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! 

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!

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

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@gmail.com and asking for your copy!

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.

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! 

Explores easy event promotion 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.

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.

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!