Ten Thousand Hours ads

I read a lot. Articles, reports, random thought pieces I probably don’t need, and most of it just drifts through my brain like a polite guest. Every now and then, though, something makes me stop and ask: “Hang on … what is that about?” Last time I did that it was Behavioural Nudge Theory. “Hang on … what is that about?” It’s the idea that you can guide human behaviour without telling anyone what to do. No nagging, no signs, no follow-ups. Just smart design helping people do what they already want to do. And before you roll your eyes, yes, it’s different from marketing. Nudges aren’t trying to sell you something you don’t need; they’re just gently helping you do what you were probably going to do anyway. Nudges have a few key techniques which could easily be applied to events planning. I've put four key techniques below and an example of how they could be used. 🥷 Choice Architecture: put the recycling bin next to coffee and people recycle. Instantly. 🥷 Defaults: pre-select breakout sessions based on interests. Attendance spikes. 🥷 Social Proof: “87% of attendees have already rated their sessions” and suddenly everyone joins in. 🥷 Anchoring & Loss Aversion: premium workshops listed first or early access perks gain instant responses. Personally, I can find 100 reasons not to show up to an event, traffic, emails, my clothes don't fit, the day has a 'Y' in it … the list is endless. But nudges work. They’ve already transformed pensions. Auto-enrolment didn’t make people suddenly financially savvy, it just made saving the default. Millions now save without thinking. And here’s a nudge for you. Most events are already experimenting with nudges … if your event suffers from low attendance or a high no-show rate, maybe you should too? See what I did there? ------------- You're reading this on a Monday. People like to start new things at the beginning of a week. Maybe today is the day you try something new? If you want to chat through your event plans and see what ideas we can come up with together, comment below or send me a message and I promise to get back to you ... not just on Mondays, any day of the week.

Here's a thought. It’s time to stop hosting events. Instead start casting them. Just read an interesting article on Blooloop about immersive experiences and the rise of “main character energy”. Sounds like 'new buzzword fluff'? Think again. This could be the blueprint for the next evolution of corporate events. We all know your audience doesn’t want to be talked at. But are they ready to be written into the script so they feel something? If so, that’s exactly what immersive, story-led experiences deliver. Imagine your next brand activation where clients or colleagues don’t just attend, they star. Your leadership summit becomes a cinematic journey. Your product launch? A multi-sensory experience that sticks. This isn’t just theatre, it’s strategy. Emotional engagement drives memory, memory drives action, and action drives growth. That’s event-led growth in motion. So if you’re still planning events around agendas and AV specs, it’s time to flip the script. The future belongs to those who design experiences, not just itineraries. ---------------- 📙 Do you want to turn your event into a story worth telling? It all starts with a quick chat which might just provide a blueprint to develop. Click here - https://lnkd.in/eZhgQHdp #EventLedGrowth #strategy #ImmersiveMarketing #BrandExperience #CorporateEvents #MarketingLeadership #MainCharacterEnergy

Ernest Vincent Wright wrote a 50,000 word novel without using the letter “e”. Let that sink in. No “the”. No “he”. No “she”. Even the word "wedding", a pretty central concept in many stories, had to be reimagined. So he called it a “grand church ritual”. Seamless. Clever. Purposeful. Now, let’s talk about events. ROI. Measurement. Attribution. The usual suspects that make marketers twitch. We’re told it’s “too hard” to prove the value of events. Too many variables. Too little data. Too much pressure to justify spend. But here’s the thing: If Wright could write an entire book without the most common letter in the English language, we can absolutely crack the code on event ROI. It’s not about removing the challenge. It’s about reframing it. New tools. Smarter strategies. Better questions. Events aren’t just line items. They’re growth engines. And if you’re still treating them like a hospitality exercise, you’re missing the point, and the opportunity. Let’s stop saying “it can’t be measured” and start asking “how else can we measure it?” Because the answer is always there. Nothing is impossible. You just need to write your story a different way. ps - I have no idea if his novel is any good. I haven't read it. But I applaud his determination. ----------------- 👋 I've been helping global corporates measure the success of their events, and impact on their business, for a very long time. If you'd like to chat about how we can create an event led growth programme this link is a great starting point https://lnkd.in/eZhgQHdp #events #measurement #eventstrategy

What is top of your mind on this Monday morning? Is it your events programme? If it isn't, it should be. The latest Q3 IPA Bellwether Report confirms what many of us in event marketing already know: real-world experiences are driving real results. Spend is up again, +10.9% this quarter, following a record-breaking +23.1% in Q1. That’s not a blip. That’s momentum. In a landscape flooded with AI content and performance dashboards, brands are waking up to what actually moves people: moments. Not metrics. Connection. Not clicks. We’re seeing a shift from feed-to-feed to face-to-face. And it’s not just refreshing; it’s necessary. Events are now doing the heavy lifting. Building the trust that online is failing at. Creating long term engagements which lead to external sales or loyalty internally. And giving people something to talk about in person and online. Agencies and clients are working hand-in-hand. One creates the moment. The other amplifies it. Together, they’re shaping stories that stick. If you’re still treating events as a “nice to have,” it’s time to rethink. The brands leading the charge are showing up in the real world. Let’s keep building experiences that matter. ------------------------------- 💡 If you're considering an event led growth strategy but don't know where to start, I do, and I'll happily chat about it with you. Just click here - https://lnkd.in/eZhgQHdp #EventMarketing #EventStrategy #BellwetherReport #BrandExperience #MarketingLeadership #RealWorldImpact #Events #CultureBuilding

Are you familiar with the "fast, cheap, quality" concept? It describes the "Iron Triangle" or "triple constraint" from project management, where a project can only effectively have two of these attributes simultaneously: Fast + Good = expensive. Good + Cheap = slow. Fast + Cheap = low quality. I recently saw the picture below posted on LinkedIn (I cannot remember who posted it so apologies for borrowing it) and it got me thinking of the same concept for event production. Unlike the 'triple constraint' of project management, you can (and should) have all three roles simultaneously, but what if you could only have two? Event Marketer + Event Strategist = great content, high impact, loads of registrations ... but no event! Event Marketer + Event Planner = the right number and type of 'bums on seats', great logistics ... but lacking impact. Event Strategist + Event Planner = brilliant programme, beautifully executed ... but no-one there! Now add into the mix whether you need delivery to be 'fast, good and cheap'. What can we learn from both of these models? Plan ahead - producing an event 'fast' can be done but will it have the impact you want. Don't do cheap, do value - audiences are not stupid. If budget is an issue, think differently. Think quality in all aspects - content, programme, experience. Quality in, quality out. You'll get far more engagement. And last of all, for event creation and production, make sure you have all three roles listed below, in the room, at the beginning of your planning. Leave one out and you run the risk of not producing what you set out to achieve. If you’re thinking about your next event and want it to make the right impact for you or your business then we've got the people to make that happen. All it takes is quick chat to see how we can help. Book in a call here https://lnkd.in/ddSCZaJz

Even though I work in the events industry, I don’t go to many events. I only go if I think I can discover or learn something that I can bring back to the business or employ personally. But yesterday I actually got off my backside and went to London to attend Cvent Connect Europe. For those that couldn’t make it, or for those that were there, but had their heads down in their phones for 95% of the time (and there were a lot of them), here are my interpretations of a few key messages that you should consider if you are involved in events or marketing. 📣 By 2026, 90% of all content will be generated by ai (spoiler: this post isn’t). Authenticity is the biggest challenge facing brands. With regards to events, highly curated content is almost a must … certainly by 2026. Start working with partners who know how to produce events that resonate. 📣 The decision making process to sign off an event or event programme is becoming more complex. Multiple stakeholders across various areas of a business now get involved. One panellist said that they recently had 30 different personas to engage with to get to the end goal. Think about how your event is adding value to the business as a whole or you could find that your great idea or campaign just gets overlooked. 📣 Brands are looking to reduce the cost to acquisition. One of the key areas to create events and experiences to do this is through data. But there is so much ‘dirty data’ out there. Think about the data you need to collect at an event to help make informed decisions for future events. ‘Dirty in, dirty out’ sounds like something from a 70s sitcom but it’s really worth thinking about. Set yourself up without a strategic mindset and you’re doomed to fail. Quality precision metrics over volume metrics will always achieve better. 📣 Events are becoming the most trusted route for business to take place. If you are not considering an event growth strategy you should. Luckily I know someone who can help you with this. Clue: you’re reading his post. 📣 Everyone is obsessed with ai. A mix of excitement about the possibilities and a hesitation around the adoption and trust. At the moment, it’s mostly an efficiency benefit, we’re still waiting for the revolutionary angle in events. 📣 I must have heard the term ‘dial up’ or ‘dial down’ at least 10 times yesterday. Ironically in an age when authenticity speaks volumes we can’t just say increase or decrease. 📣 Dermot O’Leary is about the same height as me. Lucky guy. 📣 I’m cr*p at networking. There you go, a few observations from my seven hour attention span. If you want to chat more about anything I’ve mentioned above, then send me a message or comment below. Alternatively, if you want to dial up (oh no I used the term!) your event strategy, I’m pretty sure we can come up with a plan together for just 15 mins of your time. Book the most non-salesy chat you’ll ever experience here - https://lnkd.in/ddSCZaJz