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7 cooking techniques that combine science and tradition Explore timeless, science-refined cooking methods, from browning and fermenting to aging and preserving People have experimented with cooking techniques for as long as they have cooked. Early humans discovered that fire transformed raw meat into something safer, tastier, and easier to chew. Archaeological evidence shows that humans began roasting food over fire 500,000 to 2 million years ago.  Clay pots facilitate stewing and fermentation, turning milk into cheese. Salt preserves foods like meats and cucumbers, preventing bacterial growth. These techniques were born from survival but carried forward for flavor and practicality. Over time, trial and error gave way to refinement, as generations passed down methods that became the foundation of global cuisine.  Today, the goal is still better flavor, safer storage, and reliable results, but the tools have changed. Modern science has illuminated what cooks knew — that heat, air, microbes, and time can transform ingredients. The priority has shifted from preservation to control and precision. Chefs and home cooks use science to push cooking techniques further, creating food that innovates while still embracing tradition.   Modern kitchens have become laboratories. Thermometers, pH strips, humidity controls, and vacuum sealers are as important as knives and pans. These tools help people replicate older methods with greater accuracy. Where past cooks might have relied on intuition alone, science now provides measurable guidelines that ensure repeatable methods without sacrificing character or flavor.  Whether using heat to transform proteins or microbes to unlock hidden flavors, the goal is to make food taste better and last longer. The following examples show exactly how science and tradition continue to work together. 2 / 8 1. Dry aging Dry aging is one of the oldest ways to elevate beef flavor, and it’s steeped in tradition and science. By storing beef in a carefully controlled environment, moisture evaporates and enzymes break down muscle fibers.  Dry aging for up to six weeks is ideal to get full flavor development and tenderness. This results in a far richer and more complex product, prized in high-end steakhouses for its deep, nutty flavor. A controlled environment is crucial — temperature, humidity, and air circulation all work together to transform the meat.  3 / 8 2. Maillard reactions Maillard reactions occur when proteins and sugars meet heat, creating that golden-brown crust on bread, seared steaks, and roasted coffee beans. While past cooks relied on instinct, chefs today apply this technique precisely, balancing temperature and timing to unlock complex flavors that taste earthy and sweet. Without the Maillard reaction, much of the depth and aroma you associate with cooked foods wouldn’t exist. 4 / 8 3. Sous vide Erikoinentunnus | Wikimedia Commons Sous vide — or “under vacuum” — represents the height of scientific cooking. Food is sealed and cooked in a water bath at a precise temperature, creating remarkable consistency. A medium-rare steak comes out perfectly edge to edge, with none of the guesswork from pan or grill cooking. Sous vide cooking preserves moisture and maximizes flavor extraction by cooking at lower temperatures for longer.  5 / 8 4. Fermentation Markus Winkler | Unsplash Fermentation is a traditional method that transforms cabbage into sauerkraut, soybeans into miso, and milk into yogurt. Microbes drive these changes, producing acids that preserve food and add tangy, layered flavors. Fermentation can also increase nutritional value and introduce beneficial probiotics. 6 / 8 5. Smoking Smoking combines preservation with deep, smoky flavor. Traditional pit smoking relied on time, wood choice, and experience. Modern combustion chemistry refines the process, allowing pitmasters to choose the best type of wood and manage airflow to enhance everything from brisket to cheese.  Different woods create unique flavor profiles. Maple is mild and sweet, making it excellent for chicken or vegetables. Oak is great for brisket, sausages, and red meat. 7 / 8 6. Pickling  Pickling combines flavor and preservation and is part of many tasty dishes. Traditional vinegar pickles kept vegetables fresh through winter. Now, chefs also explore lacto-fermentation, using controlled bacterial action to create tangy, crisp, and probiotic-rich pickles.  8 / 8 7. Emulsification  Emulsification combines fat and water to create a smooth consistency, as in mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce. Cooks have practiced it for centuries, but modern kitchen science reveals the key role of emulsifiers like lecithin and egg yolk. This knowledge allows chefs to create more stable, silky emulsifiers that hold up under heat and time.  Read More

For the U.S. economy, it was far from a tranquil August. Suggested Reading Aside from debuting a new sound system in the Rose Garden, President Donald Trump has replicated his zeal for White House renovations in his ongoing shake-up of the U.S. economy. Over the past month, he’s enacted tariffs on dozens of trading partners, fired the chief nonpartisan statistician, and opened a new front in his near-daily bombardment against the Federal Reserve. Related Content It was a dramatic month with Trump taking fresh gambles that risk undermining U.S. financial credibility and make everyday life more expensive for Americans. “Trump is clearly willing to take risks with the economy,” Peter Harrell, an ex-international economics aide to President Biden, told Quartz. “He’s clearly willing to put some uncertainty over the economy in the interest of what he sees as longer-term policy goals.” Other analysts worried about the possible damage. “The last few weeks have just been more needlessly disruptive drama,” Joel Griffith, a senior fellow at the conservative Advancing American Freedom, told Quartz. “My fear is that this drama might ultimately result in more economic damage.” A surprise firing at the BLS Trump kicked off August with the high-profile firing of Dr. Erika McEntarfer, the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics which produces the U.S.’s key economic data. He sacked her over major revisions within the July jobs report. Federal data showed U.S. employers added only 14,000 jobs in July. But it was the scope of the downward revisions that shocked many observers. Those indicated the U.S. economy added 258,000 fewer jobs than previously thought. Trump didn’t hide his frustration with the disastrous jobs report. “I believe the numbers were phony,” he told reporters outside the White House shortly after he announced McEntarfer’s firing over social media. “So, you know what I did? I fired her. And you know what? I did the right thing,” he said, adding he had three people in mind that could replace her. The move quickly elicited comparisons to other nations like Argentina that had distorted economic data too. Some Republicans delivered rare criticism that same day. “It seems a little impetuous,” Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming told Quartz at the time. “Statistics are what they are.” Trump’s aides quickly fanned out over the airwaves. White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett defended the firing as a step towards accountability at the agency, which has grappled with thinner staffing and budgets. “I think the most important thing for people to know is that it’s the president’s highest priority that the data be trusted and that people get to the bottom of why these revisions are so unreliable,” Hassett told NBC News. Within a week, Trump decided on conservative economist E.J. Antoni as his pick to take over the BLS. Antoni quickly drew bipartisan criticism from economists on the left and right concerned that he could interfere with the agency’s nonpartisan number-crunching on wages, inflation, and more. Antoni must still be confirmed by the Senate before getting onboard. A new global tariff regime Trump hasn’t stopped reaching for tariffs. A flurry of letters started going out in July to scores of trade partners that assigned tariff rates if they didn’t quickly strike a deal with the Trump administration. South Korea, Japan, the European Union, and many more were put on notice, sending foreign capitals scrambling to secure favorable terms from Washington. Still, Trump had developed a reputation for 11th hour extensions of tariff deadlines. The Financial Times even coined TACO earlier this year, or shorthand for “Trump Always Chickens Out.” But that wasn’t the case as the clock struck midnight on Aug. 7. At that point, double-digit tariffs kicked in for dozens of countries spanning the globe from Brazil to Taiwan and set in motion a trade war with little precedent in modern times. Meanwhile, Beijing won another 90-day extension to keep ironing out a sweeping trade agreement. India, in particular, angered the Trump administration. Throughout August, Trump has sought to secure a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, and end a brutal three-year war. But White House officials cast India as an obstacle. They blame Delhi for keeping up its purchases of Russian oil and argue it deprives the U.S. of crucial leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin. China and some European countries are still Russia’s biggest oil customers. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at one point accused India of profiteering from Russian oil. Griffith estimates that India’s tariffs amount to a $300 tax increase on U.S. “We could be pursuing free trade with free peoples and our allies,” Griffith said. “Instead, we’re slapping punishing tariffs on them, harming their economy and at the same time our own.” A fresh assault on the Federal Reserve At the end of July, Fed officials voted to hold interest rates steady, the fifth time they did so this year. That did little to pacify Trump in his brazen campaign to overhaul the Federal Reserve and render it more acquiescent to his desire to lower borrowing costs. Trump got one step closer to his goal of managing monetary policy after Federal Reserve Governor Adriana Kugler stepped down five months ahead of her term’s scheduled end. That provided him an opening to name White House aide Stephen Miran to the slot, a fierce defender of Trump who sided with him in publicly pushing for lower interest rates from the central bank. The Senate must confirm him first. The president threatened to sue Federal Reserve Chair Powell over the steep cost of the Fed’s ongoing renovations at its headquarters. White House aides, though, didn’t spell out what the case against Powell could be or issue any timelines. “I won’t speak on it any further, I will allow the president to do that himself,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Aug. 12. Trump dropped it and didn’t mention it again. At a major speech during the Jackson Hole economic conference, Powell opened the door to an interest rate cut in September.

Labor Day weekend is meant to honor the labor movement and celebrate the contributions of American workers. But how are workers feeling this holiday? Suggested Reading A new study from WalletHub sheds some light on the general mood — and the short answer is: not great. Related Content According to WalletHub, which talked to 200 people in early August, more than half of Americans — 55% — feel like tariffs and inflation are erasing their hard work. And seven in ten people feel like they’re working harder this year than last. Support for labor unions in the country is currently hovering around 70%. With 49% of Republicans in support, 94% of Democrats, and 67% of Independents. At the same time, 40% of workers are concerned about AI taking their jobs, and 60% aren’t happy with the job market, saying it’s “not easy” to get a job right now. And there’s still plenty of progress to be made when it comes to working conditions. A worrisome 5,283 people died on the job in 2023, a 4% decrease from 2022. While that’s a massive drop from the 23,000 work fatalities a hundred years earlier in 1913, the number is still concerning. And many workers struggle to get time to rest. Twenty-eight percent of workers take less time off because they’re afraid it will cost them their job or because their boss discourages it. Sixty-two percent believe their boss would judge them if they requested time off for mental health care. And 23% of workers don’t even earn paid vacation time. This Labor Day weekend, 52% of Americans are planning to spend less compared to last year, and 94% feel like they need a raise just to keep up with inflation. But that isn’t stopping people from shopping. WalletHub found that 59% of Americans think Labor Day sales offer good deals, and almost two in five people feel like they overspend on the holiday. And if people do want to shop, WalletHub found that big retailers are rolling out major discounts, with Amazon slashing prices by up to 50% on TVs, AirPods, and vacuums. Apple is offering deals on AirPods, iPads, and MacBooks, while Best Buy is cutting up to $1,000 off TVs, laptops, and headphones. Home Depot has 35% off appliances, furniture, grills, and tools, and Lowe’s is taking 30% off major appliances. Target is marking down patio items, clothing, and accessories by 30%, and Walmart is featuring low prices on grills, mattresses, TVs, and vacuums starting at just $69. 📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief Read More

Nearly half of U.S. consumers said they believe Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) tech should be illegal as its brand hits new lows, a report found. Suggested Reading At the same time, many consumers said the automaker’s FSD features put them off from buying a Tesla, according to the Electric Vehicle Intelligence Report for August that surveyed “more than 8,000” consumers in the U.S.  Related Content FSD is Tesla’s higher-end driver-assist tech, which takes over some operations but still requires a driver’s supervision. Tesla’s website says the current model can do “route navigation, steering, lane changes, parking and more.” The automaker’s entry-level driver-assist features are known as Autopilot. By a 2-to-1 margin, consumers surveyed in the EV report said they are less likely to buy a Tesla because of its FSD tech — only 4% said the tech makes them “much more likely” to buy a vehicle.  Consumers also expressed dislike for Tesla’s camera-only approach to its autonomous vehicles with 70% of respondents saying that AVs should use both LiDAR and cameras — only 3% said they like Tesla’s approach, the report found. About 70% of respondents said they want the government to mandate both LiDAR and cameras. More than 65% of consumers said Tesla should “be held responsible” for accidents that involve its driver-assistance tech, the report said. At the beginning of August, Tesla was ordered to pay more than $300 million for a fatal Autopilot crash in Florida in 2019. Federal jurors found the company partially liable for its role in the crash, ruling that Tesla’s driver-assistance system failed to prevent a deadly collision that killed one person and severely injured another.  At the heart of the lawsuit was the claim that Tesla deceptively marketed Autopilot as more capable than it actually was, encouraging drivers to put too much trust in what is, legally, still a driver-assist feature, not an autonomous system.  Nearly 80% of consumers said they support regulations that would require Tesla to properly show how to use its Autopilot and FSD features in ads.  Tesla’s reputation isn’t getting any better, either. The report found that brand positivity and trust reached new lows for the EV maker, plus it identified “increasing concerns” over safety.  Days after being found partially liable for the fatal crash, Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced Tesla was training a new self-driving model.  Tesla scored a negative 15 brand positivity score among consumers — more than doubling from April. Toyota and Honda, on the other hand, scored net positive views. Tesla’s trust score dropped to negative 12 — quadrupling from April. “Tesla is the only EV brand that consumers hold net negative views of,” the report said.  Only 13% of respondents found Tesla cars “very safe.” Plus, 47% of consumers don’t view Tesla as “family friendly” cars. “No other company had more than 25% of consumers report it as not family-friendly,” the report said.  — Shannon Carroll contributed to this article.  📬 Sign up for the Daily Brief Read More

The Trump administration just stripped international shippers of a rule exempting them from paying import fees for some U.S.-bound goods of lesser value.  Suggested Reading Now, international goods that were previously exempt under the de minimis rule will be subject to import regulations and fees — including tariffs.  Related Content De minimis explained Cornell Law School says de minimis is “something that is very trifling or of little importance” and is typically “so small” — in money or importance — that the “law will not consider it.” In 1938, Congress amended the Tariff Act of 1930 to waive or reduce taxes on some imported goods valued $1 or less, a Congressional report said. Since then, Congress has raised that limit many times until ultimately raising it to its latest threshold of $800 in 2015.  This meant that imported goods valued less than $800 were not subject to certain import fees.  But as of Friday, that rule is over.  Under President Donald Trump’s executive order from July 30, goods valued under $800 will no longer be able to enter the U.S. duty-free starting Aug. 29.  Shipments under the de minimis rule made up 92% of all cargo entering the country, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a post.  CBP said it processes about 4 million de minimis packages a day.  Some critics of the de minimis rule say it lets items enter the U.S. without proper inspection and hurts domestic business. Proponents point out how it enables shoppers buy at lower prices, NPR reported.  CBP said some use the rule as a means to bring in “counterfeits,” “narcotics,” and “other illicit goods,” including materials used to make fentanyl.   The Trump administration has echoed these claims, with Trump calling the practice a “big scam” and “deceptive.”  New shipment rules As de minimis comes to an end, postal shipments under the former rule will be subject to the item’s country of origin’s tariff rate. In April, Trump set into motion his global trade war by slapping higher tariffs on countries around the world. On Aug. 7, he set new tariff rates for nearly 70 countries that range from a starting threshold of 10% to a steep 50%.  Trump said in his executive order that for six months, transportation carriers can opt for a set duty price per item based on the country’s tariff rate. For example, if a country has a rate less than 16% then the package will incur a $80 fee. For countries with rates above 25% — like Brazil, China, and India — packages will incur a $200 fee.  CBP said that carriers must use the same duty collection method for all postal shipments and can only change methods once per month when they give 24 hours notice.  Letters and other forms of communication as well as donations, gifts valued less than $100, and items brought back by U.S. travelers that are worth $200 or less are exempt from this change and can still enter the U.S. duty-free. Ripple effect  Businesses that use third-party sellers or typically sell goods of lesser value that are shipped into the U.S., such as Temu, Shein, and Ebay, are bound to be shaken up by this change.   One company that is likely to be impacted is Etsy, an online marketplace where sellers offer goods from all over the world. In 2024, Etsy said sellers sold $10.9 billion in goods. It said almost 30% of sellers “export their goods outside their home country.” After Trump announced his global tariffs in April, Etsy’s CEO Josh Silverman said in a statement that the company remains “committed to delivering a seamless experience” as trade policies shift.  Silverman went on to say that Etsy knows people are “increasingly interested in shopping domestically.” He said the company is “uniquely positioned” to help buyers, adding that in the U.S. more than 60 million items can ship domestically.  The online marketplace posted a guide for sellers to navigate tariffs on Thursday, giving recommendations like using shipping options that let sellers pre-pay import fees.  However, it said that “given the complexities” many postal services are updating their shipment options to the U.S., and in response Etsy is suspending shipping labels for Australia Post, Canada Post, Evri, and Royal Mail for U.S.-bound shipments.    As countries and logistics companies also navigate these new regulations — which many said were unclear and undefined — numerous shippers are pulling U.S. bound shipments altogether.  Swiss Post said that starting Aug. 26 it will “temporarily” not accept postal goods meant for the U.S. However, it said document and express shipments to the U.S. “are still possible.” Japan Post said starting Aug. 27 it’s temporarily suspending shipments to the U.S. excluding the explicit exceptions defined under the rule change. It added that due to CBP guidelines for transport and postal operators that are “not clear,” U-Global Express (an international delivery service) will handle shipments to the U.S. that comply with the new regulations.  India’s postal service, the Department of Posts, is also temporarily suspending shipments to the U.S. starting Aug. 25 with similar exemptions. It said U.S. bound air carriers said they can’t transport shipments because they aren’t ready to meet CBP’s rules. Royal Mail, the United Kingdom’s postal service, is using a postal delivery duties paid (PDDP) service which it said meets new export requirements from the U.S.  It said goods shipped using this service will have duties calculated “according to the country tariff for the item’s country of origin (where an item was made).” CBP said 88% of de minimis shipments come through international mail, including through express courier services like DHL, FedEx, and UPS. DHL Group, the world’s leading logistic company according to its website, said it’s no longer accepting packages bound for the U.S. for its two brands, Deutsche Post and DHL Parcel Germany. Its DHL Express service is still available to customers.  The logistics company told Quartz that it has “prepared accordingly” for changes in trade policy.  “DHL is well-positioned to deal with the

Disclosure: Our goal is to feature products and services that we think you’ll find interesting and useful. If you purchase them, Entrepreneur may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. If you’re working with artificial inteligence (AI) to streamline workflows, improve outputs, or test prompts at scale, ChatPlayground AI offers a focused solution: compare responses from 40+ AI models in a single view, without hopping between platforms. This lifetime subscription to the Unlimited Plan for $89.99 is great for users who need a reliable, centralized interface to optimize daily output and maximize the quality of generative AI results. Whether you’re a founder fine-tuning marketing copy, a developer experimenting with code generation, or a researcher looking to test variations in tone or logic, ChatPlayground gives you a unified workspace to view and analyze side-by-side responses from leading AI models — including GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini 1.5 Flash, DeepSeek V3, Llama, Perplexity, and more. This isn’t just about comparisons. The platform also includes powerful tools to help you iterate and implement: prompt engineering, AI image generation, file upload and chat for images and PDFs, and saved chat histories for future reference. The Chrome extension enables AI access directly from your browser. The Unlimited Plan includes unrestricted monthly messages, making it ideal for heavy users running frequent queries or managing team workflows. You’ll also get priority support, early access to new features, and compatibility across any major desktop browser — no OS limits or device caps. Built for scale and speed, ChatPlayground AI is a practical investment for entrepreneurs, marketers, analysts, and creators who want to make better use of generative AI — without wasting time jumping between tools or guessing which model will perform best. For a limited time, take advantage of this deal on a lifetime subscription to ChatPlayground AI on sale for $89.99 (MSRP $619). StackSocial prices subject to change. If you’re working with artificial inteligence (AI) to streamline workflows, improve outputs, or test prompts at scale, ChatPlayground AI offers a focused solution: compare responses from 40+ AI models in a single view, without hopping between platforms. This lifetime subscription to the Unlimited Plan for $89.99 is great for users who need a reliable, centralized interface to optimize daily output and maximize the quality of generative AI results. Whether you’re a founder fine-tuning marketing copy, a developer experimenting with code generation, or a researcher looking to test variations in tone or logic, ChatPlayground gives you a unified workspace to view and analyze side-by-side responses from leading AI models — including GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini 1.5 Flash, DeepSeek V3, Llama, Perplexity, and more. This isn’t just about comparisons. The platform also includes powerful tools to help you iterate and implement: prompt engineering, AI image generation, file upload and chat for images and PDFs, and saved chat histories for future reference. The Chrome extension enables AI access directly from your browser. The rest of this article is locked. Join Entrepreneur+ today for access. Read More

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Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is often something that many professionals do not pay close attention to. History has shown us that even industry giants can be humbled and collapse or lose significant income when they overlook critical vulnerabilities in their preparation for crises. This can range from overconfidence in their abilities and technologies used to geopolitical unawareness. If the blind spots are not managed carefully, severe crises can be escalated, which can even threaten the future of the business. This article will look at three catastrophic BCP failures that brought down industry titans. Every organization or company can learn lessons from these in order to ensure that they do not make the same mistakes. Related: The Cost of Unpreparedness: Why Many Businesses Lack a Continuity Strategy Overconfidence in technology — How Facebook lost brand value Many leading social networks were a few years ago always confident that their AI and automation would help them to solve crises without the need for human intervention. The overreliance can pose severe problems when complex problems arise. In 2018, Facebook was dealt severe embarrassment for its overreliance on its automation after an automated network configuration tool misapplied changes, which caused the disruption of its services to millions. The incident exposed a critical flaw in that no manual override was in place to be able to correct the error quickly. Facebook not only suffered reputational damage as users and advertisers lost trust in its reliability, but it also exposed its slow response as engineers struggled to diagnose the issue due to opaque system dependencies. There was also a lack of redundancy as no backup systems were activated in order to bypass the faulty automation. The big lesson to be learned from Facebook’s error is that automation is still just a tool and not yet a replacement for human judgment. BCPs must always include fail-safes — i.e., manual overrides for critical systems, scenario testing, which means regular drills for technology failures, and transparency in order to ensure clear communication protocols during outages. Related: Do You Have a ‘Business Continuity Plan’? A failure to recognize geopolitical certainty led to Adobe usurping Kodak It is important for major companies to always pay attention to geopolitical shifts and understand that a company has to regularly adapt depending on what happens in the world. Kodak was guilty of treating geopolitical shifts as distant risks, and this shortsightedness led to its downfall. It was actually Kodak that invented the digital camera, but rather than further developing it, they opted to bury the technology in order to protect their film business. Upon noticing that humans were migrating to digital systems, Adobe migrated earlier than Kodak, embracing cloud-based tools and recurring revenue models. Kodak paid the price for reacting too late and had to file for bankruptcy in 2012. Kodak paid the price as their leadership clung to legacy revenue streams, they didn’t have a BCP for disruptive tech adaptation and as they had ignored hard trends such as digital migration, which was inevitable. Learning from the example of Kodak, it is always important for companies to monitor trends and especially identify hard trends such as demographics and technology evolution in order to predict disruptions. Flexible frameworks should be developed in order to allow rapid pivots, and there should be shareholder alignment to ensure that leadership and teams are prepared enough for transformational change. The semiconductor shortage crisis was caused by underestimating supply chain vulnerabilities Many BCPs opt to focus on internal risks, such as cyberattacks, and neglect external dependencies such as global supply chains. The 2020-2022 semiconductor shortage was an example of this, as it crippled industries from automotive to consumer electronics. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted most industries — global logistic networks and many companies that rely on “just in time” manufacturing, such as Toyota, faced massive production delays. Companies that did not have diversified suppliers and inventory buffers lost billions in income. Ford is estimated to have lost $2.5B due to chip shortages. Because of single-point failures and the fact that there was an overreliance on a handful of suppliers, some were toppled. There was also a lack of contingency stock, and the lack of buffer inventory for critical components greatly impacted businesses, while slow adaptation delayed reshoring and supplier diversification. Related: Your Business Faces More Risks Than Ever — Here’s How to Ensure You’re Prepared For Any Disaster The lesson from all of this is that for a BCP to be resilient, it must include supplier diversification, stress testing and inventory buffers. There should be partnerships with vendors across regions. Stress testing will stimulate supply chain disruptions in BCP drills, and inventory buffers help to maintain strategic reserves for critical materials. In today’s day and age, the difference between survival and collapse will often lie in analyzing and recognizing blind spots before they become problems. All businesses should aim to learn from the above scenarios because, in business continuity, complacency is the greatest risk of all, as it can lead to a business’s downfall. With the world and technology now constantly evolving, a company must embrace change and continuously work on finding ways to be relevant for the far future. Read More

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Even with all the ways technology has changed how we work and connect, there’s still something powerful about being in the same room with people. In-person events — whether it’s a roundtable, a workshop, a conference, a product roadshow or a community gathering — create opportunities for connection, trust and collaboration that digital tools can’t quite replace. For entrepreneurs, that face-to-face time matters more than ever in 2025. Showing up fully, adding real value to the conversation and taking the time to follow up can turn a simple interaction into a lasting business advantage. Related: Why This Sports Festival Might Be the Most Ambitious Live Event in America Benefits of live events We are wired to connect. Even in a world that embraces remote work, most of us still crave face-to-face interaction. That’s why live events matter. They’re not just gatherings, they’re growth engines. They offer the chance to meet up with colleagues old and new, prospects, industry partners and other contacts. They’re your chance to understand customer pain points, build trust and lay the groundwork for future sales. At their core, events are about relationships, and relationships are how businesses grow. In-person events play a key role in shaping executive visibility and thought leadership, too. Keynotes, speaking sessions, breakouts and panels remain key ways to get your company and spokespeople in front of targeted audiences. And now that events are gaining halo ecosystems of their own, there are even more opportunities for podcasts, fireside chats and “birds of a feather” sessions at offsite partner dinners, breakfast seminars and customer happy hours after the expo hall closes. What to look for in potential events Post-pandemic, audience expectations for in-person engagement have shifted. Today’s attendees want more from events, including more networking, more meaningful customer meetings, partner meetings and clearer return-on-investment. Events become a way to capitalize on your industry’s collective physical presence in a way that hybrid/remote work and interactions aren’t able to deliver as consistently. But not all events are equal. How can you decide which will be best for you?  Conduct online research for events in your industry. When you find promising events, look at those event websites for more information.   If the event has booths or exhibits, contact event managers to get prior event stats like the number of attendees, lists of previous years’ exhibitors and demographics. Do some digging to discover which events your competitors show up for. Ask your network which events have done well for them and why. Related: How to Turn Your Event Into a Must-Attend Experience With PR What meaningful participation looks like Showing up doesn’t guarantee you’ll get noticed. One practical, effective strategy is for all event team members to wear a consistent branded look (e.g., logo shirt and black pants). Research shows that such “uniforms” boost brand recognition, making your team more visible, approachable and memorable in a crowded event space.  A second strategy is to think about alternative (even “guerrilla”) marketing activities. You may want to upset the apple cart and get free publicity. What’s a pain point you can capitalize on, for instance? How is your offering different? You can learn a lot and get inspired by the famous WePay stunt. Snacks are a perennial hit, venue permitting. Stock up on bite-sized items to help fuel attendees and conversations. People expect video, too, so create a short, high-quality video that draws the eye and informs. If the event has booths, you want yours to be the talk of the show. It should be eye-catching and maybe even fun. I’ve seen recent booths that featured a miniature race track, puppies and even baby goats. While attention-grabbing gimmicks can draw a crowd, the real win is creating a space that facilitates conversation and is easy to navigate. And don’t forget the importance of comfortable chairs! Don’t neglect training for your booth team, either. Visitors need to feel welcome and comfortable. The team should comprise smart, energetic people who don’t pounce on visitors and immediately start selling. Walk them through a variety of possible scenarios ahead of time so they’re knowledgeable and prepared. A re-usable event training handbook is a good idea. If your main objective at an event is to gather leads, dust off your interaction skills and connect with prospects at every opportunity. Attend receptions, dinners and other networking functions. Be personable and authentic, and listen — these are the ingredients that build trust. You also want to be intentional about meeting up with key contacts and prospects. Related: How to Bridge The Gap Between In-Person and Remote Meetings Events as part of the bigger PR picture PR and marketing teams must integrate events into a broader comms strategy. Events shouldn’t be one-offs; they should amplify and align with ongoing campaigns. Start by defining clear goals: media coverage, thought leadership, lead generation or brand visibility. Before the event, build anticipation with press outreach, email campaigns and social posts. Secure speaking slots and pre-schedule media or analyst briefings. During the event, share real-time content, engage on social, and collect assets, such as photos, quotes and customer insights, for future use. Afterward, repurpose key takeaways into blog posts or thought leadership pieces. Follow up with leads, media contacts, and analysts. Use event insights to inform future messaging and campaign direction. When integrated well, events become high-impact moments that feed your content pipeline and strengthen market positioning. Make a lasting impact In-person events are a great way to connect with customers and contacts while meeting experts and prospects. With so much “noise” at these gatherings, you need strategies for rising above the crowd in meaningful ways. Whether you’re at an industry mixer or a huge event with exhibitors, preparation, creativity, and authenticity will win the day. Refer to the recommendations mentioned above to make sure the time and expense of live events are maximized to meet your business goals. Read More

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