53. Now Is The Time to Innovate & Experiment with Will Curran

“Innovation is the ability to see change as an opportunity - not a threat” - Steve Jobs  As one of the top names in innovation, Steve Jobs pushed the boundaries of “how it’s always been done” and created a new wave of technology that changed how the world worked.  One of the most fascinating things about the Apple founder is that his most revolutionary ideas were actually a new take, on something old. He made the clunky computer accessible to the average home-owner, and he made a phone with no buttons.  Sometimes, the small tweaks are what lead to the biggest breakthroughs. The virtual craze in 2020 due to the coronavirus is nothing new. You are probably an old pro, but just don’t realize it. If you have streamed a live video on social media, built a sales funnel, created a website, or hosted a webinar, you have created a virtual event.  We believe that now is the time to experiment, have fun, and innovate with your virtual events. Our guest today, on Inside The Greenroom shares the same sentiment.  Join Blair Nichols and founder of Endless Events, Will Curran as they talk about how you can take your virtual events to a new level. Meeting planners, learn how you can create a better, more engaging experience for attendees with creative networking,  breakout rooms, and how to create a better ROI for virtual sponsors. Speakers, you will learn what Will and his team look for when booking virtual stages, and how preparing your tech and space ahead of time can help you show up more powerfully. These are just a couple of things we cover in today’s episode of Inside the Greenroom!   Here’s More Of What We Cover: How Will grew to be one of the biggest event production companies The strategy behind a virtual exhibit hall How digital marketing is connected to virtual events Upgrade your sponsor’s investment How to provide a better experience for everyone How to bring the entertainment element to your virtual event Why we are approaching webinar fatigue Personalizing your attendee’s experience Create more engagement by crowdsourcing The importance of showing your personality as a speaker And much more!   LINKS:   Connect with Will: Facebook: www.facebook.com/thewillcurran Twitter: twitter.com/ItsWillCurran Instagram: instagram.com/itswillcurran  Connect with Endless Events: Instagram: instagram.com/helloendless  Twitter: www.twitter.com/helloendless  LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/helloendless Website: www.helloendless.com   Connect with Blair: [email protected]    Connect with us: Facebook: ​​www.facebook.com/advanceyourreach Website:​​www.insidethegreenroompodcast.com,  advanceyourreach.com Email​: ​[email protected]   Influential Speakers in Will’s life:  Gary Vee  Brian Fanzo Tim Ferriss   Episode Minute By Minute: 0:02 What to expect today 2:30 Get to know Will 4:40 How Will started in the event industry 7:46 Virtual events aren’t new 8:47 How Will got his community on board with virtual events 13:21 How to make virtual sponsorships a good investment  18:38 What is your “why” 21:48 Virtual swag bags 25:04 How to bring entertainment into a virtual event  33:44 Getting the best speakers possible for your event 38:14 Why Will hates virtual backgrounds  40:00 The speakers who impacted Will the most 44:34 Wills favorite memory inside a greenroom More About Will: Founder & Chief Event Einstein and Endless Events As the founder of Endless Events, Will Curran has been named one of the most influential people in the meeting & events industry, one of the 40 under 40 event industry leaders, 35 entrepreneurs under the age of 35, and Inc Magazine’s Coolest College Start-up all before graduating college. Will has been producing in-person and virtual events since high school when he started his first company and has now worked in the production of large event clients such as Emerald City Comicon, Anheuser-Busch, Warner Brothers, Morton Salt & Uber. His team’s mission is to simplify the event planning process by creating the equation for an event’s perfect solution. They also relentlessly seek to be the name in customer service in the events industry. From event logistics to business development to technical production, Will Curran has a diverse background in growing events and companies to the next level.