In our latest episode, Bram Jonker, Principal Evangelist at Miro challenges program teams to think differently and offers a number of new approaches for designing memorable experiences that allow customers to feel safe, heard, and want to build a long term relationship. From inviting external thought leaders to engage with customers and assigning specific roles to internal attendees, to employing an abundance mindset and implementing AI to support more effective facilitation, teams can truly focus on, listen to and delight their customers.

Highlights

• The Role of the EBC - visitors feel safe, heard and come back
• Not Repeating the Same Process - think differently, plan for unique return visits
• Making the most of Opportunities with Customers - empathy, listening
• Gather Feedback After Briefing - search for ways to improve, constantly innovate
• Invite External Thought Leaders - spark change, drive impact
• Building Trust with Account Team - MDC facilitation, specific roles for each attendee
• Employ AI in all Briefings - AI for admin functions, facilitator focuses on customers
• Abundance Mindset - shift from limitations of scarcity mindset, set bar higher
• 'Hug Your Customers' - authentic moments to show you care

Resources

• ‘Why an abundance mindset is key to getting hybrid work right’ by
  • Dr. Brennan Jacoby, Founder, Philosophy at Work & Bram Jonker, Principal Evangelist, Miro
• ‘Hug Your Customers: The Proven Way to Personalize Sales and Achieve Astounding Results’ by Jack Mitchell

Guest Thought Leader

Bram Jonker, Principal Evangelist, Miro

Bram’s focus is on cultivating collaborative relationships with key executives from leading multinational corporations to define the future of work. He engages with industry thought leaders to co-author thought leadership articles and deliver impactful presentations to diverse audiences. Additionally, Bram collaborates closely with Miro’s Account Executives, leveraging his network to expand their market presence and support the sales cycle effectively.

With a background in the consulting sector, Bram developed his skills over seven years at Deloitte, where he led teams dedicated to Technology and Innovation both internally and in collaboration with customers. Furthermore, his entrepreneurial spirit led him to found and successfully exit three data analytics companies within the healthcare domain.

Bram’s passion lies in driving change through innovative approaches to work and the strategic implementation of disruptive technologies for digital transformation within large enterprises. He is dedicated to building enduring partnerships and leveraging insights to help organizations differentiate and thrive in competitive markets. One of his key strengths is his ability to translate marketing visions and strategies into actionable plans that deliver tangible results.

In our latest episode, Traylor Woodall, CEO and Founder of Fivestone Studios, shares how working in the film and TV world has informed unique approaches to working with clients in the briefing world and beyond. He ‘opens the kimono’ on how supporting creativity and collaboration helps to establish and maintain a unique culture that makes space for artists to grow and thrive - what he calls ‘Bad Math - the power of 1+1 = 3’. Traylor is very honest about the transition that he is making as CEO, to not be the center of every decision while continuing to live the company’s values, celebrating team members inside and outside of work, and listening to everyone’s ideas.

Highlights

• Space for artists to grow and become ‘creative warriors’
• Learnings from motion packages for TV networks, ad agencies and large brands
• Approaches to creativity and collaboration with clients
  • Storytelling - the narrative thread
  • Motion Design - transform static assets into motion toolkits
  • Brevity - tell the story with simplicity and focus
• Culture that embraces creativity and collaboration
  • A space for ‘Bad Math’, where 1+1 = 3
• Supporting your team
  • Manage client expectations
  • Talk about life outside of work
  • Unlimited PTO
  • Rhythms of connection
  • Honoring your team outside the company
• Protect the culture
  • Repeatable processes that don’t rely on the CEO
  • Weekly direct 1:1s with all leadership
  • Demonstrate good culture in public

Resources

Experiences outside the briefing world can provide fresh approaches when working on EBC projects

• Vanderbilt Medical Center art installation
• Take-over of Times Square for Kia
• Partnership with Escape Game called Cosmic Crisis

Guest Thought Leader

Traylor Woodall, Founder and CEO, Fivestone Studios

Traylor is a lifelong storyteller, artist, musician, and experience creator. His journey began with a traditional degree in graphic design, but during a college internship he discovered a passion for motion graphics. Fast forward many years later, Traylor now serves as the CEO and Founder of Fivestone Studios, an integrated production company that blends design, technology and storytelling to create visually rich narratives across a wide range of channels.

At Traylor’s core lies his steadfast belief in the power of creative culture and collaboration. He’s always on the hunt for Bad Math - the power of 1+1=3. Even after 25+ years in the industry, Traylor lives for the moment when a creative idea comes together that is greater than the sum of any one individual’s ability or effort.

In our first episode, post the GACEP Spring Conference, Pete Riddell, Executive Creative Director with Derse, shares his gift for human storytelling while offering key ways to stay connected and inspired in today’s noisy world. It’s no surprise that Pete’s moving LinkedIn posts were the ‘inspiration’ for this conversation. From helping us to be more mindful of where we focus our energy and creating opportunities for ‘conversational jazz’ with kindred spirits, to how we center ourselves and take a moment before we respond or participate with others, Pete showcases the joy of savoring connectedness by turning people into storytellers. Be curious, listen, contribute positively to our society, make kind gestures, lift others up, make lasting memories… so many Peteisms.

Highlights

• Connection: Check in with friends - how are you doing (daily rating 1 to 10)
• Inspiration: practice conversational jazz with kindred spirits - who to reach out to
• Being better stewards of our time - unsubscribe from social apps
• Remind ourselves of memories - scroll through personal photos instead
• Centering ourselves: Being mindful in the moment - doing smallest of things
• When you think of friends and family: reach out, text, call, send hand-written note
• We have agency to choose how we respond or participate
• Humble pebbles to put on the scale - contribute in this noisy world
• Curiosity - ask questions that turn people into storytellers

Resources

• ‘This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life’ by David Foster Wallace
• ‘This is Water - Commencement Speech’ by David Foster Wallace
• ‘Dartmouth College Commencement Speech’ by Mr. Rogers

Guest Thought Leader

Pete Riddell, Executive Creative Director, Derse

Pete is the beating heart of Derse’s Customer Experience & Storytelling team. Their mission: to help Derse’s clients tell their best stories … as engagingly as possible. Pete has remained a perpetual student while growing Derse’s experiential practice over his 20+ years. His work includes novel engagement strategies on behalf of IHG, Charles Schwab and Cencora while spanning a broad range of industries, including healthcare, tech, automotive, financial services and hospitality (among others).

A gifted writer, storyteller and thought leader, Pete has presented, authored content and facilitated workshops at ExhibitorLive!, ABPM (now GACEP), HCEA Connect, Event Tech (now EMS), and also with/for Derse clients. He and the CX team love sharing inspiration and trends with clients and kindred spirits in this Golden Age of experience design.

In this episode, Jack Griffin, CEO & Certified Coach, Light Up Ventures and Ellen Barnes-Pfiffner, Principal & Consultant, EBP Business Consulting highlight the power of Transformative Facilitation. Our conversation was rich with statistical data, step by step approaches, industry trends and real-life program examples that illustrate the art of facilitation and how it elevates ROI.

Highlights

• Why Transformative Facilitation and How It Affects ROI
• Addressing Cognitive Overload
• Briefing Professionals Becoming 'Pilots'
• Start by Understanding the ‘Who'
• The Science of 1st Impressions
• Working with Executives - The Rule of 3
• Trends - Beyond Directing the Flow of Conversation
• Meaningful Agendas to Tell Your Story
• Employing the 7 Steps of Storytelling
• The Power of Listening

Resources

• EBP Articles: 'Emotional Intelligence and Facilitation' and more
• 'Lucid Meetings: Number, Effectiveness, and Cost of Meetings in the U.S.'
• ‘Luminary’ by Jack Griffin
• ‘Presence’ by Amy Cuddy
• 'The Effectiveness of Briefings' GACEP Report

Guest Thought Leaders

Jack Griffin, CEO & Certified Coach, Light Up Ventures

As CEO of this award-winning leadership development firm, Jack is on a mission to illuminate tech leaders through story development. He is also the author of Luminary, a #1 Best Selling book about communication for technical professionals. As a certified executive coach and leadership consultant, his expertise is dedicated to guiding ambitious leaders and their organizations toward transformative growth.

Ellen Barnes-Pfiffner, Principal & Consultant, EBP Business Consulting

As the Principal of EBP Business Consulting, Ellen is a highly skilled business executive with experience spanning sales, marketing, organizational development and corporate training. She utilizes her extensive experience to benchmark briefing programs, implementing plans to develop best in class briefing practices.

In this episode, Chad Hutson, Chief Strategy Officer, and Tim Kail, Executive Creative Director, both of Dimensional Innovations, explore how experience-based destinations provide unique avenues for storytelling and creating memories that last. Employing ideas from these sources, managing budgets to achieve client objectives and testing future technologies are ways they encourage customer-facing programs to create well-rounded experiences for a variety of audiences.

Highlights

• Museums: compelling content, interactivity, memorability
• Theme Parks: ‘surprise & delight’, design, customization
• Everyday Destinations: hospitality, education, relationships
• Budgets: design, deploy, measure, optimize
• Innovation Labs: test early, fail fast, fail small

Resources

• ‘Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds' by Margaret Kerrison
• Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge
• ‘Go Big or Go Home' by Tucker Trotter and Diana Kandar

Guest Thought Leaders

Chad Hutson, Chief Strategy Officer, Dimensional Innovations

Chad helps to develop and execute the strategic direction of the organization. Previously, as co-founder and CEO of specialized creative agency Leviathan, Chad led overall operations, business development and strategy for the organization, which was acquired by Envoy in 2017.

Tim Kail, Executive Creative Director, Dimensional Innovations

His day to day is learning as much as possible about a wide array of business categories, and working hard to reflect back some nugget of undiscovered truth that will help them connect with their audiences in a meaningful way. Prior to DI, Tim co-founded Rockbox, a strategic video content agency.

Happy New Year! What a fantastic way to start 2025…with some amazing news! Elizabeth Simpson, President of the Global Association of Customer Engagement Professionals (GACEP, formerly ABPM), shares everything you want to know about why the decision was made to make this significant change after 30 years as the ABPM. We discussed this evolution including the ‘aha moments’ that the universe kept sending to confirm this was the right path. Elizabeth tells multiple stories about discussions with members, the Advisory Board and the European Leadership Council that helped inform the decision, as well as the necessary steps and the timeline for the transition. She also reinforces who the GACEP will continue to support at its core and which roles may naturally join the community over time. This trusted community remains essential in supporting programs to achieve their vision and provide valuable guidance, best practices and insights from real-world experiences.

Highlights

• The impetus for changing the association's name to GACEP
• Clear ‘Aha’ moments leading to the change
• The process for change: confirming the new name
• GACEP = Global Association of Customer Engagement Professionals
• Who the GACEP will continue to serve
  • Who we still are at our core
  • Who we will welcome:
    • CAB Teams
    • Executive Sponsor Program Teams
    • Customer Insight Teams
    • Customer Reference Teams
  • Who we are not (few to many)
• How to pronounce GACEP > G-ACE-P
• Symbolism of the new GACEP logo
• The complete change will take time, please let us know if you find any locations or documents where the change from ABPM to GACEP has not been made

Resources

• GACEP Resources Webpage
• GACEP Spring Conference 2025 Registration

Guest Thought Leader

Elizabeth Simpson, President, Global Association of Customer Engagement Professionals (GACEP) (formerly ABPM)

Elizabeth has been with the association for nearly 25 years and took on the role of President in 2018. She works closely with Briefing and Customer Engagement Program teams to understand their challenges and opportunities, then works with the Global Association of Customer Engagement Professionals (formerly ABPM) team to provide the support, resources, and connections that will help GACEP members be successful now and in the future.

In our year-end episode, Sharon Gewirtzman, Founder of TheCreativebySharon, shares her insights and expertise for becoming a ‘Super Connector’ - a career path dedicated to facilitating valuable introductions. From her time managing Visitor Centers to building trust with customers within the Amdocs and Palo Alto Networks briefing programs, Sharon is following her lifelong passion for connecting people and offering tools to help others do the same. She reviews the principles of intentional networking and techniques to be more effective including icebreakers to kickstart meaningful conversations and a connection tracker to assist in follow up activities. Key takeaways include learning how networking can be a joyous experience and the importance of surrounding yourself with people who have a positive mindset, who lift you up and bring you to long term relationships. The perfect listen for this holiday season!

Highlights

• Definition, Benefits and Steps to become a ‘Super Connector’
• The Power of Networking
  • Sharon’s Term: ‘Principles of Intentional Networking’
  • Approach to Networking is a ‘Mindset’
  • True human interaction, not just on smartphones
  • Generation Z Networking Workshop - coming in January
• Tools to Step Up Your Networking Game
  • Ice Breakers for Meaningful Conversations - many different scenarios
  • Networking Connections Tracker - the key is Follow Up!
• Key Takeaway: start meaningful conversations and not just collect business cards
  • Networking can be a joyous experience
  • Surround yourself with people who have a positive mindset and lift you up
  • Truly listen with curiosity and develop your mental brain database
  • Apply in professional and personal settings

Resources

• Ice Breakers to Kickstart Meaningful Conversations
• Networking Connections Tracker
• Shlomi Haster’s Mindset.org Webpage
• The True Meaning of Ikigai

Guest Thought Leader
Sharon Gewirtzman, Founder of TheCreativeBySharon

As a seasoned connector, Sharon specializes in bringing people together. She fosters invaluable connections between individuals and brands, propelling growth and opportunity. With a passion for opening doors and nurturing relationships, she serves as both a Connector and Executive Advisor, guiding aspiring entrepreneurs towards their ideal goals.

What distinguishes Sharon is that she thrives in a global environment, infusing each interaction with boundless energy and innovative thinking. Her forte lies in seamlessly merging her expertise in event coordination, sales process management, and project oversight to craft unforgettable customer and client experiences.

With over a decade of hands-on experience steering customer engagements for top-tier technology firms including Amdocs and Palo Alto Networks, Sharon has honed her ability to cultivate enduring client partnerships and deliver exceptional production value across on-site, hybrid, and virtual events.

Sharon’s diverse background in graphic and web design, art history, and digital marketing adds a layer of creativity and ingenuity to every endeavor. She is continuously driven by a thirst for knowledge, a commitment to surpassing expectations, and a collaborative spirit that fuels success within cross-functional teams.

In this episode, Keeley Lundquist, Founder and Executive Consultant of Lime Group LLC, and Executive Briefing Center Expert/Transformation Leader, formerly of IBM, shares impactful approaches for effectively managing change within organizations. From her ‘Integrated Success Framework’ that focuses on people, processes and projects, to the power of design thinking, Keeley illustrates how briefing professionals can remain agile and address barrier points to drive continuous innovation and transformation. She also introduces our audience to the powerful 5 stage ADKAR model from Prosci for overcoming resistance, ensuring team members are ready to adapt to change.

Highlights

• Rattlesnakes - Meet People Where They Are, Build Trust
• How Organizations Manage Change - Flywheel vs. Pinball
• Design Thinking in EBCs - Collaborative Problem-Solving with Customers
• Integrated Success Framework - People, Processes, and Projects
• Overcoming Resistance to Change - Introducing ADKAR
• Barrier Points - Address the Emotional and Motivational Aspects Early
• Future of EBCs - Continuous Innovation and Transformation

Resources

• ‘Good to Great’, Jim Collins
• ‘The ADKAR Advantage: Your New Lens for Successful Change’, Karen Ball
• prosci.com

Guest Thought Leader

Keeley Lundquist
Founder and Executive Consultant, Lime Group LLC
Executive Briefing Center Expert and Transformation Leader, formerly of IBM

Keeley brings over two decades of expertise in driving strategic change, leadership development, and organizational effectiveness through her consultancy. Keeley’s credentials include Lean Six Sigma and Prosci Change Management, and she’s currently leading a Learning & Development change initiative with a Fortune 100 company. During her 25+ years at IBM, Keeley specialized in EBC transformation, leveraging her expertise in change management, project management, and process improvement.

Over her 25-year career, Keeley spent more than 20 years in the Executive Briefing Center environment, taking on a variety of impactful roles. She began in a Client Enablement role, later transitioning to a position focused on marketing and communications. As a Client Experience Leader at IBM’s Global Solution Center in Dallas, Keeley led efforts to update the physical space and digital content, ultimately earning the center the prestigious ABPM World Class Center Award in 2015. In her final role with IBM, Keeley led Talent Transformation within the Innovation Studio program where she developed a skill strategy for a 250-pers