Event Planning

SHOWING TRACTION BEFORE YOU HAVE TRACTION Everybody knows that startups thrive when they have “real” traction — that is revenue, active users, great retention curves, and a fast growth rate. However, startups also find themselves in a catch-22 where they're not able to raise money to get real traction and thus struggle to get there in the real place. So what choice do new founders have to show traction before they have "real traction"? The answer to this explains the move towards cinematic launch trailers, B2B-oriented accelerators, waitlists, preorders, startup parties, building in public, and many of the other go-to-market trends that have emerged over the last few years. These are all tactics that are low-volume, hard to scale, but relatively deterministic, making them attractive to new startups that want to show precursors to real traction. These precursors end up being metrics like video views or number of waitlist sign-ups. Or SF tpot buzz. Or pipeline logos. Are these things as good as revenue? No. However, are they better than nothing? Yes. Let's take cinematic launch videos as an example. These have become very popular over the last year because of their high novelty value. The fact that social media feeds lend more real estate towards video, the fact that they are cheap to create but not too cheap, and as a result they have a tendency to go viral and rack up millions of views for a new product. Depending on how professionally you want it to be done, it can cost as much as $50,000 for a few minutes of spot. Or do it on a shoe string. For hardware/deeptech companies, the existence of this tactic is a godsend. It might take them more than a year from inception to get the first version of a prototype out. And scale production may take them even longer. To show real traction, that is, revenue growth and retention, is going to take ages. Way too long to get investors and employees excited about joining the company. Although creating a cinematic launch trailer costs money and effort, $50,000 is a lot less than waiting over a year to get your units actually manufactured and ready to ship You can argue that if your launch trailer actually gets millions of views, you do learn something. You validated that there's some kind of demand. Enough for people to watch the video, be excited, share it, and potentially comment. This isn't real traction, but it is precursor traction that tells you something. There is a continuum between precursor traction and real traction that's fuzzy, and you can often bridge the two. For example, rather than video views, isn't it better to drive people towards a landing page where they can put in their emails? Getting their emails shows deeper customer intent, and allows you to stretch your engagement capabilities past the initial viral spike and into a longer back-and-forth with a potential customer.

Stop telling people to protect wildlife. Start paying them. That's the idea by a new experiment in Kapuas Hulu district, in Indonesia’s West Kalimantan province, which is testing whether conservation can be made to work with local incentives rather than against them. The initiative, known as KehatiKu, asks residents to record wildlife sightings in exchange for modest payments. In its first year, the program has generated a large volume of data while drawing hundreds of participants into regular contact with the forests around them, reports Linnea Hoover. The premise is straightforward. Participants download an app and submit photos, audio, or video of animals they encounter. Payments vary by species, from a few thousand rupiah for common birds to more substantial sums for rarer animals such as orangutans. Observations are verified before payments are distributed at month’s end. The process is simple enough to fit into daily routines, yet structured enough to produce usable data. The scale is notable. More than 800 observers across nine villages have recorded roughly 300 to 400 sightings a day. That has produced a dataset covering species from hornbills to gibbons. The cost, by the standards of conservation programs, is low. Borneo Futures, the project’s organizer, estimate spending of under $1 per hectare annually across a 200,000-hectare area. The effects extend beyond data collection. In some villages, residents have begun to discourage hunting and trapping. Informal agreements have taken hold, supported by the new income stream tied to living wildlife. For a few participants, the activity has become a primary source of earnings, comparable to or exceeding typical local wages. The approach reflects a frustration with earlier efforts. Large sums have been spent on species protection with mixed results. KehatiKu attempts a different route, placing small, direct incentives in the hands of those who encounter wildlife most often. Early results suggest that modest incentives can shift attention and, in some cases, behavior. If that alignment between livelihoods and living wildlife holds, it may offer a practical model for conservation that grows from the interests of the people most closely tied to the forest. 🦧 Full story: https://lnkd.in/g-63cfyi

Polling vs Webhooks As systems grow more complex, choosing the right update strategy becomes crucial. Let me break down the two primary approaches that define real-time data synchronization: Polling: The Traditional Approach • Client periodically requests updates • Predictable but resource-intensive • Full control over request timing • Higher latency, higher costs at scale Webhooks: The Modern Push System • Server notifies client of changes • Event-driven and efficient • Near real-time updates • Better resource utilization Concrete Implementation Examples: Polling Works Best For: 1. Payment status checks 2. Order tracking systems 3. Basic monitoring tools 4. MVP implementations 5. Systems with predictable update patterns Webhooks Excel In: 1. Payment processing (PayPal) 2. Repository events (GitHub) 3. CRM integrations (Salesforce) 4. E-commerce inventory updates 5. Real-time messaging systems Key Decision Factors: - Update frequency requirements - Infrastructure complexity tolerance - Development team expertise - System scalability needs - Budget constraints Currently implementing these in production? Both approaches have their place. The key is matching the solution to your specific requirements rather than following trends.

The first 5 minutes of your workshop decide everything. Most facilitators waste them. Here's what typically happens in the first 5 minutes: → "Let me tell you a bit about myself..." → A slide with the agenda → An icebreaker that has nothing to do with the work → "Let's go around and share your name, role, and a fun fact" By minute 5, your participants have already decided: → Is this going to be worth my time? → Will I have to sit and listen all day? → Is this person going to lecture me or let me work? And most facilitators have accidentally answered all three questions wrong. Here's what the best facilitators do instead: Move 1: State the outcome in one sentence. (30 seconds) Not your bio. Not the agenda. Not a welcome slide. One sentence that tells the room exactly what they'll walk out with. → Not: "Today we'll explore team dynamics and communication." → Instead: "By 4pm, your team will have a written conflict resolution process you'll use starting Monday." That sentence does more work than any introduction. It tells participants this session has a point and their time won't be wasted. Move 2: Set the rules of the room. (60 seconds) → "You'll do 95% of the talking today. I'm here to run the process." → "Phones away unless you're using them for the exercises." → "You can disagree with anyone, including me. That's encouraged." Three sentences. Now everyone knows how this room works. No one's spending mental energy guessing. Move 3: Get them working immediately. (3 minutes) Not talking about the work. Doing the work. → "Grab a pen. Write down the one team conflict that's cost you the most time in the last month. You have 90 seconds." → "Turn to the person next to you. Share what you wrote. You have 2 minutes." Within 3 minutes, every person in the room has done something. They've committed an opinion to paper. They've spoken out loud. The session is no longer something happening to them. They're in it. That's your first 5 minutes: → 30 seconds: the outcome → 60 seconds: the rules → 3 minutes: first activity No bio. No agenda slide. No fun facts. Why this works: The first 5 minutes set the pattern for the entire session. If you start by talking at people, they expect to be talked at for the rest of the day. If you start by getting them working, they expect to keep working. You're not just opening a workshop. You're training the room on how this session operates. The facilitators who lose the room in hour 2 almost always made the same mistake: they spent the first 5 minutes telling the room this was going to be another session where someone talks and everyone else listens. By the time they try to get participation, the pattern was already set. First 5 minutes. Outcome. Rules. Work. Everything else follows from there. ___ Save this for later (three dots, top right). Share with friends → ♻️ Repost. Get consultant-grade workshops every Sat → https://lnkd.in/eSfeUapJ

Making your events more accessible for blind & visually impaired people really isn’t as hard as you think. Here are my top tips. 1. Provide precise venue information. Include things like clear drop off and pick up point information, what the key features of the building are, a rough description of where the toilets are, describe where the reception desk is, and let us know in advance if you’ll need a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan completed. Bonus points for using a service like Euan's Guide or AccessAble to provide specialist access information. 2. Provide as much event information as possible. Share all key details in advance, ideally by email in an accessible format. Include timings, speaker names, attendee names, a brief agenda, and any known accessibility considerations. It helps us plan travel, support, and energy levels and it also helps us know who’s attending so when we’re surprised with a “Hey Robbie!” we can narrow it down to who it might be. 3. Food information is key. It sounds simple, but make sure menus are firstly available, then accessible - even for buffets. Relying on a fellow attendee to tell me something “looks chickeney” gives me the absolute fear. Include dietary details in an electronic format we can read with a screen reader, and avoid handwritten or printed-only menus. Tell us how food will be served so we can prepare (for example, buffet vs plated service). 4. Ask about adjustments - don’t assume you’ll know what someone needs. Just ask the question when people register. Keep it open and inclusive, such as “Do you have any access requirements you’d like us to be aware of?” 5. Provide complimentary +1 places as an adjustment - if someone needs a guide, PA, or support worker to attend with them, they shouldn’t be charged double. It’s an inclusion basic that makes a big difference. 6. Finally, provide training to your staff and event volunteers. Organisations like The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and RNIB can help you here with things like sighted guide training. And most importantly - don’t wait until someone asks before you do this. It won’t help just blind people, it’ll help everyone. Think about this list - is there anything on here that genuine would help you as a sighted person? Build accessibility in from the start and everyone benefits. #DisabilityInclusion #Disability #DisabilityEmployment #Adjustments #DiversityAndInclusion #Content

🇫🇷 We’ve been deep diving into the Social Enterprise opportunities at the Paris Games and we’ve found some really interesting information. Starting with a Social Charter! Is this the benchmark and blueprint we need for the Brisbane games in 2032? 🐨🦘 SOLIDEO, a French public sector organisation overseeing the Olympics, implemented a Social Charter, with clear targets to ensure social enterprise engagement and to promote inclusive employment. They joined forces with the Yunus Centre for Social Business and the not-for-profit Les Canaux, to develop a tailored system to guarantee access to games-related contracts for businesses from the social and solidarity economy. 🎯 They set targets on spend in the social economy and in inclusive employment. It looks like both have been achieved with 460 social enterprises and local SME’s contracted by Paris 2024 in industries like construction, catering, furniture & laundry services. FUN FACTS: 🪑 11,000 chairs for the Aquatic Centre and the La Chappelle Arena are all made with sustainable materials created by three young entrepreneurs. 🇫🇷 A social enterprise that employs vulnerable women created the souvenirs for the games via a training & employment program and re used materials from the game’s construction sites. 🧺 A group of nine social businesses who employ people with disabilities won the contract for the cleaning and laundry services for the 24,000 residents of the Olympic and Paralympic Village. ☕️ A social enterprise collected used catering equipment and machinery from restaurant owners, before reconditioning them to reintroduce equipment to the Athletes’ Village’s food service. ♻️ A local not-for-profit employed people facing long-term unemployment to collect bio-waste to create energy and compost. We’re keen to see the final evaluations of this impact and use these learnings for a similar model in Brisbane 2032!

6-Step Methodology for Climate Risk Assessment 🌎 Addressing climate-related risks is increasingly essential as extreme weather events, resource scarcity, and ecosystem disruptions become more frequent and severe. Effective Climate Risk Management (CRM) equips governments, organizations, and communities with the tools to anticipate, prepare for, and mitigate these impacts. A structured approach to climate risk assessment not only identifies vulnerabilities but also informs proactive measures that protect lives, livelihoods, and essential infrastructure. The GP L&D’s 6-step methodology offers a practical, systematic framework for understanding and addressing climate risks, integrating these insights into public policies and investment decisions to build resilience and promote sustainable development. The first step in this methodology is to analyze the current status to determine information needs and set specific objectives. Establishing a clear baseline of vulnerabilities helps ensure that the entire process remains aligned with the climate resilience goals set out from the start. From here, a hotspot and capacity analysis is conducted, identifying regions and systems most exposed to climate risks—such as droughts or floods—and evaluating the local capacity to respond. This targeted analysis allows for efficient resource allocation by pinpointing areas of highest priority. The methodology then adapts to local contexts by developing a tailored approach that reflects unique socio-economic and environmental factors. This customization enhances the relevance and accuracy of the risk assessment, making it more actionable and specific to each setting. Following this, a comprehensive risk assessment is conducted, using both qualitative and quantitative measures to capture the full range of potential impacts. This dual assessment provides a complete understanding of direct impacts, such as infrastructure damage, and indirect consequences, like disruptions to livelihoods. An evaluation of risk tolerance follows, defining acceptable levels of risk and helping prioritize the most urgent interventions. This clarity on risk thresholds ensures that resources are directed to where they are most needed. Finally, the methodology identifies feasible, cost-effective measures to mitigate, adapt to, or prevent potential losses and damages. This step aligns recommended actions with budget and policy constraints, ensuring that interventions are practical and impactful. By adopting this structured approach, decision-makers can better manage climate risks, develop adaptive strategies, and enhance resilience tailored to local needs and resources. Source: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #climatechange #climateaction

Guerrilla Marketing?🚨 … isn’t a trend, it’s a wake‑up call. When attention is the new currency, and everyone’s drowning in ads, the brands that win are the ones bold enough to break the format. In a sea of programmatic noise and perfectly polished content, guerrilla marketing shows up where people least expect it, and makes them feel something. But what exactly is it? Guerrilla marketing takes its name from guerrilla warfare, known for low-cost, high-impact, and unconventional tactics designed to surprise and disrupt. In marketing, it’s about showing up in physical spaces with bold ideas that create emotional, cultural, and viral impact without relying on traditional media. Let’s break down 3 brands that didn’t just advertise, they created moments: Nike: To celebrate Air Max Day in London, Nike placed a giant inflatable sculpture of a man casually lounging in Air Max sneakers on a rooftop. Louis Vuitton: To launch their collaboration with Yayoi Kusama, a giant animatronic Kusama appeared in the Paris storefront, painting dots across the building in real-time. It was surreal, iconic, and stopped both traffic and scrolls. Gucci: To launch high-fashion collabs, Gucci projected massive, artistic visuals on urban buildings, blending luxury with street art and public space. So, what’s the real power of guerrilla marketing in 2025? In a world where people scroll past 10,000+ ads a day, what breaks through isn’t more exposure, it’s unexpected presence. Guerrilla marketing disrupts the ordinary. It’s emotionally sticky, culturally fluent, and creatively fearless. It turns streets into stories. It transforms passersby into participants. It trades media spend for human memory. It’s not about having the biggest budget, it’s about showing up boldly, owning space with intention, and creating moments that no algorithm can replicate. #GuerrillaMarketing #MarketingStrategy #BrandExperience #Nike #LouisVuitton #Gucci #CreativeAdvertising #OOHMarketing #LuxuryMarketing #BoldBrands #ExperientialMarketing #MarketingIn2025

What makes a keynote truly resonate with an audience? I was recently helping a colleague prepare for his first keynote presentation. He knows that I spend a lot of time on keynote stages and that I enjoy coaching others who do as well. Stepping onto a keynote stage can feel daunting, but managing that adrenaline and delivering a compelling message comes down to preparation. When preparing a keynote, many people focus on gathering information. I encourage them to think instead about building a bridge of comprehension so the audience can clearly follow and connect with the message. One framework I often share is what I call the 5 P’s of keynote preparation. 1️⃣ Purpose. Define your goal. What exactly do you want your audience to Know, Feel, and Do? A clear purpose acts as a filter for what makes it into your keynote and ensures the content is relevant and meaningful. 2️⃣ Prime. Your keynote actually begins before you step on stage. Think carefully about your talk’s title and how it is announced. When you prime your audience well, they arrive ready and eager to hear your message. 3️⃣ Plan. Our brains crave structure. Instead of a wandering list of ideas, package your keynote logically. One framework I often use is “What? So What? Now What?” It keeps ideas concise, establishes relevance, and makes them easier to remember. 4️⃣ Premise. Avoid starting with “I’m glad to be here.” Capture attention immediately with a thoughtful question, a compelling story, or a surprising insight. Make it clear where you are taking the audience. 5️⃣ Presence. How you deliver matters just as much as what you say. Keep your posture strong and balanced, gesture with intention, use the space around you, and vary your vocal tone and pacing. These 5 P’s can help strengthen your keynote and improve any high-stakes communication. Always happy to help in crafting your keynote or delivering one to your firm. A quick glimpse at my keynote address at TiEcon last year, where I used the 5 P’s to prepare my own presentation. 👇