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SPEAKER ALERT! Looking forward to seeing friends and colleagues at IDA's Annual Conference in Seattle next week (link below)! In case you’re interested, I’ll be speaking on “BEYOND THE POP-UP - ADDRESSING LARGE RETAIL VACANCIES", a session on Thursday morning (Sept 24th, 8:30 am, 5th Floor, Quinault Room). I initially proposed this topic because so much of the great work being done to backfill empty storefronts in the post-pandemic Downtown has been focused on pop-up businesses in tiny floorplates, without addressing the growing number of larger, 5K+ sq ft boxes once filled with major footfall generators – from the massive brand flagships along the nation’s top-tier shopping streets (which I have discussed extensively in my recent articles) to the large-format drug stores and full-service bank branches in Downtowns big and small across all of North America. What are the prospects and solutions for those critical anchor spaces? I’ll be identifying the retail brands and operators that are still interested in them, as well as the growing crop of experiential and “eater-tainment” concepts that have been expanding in urban cores. I’ll also be delving into other kinds of tenancies that have emerged, like ones in “meds and eds” as well as arts and culture. Finally, I’ll be exploring the role of the Downtown organization in promoting, sponsoring and managing different kinds of entrepreneurial platforms in such spaces, thereby teeing up the presentations of the session’s three other superb panelists: Cassie Hoeprich, a past and present client at San Francisco’s Mid-Market Business Association & Foundation and now, Downtown Houston+; Sean Webster, Manager of Level Up Downtown at the Downtown Boston BID; and Dillon Goodson, Co-Founder of Public Sphere Projects, with whom I’m presently working in Downtown Allentown. So, put it on your conference calendar – I hope to see you there! #retailcontrarian #retail #retailleasing #retailrealestate #retailproperty #retailtrends #retaildevelopment #retailmarket #retailbroker #retailspace #retailindustry #retailers #downtown #mainstreet #mainstreets #citycenter #citycentre #highstreet #urbanretail #icsc #commercialrealestate #ida #iedc #uli #icma #planning #marketanalysis #siteselection #futureofretail #urbandevelopment #jll #zoning #retailvacancy #vacantstorefronts #emptystorefronts #citymanager #cnu #businessimprovementdistrict #wwd #retailbrew #storefront #downtownrevitalization #nyt #bof #wsj #urbanregeneration #planetizen #economicdevelopment #storefronts #atcm #shopping #urbanist #bloomberg #bia #businessimprovementarea #downtownseattle #flagships #brandflagships #chaindrugstores #bankbranches #entrepreneurs #experiential #eatertainment #medsandeds #smallbusinesses #indies Jon Scholes Kevin V. Nguyen Michael Edwards Kimberly Bares Bryan McArdle Scott Rowitz Emmanuel Rey, MBA Ashwin Kutty Merike Treier Tiffini Connell Noah Buhayar Tanja Carter Teri Smith Theresa Barreras Don Blakeney

Recently I outlined the event vision, the direction and purpose of the Elevating EAs in Education’s National Gathering 2025.   With the back drop of Bondi Beach, the past few days have provided an opportunity to develop the event design and begin the process of bringing the vision to reality. My time in Sydney has also included networking with potential sponsors, meeting guest speakers and the most rewarding day with colleagues at The Scots College. I am so grateful to Dr Ian Lambert and to his wonderful EA Maryanne Walton for their support of the EAs in Education community in hosting this event. Many Education EAs have event management within their roles, and I am hopeful that in sharing some learnings in bringing this event to life might be helpful when you are organisating events within your school.  We know that well-planned school events are a very important element of your school's character and extremely powerful in building relationships with prospective students and families and keeping your existing community engaged. All events are experiences and experiences don’t just ‘happen’ - they are designed. So how do we design an event to align with its vision? Bladen et. al. (2018) defines event design as “the mental creation of an event before it takes place, first in the mind of the designer, and then as it is communicated to those responsible for it’s production”. This provides the foundation of how the attendees experience the event. As you will see below, I have applied as an entry point Goldblatt’s The 5Ws (2005) and outlined the event theme for our National Gathering next year. The questions asked within this model drive the design conceptualisation with the theme influencing all elements of the event design.  The answer to Question 5 - the dimensions for the experiential outcomes (the event takehomes) for this event to be shared soon. Can't wait to reveal all. https://lnkd.in/e4MszFec #easineducation #schoolleaders #principals #education #executiveassistants

Creating a conscious culture requires conscious hiring. It begins with how you recruit, whom you recruit, and how you on-board. If you want to create a culture with minimal drama, you need to attract and hire people who want to play that same game. It is about defining your culture in terms of those specific behaviors that drive Conscious Leadership and holding people accountable for it.   How can you know if someone is a good fit for an organization that practices The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership? Well, we at HOPS International LLC have been providing our clients with innovative solutions in building and maintaining a high-performance Conscious Culture for over 10+ years! Conscious Leadership is best defined as an integral part of an organization's purpose and the culture that feeds it. Join us for the 2024 LFC Summit and discover 1st hand what it takes to truly build a sustainable Conscious Culture.

The student voice is an important aspect of events management education - our students provide some amazing insights. Here is an example from our member, Tourism, Hospitality and Events. #events #management #students #eventprofs

Capetonians in the conference scene, I need your recomendations. BSides Cape Town planning is hitting the home stretch, so be sure to keep an eye on your emails! Plenty info coming. I am thinking ahead to 2025 knowing what 2024 might have to offer. We are pretty much at a point where we are out growing our current venue. I like our venue for its sustainability, access amenities and location, but I am thinking we need to grow, within reason. Our venue costs, specifically food is our single biggest expense. We might stick with UCT GSB for 2025, but I think we need to explore alternative options. Here is what we need We have typically been a CBD type con (Obs / Woodstock/ Waterfront) and perhaps we need to stick with that or look at the wider Cape Town We need a venue that can take 500-600 people with space to grow in the future, in a non-sketch area, and parking for 20-40 cars, and one that recognises what we are trying to achieve as a NPC. I will be relooking Century City Conference Center FYI A venue that can accomodate 3 tracks for Saturday Track 1 250-350 Track 2 200 Track 3 100 Then for Fridays we need 3-5 rooms that can classroom seat 30pax per room. We want some breakaway rooms for Organisers/Volts, CTF and Chill Room We need a space for Sponsors, typically 5-8 Booths A venue with a DCP below R700 or a total Venue Cost (Friday-Saturday) below R350k. Part of our challenge is, well...we lose money on each person. That is why we sell tickets and need sponsors, and release pricey Late tickets. 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬 * A venue with an integrated AV setup * A venue that accepts outside catering * Picture worthy * Afterparty friendly We are open to Universities, Schools, and alternative venues. We would rather spend the money in a place where it makes a difference. By finding a more affordable venue, we can spend more money on flying people in, spreading the word, investing more in Rite of Passage, and general positive shenanigans. If you have any thoughts, let me know.

📣Call for Presentations📣 FAA 2025 Inspire Annual Conference & Tradeshow presentation deadline is approaching fast- Next Friday! Check out some tips for success on applying👇🏼

Looking to optimize university campus event potential? Professionals managing higher education events encounter unique challenges in making the most of campus spaces, from arenas to halls. Efficient management is key for a variety of events like alumni activities and symposiums. Explore innovative solutions in our latest blog "Maximizing Higher Education Event Value on Campus" management in higher education. #EventManagement #HigherEducation #DigitalTransformation #MomentusTech

Many colleagues are preparing to pull out all the stops in hosting their recently admitted students on campus for spring yield events. These were some of my favorite days in my working career. There was just something about dressing up, the excitement on campus, the logistics, the 20,000 steps on my Apple Watch. We would plan for weeks to put together a great experience for our visitors. But of course...it was April in Central New York, and the admission gods had other plans. ❄ ❄ ❄ ⛈ ⛈ ⛈ We'd declare the day a loss, going so far as to add footnotes and asterisks about the weather in our post-event survey data. Sure, we'd have umbrellas available, but largely, we reacted and just assumed generally visitors had a less than ideal impression of campus. But try and find a Swiftie who just walked out of a rain show without an ear-to-ear smile. Or ask a Disney fan who just got to see the Rainy Day Parade if their day was ruined by the rain or if they felt more like a member of an exclusive club. These brand masters have found ways to take something as depressing as a rainy day, and use it as a strategy to actually enhance their customer experience, and frankly, their cult following. As you're putting the final touches on your spring events, certainly don't forget to get the umbrellas ready...but talk with your team (and your students), and use it as an opportunity to get creative. What are ways you can make your rainy day or spring snow squall the deciding factor for your visitors, and not something you have to apologize for? And if you're thinking... "We should probably go buy 100 cheap sleds and stack them by the hill," "Let's order a bunch of puzzles with campus scenics and place them around campus near big windows and our comfiest chairs" "Where can we get away with putting a smore's and hot chocolate station next to a bonfire without getting legal involved?" ...you're on the right track.

Get ready for insightful discussions and tangible takeaways that will support your efforts to foster a healthy Main Street through solutions that connect, innovate, and sustain.

Last week, I had the privilege of being a “Dragon” for City of Glasgow College’s 2nd-year Event Management students. These students poured their passion and ideas into pitches, revealing a glimpse of tomorrow’s event industry. It was beyond inspiring to see fresh faces taking risks and creating concepts that go beyond just “throwing a party.” They’re after meaningful, memorable events, and judging their pitches took me back to my roots in hospitality - a time when I learned firsthand how impactful a well-executed experience can be. Seeing these students push their own ideas, dive into the details, and handle feedback like pros was inspiring. But it was the final group that really stuck with me. They’d already run successful events in the past, but (it felt to me anyway) their belief that they were “just students” made them devalue their own experience - which led to one of their suppliers taking advantage of them. My last piece of advice was simple but direct: believe in what you’ve already achieved, because it matters. We all start somewhere, but if you don’t own what you bring to the table, someone else will. I’ve been there, wondering if I was “qualified” enough to push back. But here’s the truth: confidence comes from owning the ground you’ve already covered and knowing you can stand on it. Big respect to these students and a huge shoutout to City of Glasgow College for giving them the space to grow, learn, and realise their own potential. The future of events is in damn good hands! #events #glasgow #hospitalityindustry Donna McGroarty Ava Kaskonas Paul Reynolds FIH Katherine Boyling Jennifer Williamson Gordon McIntyre MBE David Cochrane MBE