It’s the stuff great first dates are made of, the glue in a decades-long friendship, and pretty key to driving any sort of change or progress. Sometimes it’s deep and meaningful; sometimes it just wanders from topic to topic without any real agenda, but a good conversation of any kind is one of the most unifying experiences we can have as human beings – and isn’t bringing people together ultimately what our industry is all about?
Given this, we’re pretty excited to announce that our own resident master conversationalist has officially added talking to his resumé by taking a seat on the panel of a new podcast. Our Managing Partner, Dustin Westling, CSEP, is one of four event professionals – he’s joined by Will Curran, Nick Borelli, and Thuy Diep – bringing you Event Brew, a new industry podcast that is breaking up the ubiquitous interview format with a more fluid, round-table style. The podcast aims to replicate the kind of conversations that happen between event professionals backstage, in hotel lobbies, around tables, and over drinks; those that are unplanned, unscripted, and often unexpected.
“My favourite conversations for the 20 years I’ve been in the events industry are not the ones that happen on stage, they’re not the ones that happen in any kind of official capacity,” says Nick in the first episode of Event Brew. “They’re the conversations with a bunch of different people sitting around a table talking about what’s real, and what’s their point of view.”
Event Brew is a chance to not only widen the net for these types of discussions, but to hopefully spur in-real-life versions among listeners. While controversial topics are definitely on the docket and no one’s going to be pulling any punches, the real beauty of a space like Event Brew is in demonstrating that diving into real conversations, hashing out big topics, and potentially disagreeing can all be done with a cool head and a healthy dose of respectful listening (we could go on about this, but we’ve already done that recently here).
For Dustin, the pull of the events industry has always revolved around a fascination with the magic that happens when human beings come together to interact and connect; Event Brew is an opportunity to discuss as industry professionals the power that we have to create and foster that special alchemy, and to explore all of the potential ways we can use this to do good, effect positive change, and impact our communities.
“Where I am right now and the thing I’m most passionate about,” Dustin explains, “is being part of a movement within our industry where people are really starting to recognize the impact that we have on communities, the impact we have on business, the impact we have on people, and all through live experience. I feel like we’re all starting to find our super power.”
Just three episodes in, Event Brew has already sounded off on the more straight-forward, tips-oriented topic of getting the most out industry conferences, as well as taking on the more controversial concept of an industry obsession with “busy.” Dustin, Will, Thuy, and Nick definitely have thoughts about all of that, so the next time you’re walking your dog, messing up your kitchen, or killing time in an airport, throw on Event Brew and listen in on the conversation. Even better than listening is taking up the conversation later with your own friends and peers, hitting us up with your thoughts on a topic, or letting us know about topics you think the Event Brew crew should be hashing out next. The way we as an industry, as a society, and as a global community all move forward together vs drifting outward individually is by connecting and by talking – so grab a brew! Let’s talk.
