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: Brandi Carson
Company Name: Catalyst
Job Title: Head of Events
Can you briefly tell us about your background in event planning and how you got started in the industry?
My event career began in college when I had the opportunity to intern for a Celebrity DJ and an agency managing the foundation and events for some NFL Athletes. Upon my college graduation, I went into Consulting full-time, where I dabbled in planning events while obtaining my master's Degree in Tourism Administration from George Washington University. From there, I had the opportunity to intern in the Social Office at the White House, where I was able to co-manage very complex events. Then, I worked in government meetings and conferences and became an event entrepreneur, which brings me to my current Head of Events role at a Non-Profit.
How do you go about selecting the perfect hotel or venue? What factors weigh most heavily in your decision?
I am reviewing all of my client's/stakeholder's key business requirements, timelines, and goals. From there, I review the ease of accessibility from major travel hubs (airport, rail, subway), entertainment/attractions, and retail centers. After key client requirements, I immediately begin to evaluate the attendee's experience and what they may experience when experiencing the event. While it may seem trivial, the way in which someone arrives in a city for your event has the ability to become attached to your event, so convenience across multiple factors is a critical factor for me.
What does the initial planning phase of securing a venue look like for you? Could you walk us through your initial steps?
For in-venue searches, my first stop is with my client. I have a full conversation around the requirements (i.e., function and sleeping room requirements and event timeline, if available) for their event goals and objectives. In this initial phase, it's very important for me to understand the maturity of the event, the event goals, and the optimal attendee experience as the client/stakeholder sees it. From there, the venue search begins. Using a system that allows for multiple RFPs is most helpful, but I also rely on previous venues that have been recommended. That's usually where I begin.
What common financial challenges often arise when organizing an event, what strategies do you use to mitigate them, and how do you avoid them?
I have learned that my least favorite words are Budget and Inflation when used together in a sentence. I am always looking at ways in which I can add to the experience without increasing my costs by determining what I can offer vendors and partners that may be valuable to them. I also happen to have some amazingly talented women on my team who are expert negotiators -which doesn't hurt either!
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)
Google Drive and SharePoint are used for file sharing, Asana is used for project management, Adobe Suite and Canva are used for content creation, and Hootsuite is used for social media.
Do you use frameworks, templates, or other tools/documents to help you stay organized and manage the event planning process?
Yes! Templates are one of my favorite things to create and implement- I learned this when I was working on my business full-time. Useful templates across platforms like Google Drive, Asana, Adobe Suite, Canva, and Hootsuite are all key tech apps that help me stay organized. Being a somewhat solopreneur enhanced my love for templates that allowed for scalability in planning.
Do you have any specific strategies or insights for enhancing the attendee experience at your events?
1. Creating valuable content that will make attendees lives easier. Understanding that attendees are taking time away from their normal routine, which may include family responsibilities and work commitments, it is important to meet that our content is speaking to the key challenges they are facing.
2. Ensuring there is connection value for the attendees. I have found that people want someone to share ideas and innovate with and I want to create events where people have the opportunity to find a meaningful connection, their next career opportunity or a solution to a key challenge their facing.
Effective communication is crucial in any planning process. How do you ensure you and your event stakeholders are always on the same page?
One method that has helped create more seamless and efficient operations for my events is ensuring there is a cross functional status meetings where multiple stakeholders (or their designee) are invited. The core event Steering Committee and planning team provides updates that are critical to the forward progress of the event. In the instance additional alignment is needed, it is critical that all stakeholders are brought to the table to share their perspectives on reaching a certain goal relating to the event.
How do you facilitate networking opportunities among attendees? Are there any specific tactics or strategies that you recommend?
With content being a key revenue-driving component for events these days, it is often that conferences are jam-packed with hard-hitting stage content, which limits the time attendees can have for breaks for themselves or to connect with others. One of the ways to better facilitate connection is to build in a little cushion for networking breaks so that attendees have the opportunity to connect with one another. Since events may be the only touchpoint an attendee has with their team, we want to ensure they feel as if they can make those true connections with each other.
What's your go-to plan for handling emergencies or unexpected situations during an event?
Ideally, emergency plans are developed in advance based on the risk and threat assessment of the event and the client. If that has happened, then the plan that was created in advance will be implemented. Ideally, that plan includes what roles various team members play, and we can immediately go into action mode. However, if that does not happen, what stays in my mind in most instances is my Duty of Care - in that, I am ensuring any further risk is mitigated and any threats are neutralized. From there, it can be assessed whether or not the event can continue, be postponed, or be canceled.
Can you share an example of a significant challenge you faced while planning an event conference and how you overcame it?
One of the largest challenges I face is stakeholder alignment. From my POV, Events are significant to any organization's bottom line, which means that Events will have multiple stakeholders. What is critical is that everyone is brought along the same journey and is in alignment on the path to move forward. In any pre-event planning, this is the skill set that determines whether there is a great opportunity. I am currently learning to overcome it by starting with the mindset that everyone doesn't have to agree, but they do need to align. Starting here with this foundation is giving me the opportunity to refine further my own communication, goal setting, and vision-making skills. To be continued!
What are the typical steps you take in the post-event phase?
My key critical steps include: 1. Debriefing with Staff on all aspects of the event - discussing anything glaring that may not show up in survey results. 2. Review any survey results received in the first 3 days of the event. In my view, those are the survey responses that will likely be the most reliable as the event still remains fresh. 3. Prepping data for any formal debriefs/retrospectives.
What key performance indicators (KPIs) do you use to evaluate the success of an event?
Year over Year Attendance, New vs. Returning Attendance (online and in-person), Social Media Engagement, New vs Returning Sponsors, Registered vs Attendance
Lead Gen Source, Ticket Utilization, Profit Margin, Return on Investment
What advice would you offer someone just starting their career in the meetings and events industry?
If you're unclear about where to start in your career, start in a generalist position that will give you exposure to all of the key touchpoints of the event. Define your planning style and then determine your ultimate goal. Give yourself time and space to determine what part of the events business you want to learn. Like an expert, learn all that you can about that space, then share it with others. Also, prioritize your boundaries and your self-care.
This post is part of the HopSkip Planner Spotlight Series, where HopSkip spotlights planners across the industry to bring awareness of how important the meetings/events community is to our world.