The Business of Meetings – Episode 253 – Leveraging Partnerships: ELX CEO Nicola Kastner on How Small Businesses Can Attract Big Clients
We are thrilled to welcome Nicola Kastner as today’s guest. Nicola is the CEO of Event Leaders Exchange, an exclusive global community connecting senior corporate event leaders from large companies across diverse industries.
She has had an impressive career with leadership roles at Maritz, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, and SAP, and she has also run her own business. A seasoned traveler and visionary, she earned the Event Marketing B2B Dream Team honor, recognition as a top woman in events, and a well-deserved place in the Canadian Meeting Hall of Fame.
Nicola is motivated, passionate, and purposeful. Join us as we explore her valuable insights, diverse experiences, and inspiring vision for the future of the events industry.
Career Journey
Her initial motivation to pursue hospitality was prompted by a desire to travel. She found her passion in incentive travel and started a career in hotels and DMCs. That led her to Maritz Canada, and after taking time off to raise her children, she shifted to consulting, with SAP as one of her first clients. After working at SAP for five and a half years, Nicola returned to consulting. She took on a leadership role with Event Leaders Exchange in 2024.
Handling Stress and Change in the Event Industry
Nicola highlights the importance of accepting change as a positive force, as adaptability and resilience are the keys to thriving in the events industry. She believes accepting change and reacting well is crucial, as things do not always go as planned in the events industry.
Taking Time Off for Family
Her decision to take three years off to focus on motherhood was a challenging yet enlightening experience for Nicola. Being a stay-at-home mom, though fulfilling, did not align with her self-identity, as much of her sense of self had been tied to her career.
Journey from Consultant to SAP and Back Again
Nicola began her consultancy career by leveraging her expertise to help businesses optimize their processes and drive growth. Her success in that field caught the attention of SAP, where she joined to expand her influence and work on large-scale projects. After gaining invaluable experience and deepening her industry knowledge at SAP, she left and returned to consultancy, combining her corporate insights with her passion for personalized client engagement to deliver impactful, tailored solutions.
Transitioning to ELX
Nicola transitioned from independent consultancy to full-time work with Event Leaders Exchange, where she enjoys building and leading a community for global heads of corporate events, helping them share best practices and learn from one another. The community offers support for event professionals who often face loneliness in their roles, providing opportunities for collaboration and problem-solving.
Opportunities for Freelancers and Small Business Owners
Opportunities for freelancers and small business owners are growing within large organizations, especially in event management. Freelancers can supplement in-house teams on a project basis and build long-term relationships, which could lead to recurring work. Nicola suggests freelancers should leverage their networks and seek fractional or project-based roles, as large companies need niche talent to handle complex event needs.
Positioning for Success with Large Organizations
Nicola advises small business owners looking to work with large organizations to clearly define their value proposition and ideal customer profile. LinkedIn is a powerful tool for building relationships, and she recommends targeting mid-level managers within organizations, as they are often responsible for event budgets and finding resources for specific needs, while senior event leaders are typically not involved in these decisions. Focusing on managers with budget control and responsibility for event-specific gaps allows small business owners to position themselves as valuable partners for larger organizations.
Bio:
Nicola Kastner is the CEO of Event Leaders Exchange (ELX). ELX is an invitation-only global community that unites senior corporate event leaders across all industry sectors, from large companies. Built upon the ethos that ‘it’s lonely at the top’, ELX fosters an environment where senior leaders can exchange ideas and best practices with peers in similar roles through curated think tanks, annual congresses, forums, resource libraries, and an online community platform.
Prior to ELX, Nicola held various roles in the consulting, agency, and brand sides of the event industry. Most notably she was the Global Vice President of Event Marketing Strategy for SAP where she was responsible for designing and optimizing event strategies for events, ranging from 25 to 25,000 people.
Nicola is one of the most sought-after industry experts and her prestigious recognitions include induction into the Canadian Meetings Hall of Fame, being added to the Event Marketer B2B Dream Team in 2019, and being named a “Top Woman in Events” by Event Marketer Magazine.
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