Skift’s live events have a unique energy – a palpable buzz in the room from being surrounded by top minds in the travel, technology, tourism, aviation and hospitality industries.
The excitement came from the people on stage – a range of CEOs from all the major players in the industry. The Skift Global Forum was held in New York City in September and included Marriott International’s Anthony Capuano, JetBlue Airways’ Joanna Geraghty, Booking Holdings’ Glenn Fogel and others.
Headlines at the most recent event (Skift Global Forum East in Dubai in November) included Jim Murren of Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, Tony Fernandes of Capital A (AirAsia) and Dillip Rajakarier of Minor International.
Planning for Skift’s events is led by Brian Quinn, vice president of editorial events, who likens his role to that of a conductor. He shares his strategies and philosophies, as well as his most painful moments from the past year.
Switch conferences: How is working with speakers at Skift’s live events different from working at other events?
Brian Quinn: “One of the most interesting dynamics is the integration of journalism into what we do. Skift’s events are about seeking truth, just like our articles and research. This, unlike many other events, allows speakers to have more flexibility sexuality or autonomy to decide what he or she wants to say.
“At some events, people will stand on stage and read press releases. That’s not what we do – we focus on in-depth interviews and a content-driven approach, and few people actually take the time to do this well.
Switch conferences: How does the format reinforce this?
Brian Quinn: “We’re a one-stage experience and it’s all about the discussion on stage. We put a lot of effort into crafting it and thinking ahead in an almost choreographed way about what it would look like and how to make it relevant to our B2B audience. Be as useful as possible.
“Historically, interviews have been getting shorter and shorter. The sweet spot is generally 20-25 minutes. Our goal is to get as much done as possible, so we do a lot of self-editing and a prep or two before we go on stage job, it’s up to the speaker without reading a resume or telling the audience what they can easily research on their own.
“As a news organization, we never share the exact questions ahead of time. We use a theme. That’s really important so you don’t get a canned answer or they repeat something on stage.
Switch conferences: CEOs are used to being asked tough questions, but have you also encountered some awkward moments?
Brian Quinn: “It’s natural for any event organizer to be comfortable with discomfort. At the same time, we’re seeking the truth, so we ask questions that are sometimes difficult or people don’t want to cover. Often, their communications team may try to reduce the Or change certain topics and the worst case scenario is they say they can’t comment.
Switch conferences: How far in advance do you plan when working with a CEO?
Brian Quinn: “The demands and schedules of CEOs are busier than ever. Sometimes we only have a few months, and sometimes we have a year or more.
“It’s always evolving. Now, I’m starting to see a return to the long-term planning that happened pre-pandemic.
Switch conferences: Can you share an example of a challenge you’ve dealt with recently?
Brian Quinn: “For the event we just held in Dubai in November, we had five speakers unexpectedly withdraw within a few weeks of the event. This is natural for the region, but also outside the norm.
“For example, Capital A (AirAsia) CEO Tony Fernandes said, we were scheduled to do a Zoom interview with the host on stage. But then his flight was delayed. We had no idea if that was going to happen until five minutes ago. I heard he had landed and was in the car.
“So we had to repurpose all of our digital assets and adjust them and inform the hosts that we were going live. This happens all the time on TV and live news, but events are less customary.
Switch conferences: Any thoughts from attendees?
Brian Quinn: “Other than speakers appearing at different times on the schedule, the audience was unaware of the confusion.
“This is what we do. It’s a team process, and we have an incredible team here. Each one of us is fully equipped to handle not just one job, but multiple jobs.
Switch conferences: What is your philosophy for designing high-quality B2B events?
Brian Quinn: “Audiences are more aware and savvy than we think. Our philosophy is: ‘Design for the smartest people in the room.’ “That’s important because you don’t want the CEO to be on stage discussing a controversial topic and then not addressing it. The audience doesn’t want that. Ultimately, it’s harmful to the conversation.”
“So it’s important to push that boundary while being respectful.”
Skift Meetings: What do you see as the role between you and the content expert (in this case, the Skift editor)?
Brian Quinn: “I think a conductor is a great metaphor. A conductor can’t play every instrument in an orchestra, but a conductor knows the music inside out and knows what they want to interpret the piece of music to do.
“Obviously, our editors are experts, but we work collaboratively. Live journalism is very different from writing.
Switch conferences: How can you improve the pre-event experience for CEO speakers?
Brian Quinn: “I define hospitality as treating people like guests in your home. That’s what you feel when you enter a Skift event and Skift space.
“We don’t plan executive travel, but once they come through our doors, we want to make sure they’re in our home. So when they arrive, they check in, go into the green room, there’s food and drinks, and we Some stage makeup will be done to make sure they look good in front of the camera.
“They get time to hang out with other CEOs and presenters. That’s our goal: Before we get on stage, we make sure they feel like they have everything they need.
Switch conferences: How busy are you?
Brian Quinn: “When I’m preparing an event, I might have 100 active conversations. It’s like covering 20 different stories at the same time and then having to execute an event.
“I think that’s really exciting.”
