Everyone says celebrity keynotes are out. Data says audiences want practitioners, not personalities. So why is RISKWORLD, the world's largest gathering of global risk professionals, doubling down on names like Adam Grant and Michael Strahan?
Because sometimes the data is right and your audience is the exception. And knowing the difference is exactly what separates an event operator from a Chief Commercial Officer.
In this episode of Event About It, host Megan Martin sits down with Stuart Ruff-Lyon, Chief Commercial Officer at RIMS, the risk management society, to talk about what actually happens when you stop measuring the wrong things and start asking better questions of your event.
They play The Debrief, a game where Stuart gives the one question every event leader should be asking in their post-show report but almost never does. From flat sponsor revenue to a 92% say-they'll-return survey rate, Stuart flips the script on the metrics this industry treats as wins.
Plus, Stuart shares the story of the morning a hacker held every single PowerPoint and video from RISKWORLD's 150-session education program for ransom. The first day of the show. Before the first session opened.
And yes, they got it all back.
What You'll Learn:
The one question hiding behind every post-event metric that nobody is asking
Why cutting your closing reception to save $200K might be your most expensive decision
How to think about social media engagement after your conference without counting selfies as a strategy
What cybersecurity risk actually looks like for a large-scale conference and what RIMS did about it
Why the data says ditch celebrity keynotes — and when to ignore that data entirely
Connect with Stuart Ruff-Lyon: LinkedIn | RIMS.org
RISKWORLD 2026: May 3-6 | Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia Register and learn more
Resources Mentioned:
RIMS Active Shooter Resources and After Action Review — the full report Stuart references about the 2023 Atlanta incident, including the minute-by-minute after action review and RIMS' security enhancements
Comprehensive Risk Management Guide: https://www.asaecenter.org/about-us/news_releases/2024-news-releases/asae-collaborates-with-industry-leaders-to-produce-comprehensive-risk-and-crisis-management-toolkit-for-associations
https://associationsnow.com/2023/05/how-one-association-handled-an-active-shooter-incident-in-conference-city/
Adam Grant — Think Again — the book Megan references in conversation with Stuart about rethinking assumptions
Connect with Megan Martin: LinkedIn | msquareddynamics.com | @M2Dynamics on social media
Got a Vent of the Week or an event story worth sharing? Head to eventaboutitpodcast.com to submit yours and get featured on a future episode.
Don't miss the Dynamic Dialogue After Show with Stuart, where we go deeper on the RISKWORLD rebrand, the Atlanta active shooter incident, and what association event leaders say behind closed doors that never makes it into the conference presentation. Join the Squared Squad at eventaboutitpodcast.com for access to every After Show episode and exclusive bonus content.
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