Unlocking the Power of Face-to-Face Interaction: Q&A with Lori Allen, VP of Global Event Operations at MetLife
"I think it's about getting attention sometimes because that's really the economy we live in now. It's the attention economy." - Lori Allen
For many reasons, digital connections dominate in today’s business environment, making it seem like the value of in-person interactions has diminished. However, conversations with industry leaders like Lori Allen, Vice President of Global Event Operations at MetLife, remind us that face-to-face engagement remains a cornerstone of successful business strategies.
At a recent industry event, we spoke with Lori to hear her perspective on the importance of professional summits for brainstorming, partnership development and staying relevant in a tech-driven landscape.
Addressing the question of how customer experience has evolved, she highlights the irreplaceable power of real-time interactions, fostering connections that extend beyond the digital realm as you will see below:
Q: Is it more difficult to get to the target markets today than it was you know, 5-10 years ago??
LA: I think it's probably easier to get to the markets. I think it's about getting attention sometimes because that's really the economy we live in now. It's the attention economy.??
Q: Talk to me about your journey to be the Global Head of event operations:
LA: I've been at MetLife for 19 years. It'll be 20 years next April. And it's incredible. It's not really common these days to stay at a company that long. But one of the things I also always share is that my life has changed so much over the past 19 years. I've been able to take advantage of those organizational changes at each turn and see opportunities that were there to continue to grow in my role, to stretch, and be able to have a really rich career that capitalizes on change. Embracing change is the name of the game for longevity somewhere.?
Q: Around DEI initiatives, women in leadership, it's not easy, because you're still probably sitting in rooms where you might be the only woman. How does that empower you to inspire others??
LA: You know, it isn't easy. And, before me being in this role, for the previous I would say at least 50 years of my life, whoever was in charge of meetings and events was always male. So, I just see it as a huge opportunity to be able to bring that diversity of thought forward to be able to inspire other people and make sure that they know it's okay to be feminine. It's okay to be sensitive. It's okay to be empathetic and you can still be an amazing business partner.??
I think being able to showcase that you can bring all those sides of you to work is really important, especially if you're looking at a lot of the studies nowadays around what skills we need to succeed,? How is technology going to replace this with AI? They're not calling them “soft skills” anymore. Those are just “skills.” I think that being a woman I could bring a lot of that to the table.?
Q: When you were probably going up through the ranks you may not have had leaders to look up to as a mentor. Do you have that in your mind and try to mentor others today??
LA: I definitely want to be someone that people look up to as far as a mentor. I think that right now so much is asked of people and asked of leaders. It was funny, in a conversation with my manager the other day, she said, “Do you want to be this person's mentor?” and I said, “Well, I have a team of 20 I'm already trying to lead and mentor”. If I were to enter into that type of relationship, I would want to be really committed and deliberate. I think you can mentor in a lot of different ways.??
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There was a term I heard recently: Instead of “micro-aggression”, it was “micro-affirmation”. Maybe it’s “micro-mentoring”, right? You can do these things on a small level whether, it's having a conversation and just being available and open and saying “Yes” to conversations, sharing my story, or, again, being open to communicating with other people.?
Q: Generative AI is the buzz everywhere. Marketers are scared because they feel like that could take their job. Leaders are trying to find ways to make it a useful tool: Doing more, with less.? What technologies today excite you??
LA: All the technologies are exciting. And technology is a tool. It's an enabler. It's not taking your job away. You're still able to customize it and bring what you want to the conversation. I use ChatGPT on my personal phone all the time, to be able to creatively craft something.?
?Q: As event leaders, there's so much focus on ROI. Where do you think we're generally failing today and that we can do better??
LA: I'd love to talk to whoever's doing ROI really great. I attend a lot of other industry events and conferences and I'm not sure who's really cracked the code on that. I think there's a huge opportunity to continue to improve.? Everyone's needs are always changing. I think it's this constant conversation and feedback loop. I think that's just so important: Constant improvement, constantly raising the bar. I think we can do everything better all the time.?
Q: We can always do better to improve our lives and build relationships. Better within our organizations and with our partners as well. You got the opportunity to present to the leaders yesterday. What did you want them to walk away knowing??
LA: I think that using each other as a resource is really, really important. Networking with peers, relying on partners, and having that open communication. I think that's really, really critical because no one's going to do it by themselves in a silo. We all improve together.?
Conclusion:
Collaboration in leadership is invaluable.? No individual or organization succeeds in isolation.? Partnerships and open communication are vital elements in achieving collective growth and progress.
While technology may be reshaping the business landscape, Lori’s insights confirm the significance of face-to-face interactions and personal connections remain indispensable.?
Professional summits, as discussed in this conversation, serve as a nexus where innovation, collaboration, and relationship-building converge, enabling businesses to thrive in an ever-changing world.