| Experiential Events Strategist | Storyteller Marketer | Creating experiences, one event at a time. 40 under 40 Women in Events Industry award winner- Connect Meetings, 2018. Literary award winner- MPI Toronto, 2021. **I don’t believe in event fatigues, been in the industry for over 15 years now, but I do believe in ‘BORING’ event fatigue.** When you meet someone, do you start your conversation by saying – Let me pull my PowerPoint? Or do you just talk…..connect? Sonali holds a Bachelors in Business Administration, CMP (Certified Meeting Professional), DES (Digital Event Strategist), HMCC (Healthcare Meeting Compliance Certificate), Executive Education focused in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Florida Atlantic University, Business Strategist from Harvard Business School, and a Microsoft Innovative Educator. |
- How long have you worked in the events industry and what keeps you interested in it?
12 years and counting. Events Industry keeps me tied to it’s roots for one reason only- bringing people and cultures together. - Best (and worst?) moments working in the events industry?
‘Sitting at the end of the table, watching my attendees and event owners enjoy their fine wine and sharing stories’ is always one of the best moments of being in Events. When my phone pedometer is running over 20k steps and the vending machine is out of M&M (my protein source for those event days). - What was the last event on which you worked?
OpenText World Europe & Asia Pacific. - From your experience, What’s the best way to utilise tech at an event?
Pandemic has accelerated the Event Technology advancement, however it doesn’t mean we have to use all forms of event tech. “We need to choose technology with purpose, that breaks down the virtual experience barriers for our attendees”. - We all learn from our mistakes! What was the biggest lesson you learned from a mistake since being in the industry?
Failure to notice Murphy’s Law, quite early in the industry I learned about Murphy’s Law, of course the hard way. ‘Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong’. So I keep a plan C for plan B. - What are you most looking forward to at Event Tech Live?
Event Tech Live evolves with year on year to blend in new content focusing on trends and future opportunities. Bringing the best of industry, ETL manages to accelerate the learning, networking and entrepreneurial cycle for many of us. I’m psyched to meet with industry experts and learn more about the new eventtech solutions to meet our Event goals. - What do events, such as ETL, mean to you?
Knowledge Rainmakers - What can our delegates expect to take away from your session at ETL?
Do not chase Diversity when it is just a number, reach out and hand-over the mic to new voices for the resilience and force they symbolize. Key takeaway from my session will be ‘Key Differentiators that make your event successful’ - Which one piece of tech couldn’t you live without?
Cvent’s registration tool. Well, you can’t blame me for bias (I’m an ex-cventer) - Most pointless tech you have purchased?
Fitbits
Join Sonali for her session: Story of a Color at ETL US & Canada
on June 10th on the Omni Stage – Book your ticket here
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