Dahlia has an OMG-attitude about all things tech and audience engagement solutions. With more than a decade of experience in the meetings and events sector, working on both the professional planning side and as an association collaborator, Dahlia is known as the coffee-fuelled ‘go-to’ source for trend-setting solutions, eventtech news, and social media expertise.
How long have you worked in the events industry?
Decades! And since it’s ever-changing, never standing still, I feel like every day is like a new day within the industry. [Not going to share a number, then I will show how young I am 😁]
What have been the stand-out moments of your career?
The stand-out moments have been mostly around eureka, holy shit moments when something clicks with a new client, a new concept that you have had a vision about, and then bring to fruition or reality and it kicks ass. Another moment is when you actually create a session or an event that leaves an emotional effect on people involved, and they remember it for a very long time after it happened.
We are all in the business of creating stand-out moments, right?
What do you love most about the Event Industry?
The people, their energy, their persistence, their creativity. I thrive on people’s energy, and my mission is to reciprocate that and then some.
What was the last event on which you worked?
PCMA Convening Leaders 2022. The beauty of that show is it’s like an industry family reunion, and talk about the energy of people – that show was the epic center of energy. We brought it with the DAHLIA+Agency team having a tech therapy lounge, Brand Hub to help those with their professional brand, and facilitated an event tech solutions competition.
Our main mission was to empower our eventprofs and our industry to be better – at their own brand, understanding tech, their professional development, event strategy, and yes hugs and high fives and screaming in paper bags.
Who has inspired you in your career?
Too many to mention.
Carolyn Clark who is my compass – and my VOR [voice of reason]
My team is my inspiration, they continue to bring on new ideas, take care of our clients and partners that are tired, and mentally fatigued.
My mother who taught me to be empathetic and to listen because everyone has a story.
What do events, such as the ETAs, mean to you?
We owe it to our peers and to our industry friends and partners to recognize the kick-assery that we bring every day to our industry. I believe that ETA is a celebration, like the Oscar Awards.
I would say this has to be a year-round moment. Let us celebrate each other every day.
And seeing people cheer for each other, give each other high fives, hugs, even competitors is thrilling. I would like to have the addition of confetti guns and clappers for this time around.
What would you like to see in this year’s entries?
More about the unsung heroes, and not only the tech. More about those that failed and then got up and succeeded. More about the underdogs.
I don’t want this to be a popularity contest but really about who was served, what good the tech provided to the industry or the event.
What is the one piece of technology you can’t afford to live without?
Piece of tech? There is so many – but one that I am loving at the moment is Tidytag.io – brilliant.
Where you are able to put tags on Linkedin profiles to categorize them. I think Linkedin should buy them. So mark that I said it first! 😁
Author: Adam Parry
Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.
