EventProfsCast by Hubilo

Hubilo

EventProfsCast is a podcast built for the #eventprofs who make phenomenal experiences happen on repeat. You build events; we help you build them. Join us as we chat with experts in our industry!

  1. In Session with Yuvraj Saxena, CX Director at Hubilo

    06/24/2022

    In Session with Yuvraj Saxena, CX Director at Hubilo

    This week on Event ProfsCast, Rachel is joined by Hubilo Customer Experience Director Yuvraj Saxena. Yuvraj is responsible for our customers having a little or a lot less heartburn while planning and executing your event experiences.  How does Yuvraj do it?  Let’s find out! Yuvraj believes that event planning support differs from traditional customer support models. In his tenure with Hubilo, a new and innovative way to partner with clients - event professionals - has been created and had landed Hubilo near the very top of the event planning world with regard to customer service and experience. Yuvraj teaches his team that they work not so much for Hubilo but for Hubilo’s clients. He’s proud of the fact that, without exception, members of the Hubilo customer experience and customer success team will not say that they work for Hubilo but for each individual event planning client.  We’re proud of that! We’re all using video conferencing and remote meeting tools and technologies.  But in most cases, there is no “platform representative” in your Zoom calls or your Microsoft Team meetings.  Hubilo embeds a customer experience team member inside your event where they can be intimately involved, well versed on the details of your event, and ready to help on-demand as you plan and execute your event. Yuvraj acknowledges that American Express is a world-class example of exemplary customer service in the credit card industry.  But he also recognized that this traditional call center support model does not fit in event planning, so Hubilo immediately attaches a dedicated customer success team member to every event that Hubilo facilitates. This means that Hubilo is always ready to help at any time exactly when you need it without requiring a call to a random support representative in a general call center. A dedicated Hubilo customer experience representative is present on the platform during every minute of your event. Yuvraj’s team knows you, knows what you’re doing, and stands ready at your side from the first minute of your event to the last.  There is no “wait time” for help when you’re a Hubilo partner. Yuvraj is dedicated to overhauling the concept of customer service and customer experience management in our industry. One way he’s following this path is to add team members at Hubilo based on their ability to embrace and thrive in this new model of customer care. In this model, it’s not so much about hard skills as it is a mindset, flexibility, and the ability to adjust to the needs of customers at all times. This task requires people who think and feel in ways that align with this new paradigm. Yuvraj is on a mission to find and hire those people. This new approach to CX at Hubilo means that CX team members don’t rehearse scripts, don’t have rigid procedures to follow, and aren’t pressured to be upsellers.  Yuvraj teaches his team how to respond, not react, and how to de-stress, decompress, and remain ready and able to perform at a high level. Your Hubio CX contact is in that position because they have exhibited a customer-focused mindset, a high degree of flexibility, the ability to adapt under pressure, and a temperament that suits the demands of the position. This is why Hubilo has found itself at the top of the customer experience and satisfaction list in the event planning world. Visit Hubilo online at www.hubilo.com. Follow Hubilo on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, or search for #hubilove on any social apps.

    24 min
  2. In Session with Dato' Loh, V-Cube Malaysia (Part 2)

    06/10/2022

    In Session with Dato' Loh, V-Cube Malaysia (Part 2)

    Welcome to the second half of Rachel’s chat with Dato Loh, CEO of V-Cube Malaysia. V-Cube is now in partnership with Hubilo to bring amazing event technology to events in the APAC region of the globe. Rachel and Dato talked about the state of events and event planning in the APAC region. The Highlights Malaysia has a very vibrant financial sector, so there is a huge demand for product launches and other events, but at the time of recording there were still quite a few travel restrictions in place in the region. This means that V-Cube has been focusing intently on satisfying that need by using virtual and hybrid technologies. Even companies that have a physical presence with products you can touch and feel are turning to virtual and hybrid technologies to drive digital product launches and updates. As great as virtual and hybrid technologies are, we must acknowledge that there are some products that people want to touch and hold. We can’t reach everyone in every context, at least not now. Beyond simply creating virtual spaces for product launches and spaces, as event professionals we can use virtual and hybrid technologies to build communities.  People are craving that connection after being isolated for two years.  Tapping into that craving allow us to create virtual spaces that go beyond basic product and service showcases, which can satisfy extended needs of both audiences and event organizers and sponsors.  Community is a thing in 2022! Dato cleverly pointed out the role of golf when it comes to in-person events in his region.  While a virtual or hybrid event can’t meet golfing needs, we can examine that need and find ways to drive event technologies toward meeting the issues that lay beneath it. What is it about golfing that event attendees love so much, and how can we move technology closer to addressing that? Dato talks about “services on the ground”.  Seasoned, local, managed services are virtual in terms of knowing what will work and what might not in a given location.  Technology isn’t enough, and it doesn’t exist in a vacuum.  People that know the “lay of the land” are important, even in the virtual and hybrid event world. “Some things you can plan, but sometimes things happen and you just have to manage them.” Wise words from Dato that most if not all event professionals can identify with! Dato works hard to ensure that communication among the team at V-Cube Malaysia is flowing freely.  He’s also a huge proponent of constant learning, encouraging his team members to get out and learn something new every day. Relationship building - investing for the long run in strong relationships - is another a cornerstone of Dato’s management philosophy at V-Cube Malaysia. By the time you listen to this episode, the partnership between Hubio and V-Cube Malaysia will be in full swing.  Dato, his team, and everyone at Hubilo is excited to show you what you can do for you! Visit Hubilo online at www.hubilo.com. Follow Hubilo on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, or search for #hubilove on any social apps.

    18 min
  3. In Session with Dato' Loh, V-Cube Malaysia (Part 1)

    05/20/2022

    In Session with Dato' Loh, V-Cube Malaysia (Part 1)

    This week on Event ProfsCast Rachel is joined by Dato Loh, CEO of V-Cube Malaysia. V-Cube is now in partnership with Hubilo to bring amazing event technology to events in the APAC region of the globe. Dato was a wealth of information and insight about events in that part of the world, so lets go! The Highlights We want to be aware of the ins-and-outs of event and events planning all over the world. As event professionals, the more we know, the better prepared we are. V-Cube is a Japanese company specializing in secure communications technology. V-Cube is a Zoom partner in Asia, and produces and maintains its own virtual event platform. Dato has been CEO at V-Cube’s associate company in Malaysia since 2017. He is also the largest shareholder at V-Cube Malaysia. The pivot toward virtual and hybrid events in the last two years can be a stressful thing for CEOs and other company leaders. When Dato needed advanced technology to improve his virtual event support capabilities, Hubilo seemed a natural choice as a partner. Working with Hubilo, V-Cube is able to move far more quickly and less stressfully into that virtual and hybrid space without the long delay and expense of additional platform development Beyond sharing technology, Dato points at the sharing of ideas and the meeting of minds when V-Cube partners with Hubilo. An open exchange of ideas and information is not only refreshing, but almost required for all players in our space to move forward and roll with all the changes we’re facing. V-Cube focuses on communications in two areas: AGM -  Annual General Meetings. MICE  - Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions There are approximately 80 events with 100,000 attendees in the pipeline in the APAC region right now. This reprepsents roughly $200 million in business.  Two of the most important vertical segments represented in this pipeline are oil & gas, and medical tourism. Dato and V-Cube Malaysia are focused on serving these verticals on both the in-person and hybrid spaces. While travel has re-opened in the APAC region, not everyone is going to travel to attend events. As the pandemic winds down, it turns out that the option to attend an event virtually is a very desirable option for many for many reasons. Dato is committed to playing a role in the virtual and hybrid event spaces for exactly this reason.   Events now have to be planned to accommodate this, so that attendees and potential attendees have the opportunity to design the event experience that works best for them. Just because we CAN travel again doesn’t mean we will, so let’s pay attention to that! Visit Hubilo online at www.hubilo.com. Follow Hubilo on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, or search for #hubilove on any social apps.

    19 min
  4. In Session with Liz Caruso, Liz King Events and Techsytalk (Part 2)

    05/13/2022

    In Session with Liz Caruso, Liz King Events and Techsytalk (Part 2)

    In this episode of Event ProfsCast, Liz Caruso of Liz King Events and TechyTalk is back for part two of her conversation with Rachel about event production in a post-pandemic world. The Highlights In the virtual events context, an attendee multi-tasking isn’t necessarily a disaster. Do we need 100% attention to prove that an attendee is having a good experience? Probably not. In fact, many of Liz’s clients aren’t necessarily even interested in return to in-person events, so multi-tasking attendees is hardly a sign of doom. Even as in–person gathering returns, many event planners are more than happy to retain some virtual aspects of events, moving to a hybrid structure. This is not “back to normal” in our industry. We have to push each other to learn new things and incorporate the lessons of the last two years as we move forward. There is a new normal, and that’s good news! Success is no longer measured by numbers of registrations or attendees.  Success is being measured based on minutes watched, number of connections made, and other metrics that more accurately reflect the value provided by a given event. Just putting people in seats is not enough any more. We can, and should, be measuring how truly engaged those people are and were! In Liz’s world, the end of the pandemic means incorporating virtual community building while adding in-person components back into the mix. Done well, this is the best of all worlds. The growth of interest in virtual gatherings and online community building is best described as explosive. Liz found that the environment of the last two years turned even her smaller, localized events into global events. Enabling people to connect virtually when they could not connect physically has been transformative going forward. Liz and Rachel spent a little time talking about their personal experiences during lockdown and how that is impacting some of their choices personally and professionally today. Lockdown / virtual event burnout … the struggle is real.  If you’re dealing with that as we return to “normal”, know that you’re not alone. Visit Hubilo online at www.hubilo.com. Follow Hubilo on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, or search for #hubilove on any social apps.

    20 min
  5. In Session with Liz Caruso, Liz King Events and Techsytalk (Part 1)

    04/29/2022

    In Session with Liz Caruso, Liz King Events and Techsytalk (Part 1)

    Welcome back, event profs! On today’s episode of Event ProfsCast, Rachel is joined by Liz Caruso, CEO of Liz King Events and Techsytalk.  Liz is without a doubt a doer of all things and quite possibly one of the busiest people walking the planet today. The Highlights 2021 brought us both a ton of uncertainty about the events space, but also a ton of enthusiasm around the prospect of getting back together again at in-person events.  In-person is coming back, and now we can take what we’ve learned and done in the virtual event space and benefit from that on top of all the things we were doing before the world turned upside down. Many people had no idea that virtual events were in existence for 10 years before the pandemic! We’ve learned to hone our focus on what we truly value in events. We’ve had to come to grips with what is really important when organizing and participating in events. Human behavior has changed dramatically in the last two years, so in some ways we’re all on a brand new learning curve now. The past is important, but clearly we are not going back to the old ways as if nothing has happened. Event professionals have almost been forced to learn a new craft as a result of the pandemic. Talk about stress!  It’s pretty normal to be overwhelmed by the rapid pace of what can only be described as revolutionary change in our industry.  On the flip side there’s also excitement about all the new tools we’ve developed and lessons we’ve learned.  So its OK if you’re dealing with both right now.  Mixed emotions about our industry are the order of the day for event profs. In some ways, the events space needed a shake-up. If nothing else, the last two years have forced us to really consider what we’re doing rather than just rolling out the same events year after year and just assuming that everyone will come because they always have. Attendees have had to re-think how they spent time interacting in person which means event profs have to double down on creating enticing and valuable experiences both digitally and in-person that will make attendees want to return. Virtual events are a VERY different attendee experience. It’s a bit too easy to multi-task or even “zone out” when attending any kind of virtual gathering.  From where Liz stands, the question is “Does it even matter how an attendee is engaging with a digital event?”  Podcasts are popular for a reason. They meet listeners where they are.  Virtual event planners should embrace the new attendee experience rather than fretting over it.  Give your attendees ways to consume and engage with your event in whatever way they choose. Building community around brands and events is critical in this new environment.  Once-per-year events are not ideal in terms of maintaining attention and engagement.  The days of running one ad during the Super Bowl then remaining silent are gone.  Brands should be leveraging the power of digital and hybrid events to run more frequent and valuable events that allow attendees to maintain active connections to and engagement with brands. In 2022, event profs are better served by planning multiple smaller digital and hybrid events that meet attendees where they want to be met rather than trying to fill every seat at a once-per-year in person event like we did in 2004. Visit Hubilo online at www.hubilo.com. Follow Hubilo on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, or search for #hubilove on any social apps.

    21 min
  6. In Session with David Adler, BizBash (Part 2)

    04/26/2022

    In Session with David Adler, BizBash (Part 2)

    This week on Event ProfsCast, Rachel is joined by David Adler, chairman and founder of BizBash.  This is part two of our chat with David about the renaissance in event planning and what we can learn from our own events. HIGHLIGHTS Events getting smaller and focusing more on niche audiences does not mean that impact or significance is decreased.  The experience in a niche group can have a huge impact in that group that lasts for quite some time after the event.  We don’t need 10,000 attendees any more to create meaningful events and experiences. Influencer marketing is being used to capture attention in niche industries.  Microinfluencers are a thing.  Not every event needs a global mega-celebrity at this point.  Knowing the key players and thought leaders in a small niche - even when those players have relatively small audiences on a global or mass market level -  is just as important now. Birds of a feather want to flock together. There is tremendous value in creating events for electricians, or tax accountants, or colorists, or just about any group of professionals that share a common interest and mission.  In 2022, the social media and online landscape allows us to do just that. Cities are changing. David asserts that cities and offices will become hubs for learning, socializing and entertaining. When the new remote working environment decreases the need for working or office space, those spaces get adapted for other purposes.  In this case, why not exhibition and event spaces that become reglar gathering places in niche communities? Smaller cities matter too! The renaissance in event planning means that event professionals can now leverage the power of smaller cities to create events that “own the town” rather than being lost in the middle of a huge metropolis. Niche events foster intimacy and connection, two things that humans crave and thrive on. The 10,000 person event means you don’t get to talk to many people.  Smaller niche events allow for greater connections and deeper and more meaningful interactions. Smaller events also make it easier for “catalyst attendees” to get conversations and interactions started. Sharp event planners will leverage this, working with those catalyst attendees to “get the party started”. David sees virtual event platforms as one of the most powerful problem solving tools we have today based on their ability to capture the wisdom of the crowd.  Virtual event platforms foster interaction and brainstorming among the greatest collaboration artists in the world, with low barriers to entry in terms of creating and breathing life into these vital digital spaces. “Puppies are the key to marketing.” - David Adler Visit Hubilo online at www.hubilo.com. Follow Hubilo on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, or search for #hubilove on any social apps.

    18 min

About

EventProfsCast is a podcast built for the #eventprofs who make phenomenal experiences happen on repeat. You build events; we help you build them. Join us as we chat with experts in our industry!