tips to help them do their best and provide the greatest value to your audience.

Until the industry understands the difference between marketing/promotion and sponsorship, we will not significantly increase revenue — or our ability to better connect buyers and sellers, says Velvet Chainsaw Consulting’s Dave Lutz.

If sponsorship revenue is underperforming at your events, you have lots of company. Dave Lutz, of Velvet Chainsaw Consulting, identifies the moves that can turn that around.

We’ll continue to push boundaries — and extend our reach — in San Francisco. I invite you to join us on our journey.

The business events industry lost a giant with the passing in July of former PCMA President and CEO Roy B. Evans, Jr., CAE, who built PCMA into the global leader in the business events industry it is today.

Looking for a way to differentiate your conference? Drop the ‘something-for-everyone’ program approach and use your event as a setting to deliver wisdom, says Dave Lutz of Velvet Chainsaw Consulting. Here’s what that looks like.

Event organizers often face competing needs: Suppliers rely on booth traffic while attendees want to pack in as many sessions as possible. Velvet Chainsaw’s Dave Lutz outlines strategies to please them both.

Organizers spend a lot of time putting together their conference’s education sessions. Models vary, but most include a 15- to 20-person conference committee (slotters) and an army of reviewers (graders). It’s time to rethink the traditional model for creating your conference’s education program.

If your scientific or medical event is heavily dependent on participants who justify their attendance because you’ve accepted their oral or poster abstract, you may be diluting the quality of the conference experience. Think about this strategy instead.

When it comes to event-tech decisions, your rule of thumb should be that customer experience trumps staff efficiencies. This means that instead of organizing around your organization’s products or silos, organize around your customers.