Power of Interactivity
Conference and trade show events can be overwhelming for attendees as their limited time and attention can be divided among an overload of...
Event Trends
From virtual and hybrid event production to immersive digital experiences, we're always looking ahead to what's next in the events industry. Read our blog for insights, ideas, and advice on engaging your community--both in-person and virtually.
Conference and trade show events can be overwhelming for attendees as their limited time and attention can be divided among an overload of...
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from our clients in the pharmaceutical industry, it’s that change is the only constant.
In franchising, staying a step ahead in sales is not just a goal; it's a necessity. Effectively utilizing conventions and meetings is a fundamental...
Corporate events hold significant potential to leave a lasting impact on participants, the environment, and communities. Embracing sustainability in...
The corporate events landscape is undergoing an incredible transformation thanks to a wave of exciting new trends. Following two years of...
Whether we’re working to increase engagement across a company’s entire workforce or within a specific division or team, there’s one thing we know is...
There's an undeniable truth in constituent engagement: the most memorable events are the ones that resonate deeply with audiences. When you're...
Effective communication is the cornerstone of successful leadership. It paves the way for trust, inspires team collaboration, and brings clarity to...
In the ever-evolving world of business, the cornerstone of a successful organization lies in its most valuable asset - its employees. The...
Employee engagement has reached its lowest level in almost a decade. According to a recent survey by Gallup, a worrying 18% (or nearly 1-in-5) of the...
Leadership is much more than a position—it's a blend of unique traits, values, experiences, and vision that culminate in a distinct style....
As we face the escalating impacts of climate change, the need for sustainable practices becomes increasingly urgent. The event industry, with its...
Hybrid events, a blend of physical and digital experiences, have become a cornerstone in the event industry. However, a challenge lies in creating an...
Igniting the spark that turns your salesforce into a vibrant, dynamic powerhouse of motivation, collaboration, and achievement can be realized...
Imagine entering a room where the atmosphere is electric, the environment immersive, and every detail meticulously tailored to create a lasting...
When it comes to external perception, a company’s brand is often its biggest asset. A clear, decisive, and memorable brand can make or break public...
We’ve all been there. Plans change, unexpected challenges appear, team communication breaks down, and suddenly it feels like a project has gone off...
Recently, we posted about the best ways to identify a trusted agency partner during an event agency’s sales pitch, but choosing a partner is only the...
When it comes time to evaluate your agency partner, there’s a good chance you’re putting too much weight on the wrong criteria and not enough on the...
There’s no denying that the agency pitch process has changed significantly over the past few years, with remote work fracturing the human connection...
An RFP (request for proposal) is most companies’ go-to method for finding a creative agency partner. Whether it’s the best way to source a...
If you’re reading this post, you’ve likely attended or worked events where it feels as though every single task associated with attending and...
Over the past couple of years, many of the status quos we’ve relied upon in our working cultures have been upended. In the wake of this instability,...
As the EVP of People and Culture here at August Jackson, it’s my goal—both internally at AJ and externally in partnership with our clients—to nurture...
You’ve been asked to find an outside organization to assist with your next major event or entire campaign event strategy. How do you know which one...
Higher education campaign launches have historically focused on in-person events that bring together alumni and institutional partners for complete...
User Experience (UX). Put simply, it’s an art and a science often reserved for digital work that is focused on ensuring frictionless, user-centric...
All engagements should have a purpose—a central reason for being. When creating an event engagement strategy, it’s vital to start with why and build...
At the end of April 2022, a small team of AJ Creative Directors and Producers descended upon Las Vegas for the Experiential Marketing Summit, the #1...
Long-term relationship building is a primary goal for all organizations regardless of industry. From big corporations to small nonprofit...
A comprehensive and compelling story arc should drive your event at every step. Stories are the main thing—sometimes the only thing—that will engage...
With the increasing use of social media, ever-expanding sources of music and video streaming, and algorithms that anticipate what we want before we...
After spending the past several years in digital environments, people are excited for the opportunity to come together at in-person events. For...
5 key insights gained from experienced event producers
When COVID-19 hit and enforced a work-from-home structure, for many companies it was like cutting off the head of a squid, with singular tentacles...
August Jackson recently had the opportunity to evolve its relationship with one of the world’s leading Professional Services firms; leveraging...
In my role at AJ, I not only help clients design events and communications that drive their internal cultures and engage their employees, but play a...
The online community has become just as important as the communities we're used to being with in-person.
Predictions abound around what work-life will look like as we start to come out of the pandemic and resume a new cadence of business and...
Universities around the country are announcing their plans for the fall semester. Regardless of the plan, all schools are hoping students will be...
Have you ever been so engrossed in a task or a discussion that time just seems to evaporate? For me, it happens when I’m doing something just like...
Digital screens have become an indispensable part of our daily lives. As a result, whether we think about it this way or not, these screens have...
Eye contact. Emotion. Movement. Body language. These are some very human, very theatrical tools we use to keep things interesting when presenting to...
Balancing technology with authentic, tangible connection Quick thought experiment – You’re at a festival and you come across two consumer...
Lexy Murphy is a Producer/Production Manager who recently stepped into her management role at August Jackson. On a journey to discover what kind of...
Look, it’s clear that you are already acquainted with the rules of effective storytelling. I don’t have to remind you about a three-act pyramid...
We approach our employee engagement work with a three-step process that’s rooted in design thinking methodologies. Find out how this roadmap helps...
Sometimes the smallest details can tie an event together and deliver authenticity throughout the experience.
Empathy drives innovation—not only as a foundation from which we can ideate, but as a discipline that both defines and expands our creative...
Depending on your fiscal year end, you’re in the midst of planning your annual sales kickoff! Or you will be soon. So this describes your world right...
At AJ – we are often approached by clients seeking to dial up the energy and excitement around their employee recognition initiatives. While engaging...
Organizations today have an opportunity to use their culture as an anchoring mechanism in uncertain times. Culture is a powerful force and, if we can...
If you are in the silent phase of a new philanthropic campaign, you are no doubt on the hunt for inspiration. The conferences you might attend are...
Some leaders make it look so effortless. They communicate with vision and consistency. They take the stage or step in front of the camera with...
We’ve all sat through a dry presentation or two with slide after slide of cluttered words, ambiguous clip art or lists of bullet points. But if...
The idea that a highly engaged workforce is important for the health of a business is not new. It’s a highly researched area, and the research points...
Organizations who implement employee engagement programs and campaigns see less turnover, increased sales, higher levels of profit – the list goes...
The next recession will soon be upon us, likely within the next two years. That’s according to economists who point to a very reliable indicator… the...
The role of the event producer is one that brings with it a lot of confusion. “Does he oversee creative?” “Does she spec the staging elements?” “Does...
You’ve come to the close of another successful year managing your sales team. And while a break around the holidays is certainly well-deserved, you...
Working in the higher education and nonprofit environment is a lot of things. It’s exciting. Meaningful. Challenging. Satisfying. Above all, it is...
Measurement matters. And it’s no secret that businesses struggle to figure out how to exactly measure the impact of their sales kickoff. The ultimate...
I’ve been in the agency business for 25 years. I’ve worked with all kinds of agencies. Above-the-line agencies, below-the-line agencies, consumer...
Let’s face it – for anyone other than the very select group of people actually being recognized, an award ceremony runs the risk of losing the...
If you are the one responsible for directing a large sales force into the future of annual sales increases, the pressure is on to inspire, align and...
What is the best way to measure my return on investment for an event or activation? This is a common and critically important question, but one that...
From large scale conferences hosting thousands, to the most modest of company meetings, the most successful events have one thing in common – they’ve...