Planners on Purpose Podcast

Understanding how to level up in your career can be confusing. Especially when there are so many certifications within the event industry to choose from. This episode will unpack some of the main robust event planning certifications out there to help you make the best choice for your career path.

After listening to this episode, you'll be able to understand which direction you want to go in getting certified, or perhaps realize that you are good right where you are. Whatever the case, let's make your decision process easier.

Links and Resources
CMP Study Group - Planners on Purpose
Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
Certified Government Meeting Professional (CGMP)
Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP)
Certified in Exhibition Management (CEM)
Certified Destination Management Executive (CDME)
Certified Professional in Catering and Events (CPCE)
Certification in Meetings Management (CMM)
Certified Association Executive (CAE)

Thank you so much and stay on purpose!

Support the Show.

This episode invites you to do something different in your life, especially if you can sense an imbalance happening that is affecting you.

Event planners have no problem understanding burnout and its implications, however, many times when it comes down to making the decisions that are needed to make necessary changes we doubt ourselves.

Doing something different gives you the permission to make those key changes. And it doesn't have to be big changes in your life. You can make very small changes that make a big impact on you.

Naomi discusses how you can give yourself permission so that you can come to work filled with joy, and passion, and ready to do your best work.

Thank you so much for listening, stay on purpose!

Support the show

Burnout is not inevitable? However, many event industry professionals think that it is. With so much pressure in the industry, combined with unreasonable expectations, lack of boundaries, and high volumes, burnout is a very common result.

Burnout shouldn't be inevitable in the industry, because it is preventable. If burnout is preventable, then finding ways to proactively address burnout in our lives and in our organizations is a solution worth pursuing.

However, it's not just about learning how to prevent burnout and overwhelm, it's about taking the direction and doing the actions necessary to prevent burnout. Many event professionals struggle with this.

This episode will give some insights into how we can understand burnout better to have the necessary conversations that we need to have to be the change we want to see,

Links and Resources
Purpose Call with Naomi
Banish Burnout Challenge (fall waitlist)

Support the show

If you're an event professional that's looking to level up your career, then getting your Certified Meeting Professional Designation, may be the boost that you need.

In this episode, Naomi shares 5 reasons why getting your CMP is important to your career. If you're struggling with deciding what your next step should be in your career, then the reasons given in this podcast may help you make this decision.

One of the main reasons that getting your CMP is so beneficial is that it gives you additional knowledge about the event industry that you can find applicable to your role. Also, no one has to mention the potential salary benefits and leadership opportunities that will come your way.

Jump into this episode, and leave us a message on what makes you most excited on getting your CMP.

Links and Resources
Planners on Purpose CMP Study Group

Thank you for listening, please stay on purpose!

Support the show

In this episode, we delve into the dynamic world of event marketing strategies with the accomplished Ashley Stanford, a seasoned Digital Marketing Consultant and Freelancing Expert. With over 15 years of expertise in the digital marketing realm, Ashley brings a wealth of knowledge and practical insights that are sure to resonate with professionals in the Events & Entertainment sector.

About Ashley Stanford
Our guest, Ashley Stanford, is not just a digital marketing maven but also the EVP of Client Strategy at TicketSocket and the Vice President and Co-Founder of Ice Cream Social. Her extensive experience spans across various industries, including Events & Entertainment, Medical Device/Healthcare, and Finance Technology sectors. Ashley's passion lies in crafting strategic marketing plans and optimizing tactics to drive tangible results for her clients.

Episode Highlights
In this engaging discussion, Ashley sheds light on the intricacies of effective event marketing strategies. She shares her journey of conceptualizing TicketSocket—a unique solution born out of the need to revolutionize traditional marketing channels in the ticketing industry. Ashley emphasizes the importance of word-of-mouth marketing in today's digital landscape and unveils how Ice Cream Social's innovative referral widget gamifies the online referral process, driving substantial results for businesses.

Ashley advocates for a holistic approach to marketing, where word-of-mouth initiatives complement existing channels such as SMS, email, and social media ads. She underscores the significance of incentivizing partners and understanding demographic nuances to maximize the impact of word-of-mouth campaigns.

Furthermore, Ashley offers invaluable insights into effective communication strategies, emphasizing the need for transparency and proactive engagement, especially during challenging situations such as event cancellations or setbacks.

Delving into a personal anecdote, Ashley candidly shares her experiences of overcoming burnout, highlighting the importance of self-care and resilience in navigating professional challenges.

Links and Resources

The Desire Map by Danielle Laporte
Ice Cream Social and TicketSocket
Ashley Stanford on LinkedIn

Thank you so much for listening, come back soon, and stay on purpose!

Support the show

This episode will showcase how to be an effective advocate in the event industry. Advocacy in the meeting and event planning industry plays a very important role, one that everyone can actively participate in.

Showing public support for your industry to family, friends, and your community can garner support in times when the industry needs it most.

This episode shows that you can be an advocate in several different ways. Here are some of the areas that are explained:

• Aligning with partner organizations
• Get involved in advocacy, educate, and share
• Teach or speak in a meeting and event management or hospitality program
• Recruit for the industry, provide direction to connections and education
• Guide others to the appropriate certification within the industry
• Get involved politically
• Participate in Global Meetings Industry Day

It doesn't take a big effort to be an advocate in the meetings industry. All it takes is for each of us to do our parts so that we can see our industry continue to grow by leaps and bounds.

Links and Resources
Global Meetings Industry Day Event Registration
Global Meetings Industry Day Toolkit

Support the show

In this episode, let's dive into the highlights from CMP Advance 2024, the go-to conference for Certified Meeting Professionals (CMPs).

Conference Rundown: CMP Advance, hosted by the Event Industry Council in Toronto, offers a packed agenda spanning two to three days, tailored to align with CMP domains. It's a prime opportunity for CMPs to level up their skills and connect with peers.

Key Insights:

• AI Integration: Sean Kanungo's keynote urges CMPs to embrace AI's role in the industry and prepare future professionals for its impact.
• Global Certification Impact: Panels emphasize CMP's global reach, setting industry standards and fostering connections worldwide.
• Focus on Mental Health: Discussions spotlight holistic wellness for both planners and attendees, recognizing the importance of self-care.
• Strategic Planning vs. Project Management: Breakout sessions provide practical guidance on maximizing productivity and effective delegation.
• Human Connection in Events: Sessions highlight the significance of building genuine connections and memorable experiences for attendees.
• Networking and Community: CMP Advance offers a professional yet relaxed environment for CMPs to network, exchange insights, and build lasting relationships within the industry.
• Continuing Education: Naomi encourages CMPs to consider CMP Advance as a valuable resource for ongoing professional development and staying ahead in the ever-evolving world of event planning.

As you navigate your journey in event planning, remember to keep CMP Advance on your radar for invaluable learning opportunities and industry connections. Stay tuned for more episodes, and until next time, keep planning with purpose!

Links and Resources
Wellness Wheel – Simple Tool for Well-Being
Planners on Purpose CMP Study Group

Goal setting can be stressful. This episode aims to take the stress out of the goal setting that you have to make. As we move into the second quarter of the year, it's important that we look at how we develop our goals without causing ourselves much stress, here are some tips that are mentioned in the episode:

• Set your goals and direction
• Get moving
• Put in place your habits
• Stay about the line
• Review often
• Reward yourself

Many times we fail to start because of fear or because we lack direction. This episode will help you understand how important it is for you to develop a direction and start to get moving so that your goal can be obtained.

You'll also learn some insights on practicing great habits, and why habits are important. Also, your mindset and how you think about your success is very important. When you think debilitating thoughts then you limit yourself and by limiting yourself you can miss the mark in getting to your goal. So it's all about staying above the line, being positive and uplifting to yourself and your team about your goal.

Finally making sure that you review your goals often and reward yourself when you complete your goals are pretty important. And we also talk about tracking your goal too and how that can be increasingly helpful as you look to finish your goals.

Links and Resources
Putting Emotional Intelligence to Work
Atomic Habits
12 Week Year

As event leaders, we know how to balance our lives perhaps a bit better than that of our teams, but do we model work-life balance? Do we share how we are managing our lives so that those who are coming up behind us have an idea of how to move forward in a high-pressured environment like the event industry?

This episode is going to provide some areas where event leaders can model work-life balance to their event teams. Work-life balance is a word that really just represents how well we balance the ebb and flow of our lives and focus on what really matters at any given time. It can be an art form and many people can struggle with having a sense of balance in their lives.

There are four areas in that we cover in this episode and go into great detail on how event leaders can model work-life balance. Those areas are:

1. Communication
2. Boundaries
3. Being a Wellness Advocate
4. Standing Up for Your Team

Modeling is important because your team needs to see how work-life balance is managed, especially in an environment where there are so many moving pieces and client demands.

After listening to this podcast you'll have some great ways to model work-life balance, to support them, and be a wellness advocate in your organization.

Links and Resources
Banish Burnout Challenge

Thank you so much for listening, stay on purpose.

Kele Belton joins as a guest on this episode of the podcast to talk about how we can communicate to lead. She also provides some great insight for women in leadership.

About Kele Belton
Kele Belton is a Leadership and Communication expert and the founder of The Tailored Approach. She is a former corporate trainer and coach, where she collaborated with notable companies like Bank of America, BioMarin, Facebook, and Netflix, contributing to their leadership and communication growth. Kele now empowers leaders and their intact teams to communicate confidently, navigate feedback, and have difficult conversations. She’s a published author, keynote speaker, and host of the Communicate to Lead podcast. Kele specializes in leadership development, communication skills, conflict management, navigating feedback, Everything DiSC assessments and coaching, personal branding, and more.

Episode Summary
When you communicate, it's important to understand who you are speaking to, and what your message is. Is your message communicating to that person in a way that they need to receive it? Kele speaks about this and how important it is for messaging and your audience to align.

In addition, Kele discusses how women struggle in leadership in many areas. One is having the right amount of flexibility at work which allows them to take care of any home matters. Also, Kele touches on how women can display more confidence in leadership.

Kele shares her proprietary BOLD framework which stands for:

• Breaking Through Barriers
• Owning the Leadership Narrative
• Leading with Authenticity
• Driving Continuous Change

Kele also shares more about the DISC method and how it is an assessment that measures your personality in the following areas: dominance, influence, steadiness and conscientiousness. She also helps the listeners to understand how this method intersects with her BOLD framework and can help you lead stronger.

Finally, in this episode, Kele shares a bit about introversion and how introverts can focus on using their strengths, to listen. When as an introvert, you listen, you can then lean into the relationships because you've built the relationship up front.

Links and Resources
Tailored Approach
Own Your Worth, Free Guide

Thank you so much for listening, stay on purpose!