Taking Life One Sip at a Time

TAKING LIFE ONE SIP AT A TIME by Jennifer Sand

I had been in the events industry for almost 20 years, 16 of which at the same agency, when the pandemic hit. Like many others, I found myself without a job while the events industry teetered on the edge of uncertainty, leaving very few opportunities available to us experienced event strategists and managers who were suddenly out of work.

Fortunately, I had earned an Intermediate Sommelier Certification last year when I decided I wanted to escalate a hobby into continuing education and possibly a retirement career path. Talk about good timing! As my former agency’s clients were pivoting their customer and partner in-person events to virtual formats, I was asked by a former colleague if I would be interested in leading a virtual wine tasting.

AND JUST LIKE THAT – VOILA! SANDY SOMM WAS BORN.

My extensive experience in events has given me the unique perspective of being on the other side of the camera. I could follow all the guidance I used to give clients and keynotes as an event producer. Rather than just mimicking a face-to-face wine tasting that one would have at a winery, I created tasting classes tailored to the virtual format by applying the following event concepts.

AUDIENCE GOALS: My audience is made of wine novices. I know that after 30- to 90-minutes of a virtual training or sales meeting, they need a little lighthearted fun. Wine is full of fun facts, some of which are quite silly. The audience not only wants to learn, they also want to be entertained, so I provide a little of both.

CONTENT GOALS: I know I do not have a captive audience like at an in-person event. Everyone does everything on a screen these days, usually at home amid many distractions, so attention spans vary. I’ve created fun topics that intrigue any novice or non-wine drinker and kept them basic and brief. I’ll never be able to teach everything I know in 20 minutes. If attendees can walk away learning one or two new things about wine, I’ve accomplished my goal.

BE INTERACTIVE: Obviously, you cannot shake someone’s hand at a virtual event. A handshake releases serotonin, the “happy hormone,” which promotes trust and helps form connections and solidify relationships. I asked myself, “what is a virtual substitute for a handshake?” and decided that I needed to create a shared experience upon which participants could connect with each other.

Making the virtual wine tasting as interactive as possible helps to keep everyone engaged and bonded together. I encourage participants to turn their cameras on. I ask them to share what they are tasting and smelling. I use trivia questions disguised as Zoom polls, and we play games using Kahoot! Finally, we have a free-style Q&A at the end. Having an event moderator also helps. I can give them “plant” questions to spark interaction if the group is being shy, and the moderator also can help make sure that I don’t miss any questions that are posted.

SHARING IS CARING: I share funny, personal stories about my awkwardness and wine travel, and encourage the sharing of stories amongst attendees. I call it “Storytasting,” and it’s another way to foster connections and attempt to replace a conversation or experience you’d normally have during a traditional networking reception. PRODUCTION QUALITY: I had some help from some of my production crew contacts to set up my home in a professional manner. They helped with lighting, camera positioning and tech. While I want participants to feel more casual and comfortable during the event, like I’ve invited them into my home, I also want to give the impression that I am a professional and know what I’m talking about. It’s no Food Network set, but it looks like I put in effort to make it purposeful. A moderator also helps to add a level of professionalism, since I don’t have to worry about running a Zoom poll or sharing a screen, allowing me to focus on entertaining the guests.

FREE STUFF: Finally, everyone misses the “swag bag” given away as part of events. Sending participants something physical turns your virtual event into a “special event.” It also creates anticipation. A nice bottle of wine or two is a unique gift that wouldn’t normally be a giveaway at an in-person meeting. The experience of being walked through how to taste the gift also is unique.

By following these concepts, I’ve been able to create fun virtual wine tasting events that allow for learning as well as a bit of togetherness during this time of physical distancing.

WWW.SANDYSOMM.COM

For Conversations to Inspire ward Motion 2.0 When we started this article series, we were focused on the forward motion of our industry. We wanted to get people back in the meeting room. But, as we enter the new year, the forward motion feels more personal, which got by Sharon DeFelices, CMP us to thinking - how do we inspire your forward motion?

Many people are just now learning that they won’t be called back to work. Some in our industry are facing the prospect of starting work in a new profession. And for others, their business will be closing as a result of the pandemic.

This type of realization can have quite an impact on our mental wellness. Add in the promise of a new year, which has always provided the potential and allure of a “clean slate,” and 2021 looks a little different. That “clean slate” is still clouded with uncertainty. With our hands and our hearts at work, perhaps we can start to bring some positivity into focus.

I recently had a conversation with Kristofer Fair, COO and director of operations for Bluestone Country Club and Lou Marrocco, director of meetings and events at Visit Delco PA, and we talked about the current emotional climate among our industry peers.

Lou is keeping himself busy helping others through a meals for frontline workers initiative. He shared how that work is making him feel better; more purposeful. I was reminded of the adage, “when we do for others, we feel better;” we rise by lifting others. This concept is not new, but perhaps it has slipped from focus over the past months.

Lou suggested that we issue a “feel better challenge” as a way to begin spreading joy and happiness while also helping others. No hard dates and no hard deadlines. When you see the article or one of our social media posts, feel free to kick off your own #25daysandways.

We do ask everyone to start with the first box you see on the card that says to invite 25 people to join in – friends, family, coworkers and colleagues. The more the merrier!

Positivity can be contagious. What do you say? Let’s make this concept go “viral!”

Join us in our personal forward motion campaign - #25daysandways - as we’re looking forward to committing to performing one positive act each day. It is our hope that, by joining us in the challenge, you not only will put a little sunshine into someone else’s day, but you’ll begin improving your own outlook for 2021, as well.

Here’s how it works – we’re providing a bingo card, designed by Kristofer Fair, which has 25 suggestions we came up with that you can do (in any order). We purposely left a few as "create your own," and we want you to share your ideas, share your progress, and, most importantly, share that positivity!

Post on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook – show us what you’re doing. Be sure to use the #25daysandways hashtag so we can follow your journey. Download the free Flowcode QR reader from the Google play store and take a picture of the code above. The card will upload to your phone and you can take the challenge with you wherever you go. It’s easy to share and show your progress.

Once again, be sure to invite 25 people so you can help spread positivity to them, as well! Mark each box with an emoji or a gif as you complete them. Share on your social media pages with the hashtag #25daysandways to inspire others with your creativity and joy!

We invite you to join us as part of an ongoing conversation and sharing of ideas with regard to all aspects of face-to-face meetings and events. Now, more than ever, we need to pool our collective energy to create the momentum necessary to move forward.

Through such a dialogue, we can find ways to manage the many challenges we all are facing right now while working together to find new and creative solutions. By staying nimble and collaborating with industry partners, we will not merely survive - we’ll thrive!

Click here to email us with your thoughts and ideas! sharon@mosaicmeetingsandevents.com

Sharon DeFelices, CMP is the owner of Mosaic Meetings and Events, LLC in New Hope, PA, a comprehensive meeting management company with a division specializing in food and beverage management, as well as accommodating dietary preferences and restrictions for events.