The Event Connection

pc/nametag
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

Welcome to ”The Event Connection” by pc/nametag, your favorite place for event tips, trends and strategies! Join us as we share upbeat stories, emerging trends, and memorable moments shaping the events industry. You’ll hear expert insights that celebrate the power of connection—all with a touch of fun! From sustainable event planning to event tech trends, experiential marketing ideas, and everything in between, you’re bound to learn something new from the event enthusiasts at pc/nametag! 🔥 Whether you’re planning large-scale conferences, designing unforgettable social experiences, or exploring the latest event trends, this podcast will keep you informed, inspired, and ahead of the game. 🔔 Subscribe to The Event Connection on your favorite podcast platform!

Episodes

  1. 2026 Event Design Trends: AI, Nostalgia, and Imperfect Design | Episode 12

    JAN 27

    2026 Event Design Trends: AI, Nostalgia, and Imperfect Design | Episode 12

    New year, new trends! Meaghan and Rylee go head-to-head to reveal their 2026 event design forecast. This episode is all about what’s hot, what’s not, and what attendees really want out of event design. We chat about moving away from "overly polished" into human-centric design that gives attendees authentic, tactile experiences. Think things like AI concepting, nostalgic themes, and interactive event badge designs attendees will actually want to keep! HOW TO GET RYLEE’S DECK: Email us at EventConnection@pcnametag.com and mention the "Event Design Trends presentation" to see all the visuals behind this podcast! Then, use Rylee's ideas to inspire your next mood board or client pitch.    TIMESTAMPS ----- 00:00 – Introduction  01:32 - Meet Rylee Hubbard!  03:19 - Pantone of 2026: Ugly or not?  04:42 - The Trend of "Imperfect by Design"  08:14 - Design Trends and Predictions  08:38 - Trend 1: AI Driven Design  10:34 - Trend 2: Candid Camera Roll  13:10 - Trend 3: Immersive Design  15:04 - Trend 4: Collage Aesthetics  17:07 - Trend 5: Sustainability Design  20:04 - Trend 6: Inclusive Design  22:10 - Trend 7: Exaggerated Fonts  24:53 - Trend 8: Nostalgic Mashups  28:07 - Graphic Design "Icks"  29:59 - Our Event Design "Hot Takes"  33:31 - Get Rylee's Event Design Trends Deck  ----- Give us a rating and subscribe for more event planning ideas!

    35 min
  2. TOP 5s: Events, Influencers, Books & Podcasts for Planners | Episode 11

    12/16/2025

    TOP 5s: Events, Influencers, Books & Podcasts for Planners | Episode 11

    Take your event planning career to the next level! Meaghan and Brooke go head-to-head to reveal their ultimate “Top 5” lists for industry professionals, including THEIR favorite picks for top event planning podcasts, events, influencers, and books. Here's where to spend your time and attention to stay ahead of the curve! Start by connecting with event influencers on LinkedIn, attending an event, checking out a new book, or subscribing to a good podcast (...like this one)! TOPICS COVERED: Best resources for event planners, event planning podcasts, event planning conferences, networking events, event influencers, best books for event planners   TIMESTAMPS ----- 00:00 – Welcome! 02:08 – Top 5 Podcasts 11:27 – Top 5 Events 20:30 – Top 5 Influencers 30:10 – Top 5 Books 45:01 – Closing Remarks  ----- Give us a rating and subscribe for more event planning ideas!

    46 min
  3. Best Event Registration Tips to Engage Attendees! | Episode 10

    11/26/2025

    Best Event Registration Tips to Engage Attendees! | Episode 10

    Event registration can either be totally fun or a logistical nightmare (IYKYK). In this episode, Megan and Meaghan share their favorite tips for transforming the conference and event registration process from a point of stress into an exciting first touchpoint for attendees! By the end of this episode, you'll know how to turn event check-in into an interactive experience, accommodate last-minute registrations, help lines move faster, and stay ahead of the game with event badge printing. TOPICS COVERED: Event registration tips for planners, how to streamline event check-in, last-minute event registration strategy   TIMESTAMPS ----- 00:00 - Let's get started! 01:49 - Event Registration Positives 04:06 - Event Registration Struggles 06:21 - Event Registration QUICK TIPS! 12:02 - Making Registration INTERACTIVE! 16:45 - Closing Advice & Secrets -----   Give us a rating and subscribe for more event planning ideas!

    21 min
  4. Hot Takes On Events from a Gen Z, Millennial, and Gen X | Episode 9

    10/28/2025

    Hot Takes On Events from a Gen Z, Millennial, and Gen X | Episode 9

    What makes a Gen Z attendee click? How can you deliver an authentic experience for Millennials? What does it take to truly impress a Gen X-er? In this special episode, our cross-generational panel: Ethan (Gen Z), Meaghan (Millennial), and Kindra (Gen X) explore how different age groups experience and engage with events. Brooke (Millennial) leads the chat in an honest, goofy, and surprising conversation about what they love (and what they can’t stand) when it comes to event experiences.   TIMESTAMPS ----- 0:00 - Let's get started! 02:45 - Ideal Event Destination 05:11 - Registering in Advance? 07:22 - Getting Caffeinated 09:17 - Frustrating Wait Times 12:15 - Perfect Event Size 15:00 - Favorite Networking Style 17:30 - Event Communication Preference 19:42 - Educational Session Lengths 23:02 - Off to Lunch! 26:32 - Connecting with Peers 30:19 - Late Night Entertainment 34:40 - Dream Keynote Speaker 37:49 - Last Remarks -----   😍 GET A SHOUT-OUT: Send a message to EventConnection@pcnametag.com to tell us which generation you are, plus some of your event-related preferences or hot takes. Your idea could be featured in an upcoming episode! Give us a rating and subscribe for more event planning ideas!

    39 min
  5. Event Predictions 2026: Creating "Eyes Light Up" Moments! | Episode 8

    09/30/2025

    Event Predictions 2026: Creating "Eyes Light Up" Moments! | Episode 8

    Don’t get left behind with same-old agendas. Events in 2026 are all about “EYES LIGHT UP” moments! Brooke and Meaghan share activities, tactics, and strategies they’re obsessed with to help you make every event a must-attend experience, no matter your budget. 🔥🔥🔥 Hear what’s worked for key players in the industry, including Dragon Con, INBOUND, NACE Experience, and more!   TIMESTAMPS  --- 00:00 – Let's get started! 02:17 – “Eyes Light Up” moments 04:09 – Meetup Spaces 07:24 – Surprise Moments 12:16 – Philanthropic Activities 12:47 – Prospectus Alternatives 15:34 – City Exploration 24:30 – Engage Away the Venue 28:59 – Unique Activations 36:23 – Encouraging Connections 43:50 – Custom Room Keys 48:46 – Interactive Stations 50:00 – Event Themes 53:39 – Relaxation Lounges 54:23 – Networking Bingo 56:00 – Last Remarks, Good Vibes 💕 ---   😍 GET A SHOUT-OUT: Send a message to EventConnection@pcnametag.com to tell us a cool, weird, or fun event activity you’ve experienced. Your idea could be featured in an upcoming episode!

    58 min
  6. Sports Fan Engagement Tactics featuring Forward Madison FC | Episode 7

    08/21/2025

    Sports Fan Engagement Tactics featuring Forward Madison FC | Episode 7

    Ethan West, Marketing Communication Intern at pc/nametag, sits down with Kyler Donovan, General Manager of Forward Madison FC, to chat about all things soccer, community, and behind‑the‑scenes magic of sports fan engagement! ⚽🥅 Kyler shares: How the club keeps sports fans engaged beyond the pitch How to seamlessly integrate event sponsors without disruption How intricate operations that make gamedays run smoothly. Plus, we tackle some fun questions about what makes Breese Stevens Field such a special place for both players and fans! 🥇 Whether you’re a sports events enthusiast, a supporter of Forward Madison, or just curious about how the matchday experience comes together, this episode is packed with insights, stories, and laughs.   TIMESTAMPS --- 00:00 - Introduction 01:25 - What’s special about Breese Stevens Field? 03:08 - Gameday operations 07:02 - Engaging fans before, during, and after the game 08:37 - Seamless sponsorship engagement 10:30 - Pivoting to accommodate variability 13:42 - Tying merchandising into event engagement 17:00 - Engaging college students in Madison 18:04 - Insight from a successful example 22:23 - Breaking into sports event management 24:55 - Emerging trends in the sports event industry 27:59 - Habits for planning a sports event 29:54 - Go-to snack and drink for Breese Stevens Field 31:21 - Kyler’s dream headliner at Breese Stevens Field 32:38 - Connect with Kyler! ---   🎤 CONNECT WITH KYLER DONOVAN: kyler@forwardmadisonfc.com

    34 min
  7. How to Engage Your Audience with an Event Emcee | Episode 6

    07/23/2025

    How to Engage Your Audience with an Event Emcee | Episode 6

    Transform your event's audience from "quiet" to captivated! This week, Meaghan chats with Roger Wolkoff, "The Guy with the Voice," and a professional emcee with 20+ years of experience. Roger shares his top secrets for creating an engaging atmosphere, from effectively warming up a crowd to expertly handling unexpected "uh oh" moments. Tune in for valuable insights on audience interaction, crisis management, and all the insider tips you need to make your next event a blast!   TIMESTAMPS ---- 00:00 - Let's Get Started 01:02 - Welcome, Roger Wolkoff! 04:04 - Find Your Strengths with Personality Assessments 06:59 - Roger's Involvement with National Speakers Association 09:00 - Gaining Experience as an Emcee 11:14 - What is an emcee? 15:05 - Top qualities of great emcees 19:10 - How to "read" the audience 21:08 - Excite and engage your audience 25:03 - Pre- and post-meetings with planners 28:54 - Roger's favorite event he's emceed 30:30 - Pre-show rituals to get amped up! 31:34 - Handling "UH OH" event moments 34:20 - A hilarious event story 35:59 - Favorite part of emceeing 37:02 - Difficult parts of being an emcee 3 8:22 - Surprising parts of being an emcee 39:42 - Tips for bringing excitement to events 40:42 - Connect with and hire Roger! 41:28 - Join your local National Speakers Association chapter   📖 FREE FOR LISTENERS: "Leveraging an Emcee for Event Success: A Guide for Event Planners." Get yours by sending an email to eventconnection@pcnametag.com and asking for your copy!

    43 min
  8. Building Wisconsin's Largest Anime Con | Episode 5

    06/24/2025

    Building Wisconsin's Largest Anime Con | Episode 5

    What can all event planners learn from fan conventions? More than you might think! In this episode, we're talking to the Convention Chairperson for Anime Milwaukee to get the inside scoop on the chaos and fun behind planning a 3-day event for 18,000 attendees.   TIMESTAMPS ---- 00:00 - Meet Kris Lugo - Convention Chairperson for Anime Milwaukee (AMKE) 03:27 - Kris's personal history with convention and event planning 06:18 - All about AMKE: the history and financial impact 10:11 - The secret to facilitating activities for all personality types 14:35 - How AMKE manages 24-hour programming for attendees 16:52 - Annual themes and how they can excite attendees and vendors 20:38 - Ideas for staying in front of your audience year round 25:56 - How corporate events can use con-like strategies to excite attendees 28:02 - Long live the Polkalator! 32:53 - How badge ribbons can engage attendees and vendors 37:14 - Creating and managing strong relationships with sponsors 39:56 - The pressure of creating a "bigger and better" event each year 42:29 - Words of advice for anyone interested in planning conventions 47:07 - Wrap-up and what's next for AMKE? ---   Subscribe, and connect with pc/nametag! 🎉 Get in touch by emailing us at eventconnection@pcnametag.com!

    51 min
  9. Lessons Learned from Real-life Event Mishaps | Episode 4

    05/27/2025

    Lessons Learned from Real-life Event Mishaps | Episode 4

    What happens when an event goes sideways? 🤔 Join Brooke and Meaghan as they dissect a real-life event that went viral because of many "oops" moments. You'll come away with seriously valuable event planning lessons you won't want to miss. From website woes to venue missteps, we'll cover how to avoid your own event mishaps and turn chaos into a win. Tune in for expert event organization tips and real-life event disaster recovery strategies.   TIMESTAMPS --- 0:00 - Let's get started! 02:51 - Festival Background 05:49 - The Website 11:35 - Ticket Tiers 15:45 - The Venue 18:08 - Registration Desk 23:40 - Sponsor Communication 31:04 - Attendee Activities and Engagement 37:18 - The Romance Ball 43:25 - Lessons Learned (Event PR) 44:03 - Ultimate Fallout 46:58 - Attendee Losses 47:28 - Positive Outcomes and Reflections ---   Subscribe, and connect with pc/nametag! 🎉 Get in touch by emailing us at eventconnection@pcnametag.com!

    54 min
  10. Event Promotion Ideas on a Budget | Episode 3

    04/18/2025

    Event Promotion Ideas on a Budget | Episode 3

    Event promotion strategies don't have to be expensive or complicated! This episode explores easy tactics you can use to get the word out about your events, even on a tight budget. You'll come away with practical tips for using social media, email, content, partnerships, and more to quickly boost registrations!   ---- TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Get to know The Event Connection Podcast! 01:14 - The Economy, Budgets, Tariffs, etc. 02:00 - Our experience with tight marketing budgets 03:39 - The pressure to "Do more with less" 04:41 - How to research your target audience 09:49 - Promote your event with social media 17:18 - Promote your event with email marketing 27:20 - Promote your event with content marketing 32:04 - Promote your event with sponsors, partnerships 39:58 - Tip: Create urgency and FOMO 44:28 - How to track event promotion data 47:33 - Unconventional (but effective) tactics to try 50:30 - Easy tactics to start doing today! 52:50 - Like, comment, subscribe, and email us!   FREEBIES: Get two cheat sheets ("25+ Free Ways to Promote Your Event" and "Early Bird Event Promotions Cheat Sheet") when you email us at EventConnection@pcnametag.com and mention our "Event Promotion" episode!

    55 min
  11. Event Trends 2025: What's HOT and What's NOT with Planners! | Part 2 | Episode 2

    03/25/2025

    Event Trends 2025: What's HOT and What's NOT with Planners! | Part 2 | Episode 2

    Forget your actual horoscope: Brooke, Megan, and Meaghan are once again predicting how the "stars will align" for conferences and events in 2025!  The Event Connection Podcast is back for episode two, and this week, we're talking about what's "in" and "out" for attendee welcome sessions, event badge design, ticketing strategies, and whether or not it's still cool to have conferences in first tier cities (spoiler: maybe?).  Join us for another chat about popular event insights, served with a side of humor from the Tag Team. ---- TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Get to know The Event Connection Podcast! 00:28 - Part II: What's IN and OUT with planners in 2025 01:28 - Trend 1: Presentations/sessions created with AI 04:51 - Trend 2: Branded tchotchkes, gifts, and event swag 07:56 - Trend 3: Reverse trade shows 10:31 - Trend 4: QR codes on event badges 12:50 - Trend 5: Welcome sessions for 1st time attendees 16:05 - Trend 6: Events in first tier cities 19:57 - Trend 7: Structured conference schedules 23:31 - Trend 8: Convention centers vs. non-traditional venues 27:03 - Trend 9: Tiered attendee groups (VIPs, general, etc.) 32:03 - One thing we're excited about for 2025! 32:29 - Meaghan reveals her answer 35:34 - Megan reveals her answer 38:05 - Like, comment, subscribe, and connect with pc/nametag!

    39 min
  12. Event Trends 2025: What’s IN and OUT with Planners! | Part 1 | Episode 1

    02/17/2025

    Event Trends 2025: What’s IN and OUT with Planners! | Part 1 | Episode 1

    Join us for some wild speculation on event trends in 2025! In the debut episode of "The Event Connection" podcast, we're dishing the deets on the hottest (and weirdest) event topics we could find, including sustainable events, audience engagement, attendee networking, and sponsored restrooms (...HUH?)   Brooke, Megan, and Meaghan spill the tea on what's "hot" and what's "not" in a lighthearted (and slightly unhinged) discussion on which event engagement tactics to keep your eye on this year.   --- TIMESTAMPS 0:00 - Welcome to the podcast! 00:29 - Meet Brooke, Megan, and Meaghan 02:42 - Event trend speculation...let's go! 03:05 - Trend 1: 40+ Minute Sessions 05:52 - Trend 2: Gamifying, networking, and engagement 08:12 - Trend 3: Panel-style Conference Sessions 10:24 - Trend 4: Unique badge delivery methods 13:25 - Trend 5: Hosting virtual events 17:10 - Trend 6: Sponsored restrooms (yes, seriously)! 20:54 - Trend 7: Business vs. smart casual attire 23:03 - Trend 8: Lunchtime networking activities 26:54 - Trend 9: Badge ribbons for networking 30:31 - Trend 10: Pickleball, healthy activities 33:29 - Trend 11: After-hours entertainment 40:19 - Trend 12: Closing Advice for 2025 44:38 - Like, comment, subscribe, and connect with pc/nametag!

    45 min
  • 12 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Welcome to ”The Event Connection” by pc/nametag, your favorite place for event tips, trends and strategies! Join us as we share upbeat stories, emerging trends, and memorable moments shaping the events industry. You’ll hear expert insights that celebrate the power of connection—all with a touch of fun! From sustainable event planning to event tech trends, experiential marketing ideas, and everything in between, you’re bound to learn something new from the event enthusiasts at pc/nametag! 🔥 Whether you’re planning large-scale conferences, designing unforgettable social experiences, or exploring the latest event trends, this podcast will keep you informed, inspired, and ahead of the game. 🔔 Subscribe to The Event Connection on your favorite podcast platform!

Information

  • Creator
    pc/nametag
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    12
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    The Event Connection