Lynda Hislop
President
Event Experiences

Lynda Hislop oversees the day-to-day operations of Event Experiences and manages meeting operations for CSP. She is a 20-year veteran of the business, 10 of them as part of CSP/Event Experiences. Working for International Management Group, Hislop managed both LPGA and Senior PGA tournaments. As vice president of the Raymond Floyd Group, she oversaw day-to-day operations, managed endorsements, and directed the Lexus Challenge golf tournament. Hislop received her degree from the University of Minnesota, where she was the women’s golf team captain. She can be reached at lynda.hislop@eventexp.com.

Q. Attendance grew 27 percent at this year's NEW Leadership Summit. In general, is attendance at conferences up, down or all over the place?

A. Our experience this last year has shown conference attendance to be down overall. Clearly attendees and companies must be able to justify the investment of their time and money. Programming is key, and great takeaways are critical, which is one of the reasons NEW continues to enjoy such tremendous growth of all its properties. The 2009 Summit featured excellent and relevant speakers plus great opportunities for networking with industry peers.

Q. You've been managing the NEW Leadership Summit on behalf of the Network from the beginning. How would you compare this year's event to previous Summits?

A. Besides the obvious growth in attendance, NEW has enjoyed wonderful and growing support of the industry it serves, which translates to the ability to add higher-profile speakers and participants. Also, as more companies sponsor the Summit’s educational and business activities that provides opportunity to create more expansive and valuable events. Sponsorship has been critical to allow us to book inspiring and entertaining keynoters like Sara Blakely and, in 2008, Amy Curtis-McIntyre, in addition to wonderful industry experts like Denise Morrison of the Campbell Soup Company and Kim Feil of Walgreens, both of whose companies are great supporters of NEW.

Q. Tell us about Event Experiences. What other conferences do you produce and what services do you offer?

A. We produce several large industry-specific (restaurants, convenience stores, foodservice) conferences each year, and an assortment of smaller meetings. We specialize in hotel site selection and contracting and we help our client companies create memorable experiences that deliver the highest possible return on investment. Each program is custom designed with the client to maximize each attendee's relationship building and learning opportunities. Event Experiences provides the creativity, business savvy and working knowledge to create events that go beyond the ordinary. We provide a wide range of professional services, including meeting development, marketing, agenda creation, facilities negotiation, speaker bookings, on-site management and production, even golf tournaments. With each event, our mission is to provide a lasting experience that impacts people and businesses for life while positively impacting your bottom line.

Q. You've had some pretty high-profile speakers at your events, like former president George H.W. Bush. What's more important in a speaker -- the life they have led or their speaking ability?

A. Everyone loves a great story, and the best speakers tell their personal stories with heart and insight and lessons learned. Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a very high profile like former President Bush. We recently had T. Boone Pickens and Ted Turner on stage together for the first time (even though they’re friends), and the audience thoroughly enjoyed their unique and entertaining interaction. Talk about some great stories, all of which come from brilliance and personal histories that can’t be learned or faked. Many people can learn to be good speakers, but it’s their lives that are interesting to listeners.

Q. What advice would you give to our folks out there planning to hold events? How can they attract an audience and hold them?

A. Follow the NEW model! Build a relationship with your constituents year-round and engage them with topical, timely information. Ensure your content is relevant and meaningful to the greatest number of prospective participants. Create opportunities for personal growth and for important learning with networking, educational and social functions.