Heard Around PCMA Convening Leaders Day 1

Author: Convene Editors       

quotes

Pittsburgh native and actor Joe Manganiello surprises the audience Jan. 7 on the opening day of PCMA Convening Leaders 2019. (Jacob Slaton)

PCMA Convening Leaders 2019 kicked into high gear Jan. 7. Here are some of the quotes that Convene editors heard that resonated with them during the first full day of sessions — including a surprise visit from a famous Pittsburgh native.

We don’t sell breakout sessions. … We sell the way it makes us feel to be in the room, to be part of something, to be seen.”

Seth Godin, author and marketing guru, on how speakers and sessions on a conference program are not the real reason people register for an event.

Influencers don’t have to be the Seth Godins of the world. They just have to be their colleagues. People trust people.”

Kristen Ferrer, director of digital marketing at mdg, on debunking the myth that influencer marketing relies on big names with big social-media followings. She spoke at the session “Crafting An Event Marketing Plan That Today’s Attendees Will Respond To.”

Emotions create memories, so drive those emotions.”

Dan Sundt, chief eXperience officer at CXO Marketing, on extending the experience for attendees post-event, from his session “Getting the Sequence Right: Strategy, Design, then Budget!”

We’re storytellers. That’s part of what we do; that’s part of the experience. When you can weave diversity and inclusion into that story, you can create a deeper emotional contact with people.”

Ron Hamlin, event producer at Microsoft, from his session “Strategies for Building Accessible Events.”

It’s not bragging if it’s based on facts.”

Leah Beltz, account executive for Google, who led Google's #IAmRemarkable Workshop, on changing your thought process when it comes to self-promotion.

We want to caution you about taking the route of paying for a big-name speaker. Don’t expect to see a huge spike in registration, and you also don’t want to put yourself in a situation where you have to one-up yourself every year.”

Germaine Schaefer, senior director of meetings at Heart Rhythm Society, at “How to Handle Falling International Attendance at U.S. Events,” sharing that celebrity speakers are not always the right answer to attracting more attendees.

Read our Day 2 quotes and Day 3 quotes.

More from Seth Godin

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