Topic A

Have you ever wondered why some events create lasting transformation while others fade from memory before participants reach their cars? The answer isn’t in your centerpieces or your catering budget—it’s hidden in a counterintuitive truth that most event planners actively avoid. The secret? Strategic discomfort. When I interviewed Heather Wanninger two months ago, she shared […]

Think about your last major event. You likely spent months selecting the perfect venue, curating exceptional speakers, and fine-tuning every detail of the attendee experience. But if you treated your emcee selection as a last-minute decision or assigned the role to a well-meaning volunteer, you might have inadvertently undermined all that careful planning. The Evolution

I’ll never forget when Blake looked at me and said, “I hate this event, but I was bored and wanted to get out of the office.”  That contradiction intrigued me. Which was it? Boring or good enough to pay over $2k to attend? Regardless, his indictment of the event being boring registered with other attendees.

I recently watched a CEO try to take a Zoom call from a Tuscan villa. She had spent thousands to be there, yet found herself stuck in the same patterns she was trying to escape. That’s when it hit me – the power of location isn’t just about being somewhere beautiful; it’s about creating an

You’ve done everything right. The speakers are outstanding, the venue is perfect, the schedule is meticulously planned, and your event technology is cutting edge. Yet something’s missing. Despite checking all the boxes, your events still aren’t creating those electric moments of connection that transform attendees into passionate advocates. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and

As an event strategist who’s produced hundreds of events, I’ve noticed a fascinating trend: the most memorable moments often have little to do with how much money was spent. Instead, they’re connected to how people felt when they walked in the door, the unexpected delights they experienced, and the genuine connections they made. This insight

“Your checklists are killing connections.” When operations expert Jordan Gill dropped this bomb during our recent interview, I had to pause. Here was someone who built her reputation on systems and processes, telling me that over-managing events was actually destroying their impact. But here’s the revelation: There’s a fundamental difference between managing an event and

Your event ends on Thursday. By Monday morning, it might as well never have happened. Harsh? Perhaps. But according to customer experience expert Brittany Hodak, we’re facing a crisis in event engagement that goes far deeper than attendance numbers or day-of satisfaction surveys. “The biggest threat that you have is something that may not be

When was the last time you danced at a business conference? If you’re like most people, the answer is probably never. But after speaking with event innovator Sigrun, I’m convinced we’re missing a crucial element in our event strategies. Her recent client conference in Zurich not only achieved record-breaking sales but created transformational moments that

In a world drowning in PowerPoint presentations and endless Zoom meetings, event organizers face a critical challenge: how to create truly memorable experiences that transform audiences and drive lasting impact. Recent neuroscience research reveals that traditional presentation formats may be working against our brain’s natural learning processes. But there’s hope – and it might come