The Events Solutions Podcast

A conversation with event industry professionals, sharing ideas and solutions to help produce successful events and maintain your work/life balance.

The New Standard for Luxury Events Isn’t What You Think 01/27/2026

The New Standard for Luxury Events Isn’t What You Think Episode Summary In this episode of The Event Solutions Podcast, host Jorge Lopez welcomes Annette Zeller, Director of Catering and Conference Services at 1 Hotel West Hollywood, for a deep dive into the realities of hospitality, luxury events, and the psychology behind high-expectation clients. Annette shares her journey through some of the most iconic luxury hotel brands, including Park Hyatt, Beverly Hills Hotel, Four Seasons, and Beverly Hilton, and how those experiences shaped her approach to service, creativity, and problem-solving. She offers an inside look at what makes 1 Hotel unique, from its sustainability-first mission and nature-driven design to certified sustainable meetings and hyper-local, organic catering. The conversation explores the fast-evolving world of luxury events, influencer-driven brand activations, compressed timelines, and the importance of urgency, adaptability, and collaboration. Annette also candidly discusses mistakes, high-pressure challenges, and the lessons learned from decades in the industry, reinforcing why mindset, responsiveness, and creative flexibility are essential to success. Key Takeaways Luxury clients expect solutions, not limitations. Saying “no” too quickly can shut down opportunity; buying time and offering alternatives keeps creativity alive. Urgency wins business. Fast, thorough responses complete with budgets, diagrams, and clear next steps set you apart in a crowded market. Experience must transfer through layers. In luxury events, you’re often selling through planners or agencies; clarity and detail help preserve the vision for decision-makers. Sustainability is no longer optional. Eco-conscious design, local sourcing, and certified sustainable meetings are becoming key differentiators. Cookie-cutter thinking kills repeat business. Clients return when they trust you can reinvent the experience each time. Mistakes are inevitable; ownership matters. Taking responsibility, acting quickly, and fixing the issue builds trust and credibility. Measurements matter. Small technical details can create major challenges; precision is critical in event execution. The industry thrives on collaboration. Vendors, planners, and venue teams succeed when they support one another, especially under pressure. Guest Bio: Annette Zeller Annette Zeller is the Director of Catering and Conference Services at 1 Hotel West Hollywood, where she oversees luxury events, meetings, and brand activations in one of Los Angeles’ most sustainability-driven hospitality environments. A graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration, Annette brings over 20 years of experience in the luxury hotel market. Her career includes leadership roles at Park Hyatt Los Angeles, Hyatt West Hollywood, The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Wilshire (A Four Seasons Hotel), and The Beverly Hilton. Known for her sense of urgency, creative problem-solving, and client-first mindset, Annette specializes in high-touch events, influencer-driven activations, and bespoke experiences that break the mold while maintaining operational excellence. /episode/index/show/f97e8e10-deaf-46e1-8261-8d3b6fc56afc/id/39640240

Why Leaders Should Stop Running Their Own Events 01/20/2026

Why Leaders Should Stop Running Their Own Events Episode Summary In this episode of The Event Solutions Podcast, host Jorge Lopez sits down with Brenda Biggers, a seasoned administrative leader at Setpoint Medical, to explore the realities of planning internal corporate events inside a fast-paced, highly technical organization. Brenda shares her journey into event planning, not through a traditional events background, but through organization, adaptability, and trust earned over time. From leadership offsites and milestone celebrations to company picnics and themed events, she walks through how thoughtful planning, leadership buy-in, and flexibility can transform ordinary gatherings into meaningful employee experiences. The conversation dives into the nuances of engaging diverse personalities from introverted engineers to competitive team players while balancing logistics, budgets, and evolving expectations. Brenda also offers practical insights on learning from challenges, knowing when to ask for outside help, and why preparation and timing are often the difference between stress and success. Key Takeaways Leadership buy-in drives engagement. When leaders actively participate and support the event vision, employees are far more likely to engage and step outside their comfort zones. Purpose matters more than the venue. A clear event objective, paired with creative production, lighting, décor, and music, can transform even modest venues into memorable experiences. Organization is the foundation of success. Brenda’s “event bible”, a detailed, portable planning notebook, keeps vendors, contacts, schedules, and contingencies in one place. Flexibility is essential. Late changes, such as adding plus-ones or adjusting timing, are inevitable. The ability to adapt calmly is key to successful execution. Outside expertise adds value. Bringing in professional event partners or an external MC helps keep events moving, maintains energy, and allows internal leaders to stay in their lane. Timing reduces stress. Backward planning, early preparation, and avoiding last-minute decisions lead to smoother events and a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved. Know when to ask for help. As organizations grow, event complexity increases. Recognizing when to bring in additional support can dramatically improve outcomes. Guest Bio: Brenda Biggers Brenda Biggers is a highly experienced administrative leader with over 20 years of operational, organizational, and executive support experience. She has been with Setpoint Medical since 2014, where she plays a central role in managing day-to-day office operations and planning a wide range of internal and external company events. Her responsibilities span venue selection, logistics, vendor coordination, budgeting, hospitality, and onsite execution, ensuring events align with company culture and strategic goals. Brenda’s strength lies in her ability to bring structure, creativity, and calm execution to complex environments, helping teams celebrate milestones and successes while keeping everything running smoothly behind the scenes. /episode/index/show/f97e8e10-deaf-46e1-8261-8d3b6fc56afc/id/39640195

The Hidden Reason Some Events Sell Out, and Others Don’t 01/13/2026

The Hidden Reason Some Events Sell Out, and Others Don’t Episode Summary Creativity doesn’t come from chasing the newest platform or piling on more tools; it comes from listening. In this episode of The Event Solutions Podcast, Jorge Lopez sits down with Josh Weaver, a marketing leader whose career spans Zappos, Exploding Kittens, Amazon-owned brands, and experiential campaigns that connect deeply with audiences. While Josh doesn’t come from the traditional events world, his perspective offers a powerful reset for event professionals feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or pressured to constantly “out-create” expectations. Together, they unpack what it really means to design events, marketing, and experiences through empathy. From failing fast and learning quickly, to resisting shiny new platforms that your audience isn’t actually using, this conversation challenges creatives to stop working in silos and start building with intention. If you’ve ever felt the weight of being “the creative one,” struggled to promote an event effectively, or wondered why great ideas sometimes fall flat, this episode delivers perspective, clarity, and practical insight you can apply immediately. Key Takeaways Creativity isn’t about access to tools; it’s about how well you listen to your audience The best marketing and event promotion starts with empathy, not trends You don’t need to be everywhere; you need to be where your audience already lives Failing fast is not failure; it’s how you iterate toward success Collaboration beats creative martyrdom every time Designing events from the attendee’s point of view reveals simple fixes that make a big impact Word-of-mouth, through trusted voices, still outperforms most promotional tactics Guest Bio: Josh Weaver Josh Weaver is a marketing leader and experiential strategist known for building audience-first campaigns that balance creativity with clarity. He began his career at a startup in 2010, where he learned early how to do more with less, and went on to help shape the social media presence of brands like 6pm.com and Zappos as part of their early social teams. Josh later served as Marketing Lead at Exploding Kittens, where he worked on award-winning tabletop games and app launches, including Poetry for Neanderthals, Barking Kittens, A Game of Cat and Mouth, and more. His work blends brand storytelling, experiential marketing, and deep audience listening. Today, Josh works at TrophySmack, creating custom recognition products for everyone from fantasy football leagues to major partners like the MLB, NFLPA, and Hasbro. Across every role, his focus remains the same: understanding what audiences actually want and building experiences that meet them there. /episode/index/show/f97e8e10-deaf-46e1-8261-8d3b6fc56afc/id/39640150

Why Repeating a “Successful” Event Is a Dangerous Move 12/22/2025

Why Repeating a “Successful” Event Is a Dangerous Move Episode Summary In this episode of The Event Solutions Podcast, Jorge Lopez sits down with Dan Reback, Event Strategist for the West Coast and Mountain States at Jewish National Fund USA, to explore what it really takes to design events that deliver meaningful ROI. Dan oversees more than 150 events annually across five states, blending strategy, creativity, and hands-on execution to ensure events aren’t just polished productions, but purposeful experiences. He shares why “strategy” isn’t a buzzword, how ROI goes far beyond dollars raised, and why staying boots-on-the-ground is critical for leadership credibility. The conversation dives into real-world challenges, getting 600 people in a room at 8:00 a.m., keeping long-running events from going stale, vetting vendors properly, and managing high-pressure moments when everything goes wrong at once. Dan also unpacks how production can make or break an event, why breaking the mold must be intentional, and how learning through hands-on experience shapes better planners and stronger teams. This episode is a candid, practical look at event leadership, creativity under constraint, and designing experiences that actually matter. Key Takeaways ROI isn’t just revenue; impact, donor retention, audience growth, and long-term engagement matter just as much. Strategy must come before creativity to ensure events align with organizational goals. Comfortable events are forgettable events; meaningful experiences should push boundaries. Production defines perception and can elevate or sink an event experience. Staying hands-on builds credibility with teams and keeps leadership grounded in reality. Never repeat the same event twice; even successful formats need evolution. Vendor scale matters; talent alone isn’t enough if a vendor can’t handle the size and complexity. Calm leadership on-site is critical; guests only know something is wrong when you show it. Guest Bio: Dan Reback Dan Reback is the Event Strategist for the West Coast and Mountain States at Jewish National Fund USA, where he oversees more than 150 events annually across California, Colorado, Utah, Washington, and Oregon. A UCLA graduate, Dan discovered his passion for event planning early and quickly built a career defined by creativity, strategic thinking, and execution at scale. During his seven years at JNF USA, he rose through the ranks from coordinator to manager to strategist, helping transform events from traditional gatherings into immersive, high-impact experiences. Known for his out-of-the-box thinking and deep investment in production and experiential design, Dan believes events should never be comfortable, repetitive, or purely transactional. His work focuses on ensuring every event serves a clear purpose, delivers measurable ROI, and creates lasting impact for both organizations and communities. /episode/index/show/f97e8e10-deaf-46e1-8261-8d3b6fc56afc/id/39494045

Secrets to Crafting Seamless Events for High-Stakes Clients 12/22/2025

Secrets from a Veteran Who Has Worked Three Super Bowls 12/22/2025

Secrets from a Veteran Who Has Worked Three Super Bowls Episode Summary In this episode, Jorge Lopez sits down with hospitality veteran Susan Avery, who brings more than 35 years of hotel and event expertise from Marriott’s flagship property, the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina. Susan shares insights from her work on major citywide events, including three Super Bowls, the 1996 Republican National Convention, and large medical and scientific conferences. She breaks down what it truly takes to manage high-pressure, multi-stakeholder events where hotels, cities, vendors, and national organizations must operate as one team. Key Takeaways Teamwork is everything when producing large-scale or citywide events; success depends on clear leadership and open collaboration across dozens of organizations. Communication must scale as stakeholders multiply: hotels, CVBs, city leadership, NFL teams, agencies, and vendors all require consistent alignment. Operational understanding matters; knowing how banquet, AV, setup, and stewarding teams work allows planners to partner more effectively. Citywide events have many “bosses” navigating competing priorities, which requires structure, ownership, and flexibility. Large events succeed when territorial thinking disappears, and each leader focuses on their area while supporting the bigger picture. Guest Bio: Susan Avery Susan M. Avery has over 35 years of experience in the hospitality and convention event industry, most of which were spent at Marriott International’s flagship property, the San Diego Marriott Marquis & Marina. Starting her career as a banquet waitress, she worked her way up through nearly every operational role before becoming Director of Operations, overseeing the banquet team, convention floor setup team, AV, and stewarding departments. Her deep understanding of hotel operations and guest service excellence has been a hallmark of her career. After 18 years in operations, Susan spent another 15 years as a Convention Services Manager, now known as Event Management, specializing in large-scale medical, scientific, and corporate meetings. She has successfully planned and executed events ranging from intimate social gatherings to major citywide conventions, including the 1996 Republican National Convention and three Super Bowls hosted in San Diego. Now an independent contractor, Susan continues to bring her extensive expertise, industry insight, and collaborative spirit to clients throughout the convention and events industry. Useful Links: /episode/index/show/f97e8e10-deaf-46e1-8261-8d3b6fc56afc/id/39493370

The Events Solutions Podcast

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