Rodney Hart: Hello and welcome into another episode of Event Perspectives. I’m really excited to be joined today by Jessica Murphy, senior event marketing manager at SAP. We’re going to talk all about how SAP uses hybrid and virtual events in their event strategy. But before we jump into some nerdy stuff on that topic, Jessica, how are you feeling? Are you ready for the conversation today?
Jessica Murphy: Yes, I am feeling great. Thank you so much for having me, Rodney. Really looking forward to the conversation.
Rodney Hart: I can’t wait. And before we get started, I like to start with something to just get the conversation rolling. Something fun and easy. Today I’m feeling maybe a question about hacks. Why don’t you talk to us about your favorite work or event hack?
Jessica Murphy: Yeah, definitely. So I am all about hacks. I love to find the best ways to deliver the best event or the best experience for our customers. One of my favorite places to be a little hacky is definitely in RainFocus. The latest hack, at least to our team, is having something called a directional workflow that really allows us to make sure we have one consistent link throughout our event experience, but we’re able to update where that link is directing to throughout the lifecycle of the event. We can drive to the agenda, the session catalog, or the post-event page, truly depending on where we are in the timeline. Having that directional workflow has been probably my favorite hack to date and one that I know we’ve implemented across so many events.
Rodney Hart: I love it. And selfishly, I love that it’s a RainFocus answer. You didn’t have to go there, so thank you. I’m curious: are you using attendee attributes to decide where they’re going, or is it based on time and event lifecycle?
Jessica Murphy: Great question, and I’m always happy to get a little nerdy and tactical here. For the directional workflow specifically, we pre-plan it out. It is based on time, but instead of using attribute criteria, we’re basically having a workflow redirect. So it’s a workflow in and of itself, same link, same URI, and then that redirect goes to a page that is either live or already built, and we update it in the back end. It’s more timing-based and something we do update manually, but it is a super easy update. Having that link be consistent is really great from a customer perspective. It specifically allows us, when we’re sending a calendar hold for a virtual event, to say “join here” and use that directional link. Even though we’re not ready when we originally launch registration, they have a link that’s clickable, and it’s the same link because we’ve updated the directional workflow.
Rodney Hart: I can’t express how excited I am, because we are already diving into tactical and nerdy, and that’s a good thing. These conversations can take a lot of different shapes, but I think we’re on the right page. I could talk about that for 60 minutes. I don’t know if everybody listening to this wants to do that, but very cool, very important. I love what you hit on: what it is today isn’t what it’s going to need to be in 30 days, and that’s not for lack of preparation. All right, we’re off to a hot start. What we like to focus on on this show is the stories, who you are, and what led you to events. I feel like the path into events isn’t always the most straightforward. What got you into the world of events?
Jessica Murphy: Yeah, it’s a great question. I actually started out in public relations, which was great. I really enjoyed all the experience I got there. But then I realized really quickly: I am very detail oriented. After a media event, I was like, “Oh, this is what I like. I like to see the end-to-end execution. I like to understand all those little things that I thought about months ago, how that’s going to come to life, what that’s going to look like.” The first media event I did, I realized I wanted to solely focus on events. So I pivoted pretty quickly, ended up going to wedding planning briefly, and then really diving into corporate events, starting out on a smaller scale and now doing larger scale corporate events. The trajectory was a little unique, but knowing who I am and that I really like the details and seeing that end-to-end experience, it felt very natural when I started and continues to feel natural day to day.
Rodney Hart: I think that’s come up a few times in these conversations: getting to see your work end to end, knowing what you’re working on today is going to matter a month from now. I’m curious: you mentioned weddings and now corporate events. What’s the most similar, and what’s the most different?
Jessica Murphy: Here’s what I’ll say. I love my team, and weddings are a super happy space, and my team is another really happy space for me. So I think the joy and happiness, and this is sounding much cornier than I anticipated, but the joy that we get from being together. I mean, we’re not getting married. But it is fantastic. I love just all that high energy that you get from a wedding, that you get from an event, and then it’s over, and it is such a high and it’s really really rewarding. So I think the joy would be the most similar. By no means is anyone in a wedding dress at corporate events, but if someone showed up, I’d support it.
Rodney Hart: I love the joy aspect. And working toward the light at the end of the tunnel and seeing all of that work come together, even though you’re never quite sure how it’s going to materialize. You kind of have that confidence that you put all the pieces there, and ultimately the end always does feel like a big celebration, a culmination of a ton of work.
Within that, you mentioned right away you knew this was for you. You were at a PR agency and happened to get events. Was there a single thing that made you say, “This is me”?
Jessica Murphy: Yeah, there was a single thing. Event surveys, as we all know, are super important. After this specific event I did at the PR agency, we had an attendee survey, and someone brought up something incredibly specific. I think it had to do with food and beverage. They said, “I really loved this cocktail. It felt really unique.” And I’m like, “That was my idea.” And it felt really good to know and see that recognition from that individual. While that’s such a little thing in the grand scheme of planning, knowing that those details are noticed made all of the detail-oriented work that I do day to day really really worth it. And then I was like, “Okay, that was really really great and I want to do only that for the rest of my life.” Bold statement, but at least for the long term.
Rodney Hart: That’s fantastic. And I know that feeling. The feedback and those small wins are not insignificant. When you know you’re impacting someone’s experience, it does really pay off. It makes a difference. You’ve been at SAP now for seven years. Talk to us a little bit about how you ended up there.
Jessica Murphy: Yeah, definitely. I started as a contractor really supporting one of our team members at a very niche group at SAP, and then transitioned to the Concur team, and now I’m on the broader global events team. I’ve been here for about seven years. The thing that attracted me to SAP was really the technology component, being always at the latest and greatest in the industry and being able to interweave that and showcase something tangible when there was a new product. I love some really high-quality executed product. It’s really great.
Rodney Hart: And in your role, has your focus been similar throughout, or has it evolved?
Jessica Murphy: It’s definitely evolved. At one point I was doing sponsorship management, at another point content management, and now I really focus on our virtual strategy and specifically how we can make our virtual and in-person events feel like a hybrid experience for all our attendees. I look at how we can make sure that the in-person event doesn’t just end when that celebration night is over, how we can extend the lifecycle of the content online, and how we can reach a broader audience during the actual in-person event through an online platform.
Rodney Hart: Hybrid is always such an interesting word. I feel like I’ve said it and sometimes in the industry people react: well, what does it mean? What’s SAP’s focus on hybrid? Is it delivering the same event to a virtual attendee as the in-person attendee? Is it working them into the in-person event? Or is it effectively delivering multiple experiences, one for in-person and one for virtual?
Jessica Murphy: That’s a great question. We really view hybrid as one event with two experiences. We’re going to reach the audience wherever they are, whether that’s in person or virtually. That one event, two experiences framework means branding is consistent, content is the same. We’re using in-person content and pulling in the best of the best to the virtual experience. Knowing that our virtual viewership metrics indicate that viewership is lower, people aren’t sitting online for a full day, so we do only select the highlights. They’re getting those core moments that we want them to receive when they’re watching online. But it is a consistent feel, a consistent presentation, and we’re able to really call it a hybrid event because of that consistency.
Rodney Hart: And are you delivering it simultaneously or does the virtual experience follow?
Jessica Murphy: It depends on the event and the timing, but for the most part it is either during the same time as the in-person event or the day after. Very close together to make it feel like we are promoting one event.
Rodney Hart: I’m a data person, so how do you find the consumption of that content? Is it primarily consumed by those who only attended virtually, or do in-person attendees go back to the content they missed?
Jessica Murphy: It’s definitely a mix. What we see a lot of the time is that our in-person audience is going online after. The way we make them view that content is when we share the session presentations, which everyone really loves to see, we’re putting it in a platform where they can also watch the content. We frame it as, “If you missed this session, you can tune in here.” From that we see about a 30% conversion rate from in-person attendees to watching online virtually. It depends on the event and the content, but for the most part we do see that engagement. Having it be easily accessible and promoted as one experience makes it really seamless for that user who attended in person to then go online.
Rodney Hart: And for this conversation, we typically target what’s the most interesting challenge. You’ve kind of talked about bringing multiple events together into one experience. Can you tell us a little bit about what are those events? Did they used to be all different in-person events and now it’s one?
Jessica Murphy: Yeah, happy to. We are bringing together and really trying to consolidate the events portfolio. It depends on what event we’re talking about when we look at the historical, but some were in person, some were virtual only, some were hybrid. Our challenge is making sure all of our customer attendees understand where to go to get what they want, to make sure they have the best practices and the education we would have historically shared either in person or online. What we’re doing to really seamlessly bring together all the lines of business that have hosted separate events in the past is offering an event that is in person and online, and doing a lot of education and communication to our customer base so they know what to expect and where to get what they want.
Rodney Hart: Is it like, do they maintain their own brands, or have you merged them into one broader SAP event?
Jessica Murphy: It’s a great question. I am by no means a branding expert so I cannot take credit for it. But what I can say is the branding is beautiful. There’s a lot of cohesion across the SAP Connect events specifically at a high level, and then there are subtracks or focus areas that have unique branding per focus area, and it’s really really beautiful. They’ve done an incredible job making sure it all ties together.
Rodney Hart: The something else I’m curious about is just the measurement. To get support for what you’re delivering virtually, there are obviously costs associated with delivering both in person and virtual. What is SAP finding from an ROI perspective? What outcomes are you looking for from a virtual attendee versus someone who physically showed up?
Jessica Murphy: I think there are a lot of ROI components when we look at a virtual event. One of the things we see virtually is that we’re able to reach a broader audience. We often have a global audience attending online due to a variety of factors, whether someone can’t travel or is unable to make it. Because of that, we see virtual pipeline really increase, and that’s really impactful from a business standpoint. We’re able to say these people are attending, they weren’t able to make it in person, but we’re still able to reach and connect with them. Virtual overall provides that connection piece and makes sure everyone gets exactly what they’re looking for, whether that’s from a networking perspective or an education perspective. They’re able to chat with other attendees, chat with experts, answer questions in Q&A, see that keynote they’ve always wanted to see.
Rodney Hart: Do you find that from a sales follow-up or conversion process, there’s a way you’re differentiating highly engaged versus less engaged virtual attendees? And I’m assuming the virtual experience is free?
Jessica Murphy: Yes, it’s a free virtual experience. We do look at their interaction. A nurture track example would be someone who is just tuning in watching different sessions. For immediate follow-up, we use RainFocus survey and Pigeonhole to ask if they’re interested in being contacted about a specific product. If yes, we have a drop-down for that product, and that requires immediate follow-up. That’s what we call a hand raiser task on our end. Then that’s created so the account manager can follow up with that individual. We’re looking at different ways to make sure the hand raiser task is incorporated and really clear so attendees know exactly what they’re getting when they mark that they’re interested in something.
Rodney Hart: Over the course of this lifecycle with virtual events, what has changed in terms of the approach that you’re using in virtual and hybrid events that you weren’t doing during the pandemic or pre-pandemic?
Jessica Murphy: Definitely. I really started in the virtual space as a result of the pandemic. And at that time we were really scrappy. We knew we needed the solution, but we didn’t have a ton of time to develop it. Since then we’ve evolved and really actually put a strategy behind what we’re doing, how we’re showcasing things online, how people are consuming content, to make sure they have a really great journey. Whereas when we first started, it was kind of like, “Ah, here’s 50 sessions, enjoy, good luck.” Now we’re very focused on building out an agenda so that the customer when they join starts their day with the keynote and then goes into a breakout session and follows really a track approach so that they’re not overwhelmed with deciding what to watch. So I think the strategy has really developed over time versus that original scrappiness.
Rodney Hart: Oh boy, do I remember throwing a whole lot of things at the wall. You hit on something: I’ve heard the term “decision calories,” and there’s only so many you have. In my personal life I want choice to an extent, but I also want you to know who I am and just guide me there. So you’ve hit on tracks. Is there anything in that vein that you’re doing from a personalization standpoint, helping guide people through this cohesive hybrid experience?
Jessica Murphy: Yeah. Our developer team is honestly incredible. They are making it so that based on an attribute selected in RainFocus through the registration process, that individual is going to a catalog that is pre-filtered based on that selected attribute. It makes their journey a lot more clean and clear. They see only what they should see. If they want to diverge and access something else, they can. But from the initial point when they join, it’s a very tailored approach.
Rodney Hart: Fascinating. So you’re taking the approach of saying, “We know who you are, and when you go to the catalog, we’re narrowing this down. We’re eliminating decisions from you, not so that you can’t broaden your world if you want to, but we’re narrowing it on purpose because we’re human beings living in 2025 with so many things happening so quickly.” That’s really interesting.
Jessica Murphy: Exactly. And it really provides a tailored experience for those attendees and cuts down on that decision fatigue.
Rodney Hart: I’m going to end with this question before a couple more fun sections. What’s your favorite thing you’re doing right now with your hybrid virtual events? And what is the one thing, if we were having this conversation in 52 weeks, that you’d hope you’re doing more of?
Jessica Murphy: My favorite thing right now, I’m going to sound cheesy again, but for virtual we often operate kind of alone, in a sad production studio, but this time around I have a partner in crime and she has been absolutely fantastic to work with. She comes from a media background, actually worked in TV, and has a lot of fantastic expertise. So having a different perspective has been really valuable. My perspective on virtual had gotten a little stale over time, and she’s come with a lot of great ideas. So as cheesy as it is, having a partner in crime has probably been my favorite day-to-day aspect recently.
A year from now: this is the first time we’re executing an event where we’re bringing together multiple historical separate events, and I think we’ll have a ton of learnings. We’ll be in the planning stages for the next one, and it’ll be really great to look at those learnings and plan how we’re going to improve and continue improving year over year.
Rodney Hart: That’s a great answer. And it’s one of the things that has kept me in this industry: the ability to execute but learn. Even if it’s a slight iteration or tweak, the opportunity to continue evolving the experience. And it transitions nicely into the question I ask all of our guests. The event industry is notably not for the faint of heart. It makes the most stressful jobs lists. Yet here we are. What’s your favorite piece of advice? Could be advice you’ve heard, or something you’ve learned, that you’d share with someone aspiring to get into this industry or new in their career.
Jessica Murphy: I remind myself this almost daily: we are not saving lives at the end of the day. We are not doctors. There are a lot of critical decisions that we make, but we might make a wrong one every now and again. And that’s okay, because we’re not saving lives and no one is going to die, and we will learn from our mistakes. I actually have a Post-it above my desk that reminds me of that, and to breathe. Those two things, and just taking it step by step and knowing nothing horrible is at the end of the day going to happen, makes it a little bit less stressful.
Rodney Hart: Fantastic advice. Thank you so much for the time and all of the information you’ve shared. But don’t go anywhere, because I do have one more section, which we call the lightning round. I’m going to just fire some questions at you, and your job is to pick the answer that comes to mind the fastest. The hardest part is me not reacting, but I make no promises. Jess, are you ready?
Jessica Murphy: No, but I will pretend to be.
Rodney Hart: That’s the best. That’s how I approach every day. True or false: you prefer smaller intimate events over large-scale ones?
Jessica Murphy: False. I like a large-scale event. I love to see all the people.
Rodney Hart: Love it. What is a book everyone should read?
Jessica Murphy: I recently had a daughter, so to keep it light, I will say “The Gruffalo” by Julia Donaldson. It is a very sweet story. It’s a children’s book, but it’s fantastic. Great rhymes, great pictures.
Rodney Hart: Yes! That’s one I can manage. A short one, takes a few minutes.
Which is harder to plan: multi-day virtual or multi-day in-person event?
Jessica Murphy: Multi-day virtual. Keeping someone engaged online and making sure they’re not getting bored is definitely difficult.
Rodney Hart: One hundred percent. The best airline is United.
Jessica Murphy: I am from Chicago.
Rodney Hart: That’s a first on here. Window seat or aisle seat?
Jessica Murphy: I’m a window seat girl. I like to look out, curl up. It’s great.
Rodney Hart: Networking sessions or educational workshops?
Jessica Murphy: Educational workshops. Love a hands-on session. Love to be on my computer geeking out.
Rodney Hart: You have a concert to close your event. Who is your dream musical artist?
Jessica Murphy: Taylor Swift, obviously.
Rodney Hart: We’ve got a Swifty. What is your go-to comfort food during event planning stress?
Jessica Murphy: Pasta. I love pasta. Had some today. Buttered noodles. Sometimes you’ve got to keep it simple. I got really into it during pregnancy and I’m still riding that train.
Rodney Hart: Butter noodles. I agree with you. It hits every time. Your current favorite mobile app?
Jessica Murphy: Oh, might be Riverside. It’s a recording mobile app that I’ve really been enjoying.
Rodney Hart: Fantastic. True or false: you pack gym clothes when attending an event you’re planning.
Jessica Murphy: True. The likelihood I use them is slim.
Rodney Hart: It’s okay. At least they were there. You had the intention. I think intention is what matters. Jess, thank you so much for the time. This was a ton of fun. I know you probably have a million things to get back to.
Jessica Murphy: Thank you for having me.
