Yesterday I went to Universal Studios in Florida. I haven't been for 10 years, and it was a lot of fun! Theme parks are a great way to see many experience design techniques come together, so think of Disneyland or Universal the next time you are creating an event! Here's 3 learnings you can use in your next event ⬇️ - Design the "Pre-show" You know how in some rides, you go into an area where the story starts being told? You're no longer in a line... you've begun the experience 💡 This is done to make whatever comes next part of the experience of the ride, preparing the audience to get maximum enjoyment and engagement from it ⚙️ Use this during your next event. This is exactly why we did the "pre-event" virtual call during the Skool IRLs. It can also be done by intentionally designing the arrival experience of the event (first 30-60 mins) to be welcoming, introductory, or memorable. (Think Skool IRL in Central Park) - Manage Expectations through Clear Communication This one is funny, but halfway through the line of a very popular ride, it started to rain lightly. A few minutes later, a voice came on the speaker and said "Hey everyone, it has started to rain. Therefore, if you ride this ride, you will get wet" 😹 I was shocked that they would have to announce this, but by so doing it removes any opportunity to complain about it 💡 This is done to clearly communicate with attendees so they know what is intentional, what is expected, and what to do next ⚙️ You may not have to tell your attendees "Water is wet" but you MAY need to remind them 100 times where to park, where to meet up, which exact spot to go to at what time, and what is included in the event or experience - "Surprise and Delight" This is an Experience Design principle based on using creative ways to surprise your audience and go above their expectations (speaking of expectations, above!) When me and my brother went on Velocicoaster we were both surprised and delighted 🤯 💡 This is done by collecting data about your attendees so you know what WOULD surprise and/or delight them. You could guess, but you'll probably guess wrong. Collect data by having them register for events, take surveys, hopping on calls, texting, or any other way to get feedback.

I learned of "Quarter 5" recently and I must admit, it gave me a good chuckle. It's clever. For those unaware, it's a way of describing the final 2 weeks of the year, or "the holidays" as 99% of people refer to them as The idea of calling it a new quarter is to emphasize that it is a new opportunity. Just like how when Q2 ends and Q3 begins, new goals, priorities, KPIs, or whatever else, are put into focus. Q5 can bring new opportunities for those that are ready to strike during a typical "down time." On the other side of the coin though, some people look forward to the holidays so they can rest and recover. At Bullish Events, we worked on important systems for the new year and audited our business processes. Of course, we also took time last week to connect with family, rest, and enjoy some peace and white space. We're back on desk this week though... and gearing up for exciting things in 2026! How'd you spend your Q5?

haha, i'm sure you have! we changed the name (and vibe) of the community! @Andy Monroe and I have been cooking behind the scenes, and while we're not quite ready for a full reveal, I figured a needed face-lift wouldn't be a bad thing to release early 😹 Let's quickly talk about the new name IRL EVENT STUDIO there's a wave of IRL magic happening on skool. it started with the Goose World Tour (which we were stoked to be a part of!) and it's spreading fast! community is truly at its best when it's in-person, but IRL events are hard work! It's not easy to whip something meaningful and transformational together, so we are setting out to make these events as easy as possible to plan and launch. We want this to be the hub for every skooler that wants to host/is hosting IRL events for their community! we've been in this game for years (i think we've done about 30 events now), so we feel an obligation and duty to help make it easy and special. If you know of other skoolers, friends, community owners, or anyone else that is bullish on events and their power, please invite them into the community! more updates to come soon!

yo yo yo yo yo sup everyone! happy monday! Quick one here. We've been doing a lot of venue sourcing right now (since we signed a few new clients recently) and I'm currently in the THICK of it, sending out RFPs to hotels, talking to venue owners from Peerspace, checking out Airbnb/vrbo options multiple times per day. It's a little bit exhausting lol. But! Venues are crucial. They are the foundation of a great event/experience, so it's important to be thorough. Here are a few quick-fire tips to make your venue sourcing a bit easier! - Ask for pictures of previous events. This will give you an idea of what things could look like if you are going to host your event there. Make sure the pictures represent an event of a similar scope/size - Ask for an itemized estimate. This will allow you to see what costs what. For example, one potential option we are looking at has a lot of additional charges (stage, backdrop, mics, extra rooms, outside vendor fees, etc.) so make sure you know what each line-item is gonna cost! That way, when you customize things, you know what to keep/drop. - Hop on a video call/facetime with the owner or manager. This will allow you to see the space with your own eyes, ask clarifying questions, and get a feel for the layout. Very helpful. If this isn't an option, look for the venue's instagram/facebook or a virtual tour option. Anything to get more than just the pictures on the listing. - If the estimate comes in high, don't be afraid to negotiate. If you feel like they are overcharging you, ask what can be done to make the price fall within your budget. @Andy Monroe is the king of negotiations so maybe he can drop some of the sauce below! That's all I got for right now, without rambling on or making the list too long 😹 Anyone coming up on an event and in the venue sourcing stage? How's it going?

Finally got out of loom jail😂 Here's that video for ya'll -> Advanced Framing Tactics For Live, In-Person Events Framing is one of the most important strategies that we deploy for our events... The right frame can lead to more sales, higher ratings, and a better overall attendee experience On the other hand, the wrong frame (or no frame at all) can lead to poor conversions, poor reviews, and un-met expectations I just walked through our process on how we think about framing for live events Enjoy!