Creating Event Activations For Pets (with David Adler) | 12

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What is one event activation that every brand should be doing? Host Kristin Nagle asks this exact question to find out how to grab an audience's attention. David Adler shares a historical example involving a high society party designed exclusively for dogs. He explains why bringing pets into the picture creates the ultimate democratizing experience with massive retention rates.

Kristin and David also discuss the neuroscience behind event music. They explore why combining a DJ with a live drummer wakes up the brain and brings energy to a room. Finally, they cover the logistics of event food, including David's strict rules for hors d'oeuvres and his thoughts on the mashed potato bar.

👤 Guest Bio

David Adler is the Chairman and Founder of BizBash, the largest business-to-business media property for event professionals. He started the platform in 2000 to give event organizers a central hub for commerce, content, and community. Before his landmark venture into the event space, David held significant corporate communications roles at Primedia and Macmillan Inc. Today, he operates as an independent observer, keynote speaker, and the curator in chief of GatheringPoint.news. Connect with David on LinkedIn.

Check out the ‘People’ section from Small Bite Architecture to see some of your favorite Event Pros personalized as hors d'oeuvres! https://smallbitearchitectutr.lovable.app/people

The Event Question

Kristin Nagle asks: "What is one event activation you have seen recently that made you stop and say every brand should be doing this?"

📌 What You'll Learn

1. Create activations that feature pets to instantly boost engagement and retention rates.
2. Design events that function like a dog park to democratize the networking experience.
3. Bring live music onto the stage to wake up the audience using neuroscience.
4. Combine a DJ with a live musician, like a drummer, to bring a different element of energy.
5. Focus on delivering goosebumps through great conversations, music, and human connection.
6. Serve classic comfort foods like pigs in a blanket to satisfy guests.
7. Follow the "one bite, two chews" rule for hors d'oeuvres so attendees can eat without interrupting their conversations.

The Ridiculous Question

Kristin asks: "If you had a theme song for your career or your life, what would it be?"

David says his song is "Life on the Other End of a Toothpick," a custom track he is writing on Suno. He also notes that his stage walk-on song would be "Eye of the Tiger."

🔗 Links / Resources Mentioned

1. David Adler LinkedIn
2. BizBash
3. GatheringPoint.news
4. Small Bite Architecture
5. Suno
6. Eventastic: https://www.eventastic.com