Podcast Summary: Ep. 273 - EVENTS are Changing! with Event Industry Legend Dahlia El Gazzar

Podcast Information:

• Title: Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson l Presented By Marigold
• Host: GURU Media Hub
• Guest: Dahlia El Gazzar, Founder of Dalia Plus Agency
• Release Date: February 14, 2025

Introduction

In Episode 273 of "Do This, NOT That!", host Jay Schwedelson welcomes industry giant Dahlia El Gazzar to discuss the evolving landscape of event management. The conversation centers around shifting focus from pleasing the C-suite to prioritizing audience needs, ensuring events are engaging, memorable, and tailored to attendee expectations.

Dahlia El Gazzar’s Journey into the Events Industry

Background and Early Experiences

Dahlia shares her unconventional entry into the events industry, recounting her first major event—a camel race in Sharm el Sheikh. She explains how negotiating with Bedouins led to establishing an annual camel race that continues to this day.

• Quote:

  “I went, negotiated with the Bedouin, said, we're going to put a bunch of numbers on camels. We're going to call it the annual camel race. And we brought in buses full of Italians, Germans, Swiss, you name it. And it became an annual camel race.” — Dahlia El Gazzar (03:23)

This experience highlights her knack for innovative event solutions and her ability to create lasting, culturally unique events.

The Current State of Events: Challenges and Misconceptions

Common Pitfalls in Event Planning

Dahlia addresses why not all events are successful, emphasizing that many fail because they lack a clear focus on what attendees truly want. She criticizes the tendency of organizers to prioritize budget and grandiose elements over the attendee experience.

• Quote:

  “When you think of an event, it truly has to be some kind of experience that is laser focused on what the stakeholders want.” — Dahlia El Gazzar (04:09)

Misuse of Data and Resistance to Virtual Formats

She points out that while data is abundant, it’s often underutilized. Additionally, there's a persistent misconception that virtual events are ineffective, a notion she firmly disputes.

• Quote:

  “Where people for the longest time they're like, we’re not going to do virtual because nobody’s going to come to it. And you can attest that that is a freaking lie.” — Dahlia El Gazzar (05:12)

Designing Events with Audience-Centric Focus

Tailoring Events to Audience Needs

Dahlia emphasizes the importance of understanding and prioritizing the audience's specific needs. She advocates for events to be experience-driven rather than format-driven, ensuring that each event element serves the attendee’s interests.

• Quote:

  “If you really focus on what your attendees want and like even the Micro targets that you are trying to get to an event. Events will be designed in a very different format.” — Dahlia El Gazzar (05:45)

Innovative Event Formats

She encourages stepping out of traditional event formats by incorporating interactive and immersive elements. For example, instead of static displays, events should offer hands-on experiences that engage attendees actively.

• Quote:

  “Let them play with it, let them be in it, let it be immersive.” — Dahlia El Gazzar (10:04)

Creating Memorable and Engaging Experiences

Surprise and Delight

Dahlia underscores the significance of creating moments that surprise and delight attendees, making the event memorable beyond just the content delivered.

• Quote:

  “They need to think of what are those experiences within the event that will either surprise and delight their attendees.” — Dahlia El Gazzar (07:23)

Emotional Engagement

She highlights that the emotional impact of an event—how attendees feel—often outweighs the actual content. Ensuring that participants feel valued and connected is crucial for the event's success.

• Quote:

  “It's the exchange. It's the connections that you make, and then it is the allowance of you to continue those connections after you leave.” — Dahlia El Gazzar (11:37)

Enhancing Networking and Continued Engagement

Facilitating Meaningful Connections

Dahlia advises integrating structured networking opportunities within events to foster deeper connections among attendees. Activities like interactive discussions and collaborative challenges can enhance camaraderie.

• Quote:

  “When they start meeting each other at the conference itself, they already have that relationship.” — Dahlia El Gazzar (13:27)

Post-Event Engagement

She stresses the importance of enabling attendees to maintain connections post-event through platforms like social media and dedicated forums, ensuring the event's impact extends beyond its duration.

• Quote:

  “Whether it's via Instagram Live or whether it's the forums that HubSpot has, you need that continuation.” — Dahlia El Gazzar (12:15)

Practical Advice for Event Organizers

Balanced Focus on Content, Experience, and Networking

Dahlia advises event planners to allocate equal importance to content quality, experiential elements, and networking opportunities. Neglecting any of these pillars can result in a subpar event experience.

• Quote:

  “You need to have it all be equal—the content, the networking, and the experience, or else it's going to be horrible.” — Host (13:52)

Injecting New Ideas and Creativity

She encourages organizers to continuously innovate and incorporate fresh ideas into their events. Bringing in charismatic talent and utilizing unique interactive elements can significantly enhance attendee engagement.

• Quote:

  “Get someone in that can just inject new ideas. Go crazy.” — Dahlia El Gazzar (10:54)

Personalized Experiences for All Event Sizes

Whether organizing a large conference or a small internal workshop, Dalia emphasizes tailoring the event experience to fit the specific audience and context, ensuring relevance and engagement.

Closing Remarks and How to Connect with Dahlia El Gazzar

Dahlia's Contact Information

Dahlia invites listeners to engage with her through various channels to collaborate on innovative event solutions:

• Website: daliaplus.com
• Phone: 617-470-2655
• LinkedIn: Active presence for professional connections

Host’s Endorsement

Jay Schwedelson endorses Dahlia’s expertise, highlighting her pivotal role as a strategic advisor for the upcoming virtual event, Eventastic.

• Quote:

  “Eventastic.com we've got Dahlia on board. I wouldn't do her without her was the first call I made. So Dahlia, you're awesome and thanks for being here.” — Host (17:16)

Conclusion

Episode 273 of "Do This, NOT That!" offers invaluable insights into the evolving dynamics of the event industry with Dahlia El Gazzar. Emphasizing audience-centric design, memorable experiences, and innovative networking, Dahlia provides actionable strategies for event organizers to enhance engagement and ensure their events resonate with attendees. Her expertise underscores the importance of balancing content, experience, and networking to create events that are not only successful but also impactful and lasting.

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