Is it just us, or is 2024 flying by? It feels like only yesterday when we were sharing our globetrotting Q2 updates.
September is notoriously busy in the Events industry, and this year was no exception. In Q3, our Events team touched 24 events hosted in Dallas, NYC, LA, Toronto. and of course several in SF/Bay Area. We’ve earned our flight miles traveling to be onsite for nine events this quarter, as well as hosting eight virtual webinars.
What else have we been involved with in Q3 2024?
Our very own Event Planner Kali Murphy earned the internal title of Most Valuable credien for Q2! Kali dominated the complexities of managing 3 hotel blocks at once (and much, much more) for a client’s Annual Meeting in May 2024. We were thrilled to cheer her on for this accomplishment.
We continue to manage speakers and moderate the conversation for SaaStr’s live and interactive Workshop Wednesday series where sessions involve key learnings for sales, marketing, and fundraising in the SaaS space.
In August, cred held it’s bi-annual reflect period which had us, well, reflecting on our hard work and big wins the past 6 months. We value cred’s commitment to progress and performance, keeping us all on track with our personal and professional goals.
August 9th was International Co-working Day - crediens from around the country gathered to work together at WeWork or their local coffee shop. As a fully remote company, this was special to see.
In early September, we hit a grand slam by being onsite for the US Open tennis tournament in NYC! We supported attendee management, transportation, and logistics for this event.
One week later, we were onsite at SaaStr Annual - our fifth time being involved with this event - where we managed 157 speakers on 4 stages for 105 sessions. Speakers must have read our blog on Mastering Opening and Closing because attendees were buzzing about the content.
We’ve been onsite frequently in Q3 - here’s what we took notice of:
The days of endless panels with no downtime are over. Attendees want more than just absorbing information — they crave connections. Build in purposeful networking opportunities that go beyond cocktail hours. Why not let attendees choose their networking sessions based on their interests during registration? You can even ask if they prefer casual meet-ups or more structured sessions. Incorporating "white space" in the agenda gives people time to breathe, catch up on emails, or organically connect with peers. Make networking purposeful — from pre-scheduled “Braindates,” to curated breakout discussions — allowing attendees to leave with valuable relationships, not just business cards.
While in-person events are back in full swing, hybrid and virtual formats are here to stay — and they’re evolving. Rather than treating the virtual side as an afterthought, incorporate it as part of the main event. Use live polling, interactive Q&As, and virtual networking tools to engage remote attendees as much as those in the room. You can even ask during registration what type of content your virtual attendees want to see and how they prefer to interact, ensuring their experience feels just as curated as those onsite. Keep digital sessions concise and impactful, and consider packaging recorded segments into bite-sized clips to share across social channels post-event. This keeps the buzz alive long after the event wraps up.
Sustainability isn't just a trend; it's becoming an expectation, and companies that find creative ways to implement it stand out. Here's the challenge — how do you wow attendees without an excess of waste? Start by going digital with your signage and handouts and explore eco-friendly swag like reusable water bottles or donations in place of giveaways. At the Paris Olympics in July, they used recyclable cups that attendees could turn in at the end of the Games for 2 euros. Make sustainability part of the conversation early, asking guests if they prefer vegan or vegetarian meals. You can even introduce interactive recycling stations or highlight local sustainability efforts through partnerships with eco-conscious vendors. More of our green event tips here!
This quarter, we worked with 197 speakers from companies like Google Cloud, Smartsheet, Anthropic, and Figma. We continue to prioritize exposure for women and underrepresented speakers on stage. 40% of these speakers are from underrepresented groups and 36% are women. We will continue to push our clients towards achieving at least 50% for both categories throughout the year.
Heading into Q4, we’re looking forward to the entire company being together for the first time in a while as we take San Francisco for our 8th Annual Company Offsite (which is Survivor themed nonetheless)! Speaking of, have you read our blog on The Art of Planning and Executing Internal Team Gatherings yet? We’ll also be onsite in Napa, NYC, Vegas, SF, and Vancouver in the final months of the year. We look forward to closing the year out strong!
Have an event you are looking to bring to life? We’d love to help - email us!
