As attendees at the NWES, we saw some of what is new in the events industry. The pandemic forced venues to be creative and make the most of their outdoor spaces, which they continue to do.
We sampled gelato and mocktails and Jacks BBQ. We were gifted steak seasoning and a meat thermometer from the Metropolitan Grill; a ”Hangry Kit” to keep our blood sugar up; lip balm from Sun Valley and stayed hydrated with a bottle from Fill it Forward, which allows people to donate every time they refill.
We also hosted a busy booth at The Northwest Event Show (NWES) last month, when we connected with event professionals from all over the region, showed off our Odyssey world -- our partner in the metaverse -- and created custom avatars for everyone who stopped by. It was very active and people were excited to experience the possibilities of events in the metaverse.
Our partnership with the event management platform Swoogo, came to life at the NWES through a co-sponsorship. Our teams came together to help introduce half a dozen event sessions. During our time on stage we spoke about the benefits of working with our two companies.
“Swoogo is the event platform,” said Oren Mauldin, TPN’s Director of Business Development, “and TPN is the creative and production team that helps our customers bring their events to life.”
Swoogo provides companies with registration, custom event websites and attendee reports. TPN recently used Swoogo for an event for Brooks Running. In preparation for the live event in Seattle, TPN used the platform to send out 15 product videos – in seven languages – to the Brooks team.
TPN Chief Revenue Officer Hilary Laney hosted a panel titled "From Burnout to Balance: Cultivating Mental Health in the Event Industry" on the main stage with Zaakera Stratman, a Program Manager at Microsoft, and Chrissy Parsons, Director of Customer and Partner Success at Dynamic Events.
“Day after day I was feeling this heavy weight and it was not going away,” Hilary shared. It took her two years to see someone about it and be diagnosed. “I realized it was about self-care,” she said, adding that she has made communication a priority.
After the loss of her daughter six years ago, Zaakera's team "circled around me and picked up all my work." The impact of that stays with her: "We need community," she said. "We need each other. I couldn't have made it through that time if I had not leaned into those people."
Chrissy described burnout as “something that happened in your life when you were one way before and another way after.” She learned to recognize the signs of burnout in herself and others.
Their advice:
- Set boundaries for yourself, and with stakeholders.
- Reach out and recognize when people are getting to the point where they need support.
- Take a moment to check in with yourself, and others.
“GRACE,” Hilary said. “Give it to yourself and give it to others.”
Overall, our experience at the Northwest Event Show was very successful, especially knowing we left with dozens of new connections within the industry. We are already looking forward to next year’s show and hope to see you there!
