Archives: Podcasts

We’re delighted to welcome Tom O’Malley, the CEO and founder of Meshi, as today’s guest. Tom is a true tech entrepreneur. He spent more than 25 years in technology before moving into startups. Stay tuned to learn about a new approach to AI-powered networking that Tom is developing at Meshi that could change how we connect at events, in communities, and throughout our careers. Tom’s journey Tom went to university in Japan to understand its successful economy and different culture. After working for a Japanese trading company, he coordinated the construction of six houses following the Kobe earthquake. He later moved to China, Singapore, and Madrid before returning to Silicon Valley, where he moved from corporate strategy at Oracle into startups. Meshi is his fourth startup in 15 years. Tom has always been entrepreneurial. In high school, he ran a landscaping company employing 17 people. While working for large..

Today, Eric shares the session he gave at IMEX Smart Monday, called “From Overwhelm to Clarity.” Stay tuned as he walks through his three-phase clarity exercise, discusses the power of community and peer learning, and offers a sneak peek at Eric AI. Feeling Overwhelmed You may be familiar with the overwhelm trap: everything feels urgent, nothing gets the attention it deserves, and your momentum stalls. You’re not alone. Almost every business owner in the meetings industry faces the same challenge. It’s not a lack of effort, but a lack of focus and clarity. Clarity isn't something you find; it’s something you build, one focused decision at a time. Track Your Time For two weeks, track everything you do so that you become aware of how you’re actually spending your time. After that, decide what to keep doing, what to delegate, and what you need to stop doing. Your Ideal Week Next, define your priorities..

Next week, Eric and thousands of others in our industry will descend on Las Vegas for IMEX America. Today, Eric explains how to turn a trade show into an investment, not just an event. Stay tuned for more! Before IMEX Before you go, identify three main outcomes you want from your attendance. You might want three conversations with potential clients, two strategic partners, to understand what buyers are saying about AI, to reconnect with five relationships that matter, or to find one idea that could materially improve your business. Who You Meet Be intentional about who you need to meet. Research the exhibitors, speakers, and attendees you already know, and reach out now instead of hoping to bump into them. Prepare Your Luck Serendipity matters, and some of the best connections can happen unexpectedly. But don’t count on serendipity alone. It’s not enough. Prepare your luck by doing the work beforehand, while..

Today, we’re delighted to welcome Justin Donald, the founder of Lifestyle Investor and author of The Lifestyle Investor, as our guest! Justin has built a mastermind community where people come together to talk about investments, have fun, and enjoy life together. Stay tuned to hear about his fascinating entrepreneurial journey, learn more about the financial side of running a business, and find out how to save, invest, and project so you can decide whether to retire early or keep on doing the work you love. Justin’s Journey Justin grew up in a middle-class family and paid for his own university education through various business ventures. In seventh grade, he started a small sales business selling newspaper and coupon book subscriptions, and by his senior year, he was recruiting and teaching others to do the same. He then joined Cutco, where he developed his sales skills and learned to handle rejection. He eventually..

We’re excited to welcome Marco Giberti, the Founder and CEO of Vesuvio Adventures, as today’s guest. Marco is well known within the events industry for his thought-provoking LinkedIn posts. He is incredibly smart, has a wealth of experience, and operates at the intersection of technology and events, making him the perfect person to discuss AI, private equity, and the industry's future. Stay tuned for more! Marco’s Journey Marco started in advertising and marketing, creating a small agency while he was in college. One customer was an Apple distributor in Argentina, which led Marco to pitch Apple and eventually be hired to run marketing for Latin America. After three years, he left Apple to start his own events company. His first show was Windows Expo, followed by partnerships with Comdex and other technology shows. He eventually built a business with 45–50 trade shows and conferences annually and sold it to Reed..

We’re delighted to have Jayson Gaignard back on the Business of Meetings podcast today. Jayson is the founder of MMT and the author of Community Made: The Truth About Success and the Relationships That Create It. Eric had the privilege of reading Jayson’s book, which includes many of the lessons he learned about relationships, community, and success. Stay tuned for more! Jayson’s Journey Jayson dropped out of high school and started a service-based business before pivoting to online e-commerce, which he grew to about $7 million a year over four years with no outside investments. After seven years, he realized he didn't need to impress anyone, so he scaled it down to zero. In August 2012, things beyond his control left him in debt. So he began hosting dinners that brought fascinating people together, which eventually led to MMT and building communities. In 2023, he started putting his lessons in writing, which led to..

Today, we’re thrilled to welcome Muhammad Younas, the founder and CEO of vFairs. Muhammad is a true North American tech entrepreneur. He developed the award-winning event technology platform, vFairs, which has powered over 50,000 and reached more than 100 million attendees worldwide. Stay tuned to hear about Muhammad’s entrepreneurial journey and the invaluable insights he shares today. Mohammad’s Journey Mohammad started at IBM before moving into a role involving virtual events. Frustrated by the limited technology and support available, he built his own platform and used it to run more than 100 events. When an exhibitor asked to use his technology, he saw the opportunity to license it, and vFairs was born. COVID COVID created hockey stick growth for vFairs because the company already had hundreds of customers, case studies, testimonials, and references. Customers also helped shape what came next, asking for..

Most event professionals can tell you exactly what will happen on stage at any given time. Yet far fewer can tell you exactly what would happen if someone collapsed in the ballroom. Stay tuned as Eric tackles emergency preparedness and security. Emergency Preparedness A 70-page emergency manual that nobody has opened in two years is documentation, not a system. Emergency preparedness starts with the people responsible for responding, not with a binder, processes, or SOPs. Everyone needs to know their role and be ready to act when an emergency happens. Know Who Does What You need to know who makes the decision, who communicates, who executes, and who takes over if someone is unavailable. If you can answer those four questions, you have a true emergency preparedness plan you can act on immediately if something happens. Medical Emergencies For a medical emergency, decide who calls the emergency services, who contacts..

Today, Eric explores the value event professionals bring to the table and why that matters more than ever in the age of AI. Stay tuned to learn what you need to know about the client before designing an event, questions you need to ask to position yourself as a strategic partner, and how to maintain your competitive advantage. Ask Better Questions When a client gives you a brief, resist the urge to immediately start discussing destinations, rooms, budgets, activities, speakers, themes, or technology. Start by understanding what the client is trying to accomplish, where the face-to-face meeting fits into their strategy, and what people should know, feel, believe, or do differently afterward. Strategic Partner You can either work with a client as an order taker who executes what they ask for, or as a strategic partner who helps determine what they actually need. If your value lies only in execution and logistics, you..

Today, Eric explores the role of failure on the road to success. Stay tuned as he clarifies why failure is part of the entrepreneurial journey, what you can learn if something goes wrong, and how you can keep moving forward. Failure When you build a business and take risks, things do not always work as planned. Failing is the price all entrepreneurs must pay to embark on their journey toward success.   Failing Does Not Make You a Failure If your business fails, it does not make you a failure. When something goes wrong, you need to separate what happened in your business from your personal identity, and focus instead on what you can learn from it. Learning It’s essential to learn from every mistake you make. There is always something valuable to learn from costly mistakes that can help you prevent an even bigger one in the future. Grit Having grit does not mean you must keep going with something..