On-Demand Professional Edge Webinar Series
From planning to execution, creating a successful event experience takes strategy, organization, and know-how.
In this Professional EDge series, our interactive and educational webinars will bring meetings and events industry experts to a screen near you. Earn continuing education hours and sharpen your skills through sessions covering relevant topics like audience engagement, leveraging technology, upcoming meeting trends, and much more.
Once you register for a session, you do not need to register for any other sessions you’d like to attend. Simply use your Chime Live login credentials when it’s time to begin. All previous session recordings will also be available in the Chime Live platform.
Register below to view previous sessions now available on-demand:
Hybrid Help – Ask the Experts
It’s the ultimate AMA session! Ask the experts and get a recap of the most commonly-asked questions from the entire How-to-Hybrid series. This is a great session if you’re having trouble identifying how the drivers work in concert with one another. Don’t miss your opportunity to talk to our panel of experts, each a specialist in their respective subject area:
- Environment
- Experience
- Engagement
- Connectivity
- Content
- Production
PRESENTERS:
- Matthew Johnsen, Vice President, Product Management
- Robert Parrish, Vice President, Field Sales
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The Art of Planning – Building an Effective Event Strategy
Using proven methods and a creative mindset, Tara Higgins, walks you through event strategy and design – specific to hybrid events. As the first course in our How-to-Hybrid series, Tara shares ways to develop a deeper understanding of your audience and then transform those insights into a creative, enriching in-person and online experience. Learn how to set event benchmarks that yield success, and learn how to develop hybrid engagement strategies to meet them.
PRESENTERS:
- Tara Higgins, Senior Vice President, Commercial and President, Hargrove
- Jim Huss, Director, Event & Experiences at Intel Corporation
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How to Hybrid 101
Class is in session! John Rissi, and Debra Mategrano, dissect the anatomy of a successful hybrid event. By breaking down its components, John shows you how to take any event and adapt it into a worthwhile hybrid experience. Learn how these 6 Key Drivers – environment, experience, engagement, connectivity, content, and production – support every participant’s objectives. Learn how the key drivers are able to scale for a variety of meeting and event types and find out how they all work together to create an unforgettable hybrid experience.
PRESENTERS:
- John Rissi, Senior Vice President, Customer and Industry Relations
- Debra Mategrano, Regional Sales Director, Field Sales
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A Meeting Environment to Suit Every Hybrid Experience
Brian Johnston, guides you through the moment it’s time to select a meeting environment for your hybrid event. Learn how your event environment influences the delivery of your content and supports both the in-person and remote participant experience. Pick up tips for optimizing your hybrid event space and create an environment built for learning, multiple presentations, and keeping the focus of your in-person and remote attendees.
PRESENTERS:
- Brian Johnston, National Director, Creative Innovation
- Zoila M. Rivera, CMP, Regional Sales Director
- Joe Pasterkiewicz, Regional Vice President, Venues
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Creating Engagement at Hybrid Events - From Informed to Engaged & Back
Wondering how to create greater engagement at hybrid events? This is a perfect session for you. Chris Bryant will cover what needs to be factored in to avoid fatigue in an easy-to-understand way. Learn about:
- Adjusting for the hybrid participant journey
- Event platforms and what to consider when selecting a partner
- Using engagement tools to help you deliver on your desired outcomes
- Unique considerations for engaging and supporting your hybrid audiences
- Internet connectivity for a seamless and uninterrupted hybrid event
PRESENTER:
- Chris Bryant, Director, Global Accounts, Concise
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ProEDge Special Edition - Women in Business: Cause, Effect & the Future
In honor of Women’s History Month, we take a deeper dive into a case study with Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a leading non-profit organization dedicated to helping women-owned businesses thrive. Join us for this compelling session with WBENC’s Sr. Vice President of Marketing, Pat Birmingham joined by our very own Tara Higgins, Senior Vice President, Commercial, Encore & President, Hargrove. Learn how the pandemic has affected women owned businesses. As part of the discussion they will focus of the future of events, and how WBENC reimagined a format to continue to support the growth and revitalization of women owned business and how as a community we continue to support women in the events industry.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn how WBENC have changed their approach to events in order to get critical content to their community
- How female entrepreneurs and careers in general have been impacted through COVID
- How WBENC are thinking about event planning for their events in the future
PRESENTERS:
- Tara Higgins, Senior Vice President, Commercial, Encore & President, Hargrove
- Pat Birmingham, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Technology, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
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ProEDge Special Edition - Women in Business: Cause, Effect & the Future
In honor of Women’s History Month, we take a deeper dive into a case study with Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), a leading non-profit organization dedicated to helping women-owned businesses thrive. Join us for this compelling session with WBENC’s Sr. Vice President of Marketing, Pat Birmingham joined by our very own Tara Higgins, Senior Vice President, Commercial, Encore & President, Hargrove. Learn how the pandemic has affected women owned businesses. As part of the discussion they will focus of the future of events, and how WBENC reimagined a format to continue to support the growth and revitalization of women owned business and how as a community we continue to support women in the events industry.
Key Takeaways:
- Learn how WBENC have changed their approach to events in order to get critical content to their community
- How female entrepreneurs and careers in general have been impacted through COVID
- How WBENC are thinking about event planning for their events in the future
PRESENTERS:
- Tara Higgins, Senior Vice President, Commercial, Encore & President, Hargrove
- Pat Birmingham, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Technology, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)
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SITE Texas - How to Hybrid: Planning a Safe, Engaging Event
In this session, learn how SITE TX produced their first successful hybrid event: “How to Hybrid: Reimagining Meetings & Events”. From 90 expected attendees to 700+ virtual and 35 in-person attendees, SITE TX’s expectations were exceeded in terms of content and global reach. Explore the challenges they faced and learn about their planning experience as they worked through those challenges with the Gaylord Texan, Marriott and PSAV teams.
PRESENTERS:
- Budd Monefeldt, Director of Sales, Encore Global
- Lorraine Mahoney, CITP, President-Elect for SITE-Texas, Global Account Manager for Marriott International
Presentation Stages: Meetings at Every Phase
Virtual experiences will undoubtedly be part of event strategies for the foreseeable future. With some locations allowing small gatherings and hybrid meetings and others limited to strictly virtual, there will be an influx of solutions that will help guide the fluid transition between virtual, hybrid, and face-to-face. But which solutions — and to what degree will they be used — is still relatively unknown.
What we do know, however, is that creating an impactful look and feel for both remote viewers and in-person attendees will always remain the top priority. Tune in to hear insights from our teams around the globe who will be sharing with you our Presentation Stages — a transitionary solution that allows planners and their clients to elevate production standards in a controlled, safe environment.
Presenter:
- Anthony Vade, Experience Architect, FMAV
The Virtual Producer's Toolbox
While pivoting to virtual many #eventprofs have discovered that virtual event experiences differ from live events in many ways. We are in an age where technology is readily available, anyone can create & post a YouTube video, and Zoom fatigue is real. As a meeting planner new to the virtual world, partnering with a subject-matter expert is key to avoiding sleepless nights and creating a polished attendee experience.
This session will empower you to turn your event from a “post and hope” digital activation to a full engaging and immersive virtual production. In this session, we will share insights into the role of the virtual producer while providing tips and tricks for getting the most out of your virtual event production including:
- Building a team that you can rely upon to deliver a polished virtual production
- Common production mistakes new virtual adaptors make
- Speaker preparation and coaching
- The producer’s role in managing and communicating platform opportunities/limitations
- Understanding the attendee attention span and tools to keep them glued to the screen
- Managing the desire for human contact in the cold world of digital technology
Presenters:
- Alisa Zinovoy, Program Production Director, Encore
- Amber Cunningham, Producer and Stage Manager, Encore Canada
- James Shepheard-Walwyn, Managing Director, Concise
- Anthony Vade, Experience Architect, FMAV
Leading Through Change
The COVID-19 pandemic brought an unprecedented level of change to our lives — both personally and professionally. This session will explore the loss that businesses and employees are facing because of that change, and the emotions employees are likely feeling because of it. We will communicate the calls to action for leaders to take on the role of “Listener,” and the behaviors and language they can use to best support and help employees process their emotions. We will provide tactical applications leaders can use to help ease the shock of sudden change and provide several resources for continued learning and use as teams move through this phase of the change process.
Presenter:
- Mark Wojcik, Director Talent Management, Encore Training and Development
New Challenges, Big Opportunities
This session will address questions that you may ask yourself, your stakeholders, and your suppliers before uncovering the challenges and opportunities that Virtual and Hybrid events present.
Presenter:
- Bryan Sterling, Group Director, Global Sales, Encore
MeetSAFE™: Helping our Industry Get Back to Work
As businesses reopen and restrictions on public gatherings start to ease, the question we keep hearing is: What will meetings and events look like following the COVID-19 pandemic? This panel discussion of industry experts will dive into the risk and health considerations during the road to recovery, along with our newly released MeetSAFE™ guidelines.
Presenters:
- Kevin Carey, Executive Vice President and COO, AHLA
- Matt Johnsen, Vice President of Product Management for Encore
Plan, Set, Show: Create a Seamless Event
Are ineffective processes holding you back? Learn how to apply Six Sigma and lean principles to event planning and execution, resulting in improved event design and implementation.
Presenter:
- Brandon Goodman, Senior Director, Encore, Project Management
When Science and Events Combine: Adult Learning and Technology
Effective use of psychology principles in event technology can ensure your conference message is hitting the mark with attendees. Learn how the right mix of science and technology play a major role in a successful event.
Presenter:
- Hope Holm, Regional Sales Director, Encore, Field Sales
Experience Design on Any Scale: Go Beyond a "Meeting" Planner
Meeting planners are being told, “You’re an experience designer.” So, how do you do it, and where do you start? In this exploratory session, you’ll learn the core strategies for designing events, omnichannel journeys, and environments that focus specifically on attendee experience. Finally, discover how a little empathy can help ensure attendees’ needs are met and your strategic goals are realized.
Presenter:
- David Solsbery, Vice President, Creative & Marketing, Hargrove
Content for All Ages: Education and Engagement for Modern Times
We hear a lot of buzz around the need to use technology to attract and engage Millennials and Gen Z’ers. In reality, technology has changed the way everyone learns, increasing the need for more engaging and interactive sessions. Join us to discuss what has changed and explore ideas around delivering content in new ways to create an overall engaging experience.
Presenter:
- Debra Mategrano, Regional Sales Director, Field Sales, Encore
Trends, Tech, Futures: Trending Pathways
This insightful presentation covers tech-forward meeting trends, preparing event professionals for the rapid change inherent in the industry. Make your meeting more impactful with recent insights about the critical technologies that power these trends and how they advance live events.
Presenter:
- Christian Wright, Director, Research & Development, Encore, Product Management
Live from the Living Room: Connecting and Presenting Virtually
Presenting from home? Make sure you’re doing it like a pro. During this session, you’ll learn tips and tricks to optimize your Wi-Fi, develop an at-home studio, and never worry about a “spotty connection” again.
Presenter:
- Alex Wedesky, Sr. Field Operations Manager, Encore, Internet Services
Unlocking Opportunities: Building Your Sponsorship Strategy
With a crowded event space, sponsors are having to make tough decisions on where they spend their marketing dollars. If organizers don’t have a strategy in place to help meet the marketing goals and objectives of their sponsors, they will soon see their revenue decrease. A multi-year strategy offers the opportunity for maximum revenue generation, creates loyal sponsors and, at the end of the day, deepens attendee engagement.
Presenter:
- Meg Fasy, Principal, FazeFWD Sponsorship Marketing
Technology Ways to Wow: Impactful Tech, Powerful Results
Maximize every opportunity to energize your audience with technology. In this session, discover innovative ideas to leverage technology for inspiring events regardless of your budget.
Presenter:
- Todd Marinko, Group Vice President, Encore
PSAV has been approved by the Events Industry Council (EIC) as a Preferred Provider of the listed continuing education courses, which qualify for CMP continuing education credit.
CMP-IS — sessions fall into the following areas: Meeting or Event Design, Site Management and Strategic Planning
CE Hours: each session is 0.75 CE
Delivery Method: Live Webinar