Log In
“The need for carefully curated spaces will be critical,” said Seth Mattison, who speaks Wednesday on the EduCon Main Stage.
After more than a year of living with COVID-19, business events professionals are more than ready to reconnect, so PCMA EduCon’s theme, “We Are Better Together,” strikes just the right note. And “better together” applies whether attendees are participating this week in person at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona, or online.
While each of PCMA Education Conference’s Main Stage speakers this week will share insights with the audience based on their particular area of expertise, all three will be focusing on the future, and equipping the in-person and digital audiences with the skills and mindset to chart their paths in a post-pandemic business events world.
At 4:30 p.m. in today’s Main Stage session, “Become a Future Maker by Embracing and Leading Through Uncertainty,” Seth Mattison will help business events professionals view uncertainty through a positive lens by creating new approaches, business models, experiences, and more to meet their constituents in relevant and meaningful ways.
Mattison is an expert on workforce trends, generational dynamics, and business strategy. As the founder and CEO of organizational design firm FutureSight, he advises many of the world’s leading brands and organizations on the key shifts happening around talent management, change and innovation, leadership, and the future of work.
Convene connected with Mattison via email to help prep EduCon attendees for his session. Here’s what he had to say.
What consumer behaviors have you identified as byproducts of our experience living with COVID that you think business events professionals should incorporate in the design of their events?
A critical future of work trend we’re tracking that is sure to impact how events are designed and executed is remote and flexible work. As more and more organizations embrace a disbursed and distributed workforce, the need for carefully curated and intentionally designed spaces and experiences will be critical to ensure relationships are nurtured and cultures are cared for. If teams are separated for large portions of the year while working remotely, opportunities to come together for the purposes of strategically celebrating, creating, collaborating, and connecting will be hugely important. The reimagined live event experience will be even more mission critical for the long-term success and performance of every organization.
What are one or two things you would like the audience to take away from your talk and implement in their roles?
Collectively creating the future of the events business will require leaders to build resilient cultures that encourage experimentation, reward curiosity, and elevate performance. With our time together we’ll share specific models leaders can leverage to recognize hidden blind spots that prevent change, identify where the next big opportunities lie for the industry, and activate high-performing cultural drivers that support growth.
MORE MAIN STAGE
Michelle Russell is editor in chief of Convene.