JDC Events

12/08/2022

Technical Support for Hybrid Events - JDC Events

Live chat support can be an indispensable tool to help attendees overcome technical trouble in online event portals. While this is an excellent customer service option, poorly managed chat support can actually leave attendees feeling MORE frustrated.

We're sharing our tried-and-true tips for hosting successful event tech support. Download this complimentary resource to help set your team up for success.

JDC Events offers tips to ensure a smooth technical experience and your next hybrid event. Download the resource for free here.

12/06/2022

This time next week, our very own Kara Dao, CEM will share lessons learned from decades of experience at Expo! Expo!, hosted by the International Association of Exhibitions & Events - IAEE.

If you're attending the show, don't miss her session, "Fostering Relationships with Difficult People – Mind the Gap." Register at myexpoexpo.com. Hope to see you there!

12/02/2022

Onsite this week at the Omni Shoreham Hotel for the 2022 National Research Conference on Firearm Injury Prevention. We are honored to play a role in delivering purpose-driven events that advance public safety and the common good.

Organized and sponsored by: the University of Michigan Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, the RAND Corporation, the Columbia Scientific Union for the Reduction of Gun Violence (SURGE), and the National Collaborative on Gun Violence Research (NCGVR).

Omni Hotels & Resorts

11/30/2022

Our JDC family has grown! Congratulations to Shafer Busch on your sweet new addition. The JDC team sends you and your loved ones best wishes for a very happy holiday season as a new family of four. ❤️

11/21/2022

What are you thankful for? As we head into this holiday week, our team is thankful for many things, from profound gifts like houses full of loved ones to simple pleasures like homemade pies and crisp autumn hikes.

We wish all our friends, clients, and colleagues a very happy Thanksgiving, and we hope you have a restorative holiday that fills your cup!

11/07/2022

Join us in congratulating JDC Events President & CEO Jennifer D. Collins, CMP, DES, on being named as a recipient of the American University Changemaker Award! This award recognizes President’s Circle members who are role models to students, collaborators for faculty and administration, and powerful examples of changemakers in society.

Congratulations, Jennifer, on this well-deserved achievement!

10/21/2022

6 Trending Event Budgeting Tactics - JDC Events

Budgets are tight for just about everyone, yet people are still hungry to gather for in-person events. We have tips to help stretch your dollars and deliver the biggest return on event planning investment.

This resource will teach you six ideas to creatively tackle budgeting challenges. Download for free here.

10/13/2022

Kara Dao, CEM from JDC Events will present on how to turn difficult event business situations into long term relationships. Register today to learn from our amazing speakers : https://bit.ly/3T4UFq9

10/13/2022

IMEX is hopping this week in ! Our days have been full of reconnecting with industry friends, as well as learning about tech advances, rising city offerings, and new production capabilities to help us create curated experiences for our clients.

IMEX

10/11/2022

IAEE Learning: Is Your Event Accessible to Everyone? A Guide to Event Design that Fully Includes Participants with Disabilities

How accessible are your events? Join us on Oct. 19 at 11:30 ET for a webinar on designing conferences and social gatherings that fully include participants with disabilities.

JDC Events Creative Director Catherine Dorrough will present alongside Stacey Herman MS Ed., CESP, AVP, Neurodiversity and Community Workforce Development at Kennedy Krieger Institute.

Hosted by the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE), the webinar is free to attend for IAEE members and $49 for non-members. We hope to see you there!

Register here:

https://learn.iaee.com/products/is-your-event-accessible-to-everyone-a-guide-to-event-design-that-fully-includes-participants-with-disabilities#tab-product_tab_overview

IAEE Webinar on designing inclusive and accessible events.

10/05/2022

Planning Inclusive & Accessible Events - JDC Events

You've planned an incredible event – but can all your guests access it? Here are our top five tips for creating an inclusive, welcoming environment for your next event: https://jdc-events.com/planning-accessible-events/

This one-sheet will help you plan an event that is accessible and inclusive of everyone. Download for free here.

09/30/2022

Psst… We’re going to let you in on a secret. In Norfolk, Virginia, there’s an Italian restaurant and wine bar called Varia inside Hilton Norfolk THE MAIN. Inside that restaurant, there’s a bookcase. But it’s not a real bookcase. You can open it to reveal a glittering Art Deco speakeasy-style private dining room hidden away from public view.

That was just one of the many delightful discoveries we made on our recent site visit to Norfolk. We also found that the walkable town boasts a thriving art culture. The Hilton showcases publicly accessible art throughout the building, and the Glass Light Hotel & Gallery, Autograph Collection includes a stunning glass museum – also free and open to the public.

While we were in town, we also visited Nauticus, a naval museum and home to the Battleship Wisconsin, one of the last and largest battleships built by the U.S. Navy. Our tour also brought us to Waterside District, a revived waterfront with great dining options and beautiful views of the harbor.

We closed out the trip with a sunset schooner cruise and one final delight: the perfect vantage point from which to watch a rocket launch.

If Norfolk isn’t on your radar as an event destination, it should be. It’s a quaint town with plenty to do on a long weekend, all within a five-block radius. It’s also conveniently accessible by train and plane. Cheers to VisitNorfolk for showing us your gem of a town!

09/22/2022

This week, members of Team JDC have been in Georgia managing a corporate retreat at the beautiful InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, with an accompanying rooftop party at Ponce City Roof. It has been a special experience to manage a retreat where many attendees are meeting each other in person for the first time. For some, this is their first trip since the advent of COVID.

To prepare for the event, we brought together client team members from around the world and from different workgroups to gain a better understanding of their various responsibilities and form new KPIs with one another. With this knowledge in hand, we’ve been able to deliver a productive and highly curated event.

09/19/2022

This year's CEIR Predict conference at MGM National Harbor served up session after session of deep and interesting research on the future of the events industry. We especially loved Tricia Wang's session on leveraging data. Our big takeaway? Big Data, while important, shouldn't be the only tool you utilize. Instead, use it alongside Thick Data – which is qualitative and compiled through conversations and observations – to identify gaps and make informed decisions about the future of your market.

09/16/2022

What a perfect evening for Broadband.Money's rooftop event to celebrate their new D.C. office opening and the 50th anniversary of the Telecommunications Policy Research Conference (TPRC).

Team JDC worked alongside Spilled Milk Catering and AV provider The R Martin Group. LLC to deliver a tailored guest experience. We especially love the gorgeous custom cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcake!

09/14/2022

Engaging the Five Senses in Event Planning - DC Event Planning

Scientific brain studies confirm that the more a person's senses are stimulated during an experience, the more memorable it becomes. Head to the JDC blog to learn our strategies for harnessing all five senses to engage your event attendees.

There is no other part of the marketing mix as powerful as an event. To build your event for maximum effect try engaging the five senses in event planning.

09/09/2022

Congratulations to the National Auto Auction Association on a successful 2022 convention in Dallas! It was a joy to support the association’s week of standing-room-only sessions, purposeful meetings, and social events as big and bold as the Lone Star State.

09/09/2022

Congratulations to the National Auto Auction Association on a successful 2022 convention in Dallas! It was a joy to support the association’s week of standing-room-only sessions, purposeful meetings, and social events as big and bold as the Lone Star State.

Sheraton Dallas Hotel
Cheshire Audio Visual
Arata Expositions, Inc.

09/06/2022

Last chance to register! JDC Events CEO Jennifer D. Collins will share her secrets to transforming events into unforgettable experiences during an International Association of Exhibitions & Events - IAEE webinar tomorrow (Wednesday, Sept. 7) at 11:30 a.m. ET. Hope to see you there!



https://learn.iaee.com/products/how-the-spark-model-can-transform-your-trade-show-into-a-showstopper#tab-product_tab_overview

08/31/2022

This week, we’re onsite at the beautiful Hotel Bentley in Alexandria, Louisiana, supporting the Inaugural Broadband Solutions Summit, hosted by NTIA. Together with our production partner, Slate Productions, we’re delighted to have this opportunity to deliver another successful in-person event.

08/30/2022

You never know what gems you'll find in a smaller market. This week we're onsite in Alexandria, Louisiana, at the stunning Hotel Bentley. Opened in 1908, the Renaissance-style hotel is on the National Register of Historic Places.

According to local legend, Pennsylvania timber baron Joseph Bentley decided to build the hotel after a long day of timber scouting because he was refused dinner service at another hotel for improper attire.

The hotel's detailing is exquisite, down to the mosaic flooring, which took an artist two years to complete.

08/29/2022

The Rise of the Private Professional Network – Part 2

2/2: Events spark change... but what about all the days between events? In part 2 of our conversation between JDC Events CEO Jennifer D. Collins, CMP, DES and Erica Bishaf, founder and CEO of professional networking platform CampfireSocial, we delve into the power of creating curated spaces for event participants to engage in 365 days a year.

Did you miss Part 1? Head to our page to get caught up.

Part 2 of 2: The power of curation. A conversation between Jennifer D. Collins, CMP, DES, President & CEO of JDC Events, and Erica Bishaf, Founder & CEO of t...

08/29/2022

The Rise of the Private Professional Network

Private professional networks – like LinkedIn, but customized to your organization – have been rising in popularity as event organizers have looked for innovative ways to sustain their communities between events.

JDC Events CEO Jennifer D. Collins, CMP, DES recently sat down with Erica Bishaf, founder and CEO of professional networking platform CampfireSocial, to talk about how to harness these networks' infinite potential.

Here's Part 1 of our 2-part conversation.

Part 1 of 2: Listening to your community. A conversation between Jennifer D. Collins, CMP, DES, President & CEO of JDC Events, and Erica Bishaf, Founder & CE...

08/25/2022

Where in the world is Team JDC? This summer, the answer seemed to be – everywhere! From honeymoons to baby-moons to simply well-deserved vacations, our team set off on all kinds of adventures. Now we're rested, recharged, and ready to dive into the busy fall season.

Pictured:
Cape Cod Lavender Farm
Zion National Park
Ontario, Canada
Dominican Republic
Virginia Beach
St. Lucia
Atlanta, Georgia
The Grand Canyon

08/22/2022

IAEE Learning: How the SPARK Model Can Transform Your Trade Show into a Showstopper!

Mark your calendar: JDC Events CEO Jennifer D. Collins, CMP, DES will share her secrets to transforming trade shows into unforgettable experiences during an International Association of Exhibitions & Events - IAEE webinar on Sept. 7 at 11:30 a.m. ET. Hope to see you there!

IAEE Webinar on event design and purpose using the SPARK Model.

08/11/2022

treated us to gorgeous blue skies and crisp mountaintops on our last day. We will be dreaming about these landscapes for weeks to come!

08/11/2022

It's great to be onsite at the Society of Independent Show Organizers - SISO Summer Conference this week, reconnecting with old friends and learning new best practices for . The session content has been fantastic, including:

✅ The rise in quality over quantity
✅ Strategies for achieving sustainability
✅ How millennials are driving the evolution of brand marketing

The events industry is constantly evolving, and we embrace opportunities to remain at the forefront of change.

Omni Oklahoma City Hotel

08/08/2022

The mountains are calling, and we must go! During the past week, one of our event teams has ventured out to Colorado, and another has flown all the way to Alaska. One of the perennial delights of working in this industry is the opportunity to serve events in every corner of the nation, from major cities to far-flung destinations.

08/04/2022

On a site visit for a government event, just taking a moment to soak up the pretty view at the . Hard to believe The Wharf is within walking distance of the National Mall – it feels like another world!

08/03/2022

Virginia "Ginny" Clarke delivered inspiration at : Be a conscious and intentional leader, serving others with trust. Bringing a spirit of intentionality into event design opens the door to an attendee experience that is filled with genuine surprise and delight.

Thanks for the lightbulb moments at this year's summit, Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA)!

08/02/2022

Hello, Nashville! The energy onsite at is electric. Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) has grown by leaps and bounds since it was founded over 30 years ago.

JDC Events COO Kara Dao, CEM is in attendance this week, soaking up the latest data and trends from skilled event marketers. We look forward to applying that knowledge to our clients’ programs.

JW Marriott Nashville

07/28/2022

About JDC Events - Experienced Corporate & Government Event Planners

We believe in creating a culture where everyone has access to the transformative power of events. While this has long been baked into our corporate ethos, we recently brought the JDC team together to collaborate on a formal commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is just one of the ways we’re holding ourselves accountable to deliver on our values. Read it here:

https://jdc-events.com/about-us/-statement

Events are an integral part of your overall business objectives. Learn about the experience and strategy JDC Events employ to make your event unforgettable.

07/22/2022

Event Pricing Checklist - JDC Events

Many event organizers are rethinking old ticket pricing strategies as they return to in-person events. Set pricing like a pro with the JDC Event Pricing Checklist, a free downloadable resource on our website.

Download this free event pricing checklist to ensure you consider all necessary factors when planning your event.

07/19/2022

We're always happy to support trade show organizers with operational support on the ground. This week, members of Team JDC are onsite with our longstanding client Reuters Events to deliver US Offshore Wind 2022 in Boston. Cheers to another successful event!

07/19/2022

For the past two years, we’ve had to develop new supplier and client relationships in a virtual environment. Team JDC has helped many clients maintain their corporate communications goals by delivering their meetings online.

Yesterday, for the first time, JDC teammate Brittany Jackson, our supplier partner CVW Event Productions, and our client Emmes gathered in person for a site visit for their upcoming project.

It’s much more significant now to see one another in person after years of working across a screen.

Congrats, team Emmes! It’s going to be an excellent production.

07/19/2022

Team JDC is happy to be back at business with our local venues including the lovely Capital Hilton nestled in downtown Washington DC. Our team is equally thrilled to be working with our new client Adira Foundation on developing a truly inclusive event this Fall. Cheers for partnerships that work and creating events that spark change!

06/30/2022

to just a couple of weeks ago when JDC Events delivered Bonaventure's Investor Day in Alexandria. It was such a pleasure to watch this beautiful event come to life! Many thanks to our partners Blackwall Hitch - Alexandria, Heirloom DC (catering), and Heather Ginger Cooper (florals).

06/27/2022

Event Pricing Strategies - JDC Events

Stuck trying to decide how much to charge for tickets to your event? If you set prices too low, you'll diminish your profits; too high, and you'll attract fewer attendees. Use JDC's pricing strategies to take the guesswork out and make an informed decision.

Kara Dao walks us through 4 things to keep in mind while considering pricing for your next event. Need more help? JDC is here for you!

06/13/2022

This year’s PCMA EduCon in was an experience to remember! Here’s our favorite takeaway, courtesy of presenter Andrew Davis:

Use the four elements of the “Cube of Creativity” to brainstorm solutions.

1. Eliminate the unnecessary
2. Define the outcome
3. Limit the options
4. Raise the stakes

This will lead to:
✅ Focus
✅ Urgency
✅ Progress
✅ Cooperation

Here’s PCMA’s recap of the session: https://www.pcma.org/andrew-davis-how-cube-of-creativity-can-save-your-business/

Many thanks to Business Events Montreal for so graciously hosting us!

Visitez Montréal / Visit Montréal