#48 - Planning destination events and travel post-COVID

Want to learn more about what it takes to plan destination events? Or how to get guests traveling again post-COVID? Valerie Bihet, founder of the VIBE Agency and industry expert, joins the show with tips for professional event planners around the world. 

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Savannah (Purplepass): 

We are back again with another episode of The EventBuzz podcast where we speak with event professionals around the world and get their advice on event planning, management tips and more. On this week's episode with me today is Valerie Behat, Owner and Director of the VIBE Agency. Valerie has 27 years of experience in management, design and production of special events, spanning from high profile occasions to nonprofits, fundraisers, corporate incentive trips, and more. 

She specializes in destination events, virtual and hybrid events, and experiential marketing to name a few. In 2004, she founded vibe and event design and destination management company located in Miami, Florida, and has gone on to produce events throughout the US, Europe, Mexico, East Asia, and South America. So welcome to the show, Valerie. 

Hi, Valerie, thanks so much for coming onto the show today and taking the time out to talk with us. How are you doing today? 

Valerie (VIBE): 

I'm doing good. Happy to be here with you today. Thank you for inviting me. I really appreciate. 

Savannah: 

Yeah, well, I mean, you have an amazing story. And I told the listeners a little bit about you in the beginning. But I wanted to have you tell us more about your start in the events industry, which I believe if I read it correctly started out at Disneyland. 

Valerie: 

Yes, and even. It started at Disneyland in my corporate career. But what was interesting is I was a student and I was studying finance, at Panthéon-Sorbonne University in Europe. And just to do like a side job, I was working for staffing agency, where you were helping company when they were having events. And so I started in this business really like that. And I was noticed by this name. And they hire me as one of their corporate event planner, and also involved in public relation. Absolutely. 

Savannah: 

That’s cool. And then you what, how? How did you start this new business that you have now. 

Valerie: 

So after this day, I worked for in the hospitality industry for an all inclusive company, the inventor of all inclusive, cold climate. So I work for them for five years, all over the world, in based in Paris. And then they asked me to take over the communication events, PR promotion in United States. So that's how I arrived in United States in 2000. And I worked for them for five more years here traveling now all over United States, North America, as well as Latin America. And then the CEO asked me to go back to France and I was like, you know, I think my adventure, my American adventure is not done yet. I need to stay in this country. So I decided to quit and to stay here. And lucky because really, I consider that my lucky day. I had lunch with somebody working for LVMH group and I created a concept on the table like leave it on the table clothes. And then he tells me Oh, I like this and everything. How much do you think it will cost to produce? And then can you execute it? And this is really the day where VIBE Agency was created. And when you work for such a group and a company like that, then you have a lot of other I would say other brands who are reaching out and telling you ‘Oh, I saw what you did for them. What can you do for us?’ And this is really how VIBE started. 

Savannah: 

That's awesome. That is a lucky day. And a great. I mean, that's a great choice, obviously, that you made stay. 

Valerie: 

Yes, exactly. 16 years. 16 years later, I'm still here. 

Savannah: 

That’s awesome. And you mentioned that you're you're busy right now and I am assuming you're doing a lot of events. I wanted to ask, has your workflow changed since COVID when it comes to planning these destination events and getting getting people to travel again? Or how has that transition been since we've welcomed in person events back? 

Valerie: 

Another I would say another of my lucky day when agency was we have two hats. One hats we were mainly at the beginning of the agency, really an even production company. And then we became a destination management company because in destination event planning, because we had, because I'm European, and I'm sure you recognize my very strong French accent, if I'm trying to tell you that I'm from Paris, Texas, I don't know if I will be very lucky today. But I was European, the big international brands and European brands, were coming to me here in the US because, you know, I had also the dual culture, I know what European are looking for. And then I know how to work the US market because I was here for many years. So during I would say that during the pandemic, of course, when everybody stopped to travel, the event production aspect, and particularly digital because I pivoted in digital, because during my years at Disney, Disney, you know, is also very involved in Telly, television, and TV production. So which, of course, was also part of my job. So right away, I devoted in virtual events. And I push clients and brands, who were not involved in virtual events, because the only industry that were very involved in the virtual event before COVID was, I would say, a technological company, medical company also, but all the finance all the luxury brands, all the food and beverage industry, all those type of industry, they were not involved at all. 

So my lucky day during COVID was that, like, I realized the importance to pivot. I trained my team, I reinforced over our relationship with our vendor in this world. Because, you know, definitely when you do an in person events and digital events, it was not the same and people were not trained. So and this, that's why we are still up by now still running. And we were even to gain new client and new industry during the pandemic. 

Savannah: 

And do you recommend now that you're probably working with more in person events - Do you still recommend that these events stick with more of a hybrid model? 

Valerie: 

Hybrid is here to stay. In my opinion, I think the event strategy that some corporation will have will be revisited. I think you cannot do without the digital steel. It will be a big mix, a big combination. You will have some really I breed and then you will have some event that will be more in-person. Like right now I'm talking to you and I'm handling at conference. We are doing it only in person, only in person. But they decided that this conference will be like a small so you know we have like 120, 150 people for a few days. But if they wanted to reach a broader audience, they will definitely go more for a hybrid version. 

Savannah:

Yeah, so it just depends on your, your end goal.
 

Valerie: 

Exactly. It will depend on your strategy or objectives and all that. But in the event industry, now you have different component, you can do an in person event, you can do a hybrid event, then you can do a digital event. You can do an event in the meta-verse. And then also it's like you can do a webinar. Because all those are all the different type of event that you can do. 

Savannah: 

Yeah, that makes sense. And because you specialize in destination events, I also wanted to touch on like, for event planners that are preparing, let's say a destination event for the first time, what are some of the biggest challenges you kind of deal with when it comes to this type of event planning, and maybe some tips or strategies that you could give to our listeners? 

Valerie: 

I would say you need to have a strong network, its relationship. I have been lucky because when I used to work for Clement, as I mentioned before, on this day, I was traveling a lot in a lot of countries in a lot of cities, and I build my network. Then I manage my network. I continue to to have relationships with a lot of people, even some time if I didn't talk to them in four or five years when I called them they are here for me they remember what we have done before in the past together. They remember story they have memories and they are willing to help you. 

And when you work in destination events you need to know the culture of the country. So you need to have the goodwill ship with the people, the network. And you need to be, I would say very turnkey solution oriented. And as of today, right now, the thing is that you need to have all that because you need to turn proposals very quickly, much more than before, which is crazy. Sometimes events happen like, they asked you to produce an event in 30 days. If I'm telling you that, I don't know, I'm still sleeping right now, but I'm supposed to help to plan an event for a partner agency less than one month, and right now, we have no vendor sign, because we are still waiting information from the clients and everything. You know, if you don't have the relationship, you can make a phone call here and there and find solution and everything. Don't go there. Otherwise, either. You will gain a lot of weight, either you will not sleep at night and and you will have a lot of stress. If you know that you have all these good things that I tell you. Go for it, go for it. 

Savannah: 

Well, how would you suggest someone maybe building up that those resources or, you know, networking to kind of get to that point where they can competently plan these events and reach out to these people and rely on these people that they have within their network? Would you just say over time experience and just gaining it? 

Valerie: 

I think sometimes he's also you need to be ahead of your industry and look for what are the next destination that will be trendy? What people will look for, and then start to research. Even if before you get a request. I will give you an example. Me? I don't know why if I sometimes I'm a girl of intuition. So any ladies in the industry use your intuition. US woman we have a strong intuition, sometimes maybe bigger than men, I don't know, but use this intuition to be it's true. I don't know why I became crazy with Austin, Texas. 

Okay, like I'm telling you that about six, seven years ago, then suddenly Austin, Texas open flight with London. So look, for example, sometimes the route in the travel industry, because when American Airlines, Air France, Delta or any Airlines is starting to open new routes, it's mean that the destination will become popular, otherwise, there is no way for them to open new airlines, new routes. Know what I mean? So and then in that case, start to start to build your network in the city. If you have not been there, we are all in the travel industry, travel agent and everything because we all have normally are even planning, but we are also IATA number and travel, meet people, read magazine, watch movies, watch the news. Try to do this type of work and then start to talk about those destinations that you have been educated to your clients. And then they might be interested. It's exactly what I did in US teen. And I did that, you know the country, you know, so I think this is a good tips in my opinion to start there. 

Savannah: 

I think that's a great tip. I mean, you make a really good point about focusing on the routes at the airports and, and what the hot city is. So I think that 100% would help a lot of people. And then my last question, because I also was reading more about you and said you kind of specialize in experiential marketing, which was a pretty hot, hot way of marketing prior to the pandemic. Do you think it still works in today's society where people are not as quick to interact as they once were? Or do you think it's, you know, what do you suggest? 

Valerie: 

Events is all about the experience, what experience you will create for that will be memorable for the guest to embody the brand that created the event to become their best ambassador and everything the logistics is definitely a must. But what you do to fill people comfortable to it's like a millionaire's you know Magnus in it's a very difficult thing to do, you can try and it will never go up if you miss it. 

So, you know this is exactly like my units and this is what you need to be like this is exactly what is happening right now. People are opening people are mingled people are feeling comfortable. So we succeed in that. The experiential marketing is also with all the influence of social media with all the TikTok, with all the Instagram, and all that, people, they like to share what they have done. They want to be the first to have done it. And they want to experience everything. That's why also you see a lot of restaurants right now who are going more on the experiential side. You know, like, you know, when you think about Alice in Wonderland, the movie and everything, do you know that now in San Francisco, and they are getting in other city in United States, you have some Alice in Wonderland bars. And people are taking pictures on their social events, platform and everything. So that's why it's all about that. And when I think of the inventor of that, and that's why I always follow them. It's when you think about it, it's a brand Coca Cola. Coca Cola, but I'm talking about in the year in, in the year 2000, Coca Cola at some point, was as a brand, very strong and they're still very strong in advertising. But then one of their marketing VP say, you know, we need to invest more in events. And then they started to shift their marketing dollar in events, and then that's why and now I think everybody's following this trend right now.
 

Savannah: 

Yeah, that's a good point. I definitely agree with that as well. Well, thank you again, so much for coming onto the show. I kind of wanted to talk to you briefly because I know that your time is valuable. And you are doing so much multitasking. I don't even know how you do it. I don't even know how you sleep. But thanks again for coming on to the show. Is there anything else you would like to add before we jump off today? 

Valerie: 

No, I'm good. Thank you so much for your time Savannah. It was great and happy to be to be here today. 

Savannah: 

Awesome. Thank you again and enjoy the rest of your day and everything you have to do. 

Valerie: 

Thank you. Bye