In this episode of the Be Moved podcast, host Sally Koering Zimney interviews veteran event planner Elizabeth Shaw about the dynamics of live and virtual events and how speakers can become repeat hires. Shaw shares her lifelong passion for event planning, recounts backstage challenges (from AV failures to stage mishaps), and uses the swan metaphor to illustrate the hidden effort required to make events appear seamless. She emphasizes that speakers should view themselves as partners, staying aware of the broader event flow, offering flexibility, and contributing beyond their speaking slot—such as adjusting timing for coffee breaks or assisting with audience needs. Both hosts stress the importance of adaptability, improvisation, and a service‑oriented mindset, noting that these qualities signal professionalism and increase a speaker’s rehireability. The conversation concludes with a call‑to‑action directing listeners to Shaw’s resource page (eventinfluencer.com/bemoved) for top tips on virtual speaking and serving event planners.
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Hey movers, it's Sally Z with Be Moved. Let's go create some talks that will move this world. We're gonna talk with amazing speakers, share tips, tricks, resources, and we are going to be moved so that our audience can be moved. This moved me. What is moving Elizabeth Shaw, as an event planner, as somebody who you're in the throes right now of helping people take their live events and shift them virtual, like it is a crazy, crazy time.
Well, I've been an event planner since I was a kid. I was that person who was playing hostess when my parents threw parties. For prom, I set up the catered meal with all of my friends in someone's backyard. And I've been really blessed to do every single type of event planning. I've seen it all from, you know, fires that take place at events to, you know, AV not working. Once an MC fell off stage.
So I've done that. I've done that. That's been me. Oh my gosh. And, and I just want you to know, Elizabeth, that I've helped produce lots of events as well as spoken at many events. And I know how much work it takes for it to look easy and for the content to be set up beautifully and for the transitions to, to flow. You're walking people through this experience from beginning to end, and I just want you to know it's so much work. Work. And it's so— it takes way more time than I think people realize to pull it off well. So I'm just like high-fiving you.
Thank you, I will accept that high five. Totally. And another thing I always use with my team is that we should be like swans, where above the surface you see us just gliding smoothly like it's all great, but underneath, if you've ever seen videos of swans, they're just like paddling like crazy.
I love that.
Doing all that work, but we want it to seem just easy and smooth to everyone on the outside, right?
Yeah. And backstage, there is a huge team of people that are making everything work exactly as if. Love it.
For speakers, when you're actually at the event, is remembering that you are a partner and part of that Yes. Because the speakers I want to hire again and again are the ones that take the moment, like you just said, to recognize everything else going on behind the scenes and look for ways that they can contribute further, ways that they can be aware and sensitive to what is happening instead of being rigid and just focused solely on themselves and what they need. You know, we all, we all have needs at events, and I definitely do everything I can to take really great care of my speakers, but it makes my job harder when a speaker shows up and is immediately, you know, where's my water? Where's this? Where's that? Like, you know, and I bring your own water. Exactly.
You should have water with you.
There's a water bubbler in the back of the room. And my goal is that all those things are already arranged and set out, but sometimes, you know, things are a little hectic or crazy, and the speakers who are willing to be sensitive to that and say like, oh, you know, I realize that the coffee break needs to go a few minutes longer because there's still a line at the ladies' room. It's okay, I can push the speech back 5 more minutes, or I can adapt to something funny that happened during the coffee break. Totally. Like just being present and looking for other ways to contribute beyond just those few minutes that you're presenting.
I love that. I think that's such a powerful, important reminder that this is a live event. Even if it's happening virtually, it is live in the sense that there's a lot of improv happening and being adaptable and flexible and really shows, I think, your value. I mean, I can think of so many times where the speakers that I brought in really earned their keep because something crazy happened right before, or the tech went out, or, you know, I mean, who knows? All these things can happen. And the real professionals— and I'm not talking about the people who bring in and cost the most money, I'm talking about the real professionals— were the ones who took it all in stride, made it work, were still graceful under fire. And that is worth— that is a speaker you want to bring back again. That's a speaker you want to talk about. That's a speaker that is not done when their talk is over. Like, yes, it's, it's, it's a, a big moment and says so much about that person. So that's a really important reminder that it's not about all about you. And if you really focused on your audience, then you adapt, you make it work.
And for them, before you even present, before you are speaking, that entire process, once I've hired you through the execution of the event, you are selling yourself for the next event. If you are making the process seamless for me, and if you are showing up with that heart of service and love and contribution, you are doing, you know, amazing things to make me want to hire you again. And it goes well beyond just what you say when you're on stage or presenting virtually.
So good. Oh my gosh, thank you so much. I think this is really valuable and important for people. So how Where can people find out more?
So eventinfluencer.com/bemoved, and it's my top tips for speaking at a virtual event and how you can really reinforce your skills and your information to best serve the event planner and the audience that you'll be presenting to.
Oh my gosh, it's awesome, Elizabeth. I'm super excited for people to find it and to learn more from you and your expertise. So thank you for everything that you're doing. This moved me. What is moving you?
