DALLAS — Freeman recently launched a new online networking resource for event professionals. Freeman’s Live Team virtual community is designed to be a place for industry professionals to connect, share insights, and learn new skills as trade shows and events begin to reopen post-pandemic. It’s hosted on Discord, a community platform that originated in the gaming community and is designed to enable free-flowing discussions and provide easy ways for breakout groups to form and explore specific areas of interest.
“The events industry is now ready to move forward, and we know that the future of live events requires new and different expertise,” said Bob Priest-Heck, CEO of Freeman. “Our goal for Live Team is to mobilize the great talent in our industry, identify new and different skills to bring into the community, and then engage everyone in meeting future needs and opportunities in our great industry.”
Sherry Huss, Freeman’s Live Team project manager and co-founder of the global Maker Faire community, likens the new community to the Go LIVE Together initiative, but on a more individual basis. “What better way to help our industry recover and rebuild after the past year than to bring the events industry together?” she said. “As we rebuild and return to live events, we need to work together to create human connections and make them as meaningful as possible. We’re bringing together the talent and heart of our industry to continue the Freeman legacy of meaningful connections to share, learn and network with our community.” While not a job board per se, the community is free to share career opportunities.
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While Freeman’s subject matter experts, executives and hiring managers are active participants, “like any vibrant community, it’s open to anyone in the event community or anyone who wants to join,” Huss said. “Members may be looking for a new job, on leave, graduating from college or just curious. We’re casting a wide net and opening this community to everyone. We’ve made it easy to join, with a simple sign-up form: Tell us about yourself, Tell us what you are looking for And How can we help you. All members of the Live Team community will help each other to “get back live!”
“It’s bigger than Freeman, but we started Live Team because Freeman is a leader who can actually make this happen.”
Once registered, participants can access special trainings and a constantly updated list of resources, discover new opportunities, and participate in weekly Zoom discussions on industry trends, technologies, and other areas of interest. The newly launched community already has hundreds of members.
“And we’re just getting started,” Huss said.
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The immediate benefit of joining Live Team is being part of a community focused on the events industry, especially those who have been impacted by COVID-19 and are unemployed or looking for a career change, she added. “We are a platform with ambassadors and industry experts who are actively employed and sharing their experiences and advice with our growing community,” she said. “We come together to inspire, engage and experience contagious emotions, especially the feeling that ‘we are all in this together and can experiment and bring new things to life.’”
Contact Bob Priest-Heck at (214) 445-1000 or bph@freemanco.com; contact Sherry Huss at sherry.huss@gmail.com