Corporate Event Logistics

The bigger the table, the worse the experience at the head of the table in Microsoft Teams Rooms - with a single camera. Large tables CAN work with multiple cameras. But here's where it falls apart: * Multiple cameras need systematic design, not "add more cameras". * Camera switching logic must match conversation flow, not random cuts. * Audio zones need precise correlation with camera views. * Participants need predictable, stable framing - not AI deciding moment by moment. Instead, we risk poorly programmed multi-camera systems that create jarring cuts, confusing perspectives, and motion sickness for remote viewers. The AI promise? "It'll figure it out automatically." The reality? Not quite. It’s like the basic AI premise: the better the prompt, the better the product. Or, for older viewers: garbage in, garbage out… It's not just the head of the table. Long rectangular "bowling alley" tables create multiple equity problems: * Remote participants see a line of backs and profiles, not faces * Side conversations exclude the camera entirely * Status signalling through seating position * Physical barriers to natural interaction Traditional boardroom furniture fundamentally conflicts with hybrid meeting requirements. The EASE Reality Environment comes first in the EASE framework for exactly this reason. You cannot ‘camera your way out’ of poor spatial planning. * Environment: Table design and room layout that naturally includes camera and remote participants * Audio: Furniture and room arrangements enabling clear sound paths * Screens: Display positioning serving all participants, not just the "important" seats * Equity: Spatial design where everyone can contribute equally by default - especially remote participants. Microsoft's Hive research showed this clearly - their "guitar pick" shaped tables bring everyone into the camera's field of view. The furniture enables the technology, not the other way around. How much equity technology have you had to specify to compensate for table arrangements that were wrong from the start? If your meeting room has a "head of the table," you've probably got designed in inequality - no amount of AI will fix that. To learn more about EASE and GJC's other consulting, training and coaching services, please see the link in the comments section below. #MicrosoftTeamsRooms #AVTweeps #EASEMethodology #UX4AV #HybridMeetings #AVUserGroup #LTSMG #Schoms #AVIXA

You’ve just joined a mid-size company as a GRC Coordinator. Your manager asks you to support an upcoming vendor risk review. One of the company’s key third-party platforms experienced a minor outage last month. Leadership now wants better visibility into vendor risk before renewing the contract. You begin by checking if the vendor has submitted any recent documentation. You locate an outdated security questionnaire from over two years ago. It mentions a legacy data center setup, but the vendor now operates entirely in the cloud. That discrepancy is a red flag. You reach out to the vendor, letting them know your company is refreshing its records. You send over a short but targeted questionnaire with updated questions about incident response, encryption practices, and subcontractors. You also ask for any available certifications, like a SOC 2 report or ISO 27001. Internally, you check with Procurement and IT to understand the vendor’s role. It turns out this vendor supports customer login and account access, which means their reliability directly impacts the user experience. You mark them as high impact and recommend that they be monitored more closely. You update your team’s vendor risk tracker with the new responses and supporting files. In your notes, you recommend moving this vendor to the quarterly reassessment schedule instead of annual, based on their business function and the recency of the outage. 1. You identified a risk based on outdated information. 2. You improved visibility by asking for updated documentation. 3. You flagged a business-critical system and recommended changes to the review cadence. 4. You kept your company informed and protected with practical follow-up. You don’t have to be a vendor risk expert to add value. You just need to ask the right questions, connect with the right people, and document what you find clearly.

🛠️ Project Procurement Management is essential for establishing effective relationships with outside vendors and suppliers. It helps secure the goods and services necessary for successful project completion. This structured process ensures that projects are finished on time and within budget. ♦️Types of Contracts; 🅰️ Fixed Price Contracts (FP) 🅱️ Cost Reimbursable Contracts (CR) 🆎 Time and Materials Contracts (M&T) ♦️ Key Steps : 1️⃣ Determine Needed Purchases To kick things off, start with: 1.Market Research**: Identify potential vendors and estimate costs for the required items. 2.Make or Buy Analysis**: Evaluate whether to produce internally or purchase externally, considering both risk and cost. 3 Source Selection Criteria**: Establish clear criteria for evaluating potential vendors to find the best fit. 4 Bid Documents**: Prepare essential documents like Requests for Proposal (RFP) and Statements of Work (SOW). 2️⃣ Identify & Select Vendors Next, it’s time to choose your vendors: 1. Advertising:Promote procurement opportunities to attract vendor proposals. 2. Evaluation:Assess proposals against the established criteria to ensure quality. 3. Awarding Contract:Negotiate terms with the selected vendor to finalize the procurement. 4. Bidder Conference:Hold an open forum for interested vendors to learn about the procurement process, ensuring ethical standards are upheld. 3️⃣ Contract Writing Once you’ve selected a vendor, focus on: Clear Contracts :Draft and finalize contracts that detail terms, conditions, and expectations for both parties involved. 📄 4️⃣. Implement & Manage Contracts Now, it’s time to implement and manage: 1. Contract Management:Oversee the contractual relationship to ensure compliance throughout the project. 2. Performance Monitoring:Continuously track contract performance to meet project requirements effectively. 3. Change Management:Adjust contracts as the project evolves and new needs arise. 4. Contract Closure:Complete all formalities when the contract concludes, ensuring everything is wrapped up neatly. 5️⃣. Closing and Completing : To wrap it up: 1. Confirm Obligations:Ensure all contractual obligations have been met before concluding. 2. Evaluate Performance: Conduct evaluations of vendor performance to learn and improve. 3. Manage Project Conclusions: -Waterfall Projects**: Rely on detailed SOWs to manage risks, but be aware that this may limit flexibility. - **Agile Projects**: Utilize less detailed SOWs for greater adaptability to changing needs and circumstances. 6️⃣. Monitoring & Continuous Improvement Finally, maintain momentum through: 1. Monitor: Regularly assess contract performance. 2. Communicate: Keep open vendor communication. 3. Resolve: Address issues quickly to maintain momentum. #ProjectProcurementManagement#.

When does a brand event start? At the door? In the queue? No. It starts with the invite. A great invite isn’t just paper; it’s an experience. It builds hype, sets the tone, and sparks anticipation. Done right, it’s a branding weapon - ripe for social sharing. Some brands that have got it right; 💌 Fendi – Dropped limited-edition Fendi pasta with Rummo. 💌 Jacquemus – Sent toast that, revealed event details after you ate it. 💌 Louis Vuitton – Custom beer pong and card sets under Virgil’s reign. 💌 Balenciaga – Chocolate bars, cracked iPhones; they’ve done it all. 💌 Diesel – Teamed up with Durex to send branded condoms as show invites. 💌 Off-White – Designed their own board game as an invite. So, what can you do to help get the hype started at the invite stage; 💌 Start Early - A creative invite takes time. Concept, design, production - it’s never a last-minute task. The earlier you start, the better your chance the invitation lands, letting the anticipation begin. 💌 Know Your Guests - Lock in your primary guest list early. You need addresses for a physical invite strategy, and smooth delivery is part of the strategy. This is especially important when you’re trying to lock in social talent who are always on the move. 💌Strong Theme - A strong brand experience and campaign theme fuel creativity at every touchpoint. The bolder the theme, the better the invite and the more creative you can be. 💌Collectable, Useable or Edible - If it’s physical, make it collectable, usable, or edible. It should be something they’ll keep, wear, or taste - not trash. Bonus points if it relates to something they can use at the event. I’ve created hundreds of brand experiences, and I always suggest a creative invite strategy when we start planning. It doesn’t even have to be physical. A sleek microsite (like we did for Greene King) can fuel anticipation just as much. The point is to make the invite part of the experience. It’s another chance to amplify your brand. Do you have any other ideas for a creative invitation strategy?

Organizing Digital Innovation Festival was a journey full of insights and lessons. Through the series #DIFLessons, I'll be sharing the key takeaways we learned along the way—starting with the essentials of solid event planning. Here’s Lesson 1: 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 📅 For an event like DIF, early planning is crucial. Ideally, start at least 6 months ahead—if possible, begin right after the previous year’s event. Why? Because if you’re seeking international partners, speakers, or sponsors, timing is everything. 𝟭 — 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: Large companies and international organizations allocate budgets for the upcoming year by the end of the current one. Get on their radar early to secure a spot in their plans. 🎯 𝟮 — 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲-𝘂𝗽: High-profile speakers—CEOs, international experts, or anyone you envision headlining your event—are often booked months in advance. Make sure your event date is set on their calendar at least 3 months before. 𝟯 — 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴: Schedule your event strategically. Avoid conflicting with major international events to keep your audience and potential speakers fully engaged. 📌 𝟰 — 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Engage with your audience early. Give participants and your target audience time to pencil in your event date. 🗓️ Even with meticulous planning, expect last-minute changes. Speakers may cancel, or schedules might shift. Always have backup plans and alternate speakers ready. 🔑 Key takeaway: Thoughtful planning doesn’t eliminate surprises, but it ensures you’re prepared to handle them. See you next week for Lesson 2 in #DIFLessons! S.T

Your lanyard says "delegate." They hear: "nobody." In a world desperate for connection, belonging is what matters. When community and belonging become the cornerstone of events, magic happens. Here's what I've learned after decades creating participant-first events: 1️⃣ Design Around Stories, Not Schedules → Don't start with the agenda → Start with your event purpose and your participants' stories → What challenges are they facing? What victories have they achieved? → Build your event framework around their narratives, not your timeline 2️⃣ Small Groups, Mighty Conversations → Create "breakthrough groups" of 6-8 people, staying together throughout the event → They become each other's support system - celebrating wins, solving challenges, staying connected 3️⃣ Shared Experiences Build Trust → Take inspiration from Dreamforce's "Circle of Success" format → Peers coach peers, sharing solutions to common challenges → When participants collaborate, lasting bonds form naturally 4️⃣ Make Them the Headlines → Traditional events put speakers on pedestals. Flip it → Explore session formats: fishbowls, world café, unconferences → Have participants interview keynote speakers. Let them moderate panels. → Turn your "experts" into conversation catalysts 5️⃣ Build Living Legacy → Create a digital "Event Impact Journal" where participants document their journey → Their insights become next year's content → Their success stories fuel future events 6️⃣ Psychology of Belonging → The human brain processes social exclusion in the same regions as physical pain → Design your event to trigger belonging cues: shared challenges, collective achievements, and most importantly - opportunities for every voice to be heard Remember: An event without participant voice is just a very expensive monologue. I dive deeper into these participant-first principles in my upcoming book The Chief Event Officer's Playbook - How to Create Transformational Events. (Image is me celebrating manuscript submission day at my kitchen table). When was the last time an event made you feel truly seen? 🎯 💡For more event strategy insights, subscribe to the Chief Event Officer's Digest. https://lnkd.in/gdqN9UUi

Vendor Management Vendor management refers to the process of overseeing and controlling a company's relationships with its vendors or suppliers. It involves selecting the right vendors, negotiating contracts, maintaining effective communication, monitoring performance, and ensuring compliance with agreed terms. The goal of vendor management is to ensure that vendors deliver goods or services on time, meet quality standards, and contribute to the overall success of the business. Key components of vendor management include: Vendor Selection: Identifying and selecting vendors that can provide the products or services needed by the business. This involves evaluating vendors based on criteria such as quality, cost, reputation, reliability, and capacity. Contract Negotiation: Negotiating terms of the agreement, such as pricing, delivery schedules, payment terms, and service-level expectations. Clear contracts ensure both parties understand their responsibilities. Performance Monitoring: Regularly monitoring and assessing the vendor's performance against agreed-upon metrics. This could include evaluating product quality, delivery timelines, customer service, and adherence to contract terms. Communication and Relationship Management: Maintaining open lines of communication with vendors to resolve issues, clarify expectations, and build strong, long-term relationships. Strong relationships can lead to better deals and service over time. Risk Management: Identifying and mitigating risks associated with vendor relationships, such as financial instability, supply chain disruptions, or quality control issues. Compliance and Audits: Ensuring that vendors comply with legal, ethical, and industry-specific standards. Regular audits or reviews may be conducted to ensure compliance with contractual terms. Dispute Resolution: Addressing any conflicts or disagreements between the business and its vendors in a timely and professional manner. This may involve mediation, negotiation, or legal action. Effective vendor management can help a company reduce costs, improve quality, enhance operational efficiency, and manage risk. It also plays a significant role in achieving a company's strategic objectives by ensuring that external partnerships are aligned with its goals.

This happens a lot. 👇 A brand drops big bucks to sponsor a trade show booth. The team feels underwhelmed with the leads they collected. Repeat. I’m not anti-trade show booths. Sometimes they’re a great move, especially if they’re paired with strong pre- and post-event strategies. But often, they’re a missed opportunity to think bigger and more creatively. What if, instead of putting $20k into a booth, you sent a couple of sales reps to the trade show to network and set up 1:1 meetings? Then, after the event, analyze your leads: What city are most of these opportunities in? Take that data, and a month later, go back to that city for a high-touch, intimate field marketing event. Think out of the booth: - A private cooking class with a chef for your top 10 prospects - Renting out the Nike store and letting guests design their own sneakers - A small, private country concert where everyone leaves with custom cowboy boots These events aren’t just about lead generation—they’re about making your audience feel special, seen, and remembered. And honestly? For a fraction of the cost of some trade show booths, they can leave a much bigger impact. What’s the most creative field marketing event you’ve ever seen? I’d love to hear it! #fieldmarketing #eventmarketing

Improved Management of External Parties in FSSC 22000 Version 6: External Parties: 1. Suppliers 2. Contractors 3. Service Providers 4. Transporters 5. Distributors 6. Wholesalers 7. Retailers Key Changes in Version 6: 1. Enhanced risk assessment for external parties 2. Strengthened supplier management 3. Increased focus on outsourced processes 4. Clarified requirements for contractor management 5. Emphasis on communication and collaboration Implementation Steps: Supplier Management: 1. Conduct risk assessments for suppliers 2. Develop and implement a supplier approval process 3. Establish clear specifications and requirements 4. Monitor supplier performance and compliance 5. Conduct regular audits and evaluations Contractor Management: 1. Conduct risk assessments for contractors 2. Develop and implement contractor approval process 3. Establish clear requirements and specifications 4. Monitor contractor performance and compliance 5. Conduct regular audits and evaluations Outsourced Processes: 1. Identify and assess risks for outsourced processes 2. Develop and implement controls for outsourced processes 3. Establish clear requirements and specifications 4. Monitor performance and compliance 5. Conduct regular audits and evaluations Communication and Collaboration: 1. Establish clear communication channels 2. Define roles and responsibilities 3. Conduct regular meetings and reviews 4. Share information and best practices 5. Collaborate on continuous improvement Documentation and Records: 1. Maintain records of external party assessments 2. Document supplier and contractor approvals 3. Keep records of outsourced process controls 4. Maintain communication and collaboration records 5. Review and update documentation regularly Benefits: 1. Reduced risks associated with external parties 2. Improved supply chain management 3. Enhanced regulatory compliance 4. Increased customer trust 5. Better quality and food safety Challenges and Best Practices: 1. Identifying and assessing risks 2. Implementing and maintaining controls 3. Ensuring compliance and adherence 4. Maintaining effective communication 5. Monitoring and addressing non-conformities Tools and Resources: 1. FSSC 22000 Guidelines for External Parties 2. GFSI Guidance on Supplier Management 3. Industry-specific guidelines and best practices 4. Risk assessment and management tools 5. Training programs for personnel

One overlooked CQV risk hiding in plain sight: Document control. (And it usually shows up after the SAT.) You’re in the thick of a major validation project. FAT is complete, equipment is onsite, and now you’re preparing SAT, Commissioning and IOQ protocols… But the editable SAT documents? → You don’t have them. Because no one clarified that in the agreement. Now you're emailing the vendor (again), trying to merge FAT data manually - while your team’s on the clock and your CQV schedule’s already tight. Here’s what I’ve learned the hard way: 📌 Document control isn’t just internal - it’s contractual. For complex projects with external vendors, define the rules early: 1. Spell out documentation deliverables. Editable Word docs? PDFs? Redlines? Version history? Don’t assume - write it into the contract. 2. Clarify usage rights and IP upfront. Want to repurpose their SAT template for internal validation use? You’ll need clear permission to avoid downstream friction. 3. Use version control across teams. Internal or external, protocols must live in a central, controlled system. One wrong version in execution can invalidate a whole test run. Bottom line: Vendor docs become your validation docs. Treat them like critical assets - not afterthoughts. (And if you haven’t asked your vendor for editable SAT protocols yet… now’s the time.) 💬 How are you managing version control and documentation rights with external partners? #CQV #ValidationStrategy #VendorManagement #GMPCompliance #DocumentControl #SAT #FAT #LifeSciences #Ellab #TemperatureMatters