Event Architects To Know in 2024 - Aly Deligio, Davidoff of Geneva USA
Aly Deligio, of Davidoff of Geneva USA, discusses how she builds and plans meetings and events in the evolving hospitality landscape of 2024.
Luke Whalin
Aug 23, 2024
Welcome to the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series, where we highlight event professionals making waves across the events industry to share lessons learned and raise awareness of their invaluable contributions.
Name: Aly Deligio
Company Name: Davidoff of Geneva USA
Job Title: Event Manager
Can you briefly tell us about your background in event planning and how you got started in the industry?
Kicked off my career by becoming a Marketing and Events intern during the summer of my junior year of college, and I quickly became fascinated with the event planning industry. Since then, I have had roles in incentive travel, DMC, hospitality, and the cigar industry! Within my roles, I have been fortunate enough to have a hand in all steps of the event planning process from start to finish, allowing me to have a full-circle grasp on all things events!
How do you go about selecting the perfect hotel or venue? What factors weigh most heavily in your decision?
Location, location, location! That is my first step in choosing any venue, by researching the area and ensuring it's the perfect location for our guests.
What does the initial planning phase of securing a venue look like for you? Could you walk us through your initial steps?
What common financial challenges often arise when organizing an event, what strategies do you use to mitigate them, and how do you avoid them?
The initial phases are the lengthy part! Sourcing a venue/hotel is all about putting all the event details out there first so the venue/hotel can answer every initial question you have to find out if it's a good fit. Typically, you'll fill out an RFP (request for proposal), which allows you to input all those details; from there, a representative of the venue/hotel will reach out and set up a site visit so you can walk through the customer journey from start to finish.
Just like in any industry, the budget will sometimes change, or the scope of the event will change throughout the duration of the planning phase- or even after the booking has been made! For me, it's all about making relationships with the venue/hotel to work through those changes together. Most of the time, the hotel/venue works with you and the new budget and helps provide solutions for you.
How do you leverage technology to boost efficiency during the planning, execution, and post-event stages? What does your “event tech stack” look like? (For example, using Survey Monkey for surveying attendees post-event)
In my current role, our Customer Experience team utilizes Survey Monkey to survey our attendees' post-event with fact-finding questions to determine how we can improve our programs for the future.
Do you use frameworks, templates, or other tools/documents to help you stay organized and manage the event planning process?
Setting up folders in whichever platform your company uses is a great tool. Creating folders in SharePoint is how our team internally can access any documents/notes related to the event at any point. Creating a streamlined process for the team is a great way to stay organized.
Do you have any specific strategies or insights for enhancing the attendee experience at your events?
Incorporating an activation station is a great way to enhance the attendee experience. For a program we had running last year, I worked with a photo booth company that had the capability to ship a photo booth nationwide for each event we had happening around the country. At the end of each event, the client received the entire photo library from the event, and it was a great way for them to showcase their event however they wished. We had great reviews from this activation!
Effective communication is crucial in any planning process. How do you ensure you and your event stakeholders are always on the same page?
Transparency is key! Always communicating updates or changes has helped to ensure that the entire team is always on the same page. Something that has really helped me in my career is setting up weekly or bi-weekly meetings with our team to go over all the event details. Even if you talk about the same topic each week, it helps to ensure nothing is missed! Whether it is a face-to-face or virtual meeting, sending meeting recap notes has been a great strategy for us. At the same time, setting up meetings with the venue/hotel each week/bi-weekly is a great way to stay on top of the event—especially if the event is more complex than most
How do you facilitate networking opportunities among attendees? Are there any specific tactics or strategies that you recommend?
What's your go-to plan for handling emergencies or unexpected situations during an event?
Can you share an example of a significant challenge you faced while planning an event conference and how you overcame it?
Depending on the type of event, I think a networking opportunity can be factored in. A strategy that comes to mind is to put yourself in the attendee's shoes and think about what type of icebreaker station would make you want to participate. Personally, I am a part of a few networking groups, and at these events, there is always something that we do to get the entire group involved, whether it is sharing your background or working together to fill school backpacks for a local non-profit.
Designating specific roles for each member of the on-site event team has been a huge help in handling any day-of issues. Events are complex, and as a planner, you cannot be in every space at once, so having a team on-site with you allows others to communicate unexpected situations. Having a communication channel that everyone is a part of has really helped our team in handling unexpected situations. Having a plan in place and knowing who to contact, which in my case is our Vice President, is how our team knows how to handle complex on-site situations.
As the planner, there are some elements of the event that you cannot control—such as the weather! Planning outdoor events in Florida can be challenging, as attendees may not want to stay outside when the weather is unbearable. Details are everything, so when planning any outdoor event, I always ask what the backup space is so we have a plan for uncontrollable weather situations. Having fans/misters on hold is also a great idea! Of course, I would not have learned this unless I did not live through it!
What are the typical steps you take in the post-event phase?
The post-event phase is just as crucial as the planning and execution phases. Set up a time with your team to debrief how the event went and discuss what can be improved for the future, collect feedback from the attendees, review the event budget and compare it to actual expenses, and send thank you emails to all vendors/sponsors.
What advice would you offer someone just starting their career in the meetings and events industry?
Always remember to dot your I's and cross your T's! This industry is built off details, so the more detail, the BETTER! Take the time to ensure all expectations are clearly communicated. Also, take time to read through any contracts that you or your company have to sign; there are plenty of venue/hotel requirements that are often overlooked. Doing this on the front end will save you time, energy, and sanity on the back end!