IMEX’s Tahira Endean on Her New Book and the Importance of Joy at Events
On this episode of the Meetings Today podcast, our own Taylor Smith talks with Tahira Endean, head of program at IMEX, about her new book released at the end of March that invites industry professionals to see events “not merely as logistical undertakings but as powerful catalysts for happiness, productivity and trust.”
Listen now:
[Related: Tahira Endean’s New Book Demonstrates the Importance of Joy at Live Events]
Transcript:
Editors note: The following transcription was facilitated by Microsoft Teams via its AI transcription software and proofed by our editors. Although it is very accurate, there inevitably will be some mistakes, so please consider that when reading. Thank you.
Taylor Smith
Hello everyone and welcome to this Meetings Today podcast. I'm Taylor Smith, Destinations and Features Content Developer for Meetings Today, and I'm so excited to be here today with the one and only Tahira Endean, who is an absolute powerhouse in the meanings and events industry.
Tahira is head of program at IMAX, an instructor of event strategy and design at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Vancouver and Co-Founder of the Strategy Table, a business consulting and services company that transforms teen dynamics through expert facilitation.
She is also a storyteller and published author. Her first book, Intentional Event Design, was published in 2017, revised in 2022 after the pandemic and serves as a guidebook for the intentional event designer who is embracing the digital age and combining wellness for all. Her second book, Our KPI is Joy, explores how live events catalyze happiness, productivity and trust and was published just a few weeks ago at the end of March. And Tahira is here today to tell us all about it.
Thank you so much for joining me, Tahira.
Tahira Endean
Well, Taylor, thanks for having me. I always kind of laugh when I hear my bio. I'm like, “Clearly I'm old.” So, there's a lot going on there.
Taylor Smith
No! Oh, my goodness. You are accomplished and successful is what you are. You need to celebrate all of those accolades and accomplishments, really.
Tahira Endean
You know what's funny? Is like you say, that big list of the things that I'm doing, and quite honestly, I had a little bit of brand confusion a couple of weeks ago because we were launching the program for IMEX. So all of that was coming out, we were launching strategy table, that was all coming out. The book was coming out, we were supported by the SEARCH foundation for the first two weeks of that, so we're giving a nice little thank you for everyone who supported that.
So, you know, and started teaching again, finished wrapping up this term. Which was so enjoyable and really something the students really responded to, which made me so excited for the future event designers we’re putting out into the world.
And I should have felt so exhausted. But it was basically things that had been in development for two years, just all coalesced into a two-week period.
So I was like “Oof,” but I literally felt exhilarated. Because it's just.... I mean, how lucky am I to be able to do these amazing.... all these amazing things that are all having an a different kind of impact on our industry that I love so much and have been working in since before you were born. So...
Taylor Smith
Well, Tiara, you are seriously an inspiration to so many people, to me included. And I know every student that's learning from you is lucky to be learning from you. Every person that you come across is lucky to be learning from you.
And now we have another opportunity to through your new book. So, to kick things off, can you give our listeners today an introduction to Our KPI Is Joy? What is the book about and who did you write it for?
Tahira Endean
Well, I wrote it for the I really wrote it for the intentional event designer that is looking to find, you know, how do we build more joy into our events?
But more importantly, how do we measure joy and show our C-Suite that that that joy actually is a KPI? That if we don't have events that people leave feeling good from, then how are we going to possibly, you know, have a great event?
So and... It seems to be hitting a lot of marks. You know I'm getting really nice comments from people. We have a woman who works at a financial services company who posted on LinkedIn about adding a joy metric into her planning documents.
Taylor Smith
Ooh!
Tahira Endean
And I’m so happy that she now had a bit of a toolkit and some things to say to her C-Suite about why it matters that the events are enjoyable for people.
So it's been really great. I mean it's quite a personal book, you know, I tell a lot of stories in the book. You know, the first book is very much a textbook for the intentional event designer. And with that book, I love when I see people... it's on their shelves, there's post-its sticking out of it. I mean, that's amazing to me.
With this book, it's much many more stories... and a lot of stories of sorrow as well as joy, because you can't know joy if you haven't known sorrow. And you can't... You know, everything doesn't always just work out perfectly.
So how do we respond to all of those things that don't work out perfectly? And how do we deal with being uncomfortable and taking our problems off the pedestals and finding solutions for them to bring joy?
So it's also about half the size. So at 130 pages it's super readable. So it's like a Kindle, paperback, audible. It's all there. People can consume it in the ways that work for them. And I do... I love like people are taking pictures of pages and WhatsApp-ing me what they like. So fun!
Taylor Smith
Yes. And I love that you combine... I was reading on... In the book description, it's a “combination of personal stories, global experiences and actionable insights.”
But the personal stories bit is what stood out to me the most, because that's what people crave now. And post-pandemic, it's all about authenticity and connection and you can't do that when you just stick to the facts, sometimes. We've got to be real and vulnerable.
And that's what makes me so excited about this book, too. Is just to get to know Tahira a little bit more, and see how meetings and events have impacted your life and can impact our attendees’ lives by being more than just a facilitator of connections in business. It’s an opportunity to create community and belonging and I'm really excited to know... To learn more from you about that.
Tahira Endean
I'm excited for you to read it! And then, I want you to, like, find your favorite thing and send me a picture of it.
Taylor Smith
Oh, I will! I'm a big annotator and highlighter. I will make sure that I... It'll probably be on every other page. That's how I am.
But kind of talking about the content, can you give our listeners a sneak-peek of what is included? I know we mentioned the personal stories and actionable insights, but how do you take all of these elements and weave them together to create this book that planners can take something away from?
Tahira Endean
Well, I mean it starts off with the story of, you know, when I had an experience that was very... Shockingly bad. Where I was like, “Oh, this is the not the event I'd hoped to attend.” You know, and I realized that... that happens a lot. You know, that is... So let's not do those things that we know are gonna make people uncomfortable.
So really, starting with that, I look at lessons from sports and building fan experience and why that matters? You know, what made Taylor Swift? I mean, obviously, Taylor Swift was amazing. But at the end of the day, she also took really good care of her crew, you know? So it's also about, you know, beginning and all the way through, it’s about “How do we take care of the individuals who come to our events?”
You know, everybody comes with all that stuff. They don't just, you know, walk into your event and don't have a family or a job or a problem. So, finding ways that we can help people through all of those things.
I talk a lot about some of the examples of events that we've had where we've been able to offer things that have made a difference for people, you know. And one of those examples is the tough talks we've been doing at IMEX for the last, and we'll continue them until people don't need them, you know, but where people can... Our metric is if two people leave and they feel like they better about the challenge that they're having... That's enough.
You know, so whether it's been cancer survivors or, you know, men mental health and suicide or social anxiety, menopause, all of those things that, “Oh, we can't talk about that at business conference.” Well, where are we going to talk about it?
You know, so... And I'm so grateful that, you know, IMEX and our executive team supports these decisions to have these kinds of events. So, to let people know that it's OK to try things I think is important.
In the... One of the first, you know, people who read it with... When it was a bit more complete was someone I trust immensely. And you know, and he said, “OK, I'm reading it. It's really good. This is probably a design issue,” he said. “But it's, you know, it is a little bit case study, and a little bit story and a little bit instruction, and that's OK. But it probably just needs a little design.” You know, so that was good. Like good feedback to take and “OK, how do we break it up so that it feels continuous and helpful?”
And I think that again that seems to be working. You know, someone sent me a message, they said “I came home and I was getting on a plane and I saw your book on the counter that had arrived for my wife and I took it, and now it's covered in Biro.” And his wife is like “Who says that anymore?”
So, it's a very like, but you know, he's like “I'm sending it to like the entire company.
It's gonna become our book club. We're gonna talk about it in our next meeting.”
Taylor Smith
That’s so exciting!
Tahira Endean
And that... things like that are just... where you know that it matters. You know, it's just it's a book that's gonna matter for people. And that's I think all you can ever hope for when you write something.
Taylor Smith
100%. That's all I hope for when I write something, too. So I can relate as a writer. And I think that that combination, like we keep mentioning, of personal stories and how you kind of had to find a way to weave them all together and make them flow.
I think it makes the book more interesting and easier for people to read, too. They don't feel like they're just reading, you know, a textbook like you said. And I think that makes it all the more unique and a must-have on a bookshelf, if I, you know, have any say in that regard.
But... looking at my questions again, I was gonna ask, can you give kind of like a brief synopsis of your experience in the industry that covers the different perspectives of which you can speak to in the book? Because, you know, is it for the event marketer, the event designer? You... How do you kind of weave multiple perspectives and make this a book for everyone in the industry?
Tahira Endean
So I... Many people go into our industry and they really stay on one path. You know, they go into hotels or they go into the planning side or they go into... And even on the planning side, they'll go into sort of a specific stream. And I didn't really do that. So, you know, I fell into event planning, as most of us do, but I fell into it with a diploma in event management.
So I... You know, I'd been a hair stylist for a long time, I'd built up a salon, I loved doing that. And I had to have surgery on both of my arms and they said “You'll never cut hair again.”
Taylor Smith
Oh wow.
Tahira Endean
And so I cried. It's not... Like there's a very... It was a difficult time because I'd been unable to do things for a long time. Had to have two surgeries, and then was told even after all of that, that I was not going to be able to do what I loved. And how fortunate was I to fall into this diploma program that they had just launched as a two-year diploma program at the college near me.
It's where our Province decided to put that curriculum. And, you know, 30 years later, here we are. So I have stayed on the planning side of it, but I have been... You know, I've worked at PCOs and destination management companies and incentive houses and technology companies and built conferences for the government.
And so... I've had a lot of not even necessarily upward trajectories, but a lot of lateral sometimes, because the job was interesting to me and I got to do something that was really fun. And, you know, was always...
For a long time, I've been known as the person, “Oh, that seems impossible, ask Tahira.” So “Oh, we’re gonna take 140 people to a glacier for lunch by helicopter? Perfect Tahira can take care of that.”
Which I don't know if they'll... I don't know if anybody else listening has ever done that, but it's really hard because it's all pack it in, pack it out. You're on snow, you're, you know, walking around in snow boots moving every single piece of equipment that has to be up there. And everybody has to be manifested in and out. And I mean it's just...
It's a process. And it's... You know, so whether... However complicated it's been... And... But through all of that, you know, I came into...
When you're a hair stylist, what you learn is that every single person in your chair has a story. And for that amount of time they're with you, 20 minutes or two hours, that's their time, and they need to feel special. And to have empathy for people who are with you through all the things. You know, I've had people do pregnancy tests in the bathroom. So, you know, where you're just like...
Taylor Smith
A hair salon is a safe place.
Tahira Endean
A hair salon is a safe place, and so I brought that thinking into events my entire career. Of, you know, how are people going to feel safe in this space? How are they going to be comfortable? What are the things we can do to make them feel like a guest? And every single person. What are the things that we can do to make sure that they can see light and air? And what are gonna be the things that make them feel seen?
And you know it's... There's actually a quote in the book, and it was from an e-mail that was sent to us from... It was from a speaker after Frankfurt, where she had spoken.
And, you know, she told me that she... When she was young, she has quite a breathy voice, and she's just said, you know, she was made fun of to the point that she pulled out most of her hair as a child with so much anxiety and bullying.
And she just appreciated so much that we had let her come and be heard as... in her own voice, and that she felt seen. And she actually led a couple of sessions, but one of them was a tough talk on social anxiety. And so I sent it to her and said, you know, “Can I use this in the book?” And she said, “Not only can you use this, you can say that it's me.”
You know, so that was Melva LaJoy Legrand, who you know, has been in events for a long time. And um... has weathered all of the ups and downs of being in our industry and has, you know, made incredible impact with many, many events that she's done but... You know, for her to have that courage as well...
So when people are bringing those kinds of stories... You know, there's a story of my son being in a music recital in a very uncomfortable moment. And it taught me a lot of grace in that moment. And, you know, I... So I asked him, it actually says it's included with his permission. He's like, “Oh yeah.” You know, so the people that allowed me to share their stories, like I appreciate that so much. And then the perspectives that I have on many things are... They're my perspectives, but I don't think that, you know... It's never...
A long time ago, you know, people always say, “Oh, you must be so critical when you go to events.” Well, you really can't be critical as an event planner going to other people's events because all that says is you don't understand all of the things that you know that can go wrong, and/or all of the decisions that are made that are not that event designer's own decisions. They're made for a bunch of different reasons.
And then... the reason we have one of the most stressful jobs in the world, apparently, is because we... As soon as we have an idea, we lose control of that idea. You know, we give it over to other people to execute. We... All the venues, all the partners, all the suppliers.
So whether it's... You know, $10,000 event or a $10 million event. You invest all of you in it and... But, you really are relying on a lot of other people. And so you can't, you know... One of the things I talk about is being a connoisseur and not a critic. So go and appreciate the good things, notice the good things. You know, and appreciate that everybody... You know, whoever did this generally really tried to create a good experience.
Are there better ways of doing experiences? Yes. And that's also what I talk about is “Here's all the lessons that we can learn along the way,” and “Here's some of the things to think about and spark with your own team to always be doing, you know, a little bit better.” And you know, so... It's what...
It's one of the things I appreciate most about IMEX is that everybody's always trying to be a little bit better and make the show a little bit better. And so the show is always a little bit better. And I think I'm on my 18th now, so I can... I feel, like, comfortable in saying that.
And I didn't... I haven't worked on 18, I've worked on five. So, you know, it's...
Taylor Smith
But you've experienced how many? You've experienced more than five.
Tahira Endean
Yeah, I've experienced all of the Americas in a bunch of Frankfurts so...
Taylor Smith
Then then you've definitely got, you know, the right to say that.
Tahira Endean
They’re definitely... They keep trying, you know... And I think it's... you know... you mentioned that we've... the... We've just started a strategy table and, you know, that is about helping people. Always just... How do you get to be that 1% better every day? How do you practice resilience and adaptation? How do you bring teams together? How do you find better ways to collaborate?
You know, so it's just a different iteration of event design. But teaching people how to be their best at it. And that's been really fun because it's, you know... I did... I finished a master's in 2023 in creativity and change leadership. Which I don't know what I was thinking. I don't know why I went back to school.
Taylor Smith
Well, it was fun!
Tahira Endean
It's like I... I could retire, or I could go back to...
Taylor Smith
It's never a bad decision to keep learning.
Tahira Endean
No, I love learning. But, you know, the people that we met and how much inspiration and joy we're finding in that process of starting this collective of people who are all sharing that same passion for... Passion for, instead of fear of, change has been fantastic.
And it's also, again, super fortunate that it's not, you know, you have to do this and/or that. It's like you can do this and that because all of them can fit into my life and I can still sleep and see my husband and travel and do all of those things. So... Because I'm surrounded by people who are exceptionally supportive in all the different areas and it's nice.
Taylor Smith
Thank you for sharing that and giving us that glimpse into your career and your life because I wasn't sure how to frame that question. I was like, “I hope that that makes sense.” Because I knew that your story was so rich and you have these experiences that... You know, like you said, it's not the typical path that people follow, but you deliver something that no one else can. And so that makes Our KPI is Joy and the book that you write, this compilation of lessons and life experiences that they can only get from you. So they've got to pick it up, right.
Tahira Endean
I think so. You know, the subtitle of it is, you know, how do we use live events to catalyze happiness, productivity and trust. And you know, at the end of the day, it's a book about business events. It's just a really easy read with lots of great tips that will... And stories that I think people will.... Well, I don't think, I know people are enjoying and that's really satisfying.
Taylor Smith
What are some of those tips or lessons that readers might learn? What are some of the major takeaways from Our KPI Is Joy?
Tahira Endean
I think it's about, you know, the fact that whoever we are... Pretty much wherever we are in life it's... you know, we're all trying to fit in. We're all trying to belong. And people who attend our event are trying to belong. And that's true of anywhere that you go in life. And so how can we use events is that moment in time, that catalyst, to create that... to create those shifts and changes. And that's a really important part of it.
You know, it's really looking at... How do we take that positive tension of events, which exists. As people try to navigate their way, and as we try to create the things that are going to make a difference and embrace it. And get people excited about it. And along the way, take care of ourselves and our teams, you know, say thank you to people.
It's not that complicated sometimes.
And I welcome the ideas and appreciate the ideas. And you know, we're unfortunately current... currently appear to be in back in a time that feels a bit divisive. And events are one... should be one of the safe spaces where people can feel included and respected. And it's really important, more important than ever, that we are doing that.
So, and then find some joy, build some productivity, I trust.
Taylor Smith
Yes. Is there anything else our listeners and planners should know about Our KPI is Joy and where can they get a copy of the book
Tahira Endean
Well, they should know that the only place you can find it is on Amazon, but you can find it in paperback or on Kindle. Or you can listen to it now, because they just added that feature. So that's fun.
Taylor Smith
Oh, and I will link to it in the in here so they could find the link easily.
Tahira Endean
Yeah, it's very easy to find. It's and you know... Take your time with it and pick out the things to try and test and and... and to your team. And you know, with your team, think about some of those... the thought starters of “Oh, maybe I could try that.” You know the only way that any of us ever gets better is to stay curious and try things. So, stay curious, try some things, find some joy and note that on the hard days... there's gonna be hard days. You know, I stopped writing this book for 10 months, because during those ten months, 12 people passed away.
Taylor Smith
Oh wow.
Tahira Endean
So you know, it was a couple of close friends, some friends who lost parents, some legends in our industry that we unfortunately lost during this time, some family. So I could... I didn't feel like writing about joy. And you know what? Sometimes give yourself grace. And that's OK to give yourself grace and to let people around you know that you need that grace as well.
Taylor Smith
And like you said earlier, you can't experience joy without experiencing a little bit of sorrow too.
Tahira Endean
Can't. Yeah.
Taylor Smith
It's all about balance, and that's what makes life so beautiful.
Tahira Endean
It does. Thanks, Taylor.
Taylor Smith
Thank you, Tahira. I appreciate you joining me today. Is there anything else that we should chat about, or should we just...
Tahira Endean
Well, I think we should just talk about the fact that we work in an amazing industry and we... You know, you write a lot about the next generation coming in. And just to say to the next generation, “You know what? This is a great place to be.
Taylor Smith
This is a great place to be and we have to get that out there a little bit more, I think.
Tahira Endean
There's so many adventures to be had and so much impact you can have. And yeah, sometimes you know what? Sometimes you're gonna have to work a weekend.
Doesn't matter. At the end of the day when you get to see all those people come and have an experience that you created. That's, you know, it's undeniably amazing.
Taylor Smith
Makes it all worth it. Well, thank you so much for joining me today, Tahira. I really appreciate it, and I know that you know everyone that listens and reads your book is going to learn a lot from you.
Tahira Endean
Well, thanks Taylor. Always nice to see you.
Taylor Smith
You too. That was Tahira Endean head of program at IMEX on her new book, Our KPI is Joy. Once again, I'm Taylor Smith, Destinations and Features Content Developer for Meetings Today, and I want to thank you all again for tuning in to this Meetings Today Podcast. Visit our website at meetingstoday.com/podcast to listen to even more. And be sure to tune in again soon!
