The expectations surrounding live events are changing—and organizers can no longer rely on a familiar format or a strong agenda alone to fill the room. In this episode of No More Bad Events, Scott welcomes Jim Russell, Global Head of Business Event Solutions for Maritz, a global experience design company, for a timely conversation about how event professionals can prepare for the needs and preferences of today’s attendees while building for the generations that will define the future of events. Drawing on Maritz’s Next Gen Proofing Your Events report, Jim shares research and perspective on what leads younger attendees, including Gen Z, to decide an event is worth their time, money, and attention. They explore why attendees increasingly want more than information and traditional networking. Connection, community, relevance, and an experience that cannot be replicated online are becoming central to the value proposition. Scott and Jim also discuss how personalization can simplify the attendee journey, why intentional introductions and reverse mentoring matter, and how hands-on learning can be more effective than passive session formats. The conversation also looks at designing experiences that work across generations, making destinations part of the agenda, and creating moments attendees will want to share. It is a practical discussion for event professionals seeking to balance proven approaches with the evolving expectations of the people they hope to bring together.
GUEST BIO:
Jim Russell is a transformational leader with 35+ years shaping the meetings and events industry. A former EVP at Freeman and VP at PSAV, he brings deep expertise in global P&L leadership, client experience innovation, and behavioral science informed engagement. Jim currently serves as Chair of MPI's International Board of Directors and is founder of Veterans in Ascension, a nonprofit supporting the veteran community.
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ABOUT NO MORE BAD EVENTS:
Brought to you by eSpeakers and hosted by professional emcee, host, and keynote speaker Scott Bloom, No More Bad Events is where you’ll hear from some of the top names in the event and speaking industry about what goes on behind the scenes at the world’s most perfectly executed conferences, meetings, and more. Get ready to learn the secrets and strategies to help anyone in the event industry reach their goal of putting on nothing less than world-class events.
Learn more at nomorebadevents.com.
ABOUT THE HOST:
A veteran comedian and television personality who has built a reputation as the go-to choice for business humor, Scott has hosted hundreds of events over two decades for big and small organizations alike. Scott has also hosted his own weekly VH1 series and recently co-hosted a national simulcast of the Grammy Awards from the Palace Theater.
As the son of a successful salesman, he was exposed to the principles of building a business at an early age. As a comedian, Scott cut his teeth at renowned improv and comedy clubs. As a self-taught student of psychology, he’s explored what makes people tick and has written a book (albeit a farce) on how to get through life. He’s uniquely positioned to deliver significant notes on connecting people and making business seriously funny. And who doesn’t like to laugh?
Learn more about Scott: scottbloomconnects.com
PRODUCED BY eSpeakers:
When the perfect speaker is in front of the right audience, a kind of magic happens where organizations and individuals improve in substantial, long-term ways. eSpeakers exists to make this happen more often.
eSpeakers is where the speaking industry does business on the web. Speakers, speaker managers, associations, and bureaus use our tools to organize, promote, and grow successful businesses. Event organizers think of eSpeakers first when they want to hire speakers for their meetings or events.
The eSpeakers Marketplace technology lets us and our partner directories help meeting professionals worldwide connect directly with speakers for great engagements.
Thousands of successful speakers, trainers, and coaches use eSpeakers to build their businesses and manage their calendars. Thousands of event organizers use our directories every day to find and hire speakers. Our tools are built for speakers, by speakers, to do things that only purpose-built systems can.
Learn more at eSpeakers.com.
SHOW CREDITS: