52. The Disruption The Event World Needed with Greg Beach

Netflix in the TV industry, Uber in the Taxi industry, Airbnb in the hotel industry, Tesla in the car industry, and countless others. These are just some of the incredible brands or companies that came into an industry and disrupted the norm with brilliance and innovation.  The emphasis in 2020 on digital events isn’t a company or service but has disrupted the industry just the same. That’s not always a bad thing you can embrace disruption and push yourself to new heights, or you can be the person dreaming about the “good old days” or waiting for everything to be “normal again”. The choice is up to you. In today’s podcast, Blair interviews Greg Beach from Event Strategy Group. Greg has 27 years of experience in the event space. From running an exhibit house that serviced the event industry,  helping companies grow through events, booking speakers, planning, coordinating, and everything in between, Greg is a true industry expert. In this conversation, you will hear Greg explain how the pandemic has pushed the industry to new levels of greatness and why he thinks this is one of the best things that could have happened.  This episode will leave you inspired to reimagine the way you approach events as a speaker, entrepreneur, or meeting planner. “This is a disruption, not an interruption in the event industry” - Greg Beach Here’s what we cover: How past experience helped create an amazing virtual event Overcoming the stigma that “virtual” events are any less impactful How virtual can solve common problems in live events How engaging content is more important than ever How speakers can upgrade their digital storytelling Refining the delivery of your message  Speakers being used as experiential engagement tools The importance of virtual problem solving How to pivot from a traditional keynote to the competing attention of a digital audience Taking suggestions and responding to live feedback The type of events that will return as live And much more!   LINKS: Connect with Greg: Website: esg.us and esgincentives.com Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/glbeach13 Connect with Blair: [email protected]    Connect with us: Facebook: ​​www.facebook.com/advanceyourreach Website:​​ advanceyourreach.com Email​: ​[email protected]   Influential Speakers in Greg’s life:  Rich Roll David Goggins   Episode Minute By Minute: 0:02 What to expect  3:40 Get to know Greg 4:00 How Greg started running events 5:49 The events Greg has ran 11:18 Virtual events are here to stay 11:40 Why Greg hates the word “virtual” 13:50 Recreating the live experience  16:10 The speaker hiring process for Greg’s clients pre-covid 19:03 The speaker hiring process for Greg’s clients post-covid 24:57 how to support the event as a speaker and not distract from it 26:48 The screen is now the stage 27:34 The speakers who have impacted Greg the most 29:16 Creating community 32:26 The strategy and logistics   More About Greg: Greg is a 27 year veteran in the event industry and a leader in helping organizations grow via event marketing. At Event Strategy Group, he is currently helping find opportunity in the chaos of COVID-19. While the tools may be different, brands still need to communicate with their customers and employees to achieve results.