2021 Spring Education Day Session Details

Morning Keynote 

Pocket Productivity for Meeting and Event Professionals
- Phil Gerbyshak

Do you spend most of your time on the go, running from meeting to meeting, appointment, and have no idea how you'll get what you need to done every day, much less make the money you want to make, without working 15-20 hour days?  There is - and it's called Pocket Productivity. 

Join sales expert, technology guru and networking superhero Phil Gerbyshak as he shares how you can run 90% or more of your meeting and events business from your smartphone-quickly, effectively, and using apps that don't cost a lot of time or require tech savviness.  Increase your profits, increase your productivity, and get your life back! 

Attendees of this session will:

1. Understand how you can use the right apps productively - without wasting your time or effort

2. Discover what apps your peers in the room are using to be more effective.

3. Identify the top apps to use to make your work more productive.

Phil Gerbyshak is a sales & marketing technology speaker & Trainer. Phil teaches how to connect people and technology together, in order to drive sales growth. He teaches sales professionals to leverage leads, earn referrals and boost business, using LinkedIn, video, content, and the telephone.

Phil sold high-speed internet before everyone had it, and was a financial services professional who worked with clients until the 911 tragedy, when he moved to a role in information technology. He was promoted to vice president at a full-service financial services company, where he and his team were responsible for supporting over 100 applications used by advisors, investment bankers, research analysts and support staff. In his last corporate role, Phil worked as a sales and social media executive, where in addition to selling SaaS software, he coached, consulted with and trained the various Wall Street and customers and prospects on how they could integrate social media and social selling into their daily sales practices.

Currently Phil does programs, trains, and coaches people how to build their business by maximizing their use of technology and social media in their day to day jobs. He’s written 5 books, more than 3000 articles, and been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Forbes, Fortune, Inc, Daily Globe and Mail, Financial Times, Investor’s Business Daily, and many other publications. Phil lives in Tampa, Florida where he spends his free time reading business books, listening to podcasts, and playing pinball. Phil has been on the cover of Speaker Magazine and Marketing, Media and Money Magazine, is a 4-time award-winning speaker, and was a frequent contributor to
various other media outlets.

General Session

How to Develop a Safety Plan:  COVID and Beyond
- Desi Whitney

Duty of care, avoiding negligence and providing for the overall safety, security and well-being of your attendees is critical in today’s society. The decision to travel and/or attend an event is now more personal than ever. Attendee safety should be at the top of the list of considerations for any live meeting or event. When moving forward with a COVID-19 era live meeting or event, safety becomes even more of a critical consideration.

In this program Desi will identify key decision points and factors in designing your program from site selection to registration to on site and through post event.

Desi Whitney Co-Founded Emergency Concierge International (ECI), after realizing the great need for emergency planning & management in the meetings industry. ECI works to support planners who are crunched for time, and lacking in emergency planning experience.

Services stem from basic site assessment, emergency planning & staff briefing, to full-service, on-site support. Full service support includes property integration, medical support (CPR, AEDs, First Aid, Evaluation, Treatment, Escort, Follow Up Care), Attendee Safety, Major Incident Management Coordination, and more.

The team at ECI represents experience in the following:

• Certified Emergency Medical Professionals (EMT’s and Paramedics)
• Certified Incident Managers
• Certified Technical Rescue Technicians
• Certified Hazardous Materials Technicians
• Certified Terrorism Liaison Officers

Breakout Sessions

Leveraging LinkedIn for Job Search and Transitioning Professionals
- Phil Gerbyshak

Linkedln can be the best tool for helping you find a path into your dream job, or at least your next job. 1fs simple, but not easy, and you need a strategy to make it happen. Join sales and Linkedln expert Phil Gerbyshak for how you can leverage this powerful platform in your job search and if you're transitioning to something bigger and better. 

Learner Outcomes:

1. How to use social media to "shed your invisibility" and manage your career and professional image.
2. How to brand yourself boldly, and then create personal connections and strong relationships utilizing social media such as Linkedln, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
3. How to use Linkedln and other social media to differentiate your company/ organization from the pack... by sharing topical information, providing valuable solutions and caring about others for more than their wallet.

Tech Avenger Panel:  Focus on Hybrid Events

Join our Tech Avenger panel for a lively discussion on Hybrid Events.  Our Wisconsin team of Hybrid Event and Tech Experts will cover your questions along with an overview including:

• Why Hybrid?
• Best Practices
• What could go wrong?
• Projected hybrid timeframe? Will hybrid be the new normal as we transition into post-pandemic life?
• Experiences/stories from the past that we can learn from for the future.
• What are three things planners should do now to get ready for hybrid events.

Our Tech Avenger Panel:

• Jen Mell, Made Ya Look Productions
  Jen may be a new Tech Avenger but you know her former alter egos. CMP, Corporate Meeting Planner, MPI-President, Banquet and Catering Sales Manager...all while wearing high heels!  Now she's using her 20+ years of event management experience and tech-savvy to enhance clients' live, virtual and hybrid productions. 

• John McDonald, Studio Gear
  John McDonald is the newest Tech Avenger.  He has been with Studio Gear for almost 14 years.  Currently he manages operations in Madison.  John has a background in theater and has been using the pandemic to advance his knowledge of safety.  When not at work, he can either be found on his boat in Milwaukee or traveling. 

• Ed Buchner,  Majic Productions
  If we had to use one word to describe Ed Buchner it would be "humble". But we can't use one word so we have to include, professional, intelligent, hilarious, and ruggedly handsome. In his 31 years of event experience, Ed has seen the industry's ups and downs. He can't wait for the next chapter in this evolution.

• Tom Graybill,  Tri-Marq Communications
  Tom Graybill is VP, Sales for Tri-Marq Communications, a video and event production company.  Tri-Marq produces in-person evens throughout the U.S. and overseas, and virtual and hybrid events using a variety of platforms depending on the needs of the event.  Tom is a past president of MPI-Wisconsin and proud member of the MPI-Wisconsin Hall of Fame.

Afternoon Keynote

Attitude Changes Everything
- Sam Glenn

It’s a fact that when we think better, we do better, feel better, treat others better and perform our work objectives in a better way. Mental wellness and emotional management development widens the picture frame so we have a deeper awareness and appreciation for something that plays thig biggest role in our daily life – ATTITUDE. Your work and organization will benefit when their people get better and the starting point for that is based on attitude first. Everything follows the attitude we choose daily. This session will empower you and show you how to choose an attitude that works for you but also works better for you.

Attendees of this session will:

• Identify the current state of your thinking and learn how to supercharge and change your thinking
• Learn how to identify our purpose to motivate
• Learn how to implement attitude changes in our everyday life, and stay on track.

Sam Glenn - was recently just named one of the TOP 100 BEST MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKERS TODAY! Sam is the author of 23 inspirational books….some of which have been best seller’s at his mom’s garage sale.