Michelle Greenier Bufton

EVENT & MARKETING MANAGER

"Whatever you believe should be tested to destruction." ~John Yorke, Into The Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them

I'm Michelle.

I help teams build communities and launch events that optimise, engage, teach, and change so they can amplify their impact.I specialise in meticulous project management, quantifying customer experience, data-driven strategies...and great parties.Want to see what I can do? Let's begin.

Krampus x Pabst Blue Ribbon

The inaugural event of Atlanta's international theatre, 7 Stages' annual Christmas celebration overflowed from the stage into the streets with themed after-parties and a show-stopping presence at the notorious Little Five Points (L5P) Halloween Parade via massive animatronics.

7 Stages Theatre | Atlanta, USA | via archive.org

Project Details

Events: Three performances and after-parties, workshops, inaugural
Krampus Krawl (still a community tradition), L5P Halloween Parade, Santa Crawl Crash
Select Stakeholders: Corporate sponsors, community event coordinators, theatre leadership and board, and performance, visual, and musical artists,

Key Responsibilities

Title: Marketing DirectorRole: Corporate relationship building and sponsorship, funding relations fulfilment, project/event management, and developed marketing campaigns and assets.

Marketing Activities

“Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.” ― Bertolt Brecht

Hereford College of Art | Herefordshire, UK | Course Listing

Digital Futures x HCA

A 172-year-old art college introduced its first new programme in decades. I helped successfully launch the Level 3 Digital Futures and Interactive Media Diploma in six months including navigating the ESFA and University of London accreditation audits through obsessively streamlined project management documentation and a whole lot of event marketing.

Education programme launch case studies

I wore a range of hats for this project including marketer, project manager, recruiter, curriculum developer, and teacher. Read the related case studies below to find out more.

#RocketConf17

Data-informed strategies and automation resulted in a streamlined and successful technology conference event for academic and government attendees including Pearsons, LSE and the University of Birmingham.

Zengenti | Shropshire, UK | playlist via YouTube

Project Details

Events: Multi-stream conference, after-party networking event, and staff accommodations, travel arrangements, and dinner event the night priorSelect Stakeholders: Conference attendees from major government, academic organisations, professional speakers, freelance film crew, venue staff, and internal stakeholders across various departments

Key Responsibilities

Title: Event ManagerRole: Speaker relationships, event planning and logistics, project management

Marketing Activities

DATA Case Study

Accuracy in research-based data forecasting during COVID

Here's a bonus: footfall forecasting. A sneak peek at how I throw myself against data-related challenges and communicate complex data visually. By using research to create more accurate data forecasts, a stronger foundation was laid for strategic business decisions involving inventory, pricing, and financial projections.

I HAVE WORKED WITH THESE BRANDS AS WELL...

The British Computer Society Logo in british racing green

<---STANDING OVATION--->

Thank you so much for your time. Please do contact me with any questions you may have or just to connect further. You can reach me via email or Linkedin.

Made with Carrd.co with magic from ♥️ WikiCommons 1, 2, 3, UoC Berkeley,
Timothy Perry, Ricardo Gomez Angel, Nadine Shaabana, Vasilis Koudas, Frans Van Heerden, 褚 天成, Ricky Esquivel, Alex Fu,and Worrk

Creating more accurate data forecasts for strategic business decisions during COVID

Case study-friendly and proprietary IP-free project...

Overview

Accuracy is paramount when it comes to data needed for business decisions. This client sold advertising at major global transport hubs. They needed accurate passenger projections to determine inventory, pricing structures and financial forecasts.

The Challenge

When exploring the client-supplied data visually during the data exploration stage, I noticed a suspiciously optimistic climb in their passenger projections in light of the PESTLE analysis (i.e. COVID). Without information on the assumptions used to generate the supplied forecasts, I needed a way to validate them.

Research and Approach

1. The preceding eight months of passenger totals on the supplied data were still not updated with actual figures presenting a great opportunity. I used media articles, industry resources and direct quotes from Eurostar stakeholders to compare the forecasted numbers for those months with actual reported numbers to confirm suspected discrepancies.

2. After confirming the discrepancy and that the offset would drastically impact projections, I changed focus to building stronger forecasts. These were created from projected benchmarks in industry resources of traveller capacity, seating arrangements, line openings, timetable additions and major events that were likely to impact traveller numbers such as the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

3. Next, I conducted additional research in order to breathe life into their audience segmentations through voice and form, identify advertisers receptive to potential relationships, and build potential pricing models made possible through the previous forecasts.

4. Finally, from the data collected above, I was able to start crafting the communication piece for the client...the narrative.

...data needs engagement. It deserves a love story.

The Result

From the final data, I was able to provide more accurate forecasts giving the client a better understanding of the actual inventory (CPMs) available in turn allowing for more accurate financial projections and for testing pricing structures.

Reflection

So how close did I get with my projections?

Passengers for November 2021:

716,424

supplied data estimate

287,838

my adjusted estimate

216,000

2022 reported

The client's estimate was 716,424 passengers for November 2021, reflected by the dotted line on the graph in slide 3.My projection used a rudimentary 5% month-over-month growth assumption (so a 15% increase in passengers would be 20% the following month) based on trends seen in the data and came in at 287,838 passengers for November 2021.In November 2021 it was reported that Eurostar was operating 15 total trains from London. Assuming, given the state of restrictions in France, they were still operating with social distancing measures in that every other seat was empty, trains were running at half capacity still resulting in an estimated 216,000 passengers in November 2021.

Being off by 73 CPMs (cost per mille, AKA the cost of 1000 ad impressions) is a lot better than being off by 500 CPMs.

It's the difference of being short by only £2,190 instead of £15,000 at the end of the financial year...for this one month. This is assuming a base CPM of £30. Depending on where the shortfall occurs and the pricing structure involved, this could be a lot more depending on the month.

But I'm not a fan of being off at all.

It COULD be a lot more depending on the month but it doesn't have to. The right strategy would help us identify this long before it becomes an issue if we structure our business objectives around this idea.At the time of the presentation, I reflected on opportunities to create more accurate models on slide 3 "Opportunities" with more time resources available that would likely assist in a more precise prediction. The client opted not to invest further in this. This quick approach fit the limited resources of the project and still resulted in saving the client from assuming 3x the CPM inventory, selling more CMPs than they would be able to deliver on and estimating more income than realised in financial projections.One thing COVID has taught us is the importance of adopting a proactive approach to how we use data in our organisations and developing a long-term strategy that focuses on actively keeping an eye on the pulse of our forecasting.

Marketing the launch of a new emerging technologies diploma programme

Case study-friendly and proprietary IP-free project...

Overview

The client is a specialist art education institution in the planning stage of adding a fourth, technology-based diploma programme to their college-level offerings. I needed to wear many hats for this project including marketing and public relations (covered in this case study), as well as project management, research, audit documentation, stakeholder management, staff recruitment and curriculum development covered in Part II.

The Challenge

We had six months to go from an idea to a fully accredited, fully funded, fully enrolled programme. This case study focuses on the activities needed to reach the "fully enrolled" part of our goals. These are the marketing activities I worked on during the six-month project to help reach the goal of launching with an initial cohort at maximum capacity. Part II: Project management. covers concurrent activities covering the scope of project management and logistics.

Experiential Marketing

  • Digital workshops

  • Curriculum development

  • Open evening tours

  • Taster sessions

  • Presentations

  • Art exhibitions

  • Networking (see Part II for details)

Marketing Activities

I work better horizontally on mobile.

Touch to zoom.

Reflection

We headed into the summer before our first year with 12 of the 14 cohort spaces filled. The success of the Level 3 Diploma has led to the introduction of a Level 2 programme as well.I had the chance a year later to see all the students again after they had started their course--this time behind the equipment I helped source. They were interviewing participants at an Invisible Arts Network event involving the launch of a new immersive audio piece by a British artist. Their confidence and ease completely blew me away. It was so amazing to see and I can completely understand why the Head of Future Ed used to call falling under the spell of teaching as "catching the bug."

Helping a 175-year-old institution into the digital age with the launch of a new diploma programme

Case study-friendly and proprietary IP-free project...

Overview

The client is a specialist education institution in the West Midlands. They were in the process of adding a fourth diploma programme to their college-level offerings with a new Level 3 Digital Media-focused diploma which would lay the foundations for a future Level 2 offering. We had six months to go from an idea to a fully accredited, fully funded, fully enrolled programme.

The Challenge

So. Many. Hats were needed for this project. Initially, the project was to focus just on student recruitment (Part I) with the goal of going into their first year with a cohort at maximum capacity. However, by the end of the contract role, I had also taken on project management (Part II), which includes stakeholder management and curriculum development responsibilities as well.

I supported in areas related to the design and project writing of curriculum, capital purchases, recruiting, and marketing activity related to the design and implementation of the new course. I worked directly with the Head of Further Education and supported in project documentation and audits with the programme's funding agency (ESFA) and accreditation institute (UAL).


Below are a few areas I was involved in during this project:

Screenshot of a video editing timeline showing different layers of video composition files and audio in pink, blue and green bars stacked on top of eachother

Project Documentation and Reporting

I assisted in the development and

  • Managed project documentation, resource planning, equipment procurement, risk management & audit docs for ESFA funding & UAL accreditation audits.

  • Improved departmental Programme Initiative Progress reporting system for efficient reporting & progress tracking.

  • Achieved successful funding & accreditation inspections, leading to approval & formalisation of the diploma, and enhanced organizational efficiency to achieve goals.

Stakeholders

The success of the programme was largely down to the internal departments in the college-- and not just those in the Further Education division but in the Higher Education divisions, as well.In addition to internal stakeholders, I was also involved in partnership development initiatives with local organisations such as the Invisible Arts Network (IAN), New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE), local secondary schools, emerging technology businesses, and digital artists from around the country working closely with these organizations to foster mutually beneficial relationships. By developing strong relationships with key stakeholders and establishing successful partnerships, the organization was able to enhance its reputation, expand its network, and identify new talent to contribute to their education initiatives.

Personnel

I additionally took an active role in the recruitment of the new department head for the diploma programme.

  • Optimising recruitment ads for better search engine optimization (SEO) and performance on job portals, resulting in more conversions (i.e. applications).

  • Contributing to the creation of the shortlist of applicants,

  • Conducting interviews with the candidates,

  • Providing feedback after the discussions, and

  • Selecting the final candidate.

Curriculum Development

  • Researched CreaTech100 companies' job recruitment ads to identify desired skills and tools for curriculum development.

  • Aligned curriculum framework with UAL learning objectives and developed implementation plans.

  • Audited the college's current equipment to identify areas for upgrades and acquisitions.

  • Developed documentation of plans for UAL and ESFA audits.

Reflection - Part II

While my technical skills were strong at the onset of this project...they were pushed to the max with the array of new programmes and methods I had to learn for these activities including the stop motion studio (not used for the above gif), projection mapping with MadMapper, live motion tracking development with Adobe Character, video game development with gDevelop and 3-D printing. Of course, there were the traditional digital media tools that I have been using since I was in my teens including graphic design for print and digital media, animation and digital video creation, web development, email newsletters, presentations for open evenings, and copywriting.I worked with students from ten through to their early twenties leading workshops and taster sessions. Interactions with them also often included their parents during student interviews, often coordinating with the wonderful staff in the Assisted Learning Support when their presence could provide value to the discussion. I worked with the marketing team in promoting upcoming events across the organisation's marketing channels (merciful gatekeepers) and the outreach team to help us get access to secondary schools. I represented the new programme at the school's open evenings.

Technical Profile

Touch to zoom.

I work better horizontally on mobile.

Continuous Professional Development

The value of my contributions is limited by my knowledge gaps. As such, I prioritise reflective practise and lead by example by making it a constant in my life.Below are highlights from the 70+ CPD activities I've completed in the last few years.

Marketing

Google Analytics 4 Certification, Google SkillshopFacebook certified marketing science professional blueprint qualification, Women in Data UK

Creating better public involvement adverts, National Institute for Health and Care ResearchEcommerceSEO summit, Brighton SEO, UKGoogle Analytics for Power Users, Google SkillshopGoogle Introduction to Data Studio, Google SkillshopGoogle Mobile Experience, Google SkillshopGoogle My Business, Google SkillshopSEO toolkit certificate, SEMRush AcademyMarketing Strategy certificate, SEMRush AcademySocial Listening certificate, SEMRush Academy

Customer Experience

Behavioural data science workshop, Alan Turing InstituteComplexity methods for behavioural science summer school, University of Radboud

Product development and human emotions, Royal Statistical SocietyUsing the System Effects methodology to understand the user experience of complex systems, University of SurreyLearning and memory in the brain, University of CambridgeContinuous experience sampling and the affect-embodiment coherence, Cardiff UniversityStudying Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) with video, ethnomethodology, and conversation analysis, University of LiverpoolArtificial intelligence and neuroscience, Queen’s University, Belfast, Ireland

Data and Analytics

Consent issues in data sharing,
UK Data Service
Intro to statistical programming, King's College London

Analysing qualitative data, University of East AngliaAWS Innovate: Machine learning and AI edition, Amazon Web ServicesIntroduction to complexity, Santa Fe Institute, USCausal mapping, University of BathSocial network analysis,
Alan Turing Institute
Introduction to experience sampling methods, University of MelbourneApplied multilevel modelling, University of EssexIntroduction to differential equations, Santa Fe Institute, USGateway to the internet of things: IoT, LPWAN & things connected Digital Catapult, UK

Research

Research integrity, Cardiff UniversitySelecting studies and assessing limitations, Cochrane Training

Question formulation and searching for qualitative evidence, Cochrane TrainingQualitative interviewing, University of East AngliaUsing NVivo for qualitative research, University of East AngliaQualitative research and qualitative evidence synthesis, Cochrane TrainingUsing creative research methods, National Centre for Research Methods, Queen’s University, IrelandAdvanced research computing, Cardiff UniversityPreferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA), Cochrane Training

Leadership

Technical team leadership,
University of Oxford
Leading at a distance,
LinkedIn Learning

Leadership styles, Cardiff UniversityNegotiating, Cardiff UniversityFundamentals of Instructional Design, University of Cambridge, UKA conversation about design - future of learning conference, ExperienceHaus, UKPreparing & delivering seminars,
Cardiff University
Introduction to digital pedagogy, LearnJam AcademyLearning to teach online, LinkedIn LearningCore strategies for teaching in higher ed, LinkedIn LearningHighfield level 3 award in undertaking end-point assessment (RQF), Best for Training, UK

Cookie policyThis cookie policy (“Policy”) describes what cookies are and how and they're being used by the shellgreenier.com website (“Website” or “Service”) and any of its related products and services (collectively, “Services”). This Policy is a legally binding agreement between you (“User”, “you” or “your”) and this Website operator (“Operator”, “we”, “us” or “our”). If you are entering into this agreement on behalf of a business or other legal entity, you represent that you have the authority to bind such entity to this agreement, in which case the terms “User”, “you” or “your” shall refer to such entity. If you do not have such authority, or if you do not agree with the terms of this agreement, you must not accept this agreement and may not access and use the Website and Services. You should read this Policy so you can understand the types of cookies we use, the information we collect using cookies and how that information is used. It also describes the choices available to you regarding accepting or declining the use of cookies.What are cookies?Cookies are small pieces of data stored in text files that are saved on your computer or other devices when websites are loaded in a browser. They are widely used to remember you and your preferences, either for a single visit (through a "session cookie") or for multiple repeat visits (using a "persistent cookie").Session cookies are temporary cookies that are used during the course of your visit to the Website, and they expire when you close the web browser.Persistent cookies are used to remember your preferences within our Website and remain on your desktop or mobile device even after you close your browser or restart your computer. They ensure a consistent and efficient experience for you while visiting the Website and Services.Cookies may be set by the Website ("first-party cookies"), or by third parties, such as those who serve content or provide advertising or analytics services on the Website ("third party cookies"). These third parties can recognize you when you visit our website and also when you visit certain other websites. You may learn more about cookies and how they work in this guide.What type of cookies do we use?- Analytical cookiesThese cookies enable us and third party services to collect aggregated data for statistical purposes on how our visitors use the Website. These cookies do not contain personal information such as names and email addresses and are used to help us improve your user experience of the Website.What are your cookie options?If you don’t like the idea of cookies or certain types of cookies, you can change your browser’s settings to delete cookies that have already been set and to not accept new cookies. Visit internetcookies.com to learn more about how to do this.Changes and amendmentsWe reserve the right to modify this Policy or its terms related to the Website and Services at any time at our discretion. When we do, we will revise the updated date at the bottom of this page. We may also provide notice to you in other ways at our discretion, such as through the contact information you have provided.An updated version of this Policy will be effective immediately upon the posting of the revised Policy unless otherwise specified. Your continued use of the Website and Services after the effective date of the revised Policy (or such other act specified at that time) will constitute your consent to those changes.Acceptance of this policyYou acknowledge that you have read this Policy and agree to all its terms and conditions. By accessing and using the Website and Services you agree to be bound by this Policy. If you do not agree to abide by the terms of this Policy, you are not authorized to access or use the Website and Services.Contacting usIf you have any questions, concerns, or complaints regarding this Policy or the use of cookies, we encourage you to contact us using the details below:shellgreenier@gmail.comThis document was last updated on May 15, 2022

Serbian Theatre's US Tour

Created the tour portal for the 14 host organisations of Dah Teatar's United States Tour including press releases and images as well as tech riders for each of the three productions.

Dah Teatar | Belgrade, SRB

Project Details

  • Multi-stream full day conference

  • After party networking event

  • Staff accommodations and travel

  • Staff dinner event night prior

Role

  • event planning

  • project management

  • speaker coordination

  • graphic design

  • organic social media campaigns

  • email marketing (ActiveCampaign)

  • website design (Contensis)

  • content creation (programme, blogs)

  • print collateral (programmes, agendas, collateral)

  • ticketing system admin (Contensis)

Stakeholders

  • Conference attendees from major government, academic organisations

  • Speakers - professional

  • Speakers - internal

  • Company leadership

  • Marketing team

  • Freelance film crew

  • Venue staff

  • Collateral suppliers

"In the contemporary world, destruction and violence can only be opposed by the creation of sense" ― this is the founding motto of DAH Theatre.

Publications

Rogerson, A. and Telma, T. (2012, May). Practical Approaches for Designing Usable Websites.Greenier, S. (2011, August 01). Strengthening behavioural cues in UX web design with Gestalt principles. Web Designer Depot.Greenier, S. (2011, May 19). Optimizing Emotional Engagement In Web Design Through Metrics. Smashing Magazine.

Select Features & Awards

Commendation: (2020) Facebook Marketing Science Blueprint Certification via Women in Data UK.Award: Certification scholarship. (2020) Women in Data UK and Facebook.Feature: Putting Some Emotion into Your Design – Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions. (2017). Interaction Design Foundation.Feature: Lalmas, M. (Yahoo Labs), O'Brien, H. and Yom-Tov, E. (Microsoft) (2013). Measuring User Engagement [Presentation]. 22nd International World Wide Web Conference, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.Feature: Van Gogp, T. and Adams, E. (2012). Design for Emotion.