A Journey of EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT AT IMEX LAS VEGAS

Have you ever thought that a story you could tell or the knowledge you could share might impact the career of others? Speaking engagements hold an incredible power in our industry and our very own Director, Cat Kevern, was invited out to Las Vegas to do just that at IMEX Vegas. As the show draws to an end, we look back and reflect on what an incredible experience it was.

DAY 1

Over the course of the last few days, Cat spoke on 2 occasions, the first being a live recording of Meetings Today's podcast ‘Dare to Interrupt’ hosted by Courtney Stanley, which saw leaders sharing their significant accomplishments and challenges. Key takeaways included fostering an environment supportive of women in leadership and empowering event leaders from all around the world.

If you have ever spoken with Cat, you will know how open she is about her experiences and journey; creating her own personal success but also spearheading positive change in the industry, through her work as chair of NOWIE: The Network of Women in Events.

With thousands of exhibitors, heaps of sessions and activations happening all day, attendees certainly had to plan their days meticulously to make the most of everything on offer. Cat and Josh Heyburn (Founder of Festivall Services) enjoyed attending seminars, including one by our very own client: Helen Moon (Founder of EventWell). The topic was neuroinclusivity in the workplace and discussed myth-busting and sharing best practices.

The second was delivered by David Jaime from LE Productions with an intriguing topic of "Finding and minding red flag employees." After the talk, a group of eager business owners and managers hung around to chat with David, in what turned into an impromptu fireside chat. One of the crucial takeaways that stayed with Cat is that “As employers, we focus on what our team is doing, but it's even more important to turn our attention inwards. What culture are we setting as leaders? Are we communicating clear expectations for our teams and are we fostering an environment, conducive to positive development?”

DAY 2

Wednesday was a really fun, jam-packed day of meetings, talks and activations for Cat with her NOWIE hat on. Approaching a decade after she entered the industry Cat shared her insights and experiences from running her own business, freelancing in events and marketing, and her role within the NOWIE team.

Cat had the pleasure of hosting a speed networking session for 13 pairs of attendees. The feedback was highly positive, with connections being forged at the speed of light and participants noting a boost in their confidence. Plus, everyone loved the novel concept of speed networking.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, it was time for the highly anticipated MPI Rendezvous at Drai’s Beach Club, for a little light-hearted fun. And what better way to end the day than with a lively and spirited party, where laughter, dance, and celebration reigned supreme. Cheers to a second day filled with success and fun!

DAY 3

The fun from the second day did not stop on day 3, it continued to be the springboard for lots of new connections! There was one talk that stuck with Cat from day 3 and that was the talk by Dahlia El Gazzar entitled “Risk-averse or risk taker? How to strike the right balance”. This included a risk-taking personality test and Cat, found to her surprise (but maybe not ours 😉) that she is definitely a big risk-taker and it often pays off!

A couple of the questions were; when making a decision do you: go for gut instincts, weighing up pros and cons or seeking advice; how do you approach big decisions? This all led to a pretty interesting chat about setting a framework for decision-making, something that might be a new topic to some of us.

All in all, IMEX Vegas was an absolute pleasure to be a part of and an invaluable experience for Cat. So many good talks and amazing people to speak to that we are looking forward to the months to come! We can also start to get excited about IMEX Frankfurt taking place 14-16th of May 2024, who’s going?

Written by: Ruth Saunders on 24/10/23