Ready or Not, Here They Come: 5 Post-Pandemic Conference Design Changes

VIRTUAL Program - Thursday, July 15

9:45 am ET - Early Bird Networking

10:00 am ET - Virtual Programming Begins

Meeting planners are at the nexus of change. We take pride when our creativity shines. If there’s ever a time to try something new or different – to shake things up and let go of some past rituals – this is the time where organizations and stakeholders will permit it.

Dave Lutz believes that associations are open to making changes in their meetings, especially when bringing participants back after such a long break. And he’s got specific trends in mind which are already taking hold.

Join us as we welcome a well-respected thought leader who’s got his finger on the pulse of our industry. Hear about the five changes he has identified as well as his opinions on live streaming, virtual expos, hybrid meetings, and more.

SPecial Guest

Dave Lutz
Managing Director, Velvet Chainsaw Consulting

In 2006, Dave founded Velvet Chainsaw Consulting, an industry-leading business improvement consulting firm that helps conference & tradeshow organizers grow or transform their major face-to-face events. Prior to going down the consulting road, Dave was with Experient for 22 years where he served as President of the Meeting Planning and Registration divisions. He has also served on the Board of Directors of two leading event technology companies – Passkey and eventcore.

Dave is a frequent industry speaker and pens thought-provoking articles to help meeting owners and professionals’ progress. For over a decade, he has authored a monthly column in PCMA’s Convene magazine on performance improvement for annual conferences and trade shows.

Moderator

Phil Rappoport
Virlybird

Phil founded Virlybird to support meeting planners in their quest to deliver quality virtual/digital meeting experiences. Prior to Virlybird, he served as VP and General Manager of the AgendaPop mobile event app, which has been trusted by planners around the world. Phil is the VP, Communications for the MPI Potomac Chapter, and is a member of PCMA, ASAE, SGMP, AMPs, and CSAE. He has served as the programming lead for the Reston Herndon Meeting Planners for several years and conceived the popular Summer Camp event. His career has spanned the Internet and broadcasting, holding management positions at AOL, Surefire Local, Sony Corporation, Fox Television New York, and radio stations in Chicago, Cincinnati, and New York. He also produced a weekly late-night program for the ABC Television Network featuring the top rock and roll artists.

Technical Producer

VINNU DESHETTY
General Manager

EVAreg.com

As a technology advocate, Vinnu helps clients embrace tools that improve their attendee experiences while making the meeting planner's job easier. With over 20 years experience in conference and event planning, Vinnu's portfolio ranges from working with government agencies including Internal Revenue Service and Department of Defense to social justice organizations like National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance. With her meeting planner hat, Vinnu works with a team of developers at EVAreg.com to customize registration and virtual conference portals.

Raised as a coal miner’s daughter in western Kentucky, Vinnu stays true to her southern roots by valuing community in both her personal and professional lives. She obtained a Bachelors of Science from Vanderbilt University and a Masters of Public Administration.