We were lucky to catch up with Logan Clements & Mary Davidson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Logan Clements &, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. The first dollar your firm earns is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.
Logan and Mary are event professionals that became connected in 2020. Logan called Mary (soon after Mary started her business) and shared about an event that we both could partner on. This was pivotal in Mary starting her business and being able to partner and learn from Logan. Logan had been in business for years prior, but this was Mary’s first event she did as a business owner. This collaboration and partnership has continued through many events and even in creating the Better Events Podcast together. Logan showed collaboration and valued community over competition which shaped the start of Mary’s business and a wonderful working relationship/friendship.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
We believe we can all create, host and attend better events. As hosts of the Better Events Podcast, we: Learn about event strategy and actions that you can use today as an event host, planner, or manager,
Hear directly from the people who are creating innovative and inspiring events today and tomorrow
And learn how to Grow your business along the way!
Bio – Logan Clements
Logan Clements, owner of Logan Strategy Group, has over eight years of in-person and virtual event planning and project management experience, with a passion for people, to-do lists, and problem-solving. She’s worked with agencies, professional sports teams, brands, start-ups, non-profits, and individuals, to make memorable experiences in the US, China and around the world. Specializing in sports, conferences, and non-profit events, Logan loves working in multicultural and multilingual environments and speaks Mandarin Chinese. Over the last few years, she’s managed over 120 speakers for a virtual conference, produced the sports presentation at the Tokyo Olympics, webinars, workshops, and multi-day conferences, through Zoom, StreamYard, Vimeo and YouTube. Outside of events, she can be found reading mysteries, trying street-food tours in new cities she visits, and playing new sports.
Bio – Mary Davidson
Mary Davidson, MBA, owner of EP Events LLC, has over eleven years of fundraising experience which has led to deep diving into the event world and helping nonprofits raise funds for their cause. Purposeful events are her jam and she is known for event planning on a budget and working efficiently and effectively. It’s a top priority for Mary to help organizations stay true to their mission, purpose, and budget, while planning an event. Mary leads the EP Events team in non-profit, community, and corporate events, whether virtual, hybrid, or in-person. Mary is also the co-founder of the Event Pros On the Go Retreat and enjoys giving back to the event industry and spreading community over competition through her involvement as co-host of the Better Events Podcast.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
We all experienced a time of pivot during the pandemic and the event industry was one of the industries impacted for the longest period of time. Thankfully, we pivoted to virtual events early 2020 and never looked back. During these years of producing virtual events, we learned some amazing skills and worked with people from all over the world – these were experiences we didn’t have the opportunity to have as much prior to this time. We gained a genuine love for virtual events which might be shocking to hear – we gained a greater understanding of what audiences they work for and when it makes sense to choose virtual. Many of our colleagues changed industries and careers during this time but we were grateful to have the opportunity to see it through and learn new skills along the way that we still use post-pandemic.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Our goal is community over competition. The best kind of business is referral based and a great source for new clients is fellow event professionals. There is plenty of business to go around and creating a network of industry peers has been game changing – we’re able to refer business to each other and support each other in growth. In some industries there may be a greater sense of competition but it has been amazing to see us refer business to each other!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bettereventspod.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bettereventspod/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Bettereventspod/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/77769164/admin/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/BetterEventsPod
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXjtECaK1bq0hQtBWrYxepw
Image Credits
Jess Keener Photography