Gianna’s Gem: Good. Great. Exceptional. The Spectrum That Separates Forgettable Events from the Ones No One Stops Talking About.

Hi there,

A few weeks ago, I ran into someone I hadn’t seen since a conference we’d both attended two years prior. Before I could even say hello, she grabbed my arm and said: “I still think about that event…I’ve never felt so transformed and inspired…”

That dinner didn’t have a celebrity chef. It didn’t have the most expensive swag or even an A list speaker. What it had was intention. A format for engagement that cracked people open. Conversations intentionally created in settings intimately enough that nobody could hide behind small talk.

It got me thinking about the spectrum that separates events that run logistically smoothly from events that transform people. Because these are not the same thing…and conflating them is the most common mistake I see in this industry.

After 23+ years designing experiences for F500 companies, Prominent VC’s, startups, celebrities, and even high profile social organizations, here’s how I think about the three tiers of event excellence, and why the leap from one to the next has almost nothing to do with budget.

TIER ONE  —  A GOOD EVENT  

A good event is one that delivers on its promise. The logistics run smoothly. Registration is frictionless. The branding is polished. The food is good. If not memorable, still nothing anyone is complaining about. The content is relevant. The speakers show up prepared. Attendees leave feeling that their time was respected and their expectations were met.

This is harder than it sounds, and I mean that sincerely. Executing a smooth, well-run event is a real skill and achievement, especially for earlier stage companies and organizations with less experience. Most events don’t even clear this bar. 

But “good” has a ceiling, and it sounds like this: “It was a really well-organized conference.” Perfectly fine. AKA, quietly forgettable.

Think of the annual industry conference you attend every year because it’s a good use of your time. You learn something. You see familiar faces. The panels are solid. You check your emails at lunch. You’re glad you went. You’ve already forgotten 80% of it by Thursday.

Gianna's Gem: ‘Good’ means you delivered what you promised. Good is required. But good alone is not enough.

What Good Looks Like in Practice

• A product launch where every attendee leaves with a clear understanding of what was announced, why it matters, and what to do next. The AV worked. The Q&A was tight. The catering was fresh.

• A team off-site with a clear agenda, a few strong facilitators, and outcomes your team actually reference months later. No one got stuck at a flip chart for four hours.

• A charity gala with a compelling honoree, a clean program that runs on time, and a room full of people who feel good about the organization they’re supporting.

 TIER TWO  —  A GREAT EVENT  

A great event does everything a good event does, and then it surprises you. There are moments of genuine delight that you didn’t see coming. The food isn’t just good; it tells a story; maybe a local chef is presenting it, maybe there’s a live station that makes you feel like you’re somewhere magical. The content features a voice or perspective you genuinely couldn’t access elsewhere. There’s an experiential element that makes the event feel less like an event and more like an experience.

Great events create moments people photograph and share. They produce the stories that start with “you would not believe what happened at…” The production value might not be higher, but the thoughtfulness absolutely is. Someone cared enough to ask: what would make this feel different?

The leap from good to great is almost never about budget. It’s about a handful of deliberate choices, one unexpected element, one piece of content that earns an audible reaction, one moment where the room comes alive in a way that wasn’t on the agenda.

Gianna's Gem: Great events don’t happen by accident. They happen when a planner makes at least one decision that goes beyond function and into feeling. One surprise. One moment of genuine delight. That’s the difference.

What Great Looks Like in Practice

• A customer summit where, after a full day of product content, guests are walked through a black curtain and into a private rooftop reception with a jazz trio, a custom cocktail designed around the company’s core product, and a surprise element that inspired awe or delight. Nobody expected it. Everyone talked about it for months.

• A women’s leadership conference where surprise celebrity guests are announced only as “a couple of speakers you might recognize”,  and deliver the most energizing closing keynote of the year. The room was electric. Attendance at the closing session was 100%.

• A company off-site where the evening activity is a private chef’s table dinner where guests made their own mozzarella before sitting down to eat it, and a CMO later told the planner it was the most authentic joy she’d felt at a work event in years.

• A small dinner where phones are collected in green satin bags at the door, a detail announced in advance so guests arrive expecting and welcoming the ritual. The quality of conversation that follows? Nothing a slide deck could replicate.

TIER THREE  —  AN EXCEPTIONAL EVENT  

This is the rarest tier, and the hardest to engineer… but 100% worth chasing. An exceptional event doesn’t just deliver value or create delight. It changes people. Attendees leave feeling that something shifted inside them; a belief updated, a fear released, a connection formed that will outlast the event by years.

Exceptional events produce what I call the triple response: metamorphosis, catharsis, and inspired action. People don’t just feel good, they feel moved to do something differently. They meet someone who becomes a lifelong collaborator, a best friend, a mentor. They hear something that reframes a problem they’ve been stuck on for years. They experience a moment of such deep connection with the people around them that they still feel it months later… the way you feel moved by a piece of music long after the notes have stopped (I feel this now after an evening at SF Jazz last night where a rendition of “Blackbird” moved me to tears)..

The most important thing I can tell you about exceptional events is this: they are not purchased. No amount of production budget can manufacture emotional resonance. What creates it is almost always something human and often something small; a question posed with genuine courage, a format that invites vulnerability, a room curated with enough intentionality that the right people find each other almost inevitably.

Gianna's Gem: Exceptional events are not produced, they are intentionally designed. The difference is this: production fills a room. Design changes what happens inside people who are in it. One is logistics. The other is experience design.

What Exceptional Looks Like in Practice

• A Jeffersonian-style dinner for 20 marketing leaders where a single question, “What have you built that you’re most afraid of losing?”  produces  conversation so real that three attendees exchange numbers with strangers who will become their closest peers. Cost: a private room, a prix-fixe menu, and one brave question plus intentional table seating and audience “warm up”.

• A leadership retreat where an unscripted moment, a founder sharing candidly the hardest year of the company (and his) life, gives every executive in the room permission to be honest about their own fears and catharsis that they aren’t alone. The trust built in that hour does more for team cohesion than any structured exercise ever could. It’s done with discretion, Chatham House Rules, and only after attendees have been tended to in a way that they are out of “fight or fight” and relaxed into parasympathetic calm and can properly engage and let their guard down.

• A sunrise canoe experience in Hawaii where a guide sounds a conch and invites guests to paddle in silence as the island comes alive around them. A child on that trip still talks about it years later. The “event” cost less than Disneyland, but creates a shared, once in a life time experience that is unique and memorable.

• A women’s summit where, in the final hour, each attendee writes one thing they are releasing, a fear, a habit, a story they’ve told themselves, and reads it aloud to the group, or writes it in a book to be shared with another attendee at random. Nobody cried alone. Everyone left lighter feeing heard and part of a community.

The Budget Myth

I want to address the assumption that lives underneath almost every conversation I have with event planners and marketing teams: that exceptional requires expensive.

It does not. Full stop.

The most powerful thing that has ever happened in a room I’ve designed was a question. A prompt written on a card. A moment of deliberate silence and reflection or meditation in nature. None of these cost a thing. What they required was courage; the courage to go beyond the agenda, to make space for something real, to trust that your attendees are capable of more than polite applause and a positive NPS score.

What separates the tiers is not money, it’s intention. It’s the planner who asks not just what will happen at this event, but how do I want people to feel when they leave? And then designs backward from that feeling with everything they have, including, and especially, the small gestures that cost nothing but attention and human authenticity.

A handwritten welcome note. A customized mini-bar in the room. A surprise that fits your guests like it was made for them, because it was. The decision to seat two people together who didn’t know they needed to meet each other but were introduced intentionally.

These are the things that move events from good to great to exceptional. And every single one of them is available to you at every budget level.

Your attendees don’t remember the linens, or the florals. In the words of Maya Angelou, they remember how you made them feel. 

Design for the feeling, and everything else follows.

You’ve got this.

XX,

Gianna

Gianna Recommends: Exhibitus Experiential Marketing Agency 

Have you ever seen the whimsical Wiz booth at trade shows or posted all over social media? You know, the one with the iconic "Wizard of Oz" theme or the unforgettable "Wiz Video World" based on a nostalgic nod to "Blockbuster" that took everyone back to their Friday nights as a kid? Exhibitus Experiential Marketing Agency were the ones who helped ideate those activations. They have a rare capability for bringing bold, creative visions to life in the trade show space, crafting experiences that don't just attract attention, they create moments people actually remember long after the event ends.

What sets Exhibitus apart is their ability to execute holistic attendee journey experiences from start to finish, ensuring every touchpoint is intentional and impactful. They are true partners—reliable and exceptionally communicative despite the volume of events they manage—and that’s a hard balance to find in an agency. Their team consists of senior, experienced partners who bring a wealth of knowledge in third-party events across industries. You're not just getting great creative, you're getting strategic expertise that drives real results for your brand. If you're looking to elevate your next event presence from “good” to “excellent,” I highly recommend exploring them. Message me for a direct intro and I’m happy to make a connection.

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book The Art of Event Planning. She’s held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events and experiences, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Gianna's Gem: Order of Operations: Why Sequencing Is Everything in Events and in Life

Hi there,

Are you familiar with the pre-heat setting on your oven?  If you’ve ever read a recipe, you know the first instruction is always “preheat the oven to XYZ” and then the next steps follow. You’d never preheat the oven after you put the cake in, because the whole point of preheating is that the environment has to be primed and ready before the cake you’re baking enters it. Do it in the wrong order and you don't just lose time, the cake is not going to turn out the way you hoped it would.

This may seem obvious… And yet, in event planning, and in life more broadly, we violate this logic constantly. We pour energy into the details before the foundation is set. We design the room before we've agreed on the purpose. We send the invitations before we know the budget. We plan the breakouts before the keynote is locked. We fall in love with features before we've defined the function.

Order isn't a bureaucratic formality. It's the architecture of good outcomes.

Gianna's Gem: The right idea at the wrong moment doesn't land. Sequencing is strategy. And getting it right is the difference between an experience that flows and one that fails.

Life has a natural sequence. Before we even get to events, consider how often the right outcome depends entirely on the right order:

Wrong order:

• Taking a digestive enzyme after your meal. The window has passed, the food is already there.

Wrong order:

• Building interior walls before the house's foundation is poured. Stylish rooms on unstable ground.

Wrong order:

• Proposing marriage before you've met their friends or been on more than a handful of dates.

Each of these feels absurd stated plainly. But swap the context to "I'll figure out the budget once I've booked the venue" or "let's plan the decor before we've locked the agenda," and suddenly they don't seem so far-fetched. The impulse to move fast, to get to the interesting part, is deeply human. It's also how things go sideways and how experiences then feel disjointed at best and completely chaotic at worst.

Designing the event experience: sequence as strategy

A well-designed event isn't a list of sessions. It's a narrative. And like any good story, the order in which things unfold shapes how the audience feels at every turn.

Start with aspiration, move toward instruction. People need to want something before they're ready to learn how to get or do it. 

Open with a keynote or moment that expands the room, that makes people feel the possibility of what could be. Then, once they're bought in, give them the practical tools to get them or their team there. Leading with tactics before you've earned emotional buy-in is like handing someone a recipe to make something they aren’t hungry for.

Build networking into the seams, not just the end. Back-to-back content is cognitively exhausting. Structured networking between sessions gives attendees time to process what they've heard, turn insights into conversations, and arrive at the next session refreshed rather than depleted. It also creates the conditions for the real value of in-person events: the connection that happens when two people realize they've been thinking about the same problem from different angles.

Free time is a feature, not a gap. Unstructured time tends to feel wasteful in the planning phase, so it gets cut. In execution, it's where the serendipitous conversations happen, the ones that become partnerships, projects, ideas. If you structure it properly, it provides opportunity for the inspiration to become shared conversation between your customers and prospects,or  internal and external attendees. Protect white space in your agenda. It is doing more than it looks like. It’s where validation and social proof and amplification happen.

Think in arcs, not just agendas. A single day has a natural energy curve: people arrive curious but cold, warm up through morning, peak mid-day, dip in the early afternoon, and find a second wind toward the close. Build your content arc to meet them there. Save your most demanding announcements and workshops for the morning (and strategically make coffee available nearby). Save the ceremonial close for when there's actually energy left to feel it.

If you know when your attendees will likely experience an energy dip, surprise them with something that will intrigue and entice them to stick around. I once planned a women’s summit where we announced during the afternoon break that we’d be serving cocktails early leading into the closing keynote, which would feature a couple of unannounced “surprise guests” aka celebrity speakers on stage who hadn’t been published in the agenda. The closing keynote was packed and we didn’t disappoint with the A-list talent that closed out the event, leaving an unforgettable book mark to the day. 

Gianna's Gem: Aspiration first, instruction second. The content arc of your event is not just a sequence of sessions, it's a journey. Know where you're taking people before you start planning the stops.

When planning an event, Order of Operations i sParamount.

First things first

The same logic that applies to the event experience applies to how you plan it. Sequence your process, not just your program.

Start with your goals

Before any venue, any speaker, any theme, ask:

• What does success look like? 

• What do you want attendees to think, feel, or do differently when they leave? 

• What headline would you want written about your event?

Every decision downstream should be traceable back to this. If you can't connect a detail to a goal, ask hard questions before committing budget to it.

Lock in budget, venue, and workback timeline

These three variables constrain everything else. Knowing one without the others creates false assumptions that become expensive corrections. Get all three settled, at least at a high level, before you move an inch into programming details.

Lock the "meat" before the details

The main content, the keynote/s, the core programming (aka plenary) before the other sessions as this is the load-bearing structure of the day. Get it to at least 80% locked before you spend a single hour on the color scheme, the swag, or the signage. Features follow function. Always.

Send invitations last

Not when you're excited about the idea. Not when the venue is tentatively booked but no contract is signed. Send when you know what you're inviting people to, have a venue contracted and at least a half-baked agenda. Premature invitations create premature commitments which can lead to expensive pivots. Let your excitement build behind the scenes and get the invitation strategy ready, but don’t press send until these building blocks are nailed. Hit “send” only when there's something real to release it about. If you’re really nervous about holding the dates, sending a save the date without a formal RSVP is better than an actual invite and allows you to pivot more gracefully if need be.

It is tempting to do the fun, visible parts first. The branding, the website, the teaser email. But those are features. They should dress a plan that already has substance, not substitute for the work of building them.

Gianna's Gem: Don't plan the details until the meat of the day is locked. The foundation holds everything else up. Plan the “steak” first, and then the “sizzle”.

The underlying principle

Whether you're planning a conference for five hundred people or a dinner for fifteen, the principle is the same: structure creates freedom. When the foundation is solid, goals clear, constraints understood, main programming locked, the details get faster, easier, and more imaginative. You're not making decisions in a vacuum. You're filling in a shape that already exists.

Order of operations isn't about being rigid. It's about knowing which decisions unlock the next ones, and having the discipline to resist jumping ahead before you've earned it.

Sequence your thinking. 

Then sequence your agenda. 

The experience your attendees have is a direct reflection of the process that created it.

You've got this.

XX,

Gianna

p.s. What I'm loving this week: Alisal Ranch, Solvang California

This past weekend I had the joy of experiencing Alisal Ranch in the Santa Ynez Valley to celebrate a dear friend’s 40th birthday, and I'm already plotting my return. Tucked into 10,000 acres of rolling California hills, it's the kind of place that feels both expansive and intimate — a rare combination that makes it absolutely perfect for group trips. The activities alone are reason enough to go: horseback riding through stunning open terrain, lake sports, archery, axe-throwing and falconry (!) tennis, golf, and enough wide-open space to make everyone in the family feel like they found their thing. And the natural scenery? Genuinely breathtaking with surprises like wild turkeys and bald eagle nests weighing 600 lbs (!) at every turn.

What makes Alisal truly special though is the magic they create around you. The food is delicious, high quality and locally sourced, the historic indoor and outdoor event spaces are gorgeous and unpretentious, and the team goes above and beyond to make moments feel down to earth yet extraordinary. Case in point: for my friend's birthday celebration, they produced a fully custom private rodeo, — and even roped in some volunteers from our crew! — plus an outdoor movie screening and s'mores for the kids under the stars. It's the kind of place where the details are thoughtful, the setting does half the work, and you leave with memories that stick. Highly, highly recommend for a milestone birthday, vacation or girls getaway.

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book The Art of Event Planning. She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events and experiences, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Gianna's Gem: Five Unforgettable Event Experiences for C-Level Executives

Hi there,

A few months ago, I was chatting with a CMO at a dinner I had planned, watching her genuinely laugh with delight for what she told me later was the first time in months. We were at a private celebrity chef’s vineyard, the chef was presenting the first course which featured hand-pulled mozzarella that she and her colleagues had made themselves earlier that evening, and the sun was doing that golden California thing it does right before it disappears.

She leaned over and said: "This is the most authentic joy and connection I’ve experienced at a work event in years - why aren’t we doing these more often”?

That's the whole point.

After 23+ years designing experiences for executives at Google, Amazon, SoftBank Vision Fund, Airtable, Cognition and others, I can tell you with complete confidence: the conference room is not where relationships are actually built. The suite upgrade and the branded tote bag are not what people remember. What they remember is the moment they didn't see coming. The experience that made them feel something. The connection that would have only happened from meeting another person out of the typical work context and connecting on a human level at a shared experience.

C-suite executives are the hardest audience in the world to impress. They've been everywhere. They've seen the standard playbook so many times they can predict the next move before you make it. And yet - and this is what I find endlessly exciting about my work - they are just as susceptible to genuine delight as anyone else. Maybe more so, because they encounter it so rarely.

Gianna's Gem: The most powerful thing you can give a C-level executive isn't access or information. It's an experience they couldn't have planned for themselves, shared with others who are experiencing the magic simultaneously.

This week I’m sharing five of my favorites, the ones I come back to again and again because they work, and they’re timeless.

It’s crazy season, so this week I’m giving you a more snackable overview of the concepts, but please get in touch if you’d like to have a brainstorm session on any of these concepts that sound intriguing.

1. The Mystery Private Jet Experience

Guests board a private jet knowing only what to wear, and the duration of the evening’s experience, not where they're going. The plane itself is part of the experience: curated beverage service, facilitated conversation, and an atmosphere of intrigue. The reveal might be a Napa Valley vineyard with a celebrity chef waiting at the vines, or a mountain setting with a private musical performance under the stars. The return flight is equally intentional, relaxed, reflective, and memorable with dessert and warm cozy beverages or night caps served as guests choose who they want to sit next to for a deeper conversation to close out the evening meaningfully.

Why it works: Anticipation is a powerful emotional primer. By removing the destination from the equation, guests arrive fully present, curious, connected, and ready to engage in a way a known itinerary never allows. It also leads to word of mouth storytelling since this is not the standard event format.  When you bookend the destination with intimate opportunities for conversation, the result is bonds and conversations that are much more meaningful that any networking dinner.

• Attendees: 8 – 30 guests. 

• Timing: Half day or 4-hour evening is optimal for this Executive Crowd.

2. The Executive Tailgate

Forget the standard hospitality suite. Instead wy not create a private, white-glove tailgate featuring a local celebrity chef who brings the region's culinary identity to life before kickoff. Think wood-fired brisket, craft cocktails, live music, and the energy of game day, all in an exclusive, curated setting. Box seat tickets to the game, of course, complete the experience.

Why it works: Sports create common ground across titles and industries. Pairing that with the nostalgia of a tailgate, up-leveled with exceptional local food and hospitality turns a game into a genuine cultural experience that guests will talk about long after the final score.

• Attendees: 15 – 50 guests. 

• Timing: Half day.

3. The Ranch Retreat

A working ranch setting becomes the backdrop for a day of unexpected activities such as axe throwing, falconry demonstrations, horseback rides, custom cowboy-hat fitting and monogram branding. As the sun sets, guests gather for an evening meal featuring locally grown, seasonal cuisine, with the land itself as the centerpiece. Rustic, intentional, and deeply grounding.

Why it works: Executives love competition and pairing it with unique physical and grounding activities away from city/office life helps them reconnect and engage. Activating that instinct and pairing it with stillness at the dinner table where they can share their experience creates a powerful arc from adventure to reflection that strengthens bonds quickly.

• Attendees: 12 – 40 guests. 

• Timing: Full day or overnight.

4. The Closed-Door Tasting Room

A private session with a master sommelier or whiskey distiller in a venue not open to the public such as a private winery, a working barrel room of a cult wine or whiskey, or a private home. Guests taste through rare and library selections no available for purchase, guided by someone who makes the subject come alive and paired with cuisine that is as beautiful as it’s delicious. Think imported cheese, locally grown fruit that’s harvested that morning paired with locally sourced meat and fish and served on artisanal ceramics. Small groups only. No phones at the table. A bonus if you can provide access to something at the venue that is truly priceless. 

I once hosted guests at a venue that featured a famous Film Director’s private art gallery and it was one of the most memorable aspects of the event for guests to tour the gallery and identify/share their favorite piece of art as a conversation starter).

Why it works: Access is the ultimate luxury at the C-suite level. When guests experience something they genuinely couldn't arrange on their own, it signals respect for their time, and creates a shared story worth telling. 

• Attendees: 6 – 20 guests. 

• Timing: 2 – 3 hours.

5. The Sunrise Summit

An early morning guided hike, canoe ride, or scenic drive to a breathtaking overlook, timed perfectly for sunrise. A private chef or catering team awaits at the top with a beautifully prepared champagne-breakfast spread. Minimal agenda, maximum atmosphere. What gets said over coffee at elevation, at this hallowed time of day, watching the world wake up, tends to be far more honest, and far more memorable, than anything said in a boardroom.

I once hosted test-drives of the most priceless luxury vehicles for CEO’s at SoftBank Vision Fund’s CEO/Investor Summit at sunrise in the canyon of LA. Being able to drive those roads when they were traffic free, and then pause to enjoy fresh-made espresso and breakfast overlooking the ocean was a story I kept hearing the executives talk about throughout the day. 

Why it works: Starting the day before the noise begins strips away the armor. The shared effort of getting there, combined with natural beauty and nourishment, creates authentic connection faster than almost any other format.

• Attendees: 8 – 25 guests. 

• 2-3 hours first thing in the morning.

I've produced versions of all five of these for executive audiences across tech, finance, and even for celebrities and I can tell you that the right experience for your group depends on who's in the room, what relationships you're trying to build, and what you want people to feel when they go home. That's the part that can't be templated.

If any of these sparked something, reach out. I'd love to get on a call and help you imagine what extraordinary looks like for you.

Have an extraordinary week!

XX, 

Gianna

What I’m loving this week: Savvy Sleepers Dallas Getaway Guide

If you know me, you know I don't recommend things lightly. So when my friend Dale Schroeter, a woman who spent years as a bona fide tastemaker in Dallas, someone who genuinely knows that city from the inside out, publishes a destination weekend guide, I read every word. And then I immediately forwarded it to three people.

Dale's piece for Savvy Sleepers, The Perfect Weekend in Dallas, is exactly what the best travel guides are: opinionated, specific, and written by someone who has actually done the research with her own two feet. She covers it all: where to stay (The Joule and Hotel Crescent Court are on the list, and for good reason), where to eat (Monarch at the top of Hotel Swexan, Sassetta, Pecan Lodge in Deep Ellum), and where to wander (Katy Trail in the morning, Highland Park Village in the afternoon, Bird Bakery for a vanilla cake that will genuinely change you).

A few of my personal highlights from the guide: the case she makes for a Dallas Mavericks game, even if you don't follow basketball, she's right that American Airlines Center is one of the best arenas in the country and the tickets are shockingly affordable. The Harwood District morning coffee suggestion is perfection. 

What I love most about Dale's guide is that it reflects how she's always thought about a city not as a checklist, but as a feeling. Where to go to feel like yourself. Where to go to feel a little elevated. Where to go to make a memory.

And speaking of making memories with a group, I was recently on Fox Good Morning Dallas sharing my favorite tips for planning group trips without the stress. Whether you're planning a girls' weekend or a bigger gathering, so much of it comes down to a few smart decisions made upfront. You can watch the full segment here if you’re in search of group event or vacation tips stat: fox4news.com/video/fmc-2aruboxutn9k2rgl

Dallas is more than worth the trip. Read Dale's full guide at Savvy Sleepers — and then start planning.

Gianna's Gem: Sports Sponsorships - Why They Work, How to Nail Them

hi there,

A few months ago, I found myself standing in a hospitality suite overlooking an F1 racetrack, champagne in hand, watching a Formula 1 car streak past in a blur of carbon fiber and noise so visceral you feel it in your chest before you hear it.

The person next to me, a C-suite executive, turned and said: "I can't believe I've never done this before."

That was the moment. That's the whole point.

Sports sponsorships aren't just logo placements and branded napkins. When done right, they are the most powerful trust-building, relationship-deepening, brand-differentiating investment in your marketing portfolio. 

And yet, most companies either underinvest in them entirely, or activate them so poorly that they leave millions of dollars of opportunity sitting in an empty hospitality tent, or worse. 

For today’s Gem, I want to change that.

Gianna's Gem: A sports sponsorship without a hospitality and events strategy is a billboard. A sports sponsorship with one is a relationship.

Why Sports? Why Now?

We live in a fragmented media landscape where attention is the scarcest commodity on earth. Your customers are ad-blocking, fast-forwarding, and tuning out faster than ever. And yet forty thousand people showed up on a cold February morning in San Francisco to watch Red Bull F1 cars race down Marina Boulevard. For free. Without being asked twice. They climbed trees. They scaled rooftops. They screamed. I know personally because it took place a block from my house and though I’ve never been one to cave to the hype of racecars (much to my son’s dismay), I found myself mesmerized watching the RedBull cars zoom down marina boulevard with the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in the background. It was exciting, it was epic! And if even I could get excited about the sheer energy of it, I could hardly imagine how exciting it must be for sports enthusiasts. 

Sports are one of the last remaining contexts where people choose to be fully present, emotionally engaged, and surrounded by others sharing the same experience. That is priceless real estate for a brand.

Here's what sports sponsorships uniquely deliver that no other marketing channel can replicate:

Emotional Transfer. When your brand is present at a moment of genuine human joy, a championship win, a record-breaking lap, a goal in extra time, those emotions attach to you. Neuroscience calls it "affect transfer." Marketers call it “Brand Love”. I call it “the reason your customer upgrades their contract six months later without needing a single sales call”.

Permission to Access. Sports create the social permission to bring together people who would never otherwise be in the same room; your top customers, your biggest prospects, your key media contacts, your regulatory stakeholders, and to do it in a context where everyone arrives already in a positive, open, celebratory state of mind. Compare that to a conference room. No contest.

Cultural Credibility. The brands that show up at the world's biggest sports moments (F1 races, FIFA World Cup, the Super Bowl, Wimbledon, US Open), earn a kind of cultural legitimacy that no press release can manufacture. You're not just saying you're a global brand, you're proving it.

Reach That Compounds. A single F1 race reaches over 400 million viewers across 200 territories. The FIFA World Cup final is the most watched single sporting event on the planet. These aren't niche audiences. They are the world, gathered.

F1: The Gold Standard of Aspirational Brand Building

Formula 1 has undergone one of the most remarkable brand transformations of the last decade. Drive to Survive on Netflix didn't just grow the sport's audience, it created an entirely new generation of fans who are younger, more diverse, more global, and more passionate than any previous F1 demographic. The grid is now a fashion week. The paddock is a cultural moment.

For brands, this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.

What F1 sponsorship uniquely offers:

The sport travels to 24 races across 5 continents in a single season. That means your sponsorship isn't a one-time event, it's a global content engine that generates brand exposure in every major market your business cares about, from Miami to Monaco to Singapore to São Paulo.

The hospitality experience at F1 is extraordinary and unlike any other sport. The Paddock Club, F1's premium hospitality product, puts your guests within meters of the actual cars and drivers. Not in a stadium seat three hundred yards away, but close enough to feel the heat off the engines and watch engineers make split-second decisions in real time. It's intimate, it's exclusive, and it's the kind of access that makes even the most jaded executive feel like a kid again.

The activation opportunity:

The brands that win at F1 don't just buy tickets. They build experiences around it. Think:

• A private pre-race garage tour for your top ten accounts

• A curated Paddock Club lunch where the conversation is designed as carefully as the menu

• A post-race debrief dinner with a driver or team principal as the guest speaker

• A branded viewing activation for your broader customer community in the host city, miles from the track, where thousands of fans who didn't score paddock passes can still feel connected to your brand and the moment

• A hosted User Conference or Executive Lunch in the same city right before the F-1 dates so your team/Executives can make the most of traveling to the location and activate different audience levels simultaneously

The key insight: F1 offers a tiered hospitality architecture that lets you create meaningful experiences for your most important stakeholders while building broader brand awareness simultaneously. That hub-and-spoke thinking; premium inner ring, broader outer ring… is exactly how the best activations work.

How far in advance to plan for F1:

• 18-24 months out: Secure sponsorship rights and Paddock Club inventory. Premium F1 hospitality, particularly for flagship races like Monaco, Silverstone, and the US Grand Prix at Austin, sells out this far in advance. If you're not already in conversation with F1 or your team sponsor, start now.

• 12 months out: Align your guest list strategy with business priorities. Who are the relationships you most need to build or deepen this year? Design your hospitality program around those people.

• 6-9 months out: Book hotels. Race weekend hotels in Monaco, Austin, and Las Vegas are essentially impossible to secure within six months. This is not an exaggeration.

• 3-6 months out: Guest invitations, travel logistics, and experience programming. Curate your activation details and confirm your extended programming, dinners, activities, and fringe events beyond the race itself.

• 6-8 weeks out: Finalize run-of-show, catering details, briefing materials, and any on-site branded elements.

Gianna's Gem: F1 hospitality isn't just a perk, it's a pipeline accelerator. I've watched deals close in Paddock Club that took years to move in a boardroom.

FIFA World Cup: The Planet's Biggest Stage

If F1 is aspirational, FIFA is universal. The World Cup transcends sport. It transcends culture. It is the one event on the planet where a billion people are paying attention at the same time, regardless of language, continent, or background.

For brands with global ambitions, there is no larger stage.

What FIFA uniquely offers:

Scale that is genuinely incomprehensible. The 2026 FIFA World Cup, hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, is expected to be the largest in history, with 48 teams, 104 matches, and a global TV audience that will shatter every previous record. The host cities span both coasts and the heartland of North America, giving brands unparalleled geographic reach.

It's also a tournament, not a single event, which means your activation isn't a one-day moment. It's a month-long global conversation that gives your brand repeated opportunities to show up.

The activation opportunity:

FIFA hospitality operates at multiple levels:

• Skybox and premium stadium suites for your most important relationships, with curated pregame experiences and post-match access

• Fan zone activations in host cities for broader consumer audiences, where the energy is electric and the barriers to entry are lower

• City-wide programming that surrounds the tournament, watch parties, branded pop-ups, experiential installations, for brands that want to be part of the cultural moment without the full cost of official sponsorship

• Content and digital amplification that extends the reach of your in-person activations to the global audience watching from home

How far in advance to plan for FIFA 2026:

The 2026 World Cup begins in June 2026, which means if you're reading this and haven't started planning, the urgency is real.

• Now: Official FIFA hospitality packages for the best matches (semifinals, final, marquee group stage games) are already limited. Engage immediately if this is on your radar.

• Immediately: Host city hotel inventory is already extremely tight. Secure rooms before you finalize anything else.

• 3-4 months out: Guest programming, travel logistics, and activation design.

• 6-8 weeks out: On-site details, branded elements, run-of-show finalization.

Gianna's Gem: The World Cup only happens every four years. If your business has global ambitions, missing 2026 means waiting until 2030. Plan now.

The Hospitality Architecture: How to Stand Out

Here's where most companies leave the most value on the table. They invest in the sponsorship. They buy the tickets. And then they show up.

That's not enough. And it's not why your guests will remember you.

The experience you create around the event is where the relationship is actually built. 

Here's the framework I use:

Layer 1: The Access (What You're Selling) This is the event itself, the race, the match, the seats. It's the reason people say yes to your invitation. It has to be genuinely good. Don't cut corners here.

Layer 2: The Surround (What Makes It Yours) This is the programming you design around the event, the pre-race dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant, the private tour, the morning activity, the post-match gathering. This is where your brand personality shows up and where the experience becomes distinctly yours, not just a nice day out.

Layer 3: The Intimacy (What They'll Remember) This is the hardest to engineer and the most important. A genuine conversation. An unexpected detail. A moment of connection that had nothing to do with business. The executive who said he couldn't believe he'd never done this before?

Practical tips for standing out:

• Be intentional about the guest list. The mix of people in the room is the experience. Think about who will spark the best conversations, not just who deserves a reward.

• Brief your internal team. Your colleagues are hosts, not just attendees. Everyone should know who the priority guests are and what relationship goals you're working toward.

• Design for the moments between moments. The transfer to the venue, the pre-event gathering, the wait during a rain delay, these are where real connection happens. Plan for them. 

• Pain point elimination: Think through any pain points and plan for them, creating moments of delight instead.

• Personalize wherever possible. A handwritten note. A menu item that references something you know they love. Something to take home for their kids. Small details signal that you paid attention, and people never forget feeling seen.

• Follow up within 24 hours. The experience isn't over when the race ends. A personal message (not a mass email) within a day extends the relationship and solidifies the memory.

Budgeting: What This Actually Costs (And What It's Worth)

Sports hospitality operates across a wide investment range. Here's a realistic framework:

Entry point (club-level or premium seating): $5,000–$25,000 per guest for premium events like F1 Paddock Club or FIFA tournament hospitality. At this level, you're buying access and atmosphere but programming the rest yourself.

Mid-tier (dedicated suites or packages with hospitality): $25,000–$100,000 for a group of 10-20 guests, including meals, transport, and structured experiences. This is where most corporate hospitality programs operate.

Premium/flagship (custom programs, title sponsorships): $250,000 and above for season-long or tournament-wide programs with full activation rights, custom branding, and dedicated hospitality infrastructure.

How to think about ROI:

The honest answer is that sports hospitality ROI is both measurable and not.

The measurable side: pipeline progression, deal closure rates, contract expansion among hosted guests. Track your guest list against your CRM before and after. The data often surprises people.

The immeasurable side: the executive who mentions your brand at a board meeting because of how you made them feel at Monaco. The press contact who covers your next product announcement with more warmth because you sat next to them during a race. The regulator who sees your company differently because you treated them like a human being for a day instead of a stakeholder to be managed.

Gianna's Gem: The right question isn't "what does this cost?" It's "what is the relationship worth?" If the answer is significant, the investment will pay for itself.

Your Action Plan

Whether you're considering your first sports sponsorship or trying to get more from an existing one, here's where to start:

Audit your relationships. Which five to ten relationships (customers, prospects, partners, media, regulators) would most benefit from a meaningful experience together? Start there.

Match the sport to your audience. F1 skews aspirational, tech-forward, and global. FIFA skews universal and emotionally resonant. The Super Bowl skews American and mass-market. Wimbledon skews British, premium, and traditional. Choose the stage that reflects the story you want to tell.

Plan further ahead than you think you need to. The best hospitality inventory disappears 12-18 months before the event. The best hotels in race cities are gone within six months. Start the conversation today.

Design the experience, don't just buy the tickets. The event is the occasion. The relationship is the goal. Build programming that creates the conditions for the latter.

Measure what matters. Know before you invite which relationships you're investing in and what success looks like. A hospitality program without business intent is a very expensive party.

The executive I mentioned at the beginning? We closed a partnership with his company two months later. Was it the race? Was it the conversation during lap three? Was it the follow-up note I sent the next morning?

It was all of it. It was the experience we designed with intention, the access we created, and the human moment that happened inside of it.

That's what great sports hospitality does. It creates the conditions for the relationship to deepen. And relationships, at the end of the day, are the only thing in business that compound without limit.

You've got this.

XX, Gianna

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events and experiences, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Want to work with Gianna and learn more frameworks for creating the gold standard in events and experiences? Visitgiannagaudini.com/learn-from-me

Gianna's Gem: Sexy Property Spotlight Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection, Hawaii

I've spent a lot of time in Hawaii over the years…Few properties have captured my heart the way Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection has. This isn't just a resort…it's a completely immersive Hawaiian experience wrapped in a freshly renovated, strikingly beautiful package that somehow manages to feel both genuinely luxurious and deeply welcoming and authentic…it’s a property that takes luxury and quality a step further by constantly innovating while maintaining a sense of place and history that priceless. Whether you're planning a multi-generational family vacation, a corporate retreat, or a milestone celebration, Mauna Lani delivers on every level, and even surprises you with moments of delight you didn't even know to ask for.

And I'll be honest: the moment I arrived, my event planner brain lit up like the Big Island sky at sunset. I am already dreaming about bringing a group here… and I want you to be first in line.

Why This Property is a Standout: It Thought of Everything

Let me start with the design, because it sets the tone for everything that follows. The renovation at Mauna Lani is chef's kiss. The aesthetic is clean, airy, and unfussy elegance with an abundance of high quality natural textures, warm neutrals, and open-air architecture that lets the volcanic landscape and Pacific coast views shine. It doesn't try too hard. It doesn't need to. 

Walking through this property, you immediately feel the care that went into making every corner feel intentional. This is the kind of design that photographs beautifully but more importantly, lives beautifully. You can exhale the moment you arrive. It’s luxury that families can enjoy without worry.

And the rooms and spaces themselves? Thoughtfully laid out making use of every square inch, modern without being cold, with a clean, edited sensibility that signals genuine quality. Nothing feels dated, nothing feels spliced together. It's the kind of renovation that makes you think: they actually talked to guests before they designed this.

The Full Hawaii Experience…Without Ever Leaving the Property

Here's what I find most remarkable about Mauna Lani: you could genuinely spend your entire trip on property (I did!) and leave feeling like you had an authentic, complete Hawaiian experience with new discoveries and surprises to be found each day. That's extremely rare. Most resorts ask you to choose between luxury and immersion. Mauna Lani refuses to make you choose.

The crown jewel? The ancient Hawaiian fishponds that sit at the heart of the resort. These are genuine, historically significant loko iʻa (fishponds) that have been part of this land for centuries. Watching the tropical fish glide through crystal-clear water with the open ocean as your backdrop is one of those moments that quietly takes your breath away. Every morning on my daily run I observed something unique - from jumping fish to eels, it never got old and offered an adventure just minutes away from where I woke up.

The Ancient Fishponds & Lava Tubes: Living History You Can Actually Touch

This is what separates Mauna Lani from every other luxury resort in Hawaii, and honestly, from most resorts anywhere in the world. Steps from the beach, the resort is home to the Kalāhuipuaʻa Historical Park, a 27-acre sacred preserve encompassing seven ancient Hawaiian fishponds, collapsed lava tubes, and petroglyphs that date back as far as 250 A.D. This is not a display. This is the real thing, and it is breathtaking.

The seven fishponds span over 15 combined acres and reaching depths of nearly 20 feet, once the prized property of Kamehameha the Great himself. The ponds are fed by a remarkable combination of natural freshwater springs and ocean tidal action, creating a brackish environment that ancient Hawaiians engineered with astonishing ingenuity. Walking alongside them, watching mullet leap and shimmer in the emerald water beneath swaying palms, you feel the weight of centuries in the best possible way.

The lava tubes woven throughout the park add another layer of wonder entirely. These ancient underground tunnels were formed when the outer surface of a lava flow cooled and hardened while molten rock continued flowing beneath, eventually draining away and leaving hollow pipelines behind. Ancient Hawaiians discovered that these tubes made extraordinary shelters: cooler, drier, and more protected from the wind and rain than any surface structure. 

And then there's the insider secret that my contact at the resort tipped me off to, and which became one of the unexpected highlights of the trip for my son and me: the "fish pedicure" pool. Tucked along the trail, there is a spring-fed pool where tiny fish have become so accustomed to visitors that they will happily nibble the dead skin from the soles of your feet. My son and I dangled our feet in and dissolved into laughter… it is the most delightful, ticklish, completely bizarre and wonderful sensation, and watching a kid experience it for the first time is pure joy. It's the kind of tip that doesn't make it into any brochure, which is exactly what makes it special. 

Beyond the priceless fishponds, the water activities program and beach are exceptional. Snorkeling right off the property gives you direct access to the extraordinary marine life that makes the Big Island coast so special. Paddleboarding on calm waters with lava fields and mountains in the background is a postcard that can't be staged. A highlight for us was the sunrise canoe which featured traditional Hawaiian outriggers and guides setting sail with a small group right as the morning sun rises over the glassy water. 

I’m not exaggerating when I say the canoe ride was magnificent and even spiritual. Paddling out on the open water in the golden early morning light, Hawaiian guides sounding the conch, invited us to meditate as we paddled in a kind of reverence to the land and water, with the Big Island coastline still, quiet, and glowing around us, was one of those profound, rare moments where you think: this is exactly what travel is for. The kind of experience that a kid talks about for years (my son will). The fact that Mauna Lani offers it as a "surprise and delight" experience says everything about how this property thinks about its guests while highlighting the local culture.

Built for Families, In The Right Way

I say "the right way" because families know there's a meaningful difference between a resort that tolerates kids, caters to kids and one that was actually designed with kids AND their parents in mind. Mauna Lani is firmly in the latter category, and it shows.

Every day brings structured, genuinely fun activities and experiences for kids that connect them to Hawaiian culture in memorable ways. Coconut shucking? Absolutely. Kids go home with a skill and a story. S'mores making at sunset while star gazing with a local Hawaiian guide? The kind of memory that lasts longer than any souvenir. These aren't afterthoughts; they're curated programming that makes children feel seen and included, educate about the place and culture, and are engaging for kids and parents alike…which, as any parent knows, is what makes a family trip actually feel like a vacation for everyone.

The Brand New Francis Brown Club: A Giant Living Room in the Sky

Here's something I can say I genuinely stumbled into, and it turned out to be one of the highlights of the trip: we arrived on March 28th, the exact day the brand new Francis Brown Club opened its doors. Talk about timing.

The concept is brilliant, and I'm surprised more luxury resorts haven't cracked this code. Mauna Lani took a prime space on the Lobby Level, one that previously housed private events and meetings but was chronically underutilized, and transformed it into an elevated Club experience for guests who want to opt into a next-level stay. For a per-trip fee, Club access unlocks a genuinely impressive suite of perks: a complimentary and amazing morning buffet, evening happy hour, all-day snacks (including an ice cream station, raw bar, healthy bites, and — yes — a candy bar), a complimentary tennis/golf lesson, reserved beach seating, and use of a house Mercedes. It's the kind of upgrade that actually upgrades your trip, not just your room category.

But what made it land for our family wasn't any single amenity, it was the feeling of the space. The Club overlooks the beach and resort, and it's been designed to feel like like a hotel lounge and more like an extraordinarily beautiful giant living room. We were welcomed there for check-in rather than waiting at the front desk, greeted with champagne and the most incredible freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (the whole place smelled like someone's dream kitchen) and given a personal tour before we'd even seen our room. It set the tone for the entire stay.

The game room and terrace became our family's unofficial home base. My son and I played poker out on the terrace with a glass of their exceptional wine in hand, looking out over the resort… and I thought: this is the kind of moment that doesn't happen by accident. It happens because someone designed a space intentionally to encourage guests to slow down, connect, and actually talk to each other. The Club functions as a social hub in the best possible way, sparking the kind of easy, warm conversations between guests that you'd normally only get at a great dinner party. Smart hospitality, beautifully executed, and on opening day, no less.

Two Exceptional Restaurants That Were 10/10

Mauna Lani's dining scene is genuinely excellent, not "good for a hotel" excellent, but excellent excellent to the point that we booked one of them for two nights just to be able to taste everything on the menu.

CanoeHouse

This is the resort's iconic oceanfront restaurant, and one of the most storied dining destinations in all of Hawaii. Perched on a private half-acre lawn at the ocean's edge, CanoeHouse celebrates Hawaii's connection to land and sea with Japanese-inspired fusion cuisine helmed by a truly exceptional culinary team. The sunset views are legendary, the seasonal menu is thoughtful and locally sourced, with delightfully executed dishes that are part theater, packed with flavor… and the fire pits on the lawn for sunset cocktails are the perfect touch. This is one of those restaurants you talk about long after you leave and could genuinely eat at every night. Fun Fact: Executive Chef, Rhoda Magbitang, is currently featured on this season of Top Chef!

HāLani

Overlooking the resort pool, HāLani brings a coastal Mediterranean sensibility to the heart of the Big Island and it works beautifully for families who want to be able to let their kids run around on the lawn while enjoying approachable but high quality dining. It's the kind of restaurant that's perfect for a family dinner or a long, leisurely evening with friends: warm, lively, with shareable From the wood fired pizza and pitas to the charcoal grilled fish, veggies, and meats, the dishes are fresh, seasonal, and craveable with unparalleled service to boot. 

The Surf Shack

And then there's the Surf Shack, a casual, toes-in-the-sand counterpart that completes the picture. Located at the Mauna Lani Beach Club right on the water, this is where you land after a morning of snorkeling or a surf lesson or for happy hour with friends: sun-kissed, hungry, and not remotely interested in changing out of your swimsuit. Fish tacos, fresh beachside bites, cold drinks, live music as the afternoon winds down…it's exactly what a beach shack should be, done with the quality and care that defines everything else on this property. Don't make the mistake of dismissing it as just a grab-and-go. It's a genuinely fun, delicious spot that the whole family will want to return to every single day. 

Event Spaces That Just Work

As an event planner, I can't walk a property without mentally staging it…the Mauna Lani was made for events, and the variety and quality of spaces available is genuinely exceptional.

The outdoor venues alone could anchor an entire event program. Kilohana Beach offers a toes-in-the-sand beachfront setting right alongside CanoeHouse; there is no more dramatic backdrop in Hawaii for a dinner, reception, or ceremony. The Hoku Lawn and Papakōnane Sunset Lawn deliver sweeping oceanfront settings ideal for cocktail receptions and seated dinners under the stars, while the Milo Tree Lawn brings an intimate, almost spiritual quality perfect for ceremonies and smaller gatherings. For larger productions, the Hale Hoaloha Pavilion is a fully air-conditioned, dynamic indoor space that can handle anything from black tie galas to large-scale corporate presentations, and crucially, it serves as a beautiful weather backup so your event never gets held hostage by the elements.

Wellness Done Right: Spa, Fitness Center, and Courts

The Auberge Spa is a sanctuary - beautifully appointed, with a service menu rooted in authentic Hawaiian healing traditions and locally sourced botanicals. Signature treatments like the Lomi Lomi massage and exclusive goop Glow Facial bring real intention to every session.

And if the spa boutique tempts you (it will), Mauna Lani is home to Hawaii's only Goop store, Gwyneth Paltrow's beloved clean beauty and wellness brand, curated right on property. Whether you're stocking up on skincare, picking up a gift, or just browsing beautiful things after your treatment, it's the perfect cherry on top of an already exceptional spa experience.

The Fitness Center is high-quality ad seriously well-equipped with Peloton bikes, rowing machines, HIIT Mills, and an open-air terrace where you can train with the sea breeze naturally reviving you. And, the resort also has a separate Mauna Lani Sports Club facility right next to the tennis courts, just minutes away, meaning you never fight for equipment. Pick your adventure, or enjoy the running paths along the fish ponds and through the lava tubes (my personal favorite way to start the day).

Tennis courts (and pickleball!) round out an offering that covers every guest who wants to stay active. Whether you're a dedicated athlete or someone who likes the option to move their body, the infrastructure here has you genuinely covered.

The Bottom Line

Mauna Lani perfection is what happens when a world-class resort operator takes a spectacular piece of land, renovates it with genuine taste, honors the land/traditions, and then programs it with the intelligence and generosity of a team that genuinely loves Hawaii and wants guests to fall deeply in love with it too. The luxury here is real but never precious. The activities are plentiful but never chaotic. The vibe is elevated but never exclusive in a way that makes anyone feel unwelcome.

Would I return? Already planning it. Maybe annually.

Would I recommend it for your next family trip, corporate program, or milestone event? Without a single hesitation.

So here's my question for you: who wants to be the first to plan an event with me at Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection? Whether it's a corporate incentive trip, a milestone birthday, a wedding, or a family reunion that people will talk about for the rest of their lives… I want to make it happen here. I have the relationships, I know the property, and frankly, I cannot think of a more magnificent canvas. Reach out directly at gianna@gaudini.com and let's make something extraordinary together.

Gianna’s Gem Rating: An emphatic 11/10 (first yet!)

For more information about Mauna Lani, Auberge Collection Hawaii and to be put in touch with their team, contact me for a direct intro.

Gianna's Gem: Zero F's Given. Why Less Is Always More

Hi there and happy first official week of spring,

I just wrapped up my client's presence at RSA Conference with a cheeky campaign I adore… "Zero F's"... and no, that's not a typo or a provocation (well, maybe a small one). In this case, the "F" stands for friction. Zero points of friction, which is the promise my client makes to their customers and which we embodied experientially at our conference presence. And the response was electric.

But here's the thing: the campaign worked not just because it was edgy and memorable, but because it captured something that the highest-performing businesses already know… and most are too afraid to actually do.

Less is not a compromise. Less is a competitive strategy.

Gianna's Gem: The most powerful thing you can add to your business, your event, or your experience is often the thing you have the courage to remove.

Let me explain what I mean, and why this idea has been quietly running some of the world's best-performing companies for decades.

Start With the Japanese.

Before Apple had its minimalist genius and before Amazon had one-click checkout, there was a manufacturing revolution happening in Japan. Toyota and other companies were pioneering something called lean manufacturing, a relentless obsession with eliminating waste. Not just inefficiency, but anything that didn't add direct value to the customer. They called these waste points muda, and hunting them down became a cultural sport.

The insight was radical: you don't always grow by adding. Sometimes, you grow by subtracting everything that was quietly slowing you down.

That idea didn't stay in the factory. It traveled into product design, software, business strategy, and yes, into events. The best brands and the best event experiences are engineered around this same principle, whether their creators know it or not.

Zero Points of Friction: The Experience Your Customer Deserves

Friction is anything that makes someone hesitate, stumble, or give up.

In events, it's the registration or post-event survey form with fifteen fields when three would do. It's the check-in line that snakes around the building. It's the required event app nobody was prompted to download before arrival. It's the panel that ran twenty minutes over and made everyone late for lunch.

In business more broadly, it's the five-step approval process for a two-hundred-dollar decision. It's the checkout flow that loses 70% of buyers before they hit "confirm." It's the onboarding experience that makes a new customer feel stupid or frustrated.

Here's the hard truth: most friction is invisible to the people creating it. You're so close to your own process that you stop seeing the obstacles your customer is navigating. That's why the best companies, and the best event planners, build with fresh eyes, ask stupid questions, and ruthlessly audit their own experience from the outside in.

One of my favorite exercises when planning a new event: I walk the entire attendee journey before anyone arrives. I deliberately identify pain points and propose ideas to turn them into moments of relief and delight instead. I check in as if I've never been there. I look for every moment of confusion, every unclear sign, every moment where someone might stall. Then I eliminate it. Not improve it, eliminate it.

Gianna's Gem: Your job isn't to manage friction. Your job is to remove it before your attendee ever feels it.

Addition by Subtraction: The Counterintuitive Power of Cutting

Here's where things get counterintuitive.

Every instinct tells us that more is better (I’m Italian, so I get the more is more mentality, believe me!). More sessions, more speakers, more sponsors, more swag, more options. More signals effort. More says we care. More feels safe because it's harder to be criticized for trying too hard.

But your attendees? They don't want more. They want better. And better almost always means fewer, sharper, more intentional choices.

Gianna’s Gem: Have you ever heard the famous quote “If I had more time I would have written less”? Editing is elegant…it’s a skill…it signals confidence and creates clarity.

Think about Dyson removing the vacuum bag… not to save money, but to improve suction and eliminate the maintenance nightmare customers hated. Think about Google's search homepage, which has barely changed in twenty-five years: one box, one button, radical clarity in a world of visual noise. Think about Apple stripping features competitors were proud of, and winning market share because of the elegance that remained.

I've seen this in my own work. Some of the most powerful events I've ever produced had fewer sessions than the ones that came before them. When we cut three breakout tracks and focused on two really extraordinary ones, the energy in the room was palpable. People stopped scheduling hallway escapes. They actually stayed.

Addition by subtraction isn't about doing less because you ran out of budget or time. It's a strategic choice to focus your resources on what genuinely matters to the people in the room, and have the confidence to let the rest go.

Better All the Time: The Compound Effect of 1% Improvements

Now here's where it all comes together.

James Clear, in Atomic Habits (a book I recommend constantly, including in a previous Gem), describes the mathematics of marginal gains: if you improve by just 1% every day, you'll be 37 times better by the end of the year. Thirty-seven times. From 1% increments.

The businesses that sustain excellence aren't doing massive overhauls every quarter. They're doing small, consistent, relentless acts of refinement. They're removing one friction point per sprint. They're cutting one underperforming feature per release. They're tightening one process, shortening one form, clarifying one piece of messaging.

Compounded over time, that discipline becomes an enormous, durable competitive advantage. And it's one that most competitors can't replicate, not because it's technically hard, but because it requires patience, humility, and the willingness to always ask, what's still in the way?

For events, this means treating every activation as a learning opportunity:

• What confused people? 

• What slowed them down? 

• What did they skip? 

• What did they love so much they came back for seconds? 

I love data (there’s no bad data!) So, once you’ve answered these questions, take that data, make one better decision, and do it again next time.

Gianna's Gem: Excellence isn't an event. It's a practice. And the businesses that win are the ones that never stop asking what they can remove, refine, or rethink.

Why This Combination Is a Business Superpower

Here's the thing about "Zero F's" as a campaign: it worked because it was true. It wasn't a tagline. It was a philosophy. And the reason it landed so well at RSA, a conference full of security professionals who are professional skeptics, is because the people in that room are wired to spot friction and demand that it be removed.

The convergence of these three principles: zero friction, addition by subtraction, and continuous improvement, creates something the competition can't easily replicate: a business that is leaner, faster, more focused, and genuinely better to work with at every touchpoint.

It improves your bottom line (less friction means more conversions, fewer costs). It deepens loyalty (people return to experiences that respect their time). It builds a culture of excellence internally, where your team is always looking for what can be optimized rather than just maintained.

And perhaps most importantly: it keeps you honest. Because when your standard is zero friction, there's no hiding behind "good enough."

Your Challenge This Week:

Identify one process, one event element, or one customer touchpoint that has unnecessary friction baked into it. Not the biggest one. Not the most complex. Just one. Then ask yourself: can I remove this entirely? If not, can I simplify it by 50%?

Start there. Repeat next week. That's the whole game.

You've got this.

XX,

Gianna.

Want to work with Gianna and learn more frameworks for creating the gold standard in events and experiences? Visit giannagaudini.com/learn-from-me

Sexy Property Spotlight: Cavallo Point, Sausalito CA (San Francisco Bay Area)

Cavallo Point Lodge: History, Heart & Sweeping Views — 10 Minutes from San Francisco

hi there,

There are properties that check the boxes, and then there are properties that stop you in your tracks. Cavallo Point Lodge in Sausalito is firmly in the second category. Nestled at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge in Fort Baker, a former US Army pos, this LEED-certified gem is one of the most uniquely positioned event properties in the country. Historic. 

Sustainable. Breathtaking. And somehow, still flying under the radar compared to properties that don't hold a candle to it.

I've had the pleasure of experiencing Cavallo Point both as an event planner (I produced the Google Cloud CXO Summit as well as private milestone birthdays here) and as a bridesmaid (yes, it's amazing for weddings too and even has a historic chapel on property). Let me tell you exactly why this property belongs at the very top of your shortlist.

A Living Piece of American History

What immediately sets Cavallo Point apart is its soul. The property occupies the grounds of Fort Baker, a turn-of-the-century Army post, and the original Colonial Revival officers' quarters and barracks have been painstakingly preserved and converted into guest rooms. These aren't just old buildings with a fresh coat of paint, they're genuinely charming, cozy cottages with arched windows, wide porches and the kind of architectural character that modern construction simply cannot replicate.

Alongside the historic buildings, modern contemporary lodge rooms were added, designed by architect Mark Hornberger to complement, not compete with, the originals. The result is a property with two distinct room styles: historic rooms steeped in character and warmth, and sleek modern lodge rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and spa-like bathrooms that still blend into the beautiful coastal hills. Both are exceptional. The contrast is actually part of the draw… your attendees can choose their own adventure and you all know I am a proponent of personalized luxury.

The Location Is Unparalleled

Ten minutes from San Francisco by car. Sweeping, unobstructed views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline. No traffic, no chaos, no urban noise… just bay breezes, dramatic fog creeping over the hills in the mornings, and one of the most dramatic natural settings on the West Coast.

This is the sweet spot that event planners dream about: close enough to the city and airport that attendees feel connected and logistics are manageable, but far enough that the moment guests arrive, they exhale. The psychological distance from the office is priceless for high-stakes gatherings; executives think and feel differently when they're surrounded by this kind of beauty. I've seen it happen in real time. Cortisol drops instantly once you’re over the bridge and into the Marin Headlands.

And for those who want to explore before sessions begin? The property sits directly at the trailhead for the Marin Headlands, with hiking and biking trails accessible right from the grounds. Morning rides and hiking with Golden Gate views are a powerful way to open a summit and get attendees energized before a full day of programming. I’ve even pulled off yoga on paddleboards and kayaking right from the property’s coastal access.

LEED Certified and Genuinely Sustainable

In an industry where 'eco-friendly' often means little more than a recycling bin, Cavallo Point is the real thing. The property is LEED certified, built and operated with a deep commitment to environmental stewardship that aligns with the values of many of today's leading companies. For organizations where sustainability isn't just a buzzword but a core value, this is meaningful, and guests notice.

A Culinary Program That Overdelivers

Here's what surprises most people: the food is exceptional. Cavallo Point's Sula and Farley Bar feature organic, locally sourced menus built around Northern California's incredible produce and seafood. This isn't hotel banquet fare, it's the kind of meal you'd make a reservation for on a personal trip. I make a habit to frequent Sula for special occasion dinners with my husband and Farley Bar for brunch or cocktails with my girlfriends. I even stop in for lunch after biking across the Golden Gate Bridge (respond to this email if you want my secret order).

For groups, the test kitchen is a standout offering that I can't recommend highly enough. It's an experiential cooking space where your attendees can roll up their sleeves and cook together; a natural team-building moment that feels organic and leads to natural conversation and bonding over a shared meal created as a team. I've seen it unlock conversations between executives that no breakout session ever could.

And don't overlook the outdoor potential: the grassy lawn out front is genuinely magical for a curated picnic lunch. Lay out picnic blankets, set up a grazing table and a rose cart, let people breathe fresh air with Golden Gate views, and  it's one of those simple moments that attendees remember for years.

The Spa: Petite But Darling

The spa at Cavallo Point is intimate and beautifully done, a cocoon nestled under the eucalyptus trees perfect for relaxing and restorative treatments. The treatment menu is thoughtful, the design is serene, and, a detail I particularly appreciate… there's a small dipping pool, a rarity in properties of this scale and in San Francisco proper. For a wellness-forward incentive program or a retreat where attendees genuinely need to decompress, this matters. It's not a massive resort spa, but it delivers exactly what it promises: a genuine sanctuary.

Event Space That Rewards Creativity

Let me be direct: this is not a convention center. If you need 10,000 square feet of ballroom space,  a trade show floor, and ten breakout rooms, keep looking. But if you're planning an intimate, high-quality gathering for executives, a leadership retreat, a board offsite,  a boutique corporate event or special occasion private function, Cavallo Point is elite tier.

The indoor event spaces are polished and versatile, with that always-coveted indoor-outdoor flow that attendees genuinely adore. But the real magic is outside. When I produced the Google Cloud CXO Summit here, I set up 15 yurts on the outdoor grounds and converted them into intimate executive breakouts. Each yurt became its own world… cozy, private, and completely unexpected. The effect on conversation quality was immediate. People leaned in. They got real.

It's the kind of creative flexibility you can only pull off when a property trusts you and the grounds are extraordinary enough to serve as the stage. Cavallo Point gave us both.

And for weddings? The backdrop speaks for itself. I stood up as a bridesmaid in a ceremony here, and I can tell you, there's something about the combination of historic architecture, the Golden Gate in the distance, and that impossibly soft Northern California light that makes everything feel more rarefied. Couples who choose this venue understand that the setting is part of the story as they’re making their own history.

Why You Need To Check out this Gem

Cavallo Point is one of those properties that earns its reputation every single time. It's historic without feeling stiff, sustainable without feeling austere, and intimate without feeling small. The views are among the best in the Bay Area. The culinary program is a genuine differentiator. The team is exceptional. And the grounds offer creative freedom that most hotel properties simply don't. The property is close enough both to northern and southern locales to take a motorized cable car into San Francisco for group dine arounds (yes, I’ve done that), or to plan a dinner off property in Sonoma (yes, done that) but is also a complete package for those who want to park and then never leave the grounds by motor vehicle.

For the discerning planner who wants their event to feel like an experience, not just a gathering — this is your property.

Rating: 10/10

For more information about Cavallo Point and to be put in touch with their exceptional sales team, contact me for a direct intro and to discuss how this property could be perfect for your next corporate event, executive retreat, wedding, or incentive program.

Want your property featured in a Sexy Property Spotlight? We'd love to visit. Limited features available for 2026. Inquire at gianna@gaudini.com.

***

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events and experiences, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Want to work with Gianna and learn more frameworks for creating the gold standard in events and experiences? Visit giannagaudini.com/learn-from-me

Gianna's Gem: The Human Formula in an AI-Focused World

Hi there,

There's a quiet revolution happening in events right now.

After years of chasing scale… bigger stages, flashier production, broader reach… something has shifted. The most coveted invitations now aren't to the largest rooms. They're to the smallest ones. And the experiences leaving the deepest impressions aren't the ones with the most impressive production budgets. They're the ones that make you feel most seen, and the ones that make you feel human.

I experienced this firsthand this past week when I was invited to an intimate dinner for marketing leaders at Jack's, an exclusive cultural salon and private venue in San Francisco, recently restored to its original grandeur after a storied history that includes hosting the luminaries who planned the World's Fair. The chef hailed from a Michelin-starred kitchen. The conversation ranged from AI to miscarriage to death doulas. I dreamt about the brodo served as the first course.

And I left thinking: this is what events should feel like.

So what made it work? There's actually a formula… and it's replicable. Here’s how I’d break it down if I was to give a recipe for how to create the most human and authentic dinner that will provide not only catharsis but metamorphosis for attendees who will leave more sated than from any 5 star dining experience.

The Human Formula for Unforgettable Events

1. Curation Over Scale

The guest list was small and intentional. But what elevated it further was that guests weren't just sorted… they were named. Tables carried identities: Builders, Visionaries, Connectors, etc. I was seated at the Builders table alongside six others who had built brands, published books, launched companies. The commonality wasn't just professional, it was dispositional. We already had something to talk about before we sat down.

Even more telling: the organizers had asked guests to nominate others to attend this and future events. That single move is worth noting. Asking your target audience who else belongs in the room is how communities actually grow. It signals trust, activates ownership, and ensures the room keeps getting better. More hosts should do this.

2. Priming Before You Walk In the Door

The experience began well before arrival. A custom website and a thoughtful "know before you go" email set the stage by including the evening’s agenda, parking tips, dress code energy, and yes, a heads-up that phones would be collected in green satin bags upon arrival.

That last detail is worth dwelling on. By naming it in advance, the organizers transformed what might have felt like a jarring ask into an anticipated and appreciated ritual. Guests arrived ready to be present. There was no resistance, no awkward moment, just a graceful collective exhale and the rare feeling of a room fully, genuinely present.

Priming isn't just logistics. It's consent. It's trust-building. It tells your guests: we've thought about you.

3. Exclusivity With a Soul

"Venues hold stories in their walls." That's how the host described Jack's, and it's one of the most astute observations I've heard about why historic venues are having such a moment right now.

We are collectively exhausted by the new and the sterile. Glass-and-steel conference centers optimized for AV load-in cannot compete with a room where you can feel the decades. Authenticity has become the ultimate luxury, and historic venues deliver it structurally, before a single word is spoken. It’s one of the reasons I selected the historic Alamo Drafthouse to host an exclusive Mission Impossible premiere with A list talent last year over a Metreon with reclining seats. 

The same logic applied to the talent in the room. The chef wasn't just a culinary credential, he was a storyteller, a guest speaker, a presence. The venue owner spoke. He sipped wine between questions. He spoke from the heart. An author joined the conversation and similarly spoke from a place of vulnerability that invited guests to subsequently do the same. These weren't last minute add-ons. They were part of the texture of the evening, a layering akin to a complex broth (or brodo?), or elegantly woven tapestry.

4. A Format That Earns the Conversation

Here's where the design truly sang.

Rather than a panel-during-dinner setup (which splits attention and serves neither well), the evening opened with something I'd call a "witnessed conversation." The venue owner, the chef, and the author sat together at a single table facing the rest of us… drinking wine, talking freely, answering questions from an extraordinarily skilled host, while the rest of us leaned in and listened. No slides. No stage. Just three people being genuinely interesting in front of an audience that was given permission to simply receive. The host called it “eavesdropping” on a conversation, which, in this simple lexicon, hinted at exclusivity and intimacy.

The panel was a container for an authentic and vulnerable discussion. My favorite quote was “If you want to predict the future, build it.” My favorite shared term was “protopean”.

Wine was poured, bread served, brodo distributed in small pitchers beside our first course.

Then: two envelopes per table, each containing a discussion prompt tailored to that table's theme. What followed was a Jeffersonian-style dinner (my favorite format as it featured one conversation, no side chatter, no interruptions) and it produced the kind of depth that most hour-long panels never touch.

By the time we were trading perspectives on how humanity survives in an AI-saturated professional world, and how humans find purpose, we'd already metabolized the scene-setting conversation, broken bread, and established enough trust at our tables to say something real.

The phones stayed in the bags. The green pens and journals got used. The gifted tea and book felt like a warm hug goodnight, not a swag bag.

Why This Matters Right Now

We're living in a moment of profound disconnection dressed up as constant connection. We are always reachable and rarely reached. AI is accelerating output while people quietly hunger for exchanges that feel unmistakably, irreducibly human.

The events that will matter going forward, the ones people will actually show up for, remember, and evangelize, are the ones that understand this. They won't try to be bigger. They'll try to be truer.

The formula isn't complicated. Curate with intention. Prime with care. Choose spaces with soul. And design a format that earns the conversation you actually want to have.

A brodo that blows your mind doesn't hurt either.

XX,

Gianna

Gianna's Gem is a recurring column sharing observations, frameworks, and field notes from the world of events, marketing, and human connection.

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Want to work with Gianna or take her Event Planning Masterclass? Visit giannagaudini.com/learn-from-me

Gianna's Gem: No More Group Trip Drama — How to Plan a Stress-Free Spring Break

Hi there,

Last week I joined FOX 4's Good Day live to talk about planning group trips with out the stress, especially over spring break…my SMOOTH framework, what's trending, and the number one mistake people make when booking. (Spoiler: it's not reading the fine print. More on that in a sec.)

But here's what struck me while prepping for the segment: we spend weeks fantasizing about the destination and approximately 30 seconds thinking about the experience once we get there. We book the flights, lock in the hotel, and then show up and… wing it.

Sound familiar?

Whether you're planning a family trip to Hilo, a girls' trip to Key West, or a group getaway literally anywhere, the difference between a trip you'll talk about for years and one you'll spend recovering from comes down to one thing: intentionality before you go.

Gianna's Gem: A great trip, like a great event, doesn't happen by accident. It happens because someone asked "why" before they hit confirm.

Here's what I shared on air, and what I wish more people knew before they packed their bags…

***

Let me paint you a picture.

You've been planning this spring break trip (or insert 40th, 50th birthday, bachelorette, baby shower, wedding, etc) for months. The group chat is buzzing. Everyone's excited. You found a great hotel, locked in flights, and somehow managed to get eight adults to agree on the same week off. Miracle achieved.

And then the trip ends.

And you spend the next three weeks texting the same two people "Hey, just following up on that Venmo 😅" while silently stewing over the friend who paid you $100 short and never mentioned it, the one who bailed on the activity everyone else already paid for, and the dinner where someone ordered the Wagyu and Caviar and a bottle of Barolo and then suggested "let's just split it evenly."

Sound familiar?

Here's what I've learned after 23+ years planning events for Google, AWS, SoftBank, and Airtable (and after navigating more than a few chaotic group trips as a regular human with actual friends); the number one reason group trips go sideways has nothing to do with the destination, the rental, or even the weather.

It's the “let’s get on the same page” conversation nobody wanted to have before everyone left.

The good news? It doesn't have to be awkward. It doesn't have to be complicated. And it absolutely does not have to end in a Venmo chase that quietly strains a friendship for six months.

Today I'm sharing my SMOOTH trip acronym aka the six-step framework I use to plan group trips that are genuinely stress-free, financially clean, and actually fun from start to finish. These same rules work great for any other type of social event, so apply generously.

Gianna's Gem: The secret to splitting costs and planning an itinerary without awkwardness isn't finding the right app. It's having the right conversation before anyone books anything.

Why Group Trips Go Wrong (It's Not What You Think)

Most people assume group trip drama comes from personality clashes, i.e. the friend who's always late, the one who wants to do everything, the one who wants to do nothing. And yes, those tensions are real.

But in my experience, the real culprit is almost always unspoken assumptions about money and group activities.

One person assumes the trip is a "budget trip." Another secretly planned to splurge. One person wants a group activity every day. Another came specifically to decompress and do nothing. Nobody said any of this out loud before booking, so everyone arrived with different expectations and nobody had a framework for resolving them.

The fix isn't finding more patient friends. It's creating structure upfront that makes expectations visible, financial commitments clear, and the whole experience more enjoyable for everyone, including you, the person who probably did most of the planning.

Here's how to do it: The SMOOTH Framework for Stress-Free Group Travel Plans

S — Survey First, Spend Later 

M — Menu Magic (Prix-Fixe Is Your Best Friend) 

O — One Group Activity, Max

O — Open Tabs for the Easy Stuff 

T — Tech Does the Heavy Lifting 

H — Handle It Upfront, Always

S: Survey First, Spend Later

Before a single reservation is made, send a quick Google Form to your group. I know it sounds overly formal for a friends trip, but I promise you: ten minutes of setup saves ten arguments later.

Ask three things:

1. What's your budget? Give a range so nobody feels put on the spot and for specifics like hotel, dinner, activities. ("Under $300/night per person," "$300–500," "Flexible for the right experience.") People will answer honestly when they're not being asked in front of the group.

2. What are your dietary restrictions and food preferences? Vegan? Gluten-free? Shellfish allergy? Pregnant? Kosher? "I don't do spicy"? Get this info now and ask for brutal honesty! Not when you're standing outside a restaurant at 7pm with a hungry, opinionated group and someone quietly mentions they can't eat half the menu.

3. Do you prefer group meals for every meal, or flexibility during the day?

My personal recommendation, built from years of planning experiences for everyone from Google executives to groups of close friends: have guests handle and pay for breakfast and lunch individually, and plan one group dinner per evening. 

This gives your early risers, late sleepers, solo adventurers, and spontaneous wanderers complete freedom during the day (most people have different needs for breakfast and lunch or don’t eat one or both, but virtually everyone eats dinner) and then everyone comes back together at night, which is honestly when the best stories surface anyway. The day belongs to the individual. The evening belongs to the group.

Once you have your survey responses, don't spend hours researching restaurants yourself. Drop your group size, dietary needs, budget, and destination into AI (ChatGPT or Claude both work beautifully for this) and ask the prompt: "What are the best group-friendly restaurants within X miles of [location], with prix-fixe or set menus, under $Y per person, that accommodate [dietary needs]?" You'll have a curated shortlist in minutes that would have taken you hours to compile on your own.

Gianna's Gem: The survey isn't just a logistics tool, it's an act of care. When people feel seen and considered before the trip starts, they show up with more generosity and far less grievance.

And here's something worth sitting with: the "picky friend" every group has (true story, I once had a guest at a corporate event share an entire Google doc with her specific dietary needs including which egg preparations were acceptable) is actually doing you a favor. They're forcing you to plan more intentionally. The picky friend isn't the problem. The last-minute conversation is.

When you ask in advance, everyone feels considered. When you find out at the table, someone feels like a burden. Same information, completely different energy.

M: Menu Magic: Prix-Fixe Is Your Best Friend

This is the single biggest cost-splitting strategy I use for group trips.

When you're booking your group dinners, always ask if the restaurant offers a group or prix-fixe menu. Many do, and if they don't advertise one, they'll often create a custom set menu if you call ahead and ask nicely. Restaurants love groups who come prepared. It makes their job easier, and you'll often get better service as a result..

A set menu at a fixed price per person eliminates the single greatest sources of group dinner tension: the bill and the time it takes to make decisions.

No more "wait, did you get an appetizer?" No more mental math at the table. No more that moment where one person suggests splitting evenly and another person who ordered a salad and a water visibly tenses up. Everyone knows the cost before they sit down, and it was already paid before they left home.

If you plan a group menu, my pro tip (which I use for corporate events as well) is to offer a communal menu with several mains and sides (i.e. a fish, vegetarian and meat option, two veggie sides and a sinful carb-heavy side) so that everyone can find at least one main and one side they can eat. Not only does this satisfy everyone’s needs, but communal menus feel much more social as they promote sharing and bonding as people pass the food from one to the other.

When you price out the set menu, build in one - two drinks per person per hour for however long you plan to dine. If it's wine, a good rule of thumb: one bottle equals one glass each for four guests. Bake that into the per-person price upfront so the bar tab never becomes a surprise.

My favorite tip: Leave dessert deliberately off the set menu. Not everyone wants it, it's easy and inexpensive to pay for individually, and it gives your group an organic reason to wander somewhere for after-dinner drinks or gelato, which is spontaneous, delightful, and pays for itself. Some of the best moments of any group trip happen in that unplanned hour after dinner when nobody has anywhere to be.

Gianna's Gem: When everyone knows the cost before they sit down, and it's already paid, dinner becomes a communal gathering for breaking bread instead of a transaction that leave a bad taste in your mouth.

As an example, Will Guidara recognized how painful it was for Eleven Madison Park’s dinner guests to receive the bill after a wonderful Michelin star dinner, so he eased the pain by leaving a bottle of very high end whiskey on the table with the bill and telling guests they could drink as much as they wanted and take their time with the bill. Similarly, you could ask guests for a “buffer/slush fund” in case there are any extra expenses, but then after the trip “refund people” for anything unspent. How nice to come home from a trip and get money back?

O: One Group Activity, Max

This one might be the most counterintuitive piece of advice I give, but it's the one that makes the biggest difference.

Stop trying to plan seven group activities. I know it feels like more planning equals more fun. It doesn't. It equals more logistics, more money conversations, more opportunities for someone to drop out of something everyone already paid for, and more resentment when the itinerary leaves no room to breathe.

Here's the truth that I share with all of my clients, both for corporate and social events: people can really only remember a MAXIMUM THREE things from any event (including a trip). So if you're planning seven group activities, you're not creating seven memories you're creating one exhausted, slightly annoyed travel group. I remember a group trip to Hawaii once where our host thought he was being a star by booking activities non-stop every day, and all of us ended up revolting and insisting on just having a beach day, so less is more with groups.

My rule is if you’re going to plan in advance, pick one signature group activity. Make it special and memorable, i.e. a sunrise hot air balloon ride, a wine tasting with lunch pairing at a very special winery with a view, a chartered boat to a private beach. Something people will still be talking about in five years and would be hard to plan on their own in smaller groups. Then leave the rest of the time unscheduled. Let people sleep in, explore solo, find their own magic in smaller groups serendipitously.

They'll come back to group dinner that night with actual stories to tell instead of just surviving the itinerary together or getting over-scheduling fatigue.

And a bonus pro tip: I do this for events with multiple breakout sessions in the afternoon: Ask people at dinner to report back on one amazing “happy experience” they had that day to share with the group. This will allow others to live vicariously and potentially try out that activity on their own the next day, and also increase happiness in recalling the day’s events and adventures together over a shared meal.

This approach cuts the number of money conversations in half, honors the introverts and the spontaneous explorers in your group, and still delivers that one collective experience that bonds everyone for years.

Gianna's Gem: One extraordinary shared moment beats five mediocre scheduled ones every single time. Choose depth over density.

O: Open Tabs for the Easy Stuff

Not everything needs to be split with mathematical precision. In fact, trying to collect and divide every single expense is exactly where the Venmo chase begins.

Some things are simply easier, and more pleasant, when everyone just pays for themselves:

• Breakfast and lunch (handled individually, as discussed above)

• Souvenirs and shopping

• Spa treatments or personal experiences

• After-dinner drinks and dessert

• Any activities people opt into on their own

When people can self-select into what they spend, they feel respected, not managed. And you won't be sitting at the end of the trip trying to figure out who owes you $14 for the snack run.

The goal isn't to account for every dollar. It's to identify the expenses that benefit from upfront collective planning, and let everything else be free.

T: Tech Does the Heavy Lifting

You don't need to be your group's human calculator. Here's the toolkit that makes all of this effortless:

Google Forms for the pre-trip survey. Free, easy, and everyone already knows how to use it. Anonymous response options help people share honest budget preferences without awkwardness.

Chat GPT or Claude for restaurant and activity research. Feed in your group size, dietary needs, budget, and location and ask for recommendations. AI finds options in minutes that would take you hours to research, and it can factor in distance, budget, and cuisine preferences simultaneously.

Splitwise (not Venmo) for any shared expenses that do come up mid-trip. Venmo is great for one-off payments between two people. Splitwise is built for group dynamics: it tracks running balances over time, so nobody has to do math in real time and you can settle everything in one go at the end. That said, if you collect everything upfront the way I'm describing, you'll barely need it.

H: Handle It Upfront, Always

Here's the rule I live by, whether I'm planning a 30,000-person conference or a group of eight friends on a beach trip: collect money before the experience, never after.

Once people have had the fun and gone home, the enthusiasm evaporates. They're back at work, back in their routine, and that Venmo request is now a low-grade irritant rather than an enthusiastic contribution to something they're looking forward to.

Here's the script I use once a reservation is confirmed:

"Hey everyone! Dinner at [Restaurant] on Thursday is set. It's $[X] per person including one drink per hour. Please Venmo me by [date] to hold your spot."

That's it. No chasing. No awkwardness. People pay when they're excited and anticipating the trip, and the deadline creates gentle accountability without any confrontation.

Same principle for group activities: book it, confirm the price, send a message, collect before departure.

If someone doesn't pay by the deadline, you have the information you need to adjust the reservation before it costs anyone anything. Which is infinitely better than absorbing the cost yourself and quietly resenting it for months.

Gianna's Gem: Money collected before the trip is never awkward. Money chased after the trip is always awkward. Handle it upfront, every single time.

The Biggest Group Trip Mistake (And How to Avoid It)

I've planned and attended a lot of group trips. And the mistake I see most consistently across friend groups, family trips, corporate retreats, and everything in between is over-scheduling.

People assume that planning more equals more fun. More activities, more reservations, more structured time together. In reality, just like events planned with no “open space”, it equals more stress, more money conversations, more resentment when someone doesn't want to do the thing everyone else just paid for, and less of the spontaneous magic that makes travel memorable in the first place.

The irony is that the trips people remember most fondly are almost never the ones where every hour was accounted for. They're the ones where there was space to wander, to linger over coffee, to discover something unplanned, to actually talk to the people they came with.

Survey your group. Plan one signature activity. Fill in the group dinners. Then put the planning document away.  Trust that the best moments of the trip will happen in the spaces between the plans. They almost always do.

Do this and you'll spend spring break making memories and taking happy group photos, not chasing Venmos.

You've got this.

XX, Gianna

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events and experiences, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn or Instagram.

Want to work with Gianna and learn more frameworks for reating the gold standard in events and experiences? Visit giannagaudini.com/learn-from-me

Gianna's Gem: Steal This From My Son's Summer Camp

Hi there,

This one comes straight from my son's summer camp, (huge shout out to Cole and Kate Kelly at Camp Weequahic) and I mean that literally.

Last week, a book arrived in the mail addressed to my son. It was from Camp Weequahic, who had the brilliant idea to mail this self-published gem directly to campers so the magic of camp could come home with them. The book? Three Good Things, a simple practice built around a daily gratitude ritual called 3 Happies and an Appreciation.

I'll be honest: when I first read about it, I thought, cute idea for kids. But the more I sat with it…and the more I tried it at our own dinner table replacing our basic gratitude practice…the more I realized this wasn't just a camp tradition. It's one of the simplest, most human yet extremely powerful team-building and culture-setting tools I've encountered in 23+ years of creating high-performing teams and unforgettable experiences.

So this week, I'm borrowing this gem from Camp Weequahic and bringing it to you to scale this pearl of wisdom.

Gianna's Gem: The best rituals aren't complicated. They're consistent, specific, and designed to make people feel seen, heard, grateful and appreciated.

What Is "3 Happies and an Appreciation"?

It's a daily gratitude practice you can do in five minutes…be it at the dinner table, the start of a team meeting, on a walk, or even in a quick Slack channel.

Here's how it works:

(3) Happies (Three Good Things or if you want a more corporate tone, Three Wins):

Each person shares three positive moments from their day, no matter how small. The key is specificity. Don't just say "I had a good meeting." Say "I had a great call with Maria where we finally cracked the problem we'd been stuck on for two weeks, and I left feeling energized and confident again." Note what happened, why it happened, and how it made you feel. Variety is encouraged: a productive work win, a kind interaction, a quiet personal moment…all count.

(1) Appreciation:

Each person identifies one person to appreciate and expresses it out loud. Make it specific. Not "Thanks, team." But "I want to appreciate Jake for stepping in at 4 PM when the website had an issue…he handled it calmly and saved the day." Name the person. Name the action. Name why it mattered.

That's it. Five minutes. Every day.

Why It Works: The Science Behind the Practice

This isn't just feel-good fluff, this is neuroscience.

Our brains are wired with what's called a negativity bias. We're evolutionarily designed to notice, remember, and ruminate on problems and threats far more than on positive experiences. It kept our ancestors alive. But in modern life, it means we often end the day replaying what went wrong rather than what went right.

3 Happies and an Appreciation rewires that default setting.

When we actively search for and articulate positive moments, we train our brains to scan for them throughout the day. Over time, you start noticing the good as it's happening, not just in retrospect. Research from positive psychology (Martin Seligman's work on "Three Good Things" is foundational here) shows that this practice consistently reduces anxiety and depression, boosts overall wellbeing, and improves sleep quality after just one week of consistent practice.

It’s why at the end of each day, no matter how tired I am, I journal before bed starting with the prompt “what went well today”. Often, I’m fixated on the one thing I wish I’d done better, but as I start to find all the things that went well, I often fill up a full page and realize all the little wins that far surpass any trouble spots. As a bonus, it’s greatly improved my sleep since I don’t fixate on the one thing that didn’t go wrong and get everything out on paper before my head hits the pillow.

And the appreciation piece? It activates the social bonding systems in our brains, for both the giver and the receiver. When someone feels genuinely seen and appreciated, trust deepens. Relationships strengthen. People want to show up for each other. 

It’s why I make a practice of texting or emailing a person as soon as I get a feeling of appreciation for them during the day. Most people keep this to themselves, but I find that when I take one minute to share my appreciation, even with just a text message, it makes their day and also amplifies my own feelings of gratitude.

Gianna's Gem: When you end the day looking for what's good and who to thank, you start the next day already ahead.

How I Use It at Home

The first time I tried this at dinner with my family, I'll be transparent: there was resistance.

My son looked at me like I'd suggested we go around the table reciting poetry. But I held the space, modeled it first, and made mine specific and real. By the time we got to the appreciation, something shifted. He sat up straighter. He thought harder. He named his friend and told us exactly why that friend made his day better.

We've been doing it (mostly) ever since.

What I've noticed:

• Dinner conversation has become richer and more substantive.

• My son has started noticing and naming good things during the day ("Mom, this is going to be one of my happies tonight").

• The appreciation piece has made him more thoughtful about the people in his life and more likely to actually express thanks

• It takes the edge off hard days. Even when everything went sideways, finding three good things grounds you back in what's real and true.

• And here’s the kicker - much less complaining! It sure makes everything feel a lot easier with the negative muted.

This practice arrived in our house in a book mailed by a summer camp director. And it's become a ritual I genuinely look forward to.

How to Apply It to Your Team (Business Leader Version)

Here's what I want every event planner, team leader, and manager reading this to hear: this practice is one of the highest-leverage culture tools you're probably not using.

Think about how most team meetings begin. A status update. A slide deck. An agenda. Valuable, yes… But cold. People arrive distracted, carrying the weight of everything that happened before they walked through the door (or logged onto Zoom). We jump straight into problems and deliverables, never acknowledging the humans in the room.

3 Happies and an Appreciation changes that in five minutes.

Here's how I'd implement it on a team:

At the start of weekly all-hands or team meetings: Go around and have each person share one wine (not three to keep it moving in larger groups) and the team collectively nominates one group appreciation for someone who went above and beyond that week (MVP) - bonus points if they get an amazon gift card, or something else as a treat for their exceptional effort.

In smaller pod, offsites or squad meetings: Do the full version: three wins and a personal appreciation. This is where the real connection happens.

In one-on-ones: Ask your direct reports to share their three wins for the week first. You'll learn more about what energizes them, what they're proud of, and what relationships matter to them than any performance review will ever reveal.

In a team Slack or group chat: Create a weekly thread. Post your three wins every Friday. Watch what happens to team culture over 60 days.

The rules are the same whether you're at the dinner table or in a conference room: be specific, name the why, and make the appreciation land.

Gianna's Gem: Gratitude isn't soft. It's one of the most strategic things you can do for team retention, psychological safety, and performance.

What This Teaches Us About Event Design

I can't write a Gem without connecting it to what we do for a living in the events world, so here it is.

The reason 3 Happies and an Appreciation works so well is the same reason the best events work: it creates intentional space for people to feel seen, connected, and valued.

Most events end with "safe travels." Most meetings end with "any other business?" And most workdays end without anyone ever naming what went right or who made a difference.

When I plan events, I think about how to close them in a way that creates integration instead of disconnection. A moment of collective reflection. A shared appreciation. A prompt that helps people leave feeling like the time mattered.

This practice does that in miniature form…every single day.

What if your events ended with a version of this? What if your closing keynote invited the room to share one positive learning or connection or “aha” moment from the conference and one appreciation for someone they met? What if your team offsite ended not with logistics but with five minutes of people saying thank you to each other?

I promise you: that's what people would remember.

I once implemented a version of this practice at a SoftBank Vision Fund Women’s Event in San Francisco. At the closing keynote, women stood up and shared one learning from the breakout they attended in the afternoon and then shared one interesting fact about someone they met. It was an amazing way to scale the content and networking so that people learned a bit more about sessions they didn’t attend and people they hadn’t met yet.

Your Action Plan

Try it tonight. Seriously, waiting is just procrastinating on a future goal (to quote James Clear).

At dinner, or before bed, or via text with someone you love or work with. Share three specific things from your day that were good, and one genuine appreciation for someone who showed up for you.

Do it for a week. Notice what changes.

Then bring it to your team. Start small: one meeting, one appreciation callout, one thread. Build the habit.

Because here's the truth: your people, at home and at work, crave being seen, heard, appreciated. They want to know their presence and effort matters. This practice creates the conditions for that acknowledgment to happen, every single day, without requiring a major initiative or a big budget.

It's just five minutes. I promise you, it will spare you countless headaches in the future by taking the time to be intentional about this.

Compounded over weeks and months it can make the difference between a family that feels like a team and a team that feels like a family.

Thank you, Cole, and thank you Camp Weequahic. In your generous gift to my son, you inadvertently reminded this event planner of one of the most important things we can design for, in events and in life: the moment when someone feels truly, genuinely, specifically appreciated.

That's the whole game.

You've got this.

XX, Gianna

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Want to work with Gianna or take her Event Planning Masterclass? Visit giannagaudini.com/learn-from-me

Gianna's Gem: Imagine...Your most underrated superpower

Hi there,

This past weekend, I went on a hike with my family to enjoy the first day of nice weather in a few weeks. No agenda, no deliverables, no Wi-Fi. Just trail, trees, and the three of us.

Somewhere between the first hill and the second water break, we stumbled into one of the most energizing conversations I've had in months… and it started with a single word: imagine.

Here's how it went. I turned to my family and said, "Let's play a game. Everyone has to start their sentence with 'imagine' and finish it however they want. Anything goes."

At first, there was a beat of silence… that slightly skeptical pause you get before someone decides to play along. And then the floodgates opened.

"Imagine if plants could talk… what would they be saying?"

"Imagine if we aged in reverse…so your wisest years were also your youngest."

"Imagine if there were no airplanes… would we still know people from other continents…would we still travel just in super high speed underground tubes?"

"Imagine… what the world will be like in 200 years."

"Imagine… if we had pet dinosaurs"

What followed was one of the richest, most joyful conversations we'd had in a long time. Questions led to theories. Theories led to philosophy. Philosophy led to laughter. We talked about time, about connection, about what we take for granted, about what the world could look like if we just tilted the lens a few degrees.

By the time we finished the hike, we were buzzing and not from caffeine or screens, but from the sheer exhilaration of thinking freely. Of imagining without limits. It was like a “runners high” for the brain.

And I couldn't stop thinking: why don't we do this more? And why aren't we doing this in our events?

Gianna's Gem: Imagination isn't child's play. It's the most powerful tool you have, AND it may be the most underused one in your professional life.

What Imagination Actually Does to Your Brain

Here's what's fascinating: when you engage in imaginative thinking, really letting yourself explore "what if", your brain activates the default mode network, the same neural system linked to creativity, empathy, and problem-solving. It's the opposite of the task-focused, heads-down mode most of us live in all day.

Imagination literally rewires how you see problems. It creates distance between you and your current reality, which is exactly the perspective you need to innovate, to design something new, to ask a question nobody has thought to ask.

Research shows that people who regularly engage in imaginative thinking… daydreaming, hypothetical play, creative exploration… demonstrate higher levels of empathy, resilience, and creative output. They're better at connecting disparate ideas. They're better at reading the room. They're better at solving problems that don't yet have a name.

And yet, most of us leave imagination at the door the moment we open our laptops.

Gianna's Gem: Imagination is not a soft skill. It's a cognitive superpower that sharpens every other skill you have.

Why We've Stopped Imagining

I doubt anyone would argue that we’re living in an era of notifications, to-do lists, back-to-back Zooms, and information that never stops coming like waves infinitely crashing in the ocean. The average adult makes over 35,000 decisions per day. Our brains are running full throttle just to keep up with reality…let alone to imagine a different one.

And then there's the cultural piece. Somewhere along the way, we started equating imagination with impracticality. We stopped asking "what if?" because someone, somewhere, told us it wasn't useful. That we needed to be realistic. That we needed a plan. Compared to the students who were obedient task masters, how often were the daydreamers in class rewarded for thinking creatively, even if at a slower pace? 

But here's what I've learned after 23+ years in event planning: the people who create the most extraordinary events, the most innovative companies, the most meaningful lives… they are the ones who never stopped imagining. They just got better at building the bridge between imagination and execution.

My hike this weekend reminded me that imagination doesn't require resources or a strategy deck. It just requires the willingness to start a sentence with "imagine" and see where it takes you.

Gianna's Gem: The gap between a forgettable event and a transformative one is almost always found in the imagination of its creator.

Why I Think Imagination is the Missing Ingredient in Events

Here's something I've been sitting with since that hike: the events that have stayed with me the longes, the ones I still talk about years later, all had one thing in common. Someone, somewhere in the planning process, asked a truly imaginative question.

Not "what worked last year?" But: what if we flipped the whole format?

Not "what's the standard keynote setup?" But: what if the speaker never touched a stage?

Not "how do we make an incremental improvement" But: what if we took a moonshot this year?

Imagination in events shows up at three levels, and most planners only ever touch the first one.

Level One: The Format

This is where imagination is most underused. We default to formats because they're familiar; a welcome reception, a general session, breakout tracks, a closing dinner. And while structure matters, structure without imagination produces events that feel like every other event.

Ask imaginative questions about your format: Imagine if attendees never sat in a row facing a stage. What would they do instead? Imagine if the most important conversation of the event happened not in a session, but in an elevator or on a walking trail. How do we design for that? Imagine if we built the schedule backwards, starting from the feeling we want people to have when they leave and working forward. What would change?

When I was at Airtable, Google, and SoftBank Vision Fund, we radically reimagined what a user conference format could be, and the results were exactly what you'd expect when imagination takes the wheel: sessions that people remember years later, connections that turned into partnerships, and a community that felt genuinely built rather than assembled.

Level Two: The Creative Concepts

This is where most event planners spend their creative energy… and it's important. The theme. The visual identity. The surprise moments. The unexpected delight.

But even here, imagination is often constrained by "what's been done before." We look at Pinterest boards and past events and industry trends, which is useful, but it's also a ceiling.

True imaginative creative concepting starts not with inspiration boards, but with questions. Imagine if every element of this event told the same story. What story would we tell? Imagine if the venue itself was a character. What would it say? Imagine if every attendee left with one image burned into their memory. What would that image be?

Level Three: The Attendee Experience

This is where imagination becomes your greatest differentiator, and where it's most often forgotten.

Most event planners design for the average attendee. But imagination asks: imagine if we designed for the most introverted person in the room. What would change? Imagine if we designed for the person who almost didn't come. What would make them feel it was the best decision they made all year?

When you imagine the full range of human experience in your room, the person who's nervous, the one who's grieving, the one who flew six hours to be there, the one who's skeptical, the one who's desperate for connection, you start designing with a depth that people feel before they can even name it.

I used to plan the Women’s Events for Google and I remember coming up with creative concepts… a menu key for pregnant women (no aged cheese, raw fish, cured meats), a twist on the opening keynote which started in the evening after school duties were finished and featured passed champagne, caviar and chocolate tasting as women headed into the keynote…I even hired a technical crew that was 100% female and one of our performers gave that detail a shout-out during her fireside chat with Google’s CMO!  I knew my audience and delighted them by catering to their very specific needs.

Gianna's Gem: Great event design starts with imaginative questions, not logistical answers. What if you spent 30 minutes imagining before you started planning?

How to Bring Imagination Into Your Events

Here are five concrete ways to infuse imagination into your event planning process and the experiences you create for attendees:

1. Start every planning session with an "Imagine" round. Before you open your budget doc or your run-of-show template, gather your team for five minutes of unrestricted imagination. Go around the table (or the Zoom) and have everyone finish the sentence: "Imagine if this event…" No filters, no practicality. Just possibility. You'll be surprised what surfaces.

2. Design at least one "What if" moment into every event. This is a moment that breaks the expected pattern and invites attendees to see something differently. It could be a question posed during a keynote with no answer given, or a session that starts with silence, or an activity that requires people to use their hands instead of their voices. One well-designed moment of imagination can shift the entire energy of a room.

3. Use imaginative prompts to facilitate connection. Take a page from my family hike. Conversation cards, imaginative icebreakers, or even a prompt projected on a screen during a networking reception can open people up far more than "so, what do you do?" Some of my favorites to use at events: Imagine if you could have dinner with any historical figure…who and why? Imagine if your company didn't exist… what problem would go unsolved? Imagine what you'd be doing if money were no object. These prompts create the conditions for real conversation, and real conversation is the whole point.

4. Build "imagine" spaces into your physical environment. Create literal spaces at your event that invite reflection and imagination: i.e. a lego wall where people can build their "imagine if" responses. Give people permission to slow down and think expansively, even in the middle of a packed conference day and in formats that utilize different brain pathways than usual.

5. End with imagination, not logistics. Most events end with "thank you for being here, safe travels." Instead, try closing with an imaginative prompt that sends people home thinking: "Imagine what becomes possible if you implement one thing you learned today. What would that be?" or "Imagine yourself one year from now. What does success look like?" This transforms your closing from a formality into a launchpad for real change.

How to Bring Imagination Into Your Own Life

What happened on that hike wasn't just fun. It was a reminder that imagination is a muscle… and like every muscle, it atrophies when you don't use it.

Here's how to start exercising it:

Play the "Imagine" game. You don't need a trail in the woods. You can do this at the dinner table, on a walk, in the car, or even solo in a journal. Start with "imagine if…" and let yourself go anywhere. The sillier and more unexpected, the better. Imagine if you had to describe your day to someone from 1850. Imagine if your morning routine were broadcast as a TV show. Imagine if your biggest professional challenge were actually a gift in disguise. What comes up?

Give yourself unstructured time. Imagination needs white space. When every minute is scheduled and every thought is task-oriented, there's no room for the creative brain to wander. Protect time, even 20 minutes a day, where you're not producing anything. Walk without a podcast. Sit without your phone. Meditate then visualize for 20 minutes…Let your mind go somewhere unexpected.

Ask "what if" before you ask "how." In our professional lives, we rush to execution. But imagination lives in the "what if" phase. Before you jump to solutions, spend time in the question. What if we approached this completely differently? What if the constraint we think we have isn't actually real? What if the answer is the opposite of what we're assuming?

Surround yourself with imaginative people. My family reminded me this weekend that imagination is contagious. When one person starts a sentence with "imagine," something unlocks for everyone in the room. Seek out conversations with people who think expansively. Read widely. Watch things that challenge your assumptions. Imagination loves company.

Be willing to look a little silly. The reason we stop imagining as adults is often fear…fear of being impractical, of being wrong, of being the only one willing to say something weird. But the most imaginative ideas always sound a little strange at first. Give yourself permission to follow the thought before you judge it.

On that hike, my family and I covered maybe four miles of trail. But imaginatively, we covered light-years.  We talked about worlds that don't exist and futures that might. We laughed at absurdities and got unexpectedly philosophical. We connected…and not around logistics or schedules or to-do lists, but around the expansive, joyful act of imagining together.

And when we got back to the car, I had more ideas: for events, for life, for this very Gem… than I'd had all week.

Imagination doesn't require a special location, a big budget, or a lot of time. It just requires the willingness to start with two words: Imagine if.

So here's my challenge to you this week: Start one sentence with "imagine" and see where it takes you. In your next planning session. At your next dinner table. On your next walk.

Because I promise you this: the best events you will ever create, and the most expansive life you will ever live, begin not with a spreadsheet or a strategy deck, but with a simple act of imagination.

You've got this.

XX, Gianna

What I'm Loving This Week: And for all my favorite vendors, partners and products, visit: giannagaudini.com/gianna-recommends

Red Bull Showrun San Francisco: This past Saturday, something happened in my backyard that I can't stop sharing with people… and it's the perfect proof of everything I wrote above.

Forty thousand people packed Marina Boulevard as Red Bull transformed one of San Francisco's most serene waterfront stretches into a four-hour wall of engine noise, burnt rubber, and sheer, collective joy. The San Francisco Standard F1 cars ripping down a street where people normally walk their dogs and I normally do my morning jog. Thick tire smoke hanging over the Golden Gate Bridge backdrop. Fans climbing trees and scaling roofs The San Francisco Standard just to catch a glimpse. Free admission. No tickets required. Just pure spectacle.

And here's what struck me most: Yuki Tsunoda, the young Japanese F1 driver behind the wheel, put it perfectly — "Driving an F1 car in San Francisco next to the sea is something that you only imagine. A dream." The San Francisco Standard

Something you only imagine. Yes. Exactly. That's the whole point.

Someone, somewhere, had to first imagine that a quiet Marina street could become a racetrack. That a neighborhood known for brunch and strollers could hold forty thousand screaming fans. That you could give people a world-class motorsport experience for free, on a Saturday afternoon, with the Golden Gate Bridge as your backdrop. The logistics came later. The imagination came first.

This is what I want for all of us, as event creators and as humans. The audacity to imagine something that makes people stop and say: wait, they actually did that? Red Bull didn't ask whether Marina Boulevard was a "realistic" venue. They asked: imagine if it were. And then they built it. That's the whole game. Start with imagination. The rest follows.

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Want to work with Gianna or take her Event Planning Masterclass? Visitgiannagaudini.com/learn-from-me

Gianna's Gem: Why "Perfect" Is Killing Your Events (And What to Do About It)

Hi there,

Last week, I was coaching a rising event manager who was stuck. She'd been planning her company's first major user conference for six months, and guess what? The company still hadn't sent out invitations.

"We’re still refining the agenda," she told me. "My CMO wants to make sure everything's locked in and perfect before we send out invites."

I recognized that look in her eyes immediately as I could recall being in a similar situation as a Head of Events with a C-Suite who were often paralyzed by “shipping” anything if it wasn’t perfect (and what perfect looked like changed on the weekly!). It's the paralysis that comes from believing that if you just plan a little more, research a little deeper, polish a little longer, check a few more times, you'll finally achieve the "perfect" event (or insert anything else here).

Here's what I told her…and what I wish someone had told me fifteen years ago: Perfect is the enemy of good. 

Gianna’s Gem: In event planning, “motion” is the enemy of “action”.

The Difference Between Motion and Action

James Clear nails this in Atomic Habits (a favorite book of mine I shared with you in last week’s Gem): Motion makes you feel like you're making progress, but it doesn't actually produce results. Action, on the other hand, delivers outcomes.

In event planning:

Motion looks like:

• Endlessly researching venues without booking site visits

• Creating the perfect planning spreadsheet (and then recreating it)

• Attending webinars about event marketing without implementing anything

• Researching but not reaching out to speakers

• Perfecting every budget line item instead of putting a stake in the ground and understanding there will be fluidity as you negotiate with vendors

Action looks like:

• Booking three venue tours for next week

• Sending that imperfect-but-good-enough speaker invitation today with a caveat that the event date might be X, Y or Z to gain intel.

• Testing one new registration strategy with your next small event

• Creating the post-event survey now

• Sending save the dates even though the agenda isn't 100% finalized

• Launching a website with a caveat that speaker announcements will be coming each week

Gianna's Gem: Planning is motion. Doing is action. And only action teaches you what actually works.

The Learning Paradox

Here's what I’ve learned over my 23 year career in event planning: you can read every book and blog post, look at ever pinterest board, and listen to every podcast about how to plan events, but you won't actually know how to plan events until you've planned some events because that’s where the phrase “live and learn” rings true. Even to this day, I learn something new while planning every event.

I learned more from the Airtable event where the video in the overflow viewing room failed during our CEO's keynote than I did from a decade of "perfect" keynotes. I learned more from the AWS sponsorship nightmare where we almost didn’t get our booth than from all the other shows where everything was easy. I learned more from planning a challenging milestone birthday in Sardinia than from seamless milestone birthdays planned with my favorite properties in Napa.

Why? Because repetition creates pattern recognition. Experience builds instinct. And failure teaches you what books simply can't.

The problem is: most event professionals don't get the luxury of planning hundreds of events. You might plan one major conference per year. Maybe a handful of smaller events. How do you gain the wisdom that comes from repetition when you don't have the volume?

This is where working with a coach or consultant, taking a guided course, or even volunteering to plan events becomes your competitive advantage.

The Consultant Edge: Borrowing Someone Else's Reps

When you work with an experienced event consultant, you're not just hiring someone to help with logistics. You're borrowing their 10,000 hours. You're accessing their pattern recognition. You're leveraging their war stories so you don't have to create your own.

For example: I've planned events for Google, AWS, SoftBank, Airtable, Windsurf, and dozens of other companies as a consultant. I've executed conferences for 100 people and 30,000 people. I've managed budgets from $50K to $50M+. I've dealt with every team/vendor nightmare, every venue/AV disaster, every stakeholder conflict you can imagine (and plenty you can't…stay tuned for my next book!).

When you work with me (or any seasoned consultant/coach), you get to:

Mentally Rehearsal and Visualise based on Their Shared Experience

• "Here's what happened when we tried that agenda format..."

• "I learned the hard way that you need to..."

• "Based on similar events, here's the pitfall we need to avoid..."

You're essentially running simulations in your mind based on their real-world outcomes. Neuroscience shows that mental rehearsal activates similar neural pathways as actual experience. You're training your brain without having to make (and pay for) the mistakes yourself.

Anecdotal Wisdom That Shortcuts Your Learning Books and courses teach principles. Consultants teach specifics.

• "For tech audiences in San Francisco, this type of event sponsorship is risky and here's why..."

• "When negotiating with this particular hotel chain, always ask for..."

• "Your sponsor fulfillment should happen like this, not like that, because I've seen what happens when..."

Real-Time Decision Support Instead of making your best guess and hoping it works out, you get instant feedback:

• "That registration flow will create bottlenecks because of X, let's consider adjusting it."

• "Your budget allocation is too heavy on F&B and too light on AV, here's why and how I recommend rebalancing."

• "This vendor quote is 30% above market rate, let me show you the comps."

The Course Advantage: Structured Learning Without the Trial-and-Error Tax

A well-designed course (like my Event Strategy Masterclass) does something different but equally valuable: it gives you the frameworks, systems, and best practices that took me years to develop, delivered in a fraction of the time and cost. If you can’t afford a coach or consultant, a self-paced course with exercises to give you “action” practice can be another great strategy to start getting in your “reps”.

AND…If you can convince your company to let your colleagues take it with you, studies have proven that learning in peer groups with discussion along the way improves engagement, retention and bonding by 140%!

Here's what a strategic course offers:

Accelerated Pattern Recognition Instead of planning 50 events to recognize patterns, you study 50 case studies. You learn:

• What makes successful conferences stand out

• Why certain event formats consistently outperform others

• How to negotiate contracts to save money and get key concessions and some downloadable templates to save you time

Systematic Thinking Courses give you repeatable frameworks:

• My SUCCESS framework for event design (see last week’s Gem if you missed it)

• The attendee journey audit process

• Budgeting models and frameworks you can use immediately to implement with your own events

• Stakeholder management strategies and communication pro tips to unblock you and help you be more strategic and influential

These aren't theories, they're systems I refined through hundreds of events. And they let you operate from a playbook instead of reinventing the wheel. I feel blessed for having had the opportunity to work with some of the most admired brands in the world and it truly is my mission to be able to scale my reach and share what I’ve been blessed to have learned by the best in class.

Community Learning The best courses create peer communities where you learn from each other's experiences. Someone's venue negotiation strategy becomes your blueprint. Another person's speaker management disaster becomes your cautionary tale. 

But Here's the Key Thing Both Consultants and Courses Provide...

They give you permission to take imperfect action.

When you're working with someone who's already made the mistakes, you stop needing everything to be perfect. You learn which details actually matter (the why and intention behind every component, attendee journey and brand experience) and which ones don't (the exact shade of blue in your linens and the type of silverware and china you select for the tables).

You gain the confidence to:

• Send the invitation even though the agenda has TBDs

• Draft a successful event brief and gain approvals swiftly because you know your why

• Launch registration before your website is perfect

• Make decisions quickly because you trust your consultant's guidance and therefore present to stakeholders with confidence 

This is action. This is progress. This is how events actually get planned.

My Early Career: The Volunteer Advantage

Before I landed at Google, I was exactly where many of you are now or have been: passionate about events but lacking real world experience. I needed reps but didn't have a portfolio. So I did something that changed everything:

I volunteered. A lot.

I volunteered to plan my company's holiday party, my team’s offsites. I volunteered to help people in the industry I admired for free. I volunteered at a number of charity organizations I believed in. Were these glamorous? No. Did they pay extra? Absolutely not. But here's what they did:

They gave me reps.

Every volunteer event taught me something AND also introduced me to new people, partners and even mentors.

By the time I interviewed at Google, I had a portfolio of events that demonstrated I could execute. I had stories of problems I'd solved. I had proof of action, not just motion.

Your Action Plan: Start Now, Imperfectly

If you're reading this and feeling stuck in motion, here's how to shift into action today:

1. If You Can't Plan High-Volume Events:

Work with a consultant or mentor who has. You'll compress years of learning into months. You'll avoid expensive mistakes. You'll build confidence faster.

Take a strategic course that gives you frameworks and community. You'll gain systematic thinking and peer learning that shortens your path to expertise.

Attend events critically. Don't just enjoy them, dissect them. What worked? What didn't? What would you do differently? Every event you attend becomes a case study for your mental database. I still audit events for my clients and always learn something in the process myself.

2. If You Want More Hands-On Experience:

Volunteer for event roles:

• Offer to help plan your company's next team offsite

• Coordinate a community meetup or local chapter event

• Help a nonprofit with their fundraising gala

• Manage your friend's milestone birthday party (or baby shower)

Start small but start now:

• Plan a 20-person dinner party with a theme and run-of-show

• Host a workshop or panel discussion

• Coordinate a small networking event

Document everything:

• Take photos

• Track what you learned

• Build your portfolio

• Create case studies

Each of these is action. Each one teaches you something books and planning documents can't.

3. Embrace "Good Enough" and Iterate:

Ship the imperfect invitation. You can always send updates.

Book the venue that's 90% right. Perfection doesn't exist, and you're losing time and negotiating leverage by waiting.

Launch with what you have. Version 2.0 will be better because you'll have real feedback, not theoretical concerns.

Test and learn. Try one new thing each event. Measure what happens. Adjust for next time.

The Compound Effect of Imperfect Action

Here's what most event planners miss: every small action compounds.

That imperfect first event teaches you lessons for the second one. The second event builds skills for the third. By your fifth event, you're operating at a level that would have taken you years to reach through "perfect" planning alone.

Meanwhile, the person who's still researching, still planning, still waiting for perfect? They're on event zero.

And here's the beautiful part: you don't have to make all the mistakes yourself.

Working with a consultant means you borrow their compounding experience. Taking a course means you leverage their accumulated wisdom. Volunteering means you gain real reps without the having to commit to a second full time role. Attending events critically means you learn from others' successes and failures.

All of these are forms of action. All of them move you forward. None of them require perfection.

The Bottom Line

Perfect is a mirage. Motion is a trap. And the only way to actually get better at event planning is to plan events, even imperfect ones.

Whether that means:

• Working with a consultant or coach who's already made the mistakes

• Taking a course that gives you proven frameworks

• Volunteering for opportunities to gain experience

• Attending events to study and learn

• Simply starting with what you have right now

The path forward is the same: Take action. Learn. Iterate. Repeat.

Because here's what I know after 23+ years in this industry:

The best event planner isn't the one who planned the perfect event. It's the one who took imperfect action, learned from it, and got better every single time.

You don't need more time to plan.
You don't need more resources to research.
You don't need permission to be perfect.

You need to take action. Today. Imperfectly. And trust that the learning will come through the doing.

That rising event manager I mentioned at the beginning? After our coffee, she gained the confidence to send her event invitations that week. Were they perfect? No. Did they work? Absolutely. And more importantly, she learned what resonated with her audience: data she never would have gotten from another week of "perfecting" the message.

That's the power of choosing action over motion.
That's the gift of learning from others' experience.
That's how you build a career (and events!) that matter.

So here's my challenge to you: What's one imperfect action you can take today?

Not tomorrow. Not next week. Today.

Whatever it is, do it imperfectly. Do it now. And trust that the learning, the confidence, and the excellence will emerge through the doing.

Because perfect is the enemy of good.

But action? Action is the path to great.

You've got this.

XX,

Gianna

What I'm Loving This Week: And for all my favorite vendors, partners and products, visit: https://www.giannagaudini.com/gianna-recommends

Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley

I had a chance to site visit this charming, fresh new property (one of only three in the world) located next to Google’s Sunnyvale campus in the heart of Silicon Valley last week. In a sea of sterile tech campuses and cookie-cutter business hotels, Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley, a sister brand of 1 Hotels,  is a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively. Ranked #1 on Tripadvisor and named Best Cool New Hotel in the 2025 Metro Silicon Valley Best Of Awards, this property proves that playful doesn't mean unprofessional, and that nostalgia can coexist beautifully with innovation. From the moment you enter the greenhouse-style lobby, complete with a VW bug completely covered in plantlife and other nostalgic charms, you're transported to a world where stump-shaped side tables, owl-embroidered pillows, record players in rooms, and toy soldiers in Mason jars remind you that creativity thrives when we don't take ourselves too seriously. The property features Celeb Chef Stephanie Izard's Valley Goat restaurant, a beer garden with 30+ beers on tap, an gorgeous event barn with large windows and tall ceilings making it perfect for gatherings of all kind, and outdoor spaces designed with Silicon Valley's agrarian heritage in mind…think Google campus meets country chic meets Santa Cruz in character.

What I love most is how Treehouse delivers high-quality experiences without traditional luxury stuffiness. The rooms are thoughtfully designed, impeccably clean, and packed with whimsical touches that spark joy while still feeling high quality and premium. It's wellness-focused, sustainability-committed, and genuinely welcoming for everyone from families (kids' robes! in-room camping experiences!) to business travelers hosting offsites. This is a place that gives you permission to play, think big, and reconnect with the natural world. If you're planning an event in the Bay Area and want your team to actually relax, recharge, and think creatively rather than just grind through another conference agenda, Treehouse Silicon Valley is your answer. If you need an intro, reach out.

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Want to work with Gianna or take her Event Planning Masterclass? Visit giannagaudini.com/learn-from-me

Gianna's Gem: Gianna’s Gem: SUCCESS, the 7-step framework to uplevel your events

Hi there,

Recently, I was having coffee with a CMO who was telling me about her company's upcoming conference. She had the “foundational” components locked in: venue booked, speakers confirmed, agenda set, invites ready. But something was bothering her.

"Gianna," she said, "I know this event is going to be good. But how do I make sure it's actually transformative? How do I take it from good to truly unforgettable?"

It's a question I hear all the time. And honestly? It's the right question to be asking.

Here's the truth: anyone can execute an event. The logistics, the timelines, the vendor management…those are table stakes. What separates truly unforgettable (and thus shareable) events from forgettable ones isn't flawless execution. It's whether your attendees walk away changed. Have you taken them FROM where they were before they met you TO some place better?

That's why I developed the SUCCESS framework: a blueprint for creating events that don't just happen to people, but transform them.

Gianna's Gem: Great events aren't just well-planned. They're well-designed, with every element intentionally crafted to create lasting impact.

So let’s dive in! What SUCCESS Stands For

S - Story-Wrapped Experiences
U - Unforgettable Moments
C - Connection over Content
C - Curated Personalization
E - Empathy-Driven Planning
S - Surprise and Delight
S - Shifts (Strategic & Emotional Metamorphosis)

Each element builds on the others to create experiences that resonate long after the event ends. Let me break down what each one means, and how you can apply it to your next event.

S: Story-Wrapped Experiences

Stories stick while features fade.

Think about the last conference you attended. Can you remember the specific feature set that was announced in the keynote? Probably not. But I bet you remember how you felt when the CEO shared that vulnerable story about the company's early struggles.

That's the power of story.

When you wrap your event in a narrative arc, you give attendees a framework for understanding, remembering, and retelling what they experienced. You transform disconnected moments into a cohesive journey.

Real-World Example: When I was at Airtable, we didn't just "host a user conference." We told the story of transformation: from where customers were struggling (the problem) to where they could be with the right solutions (the possibility). Every session, every activation, every networking moment supported that narrative arc (and that red thread was “connection. changes. everything.” which made sense given we had just launched a category as a connected apps platform).

The result? Attendees didn't just consume content. They saw themselves in the story. And that's when they leaned in, and then shared broadly.

Your Action Step:

Before you finalize another agenda or book another speaker, ask yourself:

• What's the narrative arc of my event?

• Where are attendees when they arrive (emotionally and strategically)?

• Where do I want them to be when they leave?

• How does every element of my event move them along that journey?

My Key Principles:

• Stories stick while features fade in memory

• Narratives help customers reshare and remember what you convey

• Executives approve when stories lead the way

• Share-worthy tales that attendees photograph and post on social

• What's your story? What can your brand do that no other brand can? What does your brand stand for?

U: Unforgettable Moments

People won't remember everything. Make sure they remember the right things.

Here's a hard truth backed by neuroscience: your attendees can't remember everything from your event. Their brains aren't wired that way.

But they will remember roughly three things. Your job? Decide what those three things are and design every other element to support them.

I call this the "Power of Three," and it's one of the most liberating constraints in event design.

Real-World Example: At a Google executive retreat, we could have filled three days with back-to-back sessions on product strategy, market trends, and operational updates. Instead, we identified our Top 3 moments:

1. The opening surprise (an exec skydiving into the welcome reception…yes, really)

2. The innovation workshop where teams prototyped solutions to real customer challenges

3. The closing campfire conversation (complete with a gourmet s’mores bar) where leaders shared their biggest lessons learned

Everything else? Designed to support these moments or get out of the way.

The result? Months later, attendees were still talking about that event. Not because it was packed with content, but because it was intentionally memorable and built around stories.

Your Action Step:

For your next event, identify your Top 3 memorable moments. Then ruthlessly evaluate every other element:

• Does this support one of the Top 3? Keep it.

• Does this dilute focus? Cut it or redesign it.

My Key Principles:

• Magic that makes the mundane bright

• Three memorable things attendees take away—deprioritize the rest

• Obsessive hospitality and attention to detail

• Experiences that feel one-of-a-kind regardless of budget

• Priceless access that attendees can't secure themselves

C: Connection over Content

Peer-to-peer beats another paid speaker.

Here's what most event planners get wrong: they think attendees come for content.

They don't. They come for connection.

Don't get me wrong, content matters. But in 2026, your attendees can access world-class content from their couch. What they can't get virtually? Authentic human connection around shared challenges.

Real-World Example: At Airtable's first major user conference, we made a bold choice: 40% of the agenda was dedicated to peer-to-peer interaction. No speakers. No presentations. Just structured conversation, working sessions, and facilitated networking.

Our stakeholders were nervous. "People are paying to attend…shouldn't we give them more content?"

But here's what happened: attendees rated those peer sessions as the highest value parts of the conference. The unstructured conversations led to partnerships, problem-solving, and genuine community formation that lasted long after the event ended.

Your Action Step:

Audit your next event agenda. How much time is dedicated to peer interaction vs. one-way content delivery?

If it's less than 30%, you have work to do.

Key Principles:

• Peer-to-peer beats another speaker

• Tacit knowledge flows when people meet

• Connect over shared humanity, pain points, and challenges

• Community bonds when problems are solved in think tanks or share circles

• "Me too" moments paired with aspirational real-world heroes

• Pre- and post-event connection for continuous engagement beyond a moment in time

C: Curated Personalization

Generic experiences feel forgettable. Personal moments feel seen.

Personalization isn't about putting someone's name on a badge, or addressing them with their name in an email (though that's a good start). It's about creating moments that are genuinely relevant to each attendee's needs, interests, and journey stage.

When done well, personalization communicates: "We see you as an individual. We've thought about what you need."

Real-World Example: At a SoftBank portfolio CEO summit, we could have treated all 50 CEOs the same. But we didn't.

We created personalized welcome beverages and snacks stocked in their hotel rooms when they arrived based on research into each CEO's preferences. We curated networking introductions connecting people who could specifically help each other in advance and then in person. We offered afternoon and morning “adventure” options so attendees could choose sessions aligned with their company stage and industry but also based on interests so they could cross-pollinate in different ways.

The result? CEOs reported feeling deeply valued, not just as attendees, but as individuals and felt the summit was worth their time out of office.

Your Action Step:

Map out attendee personas for your next event. For each persona, identify 3-5 touchpoints where you can offer personalized options:

• Track selection based on role or experience level

• Content formats (workshops vs. lectures vs. peer discussions)

• Networking matchmaking based on shared interests or challenges

• Dietary preferences handled proactively

• Communication style (some want detailed pre-reads, others prefer minimal prep)

My Key Principles:

• Intention shows you truly care

• Relevance makes attendees feel seen

• Tailored touches everywhere so attendees can customize to meet their needs at the right time and place

• Personal moments, not standardized experiences

E: Empathy-Driven Planning

When you solve for their needs first, your event becomes indispensable.

This one's simple but powerful: great events start with deep empathy for your attendees.

What keeps them up at night? What would make their investment of time and money feel worthwhile? What pain points will they experience at your event—and how can you eliminate them before they arise?

Real-World Example: When planning Google Cloud Next (a 30,000-person conference), we didn't just think about our logistics. We obsessed over attendee pain points:

• Long lines? We created multiple registration areas and mobile check-in AND we added hackers giving away coffee and breakfast to hungry attendees while they waited.

• Information overload? We designed quiet lounges for processing time and streaming option for those who were late and missed getting into the keynote.

• Decision fatigue about which sessions to attend? We created clear tracks and personalized recommendations.

• Women feeling lost without many peers? We created networking breakfasts and lunches for them to meet and navigate the event together as birds of a feather.

Every pain point we solved translated into higher satisfaction scores and better business outcomes.

Your Action Step:

About two weeks before your event, conduct an attendee journey audit. Walk through every touchpoint and ask:

• What could frustrate attendees here?

• What needs might they have that we haven't addressed?

• How can we make this smoother, easier, more delightful?

Key Principles:

• Listen closely to what attendees need and deliver on that

• Understand their ROI, not just yours

• Empathy plants the engagement seed—lead with solving their problem

• Solve attendee pain points at the event; it translates to how you'll take care of their business pain

S: Surprise and Delight

Unexpected joy creates lasting memories—and powerful reciprocity.

Here's something fascinating about human psychology: when you exceed expectations in unexpected ways, you create reciprocity. People feel compelled to give back, even if just through deeper attention, openness, and engagement.

That gelato cart that appeared poolside at the perfect moment? That handwritten note waiting in their hotel room? That unexpected training session with an Olympian? These aren't just "nice touches." They're strategic tools for creating emotional peaks that become lasting memories.

Real-World Example: At a Google leadership offsite, we knew attendees would be exhausted after an intensive morning session. So we surprised them with a gourmet food truck festival for lunch—complete with their favorite childhood comfort foods, customized based on pre-event surveys we'd conducted.

The cost? Marginal compared to our overall budget. The impact? Attendees were reenergized, delighted, and emotionally primed for the afternoon's creative brainstorming. Plus, they associated Google with that feeling of being truly cared for.

Your Action Step:

Identify the top 3 pain points attendees typically experience at events (long lines, bad coffee, boring transitions, etc.). Design specific "delight moments" that turn each pain point into an unexpected pleasure.

Key Principles:

• Unexpected moments spark joy

• Wink-and-a-smile touches offer playful vibes that are the antidote to stress

• Turning expected pain points into joy creates a huge expectation leap (but don't go the opposite way)

• Delight, nostalgia, and comfort put people in the right frame of mind to tune in to what you have to share (needs are met)

• Giving to attendees creates a psychological need to "repay" the giver, even if it's just listening or taking a call

S: Shifts (Strategic & Emotional Metamorphosis)

The ultimate measure of success: transformation.

Here's the question that should guide every event decision you make: What shift am I creating?

Not "What content am I delivering?" or "How many sessions am I including?" But: What belief am I transforming? What emotion am I evoking? What action will attendees take as a result?

Because events that don't create transformation are just expensive gatherings. The real ROI comes from change…in beliefs, behaviors, and business outcomes.

Real-World Example: When I designed events for SoftBank Vision Fund, we didn't measure success by attendance numbers or satisfaction scores (though those mattered). We measured it by shifts:

• From skepticism about AI → to conviction about its transformative potential

• From feeling isolated in their founder journey → to feeling supported by a community

• From uncertainty about next steps → to clarity and commitment to action and implementation

Every element of the event was designed to create these specific shifts. And we could measure the results: partnerships and alliances formed, investments made, strategies changed.

Your Action Step:

Before planning your next event, create a transformation map:

LEFT SIDE (Arrival State):

• What do attendees believe when they arrive?

• What emotions are they feeling?

• What behaviors or strategies are they currently using?

RIGHT SIDE (Departure State):

• What do you want them to believe when they leave?

• What emotions do you want them to feel?

• What actions do you want them to take?

Every element of your event should move attendees from left to right.

My Key Principles:

• Transform beliefs (from → to)

• Emotions journey: Where are they when they arrive? What do they feel when they leave?

• Strategic outcomes: The beliefs and emotions drive actions

Bringing It All Together: The SUCCESS Framework in Action

Here's why I love this framework: it's not about adding more to your event. It's about designing with intention.

You can have a two-hour workshop or a three-day conference. A 50-person dinner or a 5,000-person activation. The SUCCESS framework works at any scale because it's about how you design, not what you include.

Start with Shifts: What transformation are you creating?

Plan with Empathy: What do your attendees actually need?

Craft Your Story: What narrative arc supports the transformation?

Design Unforgettable Moments: What are your Top 3 memorable experiences?

Prioritize Connection: How are you facilitating peer-to-peer interaction?

Personalize Intentionally: Where can you show attendees they're seen as individuals?

Layer in Surprise: What unexpected delights will create emotional peaks?

When all seven elements work together, something magical happens. Your event transcends logistics and becomes an experience people don't just attend—they treasure, share, and act upon.

Your Implementation Challenge

Here's what I want you to do: Pick your next event and audit it against the SUCCESS framework.

For each element, ask yourself:

• Story: What's my narrative arc? Does every element support it?

• Unforgettable: What are my Top 3 moments? Am I protecting them or diluting them?

• Connection: Am I prioritizing content delivery over peer interaction?

• Curated: Where can I add personalization that truly matters?

• Empathy: What pain points haven't I addressed?

• Surprise: Where can I exceed expectations in unexpected ways?

• Shifts: What transformation am I creating? Can I measure it?

You don't have to master all seven elements overnight. Start with one. Maybe it's getting crystal clear on your event story. Maybe it's building in more connection time. Maybe it's identifying your transformation goals before you finalize your agenda.

Pick one. Master it. Then add the next.

Because excellence isn't built in grand gestures—it's built in the accumulation of intentional choices that honor what events can truly be: not just gatherings, but transformations.

The Bottom Line

After 23+ years planning events for Google, AWS, SoftBank, Airtable and Cognition, here's what I know for sure:

The events people remember aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest budgets or the most famous speakers or the fanciest venues (though those things can help).

The events people remember, and more importantly, the events that create real business impact, are the ones designed with the SUCCESS framework in mind.

Stories that resonate. Moments that matter. Connections that last. Personalization that honors individuality. Empathy that anticipates needs. Surprises that delight. And shifts that transform.

That's the secret sauce. That's what takes events from good to legendary.

And now you have the blueprint to create it yourself.

You've got this.

XX,
Gianna

What I'm Loving This Week: And for all my favorite vendors, partners and products, visit: https://www.giannagaudini.com/gianna-recommends

Atomic Habits by James Clear If you've ever struggled to build better habits (or break bad ones), James Clear's Atomic Habits is the game-changer you need. I am obsessed with how he breaks down the science of habit formation into actionable, practical strategies that actually work, proving that tiny changes compound into remarkable results over time. I've applied his framework to everything from my morning routine to how I plan events, and it's transformed the way I approach both personal and professional growth. It proves excellence isn't built in grand gestures, it's built in the accumulation of small, intentional daily choices.

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Gianna's Gem: How to Slay a Cross-Functional Event Team Meeting

Hi there,

Last week, I wrapped up a massive product launch event that involved coordinating across seven different teams: marketing, sales, product, operations, creative, brand, and comms. Each team had their own priorities, timelines, and ideas about what "success" looked like.

Sound familiar?

If you've ever tried to plan a complex event with multiple stakeholders, you know the pain: the endless email threads, the meetings that spiral into debates about font choices, the decisions that get unmade three times before anyone commits, the endless Slack messages to try to regain clarity and “alignment” from a meeting that wasn’t well run.

But here's what I've learned after 15+ years of orchestrating events for Google, AWS, SoftBank, and Airtable: The quality of your cross-functional meetings directly determines the quality of your event.

When your meetings are productive, intentional,  motivational, and efficient, your event gets delivered on time, on budget, and on brand. When they're unprepared, unengaging, or dominated by the loudest voice in the room? Your event suffers—and so does your team's morale.

So today, I want to share the exact framework I use to run cross-functional team meetings that actually drive results and save time rather than waste it. These aren't theoretical best practices—they're battle-tested tactics I use every single week to keep complex events on track while keeping my team engaged and energized.

Gianna's Gem: Great events don't happen by accident. They happen because someone facilitated the h*** out of the planning process.

The Pre-Meeting Foundation: Set Yourself Up for Success

The biggest mistake people make with cross-functional meetings? They think the work starts when everyone joins the Zoom. Wrong. The real work happens before anyone shows up.

1. Define Your Meeting's North Star

Before you send a single calendar invite, get crystal clear on what this specific meeting needs to accomplish. Not what it could accomplish. What it must accomplish.

I use this simple framework:

Purpose: Why are we meeting? (One sentence.)
Outcome: What decision or deliverable will we have by the end? (Specific and measurable.)
Success Looks Like: How will we know this meeting was worth everyone's time?

Example:

Purpose: Finalize the event agenda and assign session owners.
Outcome: A locked agenda with confirmed speakers and session leads for each slot.
Success Looks Like: Every attendee leaves knowing exactly what they own and by when. No "I'll think about it and get back to you."

When you're this specific upfront, you eliminate 90% of the scope creep and tangential conversations that derail meetings.

2. Invite Intentionally (Not Everyone Needs to Be There)

Here's an uncomfortable truth: Most meetings have too many people in them.

I know, I know—you don't want anyone to feel excluded. You want to be inclusive. But here's what actually happens when you invite people who don't need to be there:

• Meetings take twice as long because everyone feels obligated to contribute something

• Decisions get diluted because too many voices are weighing in on details that don't concern them or that they aren’t responsible or accountable for

• The people who do need to be there get frustrated because their time is being wasted

My rule: Only invite people who either:

1. Need to make a decision in this meeting

2. Own a deliverable that will be discussed

3. Have critical context that impacts the decision

Everyone else gets a post-meeting summary. That's not exclusion—that's respecting their time. Those “I’s” aka “informed” folks on the RACI chart? Send them the recap since they don’t need to directly weigh in on a decision.

And this also saves money! I often ask an agency which team members need to be in stakeholder meetings, and which can be informed by their team leader in other stand-up meetings. Billable hours are real, so when you cut the folks required to attend meetings, they can be using your budget to actually get work done!

3. The Pre-Read That Actually Gets Read

You know what doesn't work? Sending a 12-page deck two hours before the meeting and expecting people to digest it.

You know what does work? A one-page pre-read that takes 5 minutes to review and actually prepares people to contribute.

Here's my template:

Meeting: [Name]
Date/Time: [Details]
Purpose: [One sentence] and  What We'll Decide: [Bullet points]

Your Prep:

• Review the attached [doc/deck/brief]

• Come prepared to discuss: [Specific question]

• If you have concerns about [topic], please flag them before the meeting

Background/Context: [2-3 sentences of essential context]

Open Questions Going Into the Meeting:

• [Question 1]

• [Question 2]

• [Question 3]

We did this when I worked at Amazon, and while I didn’t love everything about working there, the pre-read culture was super helpful as it set a standard for preparing in advance. Sometimes, we’d even take the first 10 minutes of a call to let everyone read the “PR FAQ brief” as we called them. Ideally, an option to pre-read is best as it allows some processing time (which I often find leads to more productive, thoughtful discussions).

This format does something magical: it tells people exactly what to prepare and what they'll be expected to contribute. No surprises. No winging it.

Pro tip: I send this 24 - 48 hours before the meeting, not 2 hours. People need processing time, not panic time.

During the Meeting: Facilitation Tactics That Keep Things Moving

Okay, everyone's on the call. Now what? This is where most meetings fall apart. Someone dominates the conversation. Side debates erupt. Time evaporates. You end with "let's circle back on this" instead of actual decisions.

Here's how to avoid that:

1. Start with the "Why We're Here" Reminder

Don't assume everyone read your pre-read (they didn't). Don't assume everyone remembers why this meeting was scheduled (they don't).

I start every meeting the same way:

"Thanks for being here. Quick reminder on why we're gathered: [one-sentence purpose]. By the end of this hour, we need to [specific outcome]. If we accomplish that, we'll all be able to [impact on the event]. Sound good?"

This takes 30 seconds and orients everyone to the same goal. It also gives you permission to redirect conversations later: "That's a great point, but it's outside the scope of what we need to decide today. Let's table it for now."

2. Assign Roles (Yes, Even in a One-Hour Meeting)

Here's a tactic I learned from my time at Google that transformed how I run meetings: explicitly assign roles at the start.

The roles I use:

Facilitator (oftentimes me): Keeps time, manages the agenda, redirects conversations, ensures everyone is heard.

Decider: The person with final authority on the decision we're making. (This is critical—there can only be one. If you have co-deciders, you'll spend the meeting watching them negotiate in real-time.)

Notetaker: Captures decisions, action items, and key discussion points. (This should NOT be the facilitator. You can't facilitate and take notes simultaneously.) I am the WORST at trying to take notes while facilitating. Good news - Ai can now handle this for you. :)

Timekeeper: Watches the clock and gives warnings when we're approaching time limits for each agenda item.

When you name these roles out loud, people step into them. The Decider feels empowered to make the call. The Notetaker knows they're responsible for capturing outcomes. The Timekeeper will actually interrupt when you're over time.

Without explicit roles? Everyone assumes someone else is handling it, and nothing gets handled.

3. The Parking Lot: Your Best Friend for Staying on Track

You know those moments when someone brings up a valid-but-off-topic concern and you don't want to dismiss them but also can't afford to go down that rabbit hole?

Enter: The Parking Lot.

I keep a running "Parking Lot" doc visible during every meeting (shared screen or collaborative doc). When something comes up that's important but not urgent for this specific discussion, I say:

"That's a great point—let's add it to the Parking Lot so we don't lose it. We'll address it either at the end if we have time, or in a follow-up."

Then I literally type it into the Parking Lot doc so the person sees I'm taking it seriously.

This does two things:

1. The person feels heard (because they were)

2. The conversation stays on track (because we didn't derail)

And here's the key: You actually have to revisit the Parking Lot. If you say you will and then don't, people stop trusting the process.

The "Strong Opinions, Loosely Held" Framework

Cross-functional meetings often fail because people confuse collaboration with consensus. They think everyone needs to agree before you can move forward.

Wrong.

Here's what I tell my teams:

"We're going to have a discussion where everyone shares their perspective. Then [the Decider] is going to make the call. You don't have to agree with the decision, but you do have to commit to it once it's made. That's what 'strong opinions, loosely held' means—advocate for your position, but once the decision is made, we move forward as one team."

This gives people permission to “disagree and commit” without the pressure to achieve false consensus. And it makes the Decider's job clear: listen to all inputs, weigh the trade-offs, make the call.

5. Decision-Making Framework: When to Discuss vs. When to Decide

Not every topic requires the same level of discussion. But most meetings treat everything equally, which is why they drag on forever.

I use this framework to categorize agenda items:

Type 1 (Inform): No discussion needed. Just share the information and move on.
"Update: The venue contract is signed. Here's the link if you want details."

Type 2 (Input): We need perspectives before deciding, but one person will make the final call.
"We're deciding between three keynote speakers. Here are the options. Let's hear pros and cons, then [Decider] will choose."

Type 3 (Consensus): Everyone needs to align because the decision impacts all teams equally.
"We're setting the event date. This affects everyone's timelines, so we need full agreement."

Type 4 (Debate): We have significant disagreement and need to thoroughly discuss trade-offs.
"Marketing wants a big public activation. Sales wants an intimate client dinner. Let's discuss the strategy and decide."

Label each agenda item with its type. This tells people how to engage and how much time to allocate.

6. The "Two-Minute Drill" for Efficient Decision-Making

When you're trying to make a decision and the conversation is going in circles, I use the "Two-Minute Drill":

"Okay, we've heard a lot of perspectives. Here's what we're going to do: Everyone gets two minutes max to make their final case. Then we decide. No rebuttals, no back-and-forth. Just your clearest, most concise argument."

Then I set a timer (visibly, so people see I'm serious).

This forces people to distill their thoughts. It eliminates the filibustering. And it creates urgency that drives to a decision.

The Post-Meeting Follow-Through: Where Most People Drop the Ball

You had a great meeting. Decisions were made. Everyone left aligned. You're done, right?

Wrong. The meeting isn't over until the proper follow-up is sent.

1. The "Within 24 Hours" Follow-Up Email

Here's my template for post-meeting follow-up (which I send within 24 hours, always):

Subject: [Event Name] Meeting Recap + Next Steps – [Date]

Hi team,

Thanks for a productive meeting yesterday. Here's what we decided and what happens next:

DECISIONS MADE:

• [Decision 1]

• [Decision 2]

• [Decision 3]

ACTION ITEMS:

Owner: Task: Due Date

Lucy: Finalize speaker lineup: Nov 20

etc.

PARKING LOT ITEMS (to address in next meeting or via separate discussion):

• [Item 1]

• [Item 2]

OPEN QUESTIONS:

• [Question we still need to resolve]

NEXT MEETING: [Date, time, purpose]

Let me know if I missed anything or if you have questions.

Thanks,
Gianna

Why this works:

• Decisions are clearly documented (no "wait, what did we decide?" confusion)

• Action items have owners and deadlines (accountability)

• Parking Lot items are acknowledged (people feel heard)

• Open questions are named (transparency about what's still uncertain)

2. The Accountability Check-In

Here's where most cross-functional meetings fail: There's no accountability mechanism between meetings.

Someone commits to delivering something by Friday. Friday comes and goes. The next meeting happens, and suddenly we're all scrambling because the thing didn't get done.

My solution: The midpoint check-in.

If action items are due in two weeks, I send a quick Slack message one week in:

"Hey team—just checking in on action items from our last meeting. How's everyone tracking? Any blockers I can help clear?"

This does two things:

1. It reminds people of their commitments

2. It surfaces issues early, when there's still time to course-correct

No one likes being checked in on. But everyone appreciates not being blindsided by missed deadlines.

Keeping the Team Motivated: The Human Element of Cross-Functional Collaboration

Okay, we've covered the tactical stuff—agendas, roles, decision frameworks. But here's what really separates good meetings from great ones: how you make people feel.

You can have the most efficient meeting process in the world, but if people leave feeling unheard, undervalued, or uninspired, you've failed.

Here's how I keep teams engaged and motivated:

1. Start with Wins

Before diving into the agenda, I always spend 3-5 minutes celebrating wins from the previous week:

"Before we jump in, I want to call out a few wins: Marco, the sponsor deck you created is phenomenal—two sponsors have already signed on. Lucy, your quick thinking on the venue issue saved us a huge headache. Priya, the event copy you drafted got rave reviews from leadership."

This takes less than five minutes and does something magical: It reminds people that progress is happening. It builds morale. It shows that you notice their contributions.

2. Give Credit Publicly, Give Feedback Privately

If someone dropped the ball on a deliverable, don't call them out in the meeting. Pull them aside afterward:

"Hey, I noticed the floor plan wasn't ready for today's discussion. What happened? How can I help?"

But when someone does great work? Broadcast it.

"Everyone, I want to pause here and acknowledge the incredible job Emma did on this. She went above and beyond, and it shows."

Gianna’s Gem: Public praise, private correction. Always.

3. End with Energy, Not Exhaustion

Most meetings end with "Okay, I think that's everything. Thanks, everyone."

Weak.

I end every meeting with:

"Alright team, we crushed it today. We made [X decisions], we're on track for [milestone], and we're building something really special here. Thanks for bringing your A-game. See you next week."

This leaves people feeling accomplished, not drained. It reminds them why their work matters. It creates momentum instead of fatigue.

The Secret Sauce: Making People Feel Like Partners, Not Pe-ons

Here's the real truth about cross-functional meetings: People don't just want to be informed. They want to be involved.

When you treat people like order-takers ("Just do what I'm telling you"), they disengage. When you treat them like partners ("I need your expertise to solve this"), they lean in.

How I do this:

Instead of: "We need the booth design by Friday."

I say: "We're trying to create an experience that feels immersive but not overwhelming. You're the design expert—what do you think would work best?"

Instead of: "Marketing wants a big activation, but we don't have budget."

I say: "Here's the challenge: Marketing's vision requires $50K more than we have. How do we deliver the impact they want within our budget constraints? Let's brainstorm."

Notice the difference? In the first version, I'm assigning tasks. In the second version, I'm enlisting problem-solvers.

Gianna's Gem: When you invite people to solve problems with you instead of for you, you unlock their best thinking—and their deepest commitment.

The Framework in Action: A Real Example

Let me show you how this all comes together with a real example from a recent event.

The Challenge: We were planning a 500-person conference with tight timelines, limited budget, and seven cross-functional teams who all had different priorities.

The Meeting Structure:

Week 1: Vision Alignment Meeting

• Purpose: Get everyone aligned on event goals and success metrics

• Outcome: Agreed-upon vision statement and top 3 priorities

• Format: I facilitated a discussion where each team shared their goals, then we identified overlaps and conflicts. By the end, we had a unified vision that everyone could rally behind.

Week 2-12: Weekly Working Sessions

• Purpose: Make decisions on venue, agenda, budget, and logistics

• Outcome: Locked decisions with clear owners

• Format: Each meeting followed the same structure: wins from last week, decisions needed this week, action items with owners and deadlines, parking lot for future discussions.

Week 13: Pre-Event All-Hands

• Purpose: Final alignment and team motivation

• Outcome: Everyone clear on their role and pumped to execute

• Format: Run-of-show walkthrough, Q&A, and a rousing "we've got this" closing.

The Result?

• Event delivered on time, on budget, on brand

• Zero last-minute scrambles or surprises

• Post-event survey: 94% of attendees rated it "excellent"

• Team morale stayed high throughout (no burnout or drama)

And here's the kicker: Multiple team members told me afterward that it was the smoothest event planning process they'd ever experienced.

Not because I'm a genius. Because I facilitated the hell out of our meetings.

Your Action Plan: Start With One Meeting

I know this feels like a lot. And you're probably thinking, "That's great for Gianna, but I don't have time to redesign my entire meeting strategy."

Fair enough.

So here's what I want you to do: Pick one upcoming meeting and try just three things:

1. Send a one-page pre-read 48 hours in advance with the meeting purpose, decisions needed, and what people should prepare.

2. Assign explicit roles at the start of the meeting: Facilitator, Decider, Notetaker, Timekeeper.

3. Send a follow-up within 24 hours with decisions, action items (with owners and deadlines), and next steps.

That's it. Three small changes.

And I promise you: your meeting will be more productive, your team will be more aligned, and you'll feel more in control.

Then, once you've experienced the difference, you can layer in the other tactics: the Parking Lot, the Two-Minute Drill, the midpoint check-ins.

Because here's what I've learned: Productive meetings aren't about working harder. They're about facilitating smarter.

And when you facilitate with intention—when you create structure, clarity, and psychological safety—magic happens.

Decisions get made. Deadlines get met. Teams stay motivated. And events get delivered with excellence.

Gianna's Gem: Your event is only as good as the meetings that planned it. Facilitate like your event depends on it—because it does.

You've got this.

XX,
Gianna

What I'm Loving This Week: And for all my favorite vendors, partners and products, visit: https://www.giannagaudini.com/gianna-recommends

Unreasonable Hospitality Dialogue Playing Cards

I’m a huge fan of playing cards to bond (current favorite is five card draw poker with my son) and also am famous for having conversations in my purse with me at all times for when you need to facilitate some engagement (I use them with my son’s friends all the time!)

Imagine my delight when I  discovered these stunning playing cards that double as conversation card decks from Will Guidara's Unreasonable Hospitality… they've become my instant favorite for creating meaningful connection at events—and even at home.

Here's why I love them: They're beautifully designed conversation starters that go way beyond surface-level small talk. Each “royal” card poses a thoughtful question designed to spark genuine dialogue and connection. I've been using them at dinner parties, team offsites, and even networking receptions to help people move past "So, what do you do?" and into real conversations. Sometimes I let the guests discover that there are convo cards and other times I advise about how to use them. 

The questions range from reflective ("What's a lesson you learned the hard way?") to playful ("What's your most unpopular opinion?") to aspirational ("What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?"). They're the perfect tool for event planners who want to facilitate authentic connections without forcing awkward icebreakers.

I keep a deck in my bag for impromptu gatherings, and I've gifted several sets to clients who want to elevate their event experiences. At just $30, they're a game-changer for creating the kind of conversations people remember long after your event ends. Check them out here: https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/products/dialogues-playing-cards

Because the best events aren't just well-planned—they're well-connected.

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Interested in having your event or venue featured in Gianna's Gems? Reach out at gianna@gaudini.com

Gianna's Gem: Nervous System Regulation- the Secret Weapon Event Planners and Their Attendees Need

Hi there,

Last week, I had one of those conversations that stops you in your tracks. I’ve wanted to write about nervous system regulation for a while and this conversation convinced me of the need to share about why it can be a life strategy and also a business strategy you may never have considered but need to if you want durability…in your own life, and in your business.

I was catching up with an industry colleague who just finished running her company's activation at AWS re:Invent…you know, that 60,000-person conference I've written about before that's essentially Disneyland meets the Super Bowl for tech folks.

"Gianna," she said, "re:Invent is always such an assault on the nervous system. The crowds, the noise, the overstimulation, the constant 'on' energy... by day three, everyone (attendees AND our booth staff) is always completely fried." I agreed with her, commiserating about this week-after-Thanksgiving assault of the nervous system (Vegas, crowds, holidays) during the busiest time of the year.

Then she told me something brilliant.

This year, her company partnered with a client to create something different: a nervous system regulation lounge right on the expo floor. In the tech world of grind-culture, this was a HUGE RISK, but it resonated deeply with attendees and booth staff and was a wild success! Not another branded booth with product demos and lead capture forms. An actual sanctuary designed specifically to help people downshift from sympathetic (fight-or-flight) to parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) nervous system states when they needed it most. For anyone who’s tried to catch an Uber during this event just to get back to your hotel room for a 15 minute meditation or disco nap, and found the wait to be an hour, you know what I mean!

The results? Wildly successful with attendees who literally queued up to experience some relief! But here's what really caught my attention: her booth staff reported that after spending time in the regulation lounge during their breaks, they felt calmer, more grounded, and had more strategic, meaningful conversations with prospects, which directly drove better business results.

Let me say that again: Creating space for nervous system regulation didn't just feel good. It drove revenue. MIND. BLOWN. 

We can take care of ourselves and win the business too!

This conversation crystallized something I've been thinking about for years but haven't yet written about: the absolute necessity of nervous system regulation—both for us as event and tech professionals navigating high-stress industries, and for the attendees we're designing experiences for.

The Science: What Your Nervous System Is Actually Doing (And Why It Matters)

Before we dive into solutions, let's talk about what's happening in your body when you're planning that conference, managing that crisis, or standing on an expo floor for 10 hours straight.

Your autonomic nervous system has two main branches:

The Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is your accelerator. It activates when you perceive threat or stress, triggering the famous fight-or-flight response. Heart rate increases. Cortisol and adrenaline flood your system. Blood flow redirects from your digestive system and prefrontal cortex (the part of your brain responsible for complex thinking, emotional regulation, and decision-making) to your muscles. You become hyper-vigilant, reactive, and focused on survival.

The Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) is your brake. It activates during safety and calm, triggering rest-and-digest mode. Heart rate slows. Cortisol drops. Blood flow returns to your digestive system and prefrontal cortex. You can think clearly, make strategic decisions, connect authentically with others, and access your creativity.

Here's the problem: modern event planning (and attending intensely stimulating events) keeps us in chronic SNS activation.

Tight deadlines. Budget pressures. Last-minute vendor changes. Stakeholder demands. Technology failures. And for attendees? Overwhelming crowds. Sensory overload. Back-to-back sessions. FOMO about missing the "right" networking opportunity. The pressure to be "on" and perform.

When your Sympathetic Nervous System is chronically activated, several things happen:

• Your decision-making deteriorates. That prefrontal cortex shutdown means you're operating from your reptilian brain—reactive instead of strategic.

• Your creativity evaporates. Innovation requires the cognitive space that SNS activation eliminates.

• Your emotional regulation fails. You snap at your team. You catastrophize problems. You lose perspective.

• Your body breaks down. Chronic cortisol wreaks havoc on everything from your immune system to your sleep quality to your digestive health.

• Your relationships suffer. When you're in fight-or-flight, you can't attune to others. Authentic connection becomes impossible.

And here's what hit me hardest about my colleague's story: If this is true for us as planners, it's equally true for our attendees.

The Event Planner Paradox: We're Dysregulated While Designing Experiences

Let's get real for a moment. How many of you have:

• Responded to an email at 11 PM while your heart was racing about tomorrow's site visit?

• Eaten lunch standing up in three minutes between back-to-back calls or skipped it completely or…eaten but not really felt like you were aware of eating?

• Felt your chest tighten when you saw your inbox hit 150+ unread messages?

• Had trouble falling asleep because your brain was spinning through the event run-of-show?

• Snapped at your partner/kids/team because you were stretched so thin?

• Felt simultaneously exhausted and wired, unable to truly relax even on "off" days?

This isn't just stress. This is nervous system dysregulation. And it's not sustainable.

I learned this the hard way. During my years at Google, Softbank, AWS, Airtable… I was executing flawlessly on the outside while slowly burning out on the inside. I was checking every box, meeting every deadline, exceeding every expectation—while my body was screaming for me to slow down. 

The wake up call came for me when I was trying to conceive my son. After multiple costly failed attempted to conceive, including rounds of IVF, I finally caved and took a full month of unused vacation time to see if that would help. Sure enough, that’s when I conceived.  My work kept me in such a state of chronic fight or flight, I needed a full month “off” from work for my body to feel safe enough to carry a child.

Was it a heart attack? No. It was a panic attack—my nervous system finally waving the white flag after months of chronic activation.

That moment changed everything for me. I realized that my "I'll rest after this event" mentality was fundamentally broken. Because in this industry, there's always another event. Another deadline. Another crisis. Another email waiting to be responded to…

Gianna's Gem: You cannot pour from an empty nervous system. The quality of the experiences you create is directly related to the state of your own regulation.

Why Tech and VC Professionals Need This Even More

If you're reading this and working in tech, venture capital, or similarly high-velocity industries, you're facing a perfect storm of nervous system stressors:

• Constant Context-Switching: Moving between Slack, email, Zoom, Notion, pitch decks, and product demos keeps your brain in a state of fragmented attention that's neurologically exhausting.

• Always-On Culture: The expectation that you're available across time zones, responding to messages at all hours, attending "optional" evening events that aren't really optional.

• High-Stakes Decision-Making: Whether you're deciding which startup to fund or which product feature to prioritize, the cognitive load is immense—and it's happening while your nervous system is already taxed.

• FOMO and Competitive Pressure: The fear that you're missing the next big thing, that your competitor just closed a deal you should have seen, that you're not networking enough/shipping fast enough/scaling quickly enough.

• Event Overload: Between investor dinners, demo days, conference activations, team offsites, customer events, and industry gatherings, you're constantly "on"—performing, pitching, connecting.

The result? An entire industry of brilliant people operating from dysregulated nervous systems, making suboptimal decisions while wondering why they feel simultaneously exhausted and anxious.

The Nervous System Regulation Lounge: A Case Study

Let me paint you a picture of what my colleague created with with her client at reInvent.

Walking into AWS re:Invent's expo hall is like walking into sensory chaos. Flashing lights. Competing music and booth “teaching theaters” blaring content. Thousands of conversations happening simultaneously. Booth staff shouting demos. The constant buzz of opportunity and overwhelm.

And then: an oasis. The “nervous system reset lounge” was designed with intention at every level:

Sensory Design:

• Soft, warm lighting (no harsh fluorescents)

• Sound dampening materials to reduce the chaos of the expo floor

• Comfortable seating that actually supported the body

• Plants and natural elements to trigger biophilic responses

• A water feature providing gentle white noise

Regulation Activities:

• Guided breathwork sessions every 30 minutes

• A quiet meditation corner with cushions and noise-canceling headphones

• Gentle stretching and movement prompts displayed on screens

• Grounding activities (like a sand zen garden)

• Hydration station with herbal teas and infused water

Time Structure:

• A cubby to “check and charge” your devices so you won’t have distraction and also get a nice recharge for your phone while you’re recharging your own batteries. Optional option to have a staff member come get you after a set amount tof time has passed so you can relax stress-free.

• Gentle encouragement to stay for at least 10 minutes (research shows it takes approximately 10 minutes to shift from SNS to PNS activation)

• No pressure to engage with product information or sales staff

• No sales messaging, just light branding that enticed people to learn more just because it was so unobtrusive.

Here's what happened:

For Attendees:

• People literally lined up to enter during peak expo hours (there was a “notify me” option so people didn’t have to stand in line and get more stressed when this happened)

• The average stay time was 17 minutes—in an environment where most booth interactions last under 3 minutes

• Attendees reported feeling "reset," "grounded," and "able to focus again"

• Social sharing was organic and enthusiastic—people genuinely wanted others to know about this space

• Brand affinity skyrocketed (more on this in a moment)

For Booth Staff:

• Team members who took regulation breaks reported feeling less frazzled and more present leading to…

• More strategic conversations (fewer rushed pitches, more listening and understanding)

• Their ability to read prospects improved (when you're regulated, you can attune to others)

• They closed more qualified leads because they were operating from their prefrontal cortex instead of survival mode

• End-of-day energy levels were significantly higher than previous years

For Business Results:

• Higher quality lead capture (people who were genuinely interested vs. people grabbing swag)

• Increased time spent with prospects (those strategic conversations)

• Better brand perception ("This company actually cares about my wellbeing")

• Measurable pipeline from conversations that happened in calmer, more grounded states

Gianna's Gem: When you help people regulate their nervous systems, they associate your brand with safety, care, and genuine value—not just products and pitches.

What Nervous System Regulation Looks Like for Event Planners

Okay, so you're convinced this matters. But how do you actually regulate your nervous system when you're in the thick of event planning?

Here are the practices that have transformed my own planning process and kept me sane through some of the most demanding events of my career:

1. The Morning Non-Negotiable

Before I dive into my to-do list, I spend 10 minutes regulating my nervous system. This isn't a luxury, it's the foundation that makes everything else that will happen that day so much more manageable and my priorities so much clearer.

My ritual:

• 2-5 minutes of breathwork (4-count inhale, 8-count exhale activates the vagus nerve and shifts you into parasympathetic mode) 

• 5 minutes of gentle stretching or yoga

• 5 minutes of journaling intentions for the day

Why it works: You're training your nervous system to start the day from a grounded place instead of immediately spiking into stress mode. This baseline regulation carries through your entire day.

The resistance you'll face: "I don't have 15 minutes!" Here's the truth: you're going to spend those 15 minutes somewhere—either proactively regulating, or reactively managing the mistakes, miscommunications, and meltdowns that happen when you operate from dysregulation.

2. The Micro-Regulation Breaks

You can't sustain regulation through 8+ hours of back-to-back meetings and crisis management. You need strategic breaks throughout the day.

Every 90 minutes, I take 5 minutes to:

• Step outside (even just to a window) and get natural light

• Do a body scan (notice where I'm holding tension)

• Take 10 deep breaths

• Stretch my neck, shoulders, and back

• Drink water (dehydration increases cortisol)

Why it works: These micro-breaks prevent the accumulation of stress. You're resetting your baseline instead of letting dysregulation compound throughout the day.

Pro tip: Set calendar reminders (or another mechanism that will enable you to remember your intention). Otherwise, you'll get sucked into the vortex and realize at 6 PM that you haven't moved or breathed properly all day.

3. The Sacred Lunch break

I know, I know—lunch is when you "should" be networking, squeezing in one more call, or powering through emails.

But here's what I discovered: when I protect even 20 minutes for lunch for actual nourishment and regulation, my afternoon productivity skyrockets.

My lunch protocol:

• Eat sitting down (not at my desk)

• Put my phone away completely

• Chew slowly and actually taste my food

• Take a 10-minute walk after eating

Why it works: Your digestive system only works properly in parasympathetic mode. When you eat while stressed (SNS activation), your body can't properly digest—leading to energy crashes, brain fog, and that horrible "wired but tired" feeling.

Plus, that midday reset prevents the 3 PM crash that has you reaching for your fourth coffee while making increasingly poor decisions.

4. The Transition Ritual

One of the hardest parts of event planning is the constant context-switching between strategic thinking, vendor management, stakeholder communication, budget reviews, and creative design.

I developed transition rituals between major tasks:

Before switching contexts:

• Close all unnecessary tabs and applications

• Take three deep breaths

• Set an intention for the next task

• Clear my physical space

Why it works: Research shows it takes approximately 23 minutes to fully focus on a complex task after switching. These micro-rituals reduce that cognitive switching cost and help you arrive fully present.

5. The Boundary Enforcement

This one's hard, but it's essential: you must create boundaries around your availability.

My boundaries:

• No work emails after 8:30 PM or before 7 AM

• One full day per weekend completely offline (admittedly still working on this)

• No working on phone during time with my son

Why it works: Your nervous system needs genuine recovery time to restore. If you're always "on call," you're training your system to stay in low-level SNS activation even during supposed downtime.

The pushback you'll get: "But what if there's an emergency?"

The reality: In 15+ years of event planning, I can count on one hand the number of true emergencies that required immediate response outside business hours. Everything else can wait until morning—and your rested, regulated brain will handle it better anyway.

Gianna's Gem: Boundaries aren't selfish—they're the prerequisite for sustainable excellence. You cannot serve others from depletion.

6. The Movement Integration

Sitting in meetings and hunched over computers creates physical tension that dysregulates your nervous system. Movement is one of the fastest ways to release that stored stress.

What works for me:

• Walking meetings whenever I don’t need to be reviewing something at my computer (I'm convinced I have better conversations when moving as I’m less distracted by my screen)

• Stretch breaks between calls (yes, really—put on one song and move)

• Evening yoga or stretching routine before bed when possible

• Weekend hikes to reset in nature with my family

Why it works: Movement metabolizes stress hormones. When you're stuck in your head and your body, you're trapping cortisol and adrenaline. Movement releases it. Nature also helps reduce cortisol, ground us and see the bigger picture.

Designing Nervous System-Friendly Events: A New Framework

Now let's talk about what this means for the events you're creating.

If nervous system regulation matters for you as the planner, it matters exponentially more for your attendees—because they're experiencing all the stressors of the event without the benefit of having designed it.

Think about the typical conference experience from a nervous system perspective:

Sympathetic Activation Triggers:

• Overwhelming crowds and noise

• Back-to-back sessions with no processing time

• FOMO about missing sessions or networking opportunities

• Constant stimulation (bright lights, loud music, competing demands for attention)

• Pressure to be "on" and performative

• Lack of quiet space or privacy

• Poor food choices (sugar and caffeine spikes, no real nutrition)

• Uncomfortable seating and physical exhaustion

• Information overload with no integration time

The result? By day two, your attendees are operating from survival mode. Their prefrontal cortex is offline. They're making poor decisions about which sessions to attend. They're having surface-level conversations because they don't have the capacity for depth. They're consuming content without retaining it.

And then we wonder why event ROI is hard to measure.

Here's the paradigm shift: What if we designed events specifically to support nervous system regulation instead of accidentally sabotaging it?

The Nervous System-Friendly Event: Practical Design Principles

1. Build in Genuine Recovery Time

The problem: We pack agendas wall-to-wall because we think more content = more value.

The reality: Attendees retain only 10-20% of content from back-to-back sessions with no processing time. With strategic breaks and integration periods, retention jumps to 40-50%.

What to do instead:

• Schedule 30-minute breaks between major sessions (not 10-minute bathroom sprints)

• Create dedicated "integration hours" where attendees can choose their own adventure: attend optional workshops, explore quietly, have one-on-one conversations, or literally just decompress

• Design your final session to end by 4 PM, giving people time to process before evening networking

• Build in a "pause and reflect" ritual after powerful keynotes (3-5 minutes of guided reflection)

What happens: Attendees actually absorb and integrate what they're learning. They return to sessions ready to engage rather than mentally exhausted. And paradoxically, they report getting MORE value from fewer sessions.

2. Create Restorative Zones Throughout Your Venue

Taking a page from my colleague's lounge, every event should have designated spaces for nervous system regulation.

Essential elements:

• Quiet Zone: Soft lighting, comfortable seating, sound dampening, no screens or networking expectations. Just space to be.

• Movement Zone: Gentle stretching guides, yoga mats, or even a simple walking path

• Sensory Regulation: Plants, natural materials, water features, calming scents

• Nourishment Station: Healthy snacks (not just coffee and cookies), herbal teas, infused water

• Technology Breaks: Phone-free zones or "phone parking" stations

Pro tip: Make these spaces visible and inviting, not hidden away like a shameful secret. Normalize the need for regulation by designing it prominently into your event flow.

What attendees will say: "This was the most thoughtful event I've attended. I actually had the space to think and connect meaningfully."

3. Rethink Your Sensory Environment

Most events assault the senses, assuming that "high energy" equals "good experience." But overstimulation dysregulates nervous systems.

Lighting:

• Natural light whenever possible (our circadian rhythms respond to it)

• Warm, soft lighting for registration and common areas (not harsh fluorescents)

• Dimmable options for different times of day

• Avoid strobing or rapidly flashing lights that can trigger stress responses

Sound:

• Intentional music choices (research shows certain tempos and frequencies regulate nervous systems)

• Sound dampening in high-traffic areas

• Quiet zones that are actually quiet

• Mindful volume levels (if people have to shout, it's too loud)

Smell:

• Fresh air circulation and outdoor spaces/lounges

• Subtle, calming scents (lavender, eucalyptus, citrus)

• Avoid overwhelming air fresheners or food smells

Touch:

• Comfortable, supportive seating (your attendees' backs will thank you)

• Temperature control (slightly cool is better than too warm) and blankets for those who may need extra warmth 

• Quality materials that feel good (tablecloths, name badge lanyards, swag items)

Gianna's Gem: Your sensory environment is constantly sending signals to attendees' nervous systems. Design it intentionally to signal safety and care, not chaos and overstimulation.

4. Upgrade Your Food Strategy

Food is one of the most overlooked nervous system regulation tools at events.

The typical approach: Sugar laden pastries for breakfast, heavy carb-loaded lunch, endless coffee, afternoon cookies, evening alcohol. This creates a blood sugar and cortisol roller coaster that dysregulates everyone.

The regulated approach:

• Protein-rich breakfast options (not just muffins and bagels)

• Balanced, nourishing lunch with real vegetables and quality vegetarian and animal protein options

• Healthy snack stations throughout the day (nuts, fresh fruit, veggie sticks with hummus)

• Hydration emphasis (herbal teas, infused water, coconut water—not just coffee and soda)

• Mindful non-alcohol service (quality over quantity with booze, mocktails that aren’t pure sugar and include adaptogens, with substantial food always available)

Why it matters: When blood sugar crashes, cortisol spikes. When attendees are dehydrated, cognitive function declines. When they're surviving on caffeine and sugar, they're in SNS activation.

Feed them well, and you're literally supporting their nervous system regulation.

5. Design Connection, Not Just Networking

Traditional networking creates SNS activation for most people (especially introverts). The pressure to perform, make small talk with strangers, and "work the room" is exhausting.

What to do instead:

• Structured connection activities with clear prompts (reduces social anxiety)

• Small group conversations facilitated by hosts (eliminates the "lost in a crowd" feeling)

• Shared experiences that create natural bonding (like my poker tournament example from the last Gem)

• "Introvert-friendly" zones where deep one-on-one conversations are encouraged

• Post-session integration circles where small groups discuss what they learned

What happens: Authentic connections form. People feel seen and valued rather than reduced to a badge scan. And paradoxically, business outcomes improve because relationships built from regulation are stronger than those built from stress.

6. Open with Regulation, Close with Integration

The opening ritual: Instead of immediately diving into content, start your event with a collective regulation practice.

Examples:

• 5 minutes of guided breathwork to help everyone arrive fully

• A mindful moment acknowledging the transition from "outside world" to "event space"

• Gentle movement or stretching to release travel tension

• A gratitude practice or intention-setting exercise

Why it works: You're creating a collective nervous system baseline. Everyone starts from the same grounded place instead of bringing their stressed-out travel energy into your opening session.

The closing ritual: Don't just end with "thanks for coming!" Create space for integration.

Examples:

• Guided breathwork or visualisation to start a session

• Reflection prompts ("What's one insight you're taking from today?")

• Journaling time with beautiful notecards that attendees can mail to themselves in six months

• A closing circle where people share their key takeaway

• A gentle transition ritual that honors the experience and prepares people to return to regular life

What attendees will feel: A sense of completion and integration rather than abrupt disconnection. They'll leave feeling nourished instead of depleted.

The Business Case for Nervous System Regulation

Let's talk ROI, because I know you're thinking: "This all sounds lovely, Gianna, but what about the bottom line?"

Here's what research (and my colleague's GitHub lounge) demonstrates:

When attendees' nervous systems are regulated:

• Retention increases dramatically. They actually remember your content instead of experiencing it in a fog.

• Engagement deepens. Regulated nervous systems can access curiosity, creativity, and genuine interest—not just surface-level participation.

• Decision-making improves. When their prefrontal cortex is online, they can evaluate your solutions strategically rather than reactively.

• Brand affinity soars. You become associated with care, safety, and genuine value—not just another vendor.

• Word-of-mouth amplifies. People don't rave about "another conference." They rave about "the event that actually cared about my wellbeing."

• Sales conversations improve. Your booth staff and sales team, operating from regulated nervous systems, can listen better, attune to needs, and close more strategic deals.

• Employee retention strengthens. Your event team doesn't burn out and leave the industry (or your company).

Gianna's Gem: Nervous system regulation isn't a nice-to-have wellness add-on. It's a strategic business decision that drives measurable outcomes.

Watch what happens. Notice how you feel as a planner. Notice how attendees respond. Collect feedback. Iterate.

Excellence isn't built in grand gestures—it's built in the accumulation of small, intentional choices that honor human nervous systems rather than overwhelm them.

The Bigger Picture: Events as Agents of Change

Here's what excites me most about this conversation: we have the opportunity to model a different way of working.

If tech and VC are facing a burnout epidemic (and all data suggests they are), and if our events are microcosms of our industry culture, then we can use events to show people what regulated, sustainable, human-centered work looks like.

When you create a nervous system-friendly event, you're not just making attendees comfortable. You're teaching them that:

• Rest is productive, not lazy

• Boundaries are professional, not selfish

• Regulation is strategic, not indulgent

• Humanity belongs in business

And when they return to their companies carrying that experience, they might just start asking: "Why don't we design our workplaces like that event designed their experience?"

That's the real ROI: events as agents of cultural change.

A Personal Note

I'm writing this from a place of hard-won wisdom. I spent years operating from a dysregulated nervous system, believing that was just "the cost of excellence."

The truth is, I wasn't excellent when I was dysregulated. I was surviving.

Durable Excellence came when I learned to regulate. When I protected my nervous system as fiercely as I protected my event budgets and timelines. When I designed events that honored human biology instead of fighting it.

The nervous system regulation lounge story reminded me of something crucial: the experiences we create for others begin with the state we create for ourselves.

You cannot design creatively from chaos. You cannot create connection from depletion. You cannot offer presence when you're barely holding it together.

So this Gem is an invitation—to yourself first, and then to your attendees:

What if we stopped glorifying exhaustion and started celebrating regulation?

What if we measured success not just by attendance numbers, but by how nourished people felt?

What if we used our events to model the sustainable, human-centered future we want to see in our industries?

The nervous system regulation revolution starts with you. In your morning ritual. In your lunch break. In your event design choices. In your willingness to say "my wellbeing matters, and so does yours."

Because here's what I know for sure: the future of events isn't about more content, more stimulation, more overwhelm.

It's about creating the conditions for human nervous systems to thrive—so that genuine learning, authentic connection, and strategic thinking can emerge.

And that future? It's being built one regulated breath, one quiet room, one nourishing meal, one mindful moment at a time.

Welcome to the revolution.

XX,

Gianna

What I'm loving this week: And for all my favorite vendors, partners and products, visit: https://www.giannagaudini.com/gianna-recommends

Cirque du Soleil ECHO, San Francisco

I took my family to see Cirque du Soleil's ECHO this past weekend, and I'm still thinking about the artistry and experience design days later. This production is a masterclass in creating immersive, multi-sensory experiences that honor the audience's journey from start to finish.

What stood out to me: 

The Thoughtful Welcome: As we entered the main tent, my son was immediately handed a booster seat—unprompted, unasked. This tiny gesture set the tone for the entire experience: "We've thought about you. We want you to see everything." That's nervous system regulation in action: anticipating needs before they become stressors.

Projection Mapping Excellence: The use of projection mapping wasn't just technical wizardry—it was storytelling. The cube structure transformed seamlessly throughout the show, creating infinite worlds within one space. As event designers, we often focus on physical set pieces, but ECHO demonstrates how technology can create emotional impact and narrative flow without overwhelming the senses. This one structural element served multiple purposes throughout the show, constantly surprising while maintaining coherent design. This is exactly what we should be doing with event spaces: designing elements that transform and reveal new dimensions rather than cluttering with more "stuff."

Experience Value: Here's what really matters: my son (who's 8) didn't check out once during the 90-minute show. No fidgeting. No "when is it over?" whispers. He was completely absorbed, because Cirque understood pacing, created moments of wonder, and respected the audience's attention span with varied acts and intentional transitions. They even leveraged the clowns from the show to “warm up the crowd” and create humor and intrigue while we waited for the show to begin. He loved them more than any of the acrobats!

The Takeaway for Event Planners: ECHO reminded me that the best experiences layer multiple elements (acrobatics, music, projection, narrative) in service of one cohesive story. They don't overstimulate—they guide your attention with precision. They create rhythm: moments of intensity balanced by moments of breath.That's exactly what nervous system-friendly events do: they orchestrate stimulation and regulation, energy and rest, spectacle and space.

If you're in the Bay Area and want to see world-class experience design in action, catch ECHO before it moves on. And bring your kids—they'll thank you for it.

Gianna's Gem: How to Take Your Events to the Next Level

Hi there, and happy 2026!

I’m having a lot of conversations with clients who want to take their events to the next level - this is awesome! I love that events are back and there’s a desire to continue to optimize them. I wanted to share some of the secret sauce more broadly with you gems in hopes that it will give you some food for thought as you start planning what your event strategy looks like in 2026…

By now, if you’re reading this, you’ve likely nailed the basics. You’ve got your planning documents lined up, your venue locked in or contract in progress, and you know exactly what your stakeholders need. That’s the foundation—and it’s critical.

But here’s where the magic happens: once the logistics are sorted, the real question becomes

How do you make this event unforgettable?

Because here’s the hard truth: your event can be flawlessly executed down to the last detail, but if your audience walks away bored, disengaged, or—worse—disappointed, you’ve missed a massive opportunity. Usually an expensive one.

The difference between good event planners and legendary ones? They never settle. They push beyond the paint-by-numbers approach and tap into creativity to craft something extraordinary. And that’s exactly what I want to help you do.

1. Master the Art of Surprise and Delight

Here’s my challenge to you: For every event—from intimate birthday parties to massive corporate conferences—aim to surprise and delight each attendee at least once.

The most memorable events are the ones you can’t stop talking about. Science backs this up: our brains are wired to remember novel, surprising stimuli. That’s why you’ll never forget your first trip to your favorite city, but visits five and six blur together.

The element of surprise gives your events that prized place in people’s memories. But I’m not talking about any surprise—I’m talking about moments of delight that make people say

“Well that’s clever!” or “I can’t believe they went to such lengths!”

Real-World Example: While at Google, I faced one of my most stressful requests ever. A top exec who was passionate about aviation wanted to skydive into our executive retreat’s welcome reception. We pulled it off (though it gave me my first gray hairs in my 30s), and the impact was incredible. It showed his human, playful side and got attendees excited in ways no icebreaker ever could. I still remember him showing me how he had to duct tape his loafers to his feet since he forgot to change into his sneakers - talk about a humanizing and humorous exchange after such a daring feat!

Another time, when Google’s self-driving cars were brand new, we secured test drives for our event—but could only accommodate a handful of people during lunch. To make it equitable, I hid golden tickets Willy Wonka-style under random seats. Before lunch, we announced everyone should check their chairs. Nobody felt left out because it was completely random, and the lucky winners had an unforgettable experience.

2. Create Smooth Transitions (Adults Are Just Tall Toddlers)

If you have kids, you know how challenging transitions can be. Here’s a secret: adults aren’t much different. You need to give them compelling reasons to move and make the transition enticing.

My wedding story: At a certain point during cocktail hour, my dad appeared brandishing a real saber. Everyone wondered what was happening as he corralled guests for the toast wielding what was more or less a sword. Then he raised the “sword” and used it to saber a champagne bottle—distributing champagne to guests in glasses bearing their table numbers. A potentially awkward transition became one of the wedding’s most memorable moments - the male guests couldn’t stop talking ot my Dad and asking questions about how he learned this trick.

Other transition tactics:

• Hire a local marching band to parade attendees into the general session

• Use a sleight-of-hand artist as a “Pied Piper” to lead people to the next venue

• Play energizing pump-up music or make dramatic announcements

• Deploy food (the ultimate motivator)—ice cream carts, churro stations, popcorn, anything mobile that people will follow

The golden rule: Always pull your audience toward the next experience. Never push them.

3. Eliminate Pain Points Before They Happen

Great events anticipate attendee needs before they arise. This means thinking through every possible friction point in the attendee journey.

Start with the basics:

• Clear signage (people shouldn’t have to search for anything)

• Comfortable seating (invest in quality chairs for long sessions)

• Temperature control (always err on the side of slightly cool)

• Accessible power outlets and WiFi that actually works

• Dietary accommodations clearly labeled and plentiful and strategically placed to minimize wait time and lines

• Quiet spaces for people to meditate and recharge

Pro tip: About a week before your event, conduct a deep-dive attendee journey audit. Walk through every single touchpoint and ask:

“What could go wrong here? How can we make this smoother?” It’s not always fun, but it works. Every. Single. Time.

4. Design for All the Senses: 

The best events engage all five senses, not just sight and sound.

Sound: Give your event its own soundtrack. Background music during arrivals can energize or calm attendees. Walk-on music for speakers sets the tone. Think about how music transforms movies—your event deserves the same treatment.

Smell: Hotels spend millions on signature scents. You can use fresh pine to invigorate, or fresh-baked cookies to lure people to your booth. I’ve even created signature scents for events and given take-home candles to guests.

Taste: Food creates powerful emotional responses. Ask yourself: Do I want energizing food? Comfort food? Communal sharing? I once attended an evening keynote where guests were served champagne and caviar as they entered the general session—immediately setting an elevated, celebratory tone for the entire conference.  I’ve also had wild success with cooking demos that captivate the senses and also are great at team building (like baking bread or making pizza in a woodfired oven).

Touch & Sight: Consider everything from the texture of materials to lighting that shifts throughout the day. These details compound to create an immersive experience that feels luxurious, relaxing, brings the outdoors in, or sets the right tone you’re evoking.

5. Evoke Intentional Emotions

Speaking of evoking - Surprise and delight should be first on your priority list, but they can’t be the only emotions your attendees experience. The best planners understand how to tap into the full range of human emotions.

Remember: Actions are inspired by emotions. If you want attendees to follow through on your call to action, identify what you want them to feel—this will influence what they think and do.

Nostalgia is incredibly powerful. Sequoia’s camping-themed CEO retreat taps into summer camp memories. WIZ’s booths always feature nostalgic references like Blockbuster video or a Sleepover party. Salesforce’s Trailhead events use camping themes complete with animals and projection-mapped waterfalls. When I need to evoke nostalgia, I host s’mores-making dessert receptions around a campfire—it reminds people of storytelling as kids and helps them bond.

Excitement and celebration can be created through unexpected elements—like that champagne and caviar entrance I mentioned earlier.

Trust and comfort are built through clear communication, comfortable spaces, and attention to attendee well-being.

The Bottom Line

Taking events from good to legendary isn’t about having a bigger budget or more resources. It’s about never settling for good. It’s about thinking beyond the checklist to create moments that surprise, transitions that delight, and experiences that engage all the senses.

Start with one thing. Pick one element from this list and implement it at your next event. Then build from there. Excellence isn’t built in grand gestures—it’s built in the accumulation of small, intentional choices.

The secret to life-changing, maybe even world-changing events? Simplify how much you’re doing, and take the RIGHT moments from ordinary to extraordinary. 

And now you’ve got a few techniques to do exactly that.

XX,

Gianna

What I’m loving this week: And as a reminder, you can find all my favorite partners and products here.

Inspiration for the new year from the soul: I met David Fischette at a BizBash Leaders Summit in Puerto Rico several years ago and was instantly drawn to his energy. He has a style and charisma about him that is magnetic and we went on to become industry friends and partners. I was thrilled to purchase his first book which is the perfect antidote to the winter doldrums - a bone broth for the soul. Hello, Fine Friends is a collection of real-life reflections, with each short chapter capturing a moment of wonder, gratitude, vulnerability, or revelation — the kind that often passes unnoticed in the rush of life.

This book is a companion for the quiet moments, which I am embracing in January — a collection you can open anywhere and always find something that meets you right where you are. Every story stands alone, yet together they reveal a journey of creativity, friendship, and personal growth. Each piece invites you to pause, reflect, and ask yourself how you might see, feel, or respond differently in your own life. These are simple stories about ordinary days, offered in hopes that they might spark extraordinary thoughts.

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Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book “The Art of Event Planning.” She’s held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Interested in having your product or venue featured in Gianna’s Gems? Reach out at gianna@gaudini.com

Gianna's Sexy Property Spotlight: Nobu Hotel & Eden Roc Miami Beach

Picture this…

You're lounging poolside at the exclusive adults-only Nobu Pool, cocktail in hand, as Miami's sherbet-hued sunset paints the Atlantic horizon in shades of pink and amber. The ocean breeze carries the scent of Japanese umami flavors from the renowned Nobu Restaurant, where Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's legendary black cod with miso awaits your dinner reservation. You have a glass of Chandon in hand from the champagne cart that’s conveniently located right as you enter the pool off the beach. 

This isn't just a hotel stay—it's an immersive international lifestyle experience where Old Hollywood glamour meets contemporary Zen Japanese minimalism in the heart of Miami Beach's chic Mid-Beach district, neighboring hot spots like The Edition, Faena, Andaz, Fountainbleu and The 1 Miami hotels.

Welcome to Nobu Hotel Miami Beach and Eden Roc Miami Beach—two iconic properties seamlessly woven together to create one of Miami's most unique and sophisticated beachfront destinations. Named #1 Best Resort in Greater Miami Beach by Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards 2022 and recognized by Condé Nast Traveler, this isn't your average beach resort. It's where cultural cachet meets coastal cool and the best part? Few know about it - which is why I’m giving you the inside scoop Gems!

Why It’s a Miami South Beach Icon

Designed in 1955 by legendary architect Morris Lapidus—the visionary behind Miami's iconic MiMo (Miami Modern) architectural style—Eden Roc has hosted everyone from Frank Sinatra to Elizabeth Taylor in its storied halls. The hotel's baroque fountain, grand front entrance, and the iconic "EDEN ROC" sign atop the building remain as lasting fixtures on the Miami Beach skyline. Famous for his catchphrase "too much is never enough," Lapidus created a space where Italian Renaissance elegance meets beachfront exuberance.

In 2016, this legendary property welcomed Nobu Hotel Miami Beach—a collaboration between Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, Oscar winner Robert De Niro, and Hollywood producer Meir Teper. Renowned designer David Rockwell masterfully blended Lapidus's iconic architecture with Japanese minimalist aesthetics, creating 206 exquisite guest rooms featuring live-edge wood furniture, washi paper art, cherry blossom décor, and traditional lanterns. The result? A contemporary Japanese beach house that honors both its heritage and its innovation.

The Sexy Factor – What Makes This a Gianna's Gem

• The Celebrity Pedigree: From Chef Nobu Matsuhisa and Robert De Niro's vision to Morris Lapidus's legendary architecture, this property is star-studded DNA incarnate.

• The Architectural Significance: Eden Roc is one of Miami's most architecturally significant hotels—a MiMo masterpiece that's been captivating design enthusiasts worldwide for nearly 70 years.

• The Adults-Only Nobu Pool: 21+ exclusivity, soaring ocean views, VIP cabana service, and exotic cocktails. Need we say more?

• The Cultural Cachet: Featured in Steely Dan's "Brooklyn (Owes the Charmer Under Me)" as a symbol of luxury and in back-to-back I Love Lucy episodes. This place is pop culture royalty.

• The In-Room Nobu Dining: 24-hour access to world-class Japanese fusion delivered to your room. Order the black cod with miso at 2am in your plush robe. Living the dream.

• The Historic Ballrooms: Host your conference where Frank Sinatra crooned and Hollywood legends partied. The energy is palpable.

• The Japanese Beach House Aesthetic: Washi paper art, cherry blossom décor, traditional lanterns, live-edge wood furniture. It's zen luxury at its finest.

• The Sunset Rituals: Private serene dinners overlooking the Atlantic at golden hour, exclusively available to Nobu pool guests. Romance? Check.

The Breakdown

• 621 spacious oceanfront guest rooms (including 206 Nobu rooms, 96 suites, and 3 lavish penthouse suites)

• 4 pristine pools including the exclusive adults-only Nobu Pool with ocean views

• 22,000 sq ft Esencia Wellness Spa featuring 18 treatment rooms, hydrotherapy circuits, whirlpools, cold plunge pools, saunas, and signature Nobu spa treatments

• 3 distinct restaurants and bars including the world-famous Nobu Miami, and Ocean Social.

• Direct Atlantic Ocean access with exclusive beach area, spacious seating, and located directly next door to water sport rentals

The Accommodations

I arrived after a severely delayed flight in need of a good  night sleep and was grateful as I was handed an evian water at arrival and entered my tranquil, Japandi-inspired hotel room where I could see twinkling lights of Miami’s lagoon and waterfront as I settled in. A beautiful platter of fruit, sculpted and styled, and delicious cheese awaited me with a handwritten note (parts of it inscribed in Japanese) to welcome me. The lanterns dimmed to create the light hue I needed as I wound down and I slept like a baby in the pillow soft bed. My Oura ring sleep score was the highest it’s been since before December!

Every Nobu guest room is truly a sanctuary of serenity, featuring: Custom Nobu mattresses and Fili d'Oro luxury linens for cloud-like comfort, Natura Bissé bath amenities and waterfall showers, Welcome tea service and 24-hour Nobu in-room dining, Floor-to-ceiling windows with sweeping ocean, Intracoastal, or Miami skyline views and Yoga mats in suites for sunrise stretches with ocean vistas. They also offer the chicest of chic neoprene Nobu black beach bags (with convenient zippered pouches inside) for purchase if you’d like to keep one for just $45. This was sophisticated and offered pain-oint elimination for the oft-forgotten beach bag - and was the best souvenir I’ve purchased at a hotel recently by far.

Want ultra-luxe? The Signature Zen Suites feature wrap-around balconies, panoramic Atlantic views, oversized soaking tubs, and butler service—the ultimate in beachfront luxury.

The Culinary Journey - Nobu Miami

The crown jewel of the property centers around the world-famous nobu restaurant where I dined with my family on New Years Eve with zero disappointment aside from the 35 degree weather that evening (thank goodness for Nobu’s wide variety of tea!) 

Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's genre-defining Japanese-Peruvian fusion has captivated international tastemakers for 16 years in Miami Beach. Adorned with gold cherry blossom décor, washi paper art, and traditional lanterns, the restaurant offers an immersive dining experience. Want exceptional? You can reserve the exclusive 10-seat Teppanyaki Room or the rare private Chef's Table—one of the only ones in the world. My favorite dishes were the miso cod, the crispy brussels, and the miso teriyaki young chicken. My son loved the sushi so much, he ordered a second roll in lieu of dessert!

Ocean Social: Chef Tristen Epps creates soulful coastal cuisine in an unparalleled oceanfront setting where you can enjoy the Miami sunsets as you savor drinks and delicious unpretentious but delicious food that’s approachable for families as well. The seafood-forward menu celebrates the freshest locally-sourced ingredients infused with Miami's vibrant Caribbean and global influences. Perched where sea meets sky, it's the perfect spot for sunset cocktails.

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Lobby Bar - Set in Lapidus's iconic 16-seat lounge and reimagined by David Rockwell, the Lobby Bar features bronze window shades, theatrical backdrops, and elegant stone counters. People enjoy handcrafted cocktails and snacks from Nobu restaurant in a sexy, glamorous environment.

The Conference & Events Excellence

Here's where Nobu Hotel Miami Beach and Eden Roc truly flex their muscles for groups wanting a taste of authentic South Beach. With over 70,000 square feet of stunning indoor and outdoor meeting and event space, these properties seamlessly blend Old Hollywood glamour with cutting-edge functionality.

Nobu Penthouse Event Spaces (4,000 sq ft)

Four sophisticated penthouse venues with stunning ocean views from every room:

• Aozora (1,225 sq ft): Soundproof walls, flexible space perfect for conferences and receptions, connects to outdoor terrace with ocean and Miami skyline views. Capacity: 20 seated, 60 standing.

• Tsuki (1,250 sq ft): Soundproof walls, can combine with Aozora for double the space, adjacent outdoor terrace with sweeping vistas. Capacity: 20 seated, 60 standing.

• Taiyo (475 sq ft): Intimate lounge-style space with comfortable seating and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking oceanfront vistas. Connects to Taiyo Terrace (511 sq ft). Capacity: 16 guests.

• Penthouse Terraces: Multiple outdoor terraces (up to 511 sq ft) offering ample seating with sweeping Miami Beach and city skyline views—perfect for cocktail receptions and al fresco dining.

Historic Eden Roc Ballrooms & Meeting Rooms

Step onto the same stage where legends performed:

• Mona Lisa Room: The intimate formal dining room where Nat King Cole first performed "Mona Lisa." Perfect for elegant dinners and executive meetings.

• Pompeii Ballroom: Where Hollywood's elite once gathered. This classic ballroom (8,963 sq ft—the largest space) combines rich history with modern accents for conferences, galas, and receptions.

• Multiple Meeting Rooms: Over 27,000 sq ft of flexible meeting space perfect for boardroom sessions and brainstorm meetings.

Nobu Restaurant Private Spaces

• Semi-Private Room (330 sq ft): Custom cherry blossom window panels, separated by sheer curtains, ideal for intimate 30-person seated dinners.

• The Patio: Temperature-controlled enclosed patio with its own bar. Flexible floor plans for receptions and dinners. Entire patio: 100 seated, 120 standing.

• Chef's Table: One of the world's only private Nobu Chef's Tables—an ultra-exclusive culinary experience.

Outdoor & Garden Venues

• Ocean & Poolside Venues: Over 24,750 sq ft of outdoor space for beachfront ceremonies, sunset receptions, and tropical celebrations.

• Garden Spaces: Lush outdoor settings perfect for welcome receptions and al fresco dining experiences.

The Wellness Sanctuary - Essencia Spa

The Essencia Wellness Spa is a temple of tranquility. Featuring 18 treatment cabins with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the resort and ocean, the spa offers signature Nobu treatments including the Nobu Zen Massage, Nobu Stretching Ritual, and Japanese Silk Treatment. 

The hydrotherapy circuit (which became my daily routine as I healed a leg injury) features whirlpools, cold plunge pools, saunas, and hydro-experience steam showers, providing the perfect reprieve from Miami's tropical sun.

The state-of-the-art fitness center (also a daily part of my routine) features Artis Line TechnoGym equipment, a dedicated yoga studio, daily group fitness classes, and oceanfront views that make working out truly indulgent and 100 times better than the gyms located in windowless basements. Nobu Hotel guests enjoy complimentary access to all spa and fitness facilities.

The Location

Centrally positioned in Miami Beach's vibrant Mid-Beach district at 4525 Collins Avenue, the property strikes the perfect balance—close enough to the action, far enough from the chaos - it really is perfect for someone like me in their 40’s who wants a fun vacation without the over-stimulation. You're minutes from:

• Lincoln Road's boutiques and cafes

• Ocean Drive's Art Deco glamour

• Wynwood Art District's galleries

• Bal Harbour Shops' luxury retail

• Miami International Airport (12 miles / 25 minutes)

• The Pérez Art Museum, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, and Miami Design District are all just a short drive away.

The Accolades: If my words of praise aren’t enough to convince you to visit and plan your next group event here, here’s further validation for the property:

• Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards: #1 Best Resort in Greater Miami Beach (2022), Top 8 Continental U.S. Resorts (2022), Top 100 Hotels Worldwide (2022)

• Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards: #1 Best Hotel in Miami (2022), Top 3 Best Resorts in Miami (multiple years)

• U.S. News & World Report: Best Hotels Gold Badge (2023, 2025)

• ConventionSouth Readers' Choice Award: Winner (2023, 2024)

• Leading Hotels of the World: Member since 2018

Nobu Hotel Miami Beach and Eden Roc Miami Beach aren't just about where you sleep—they're about how you live. From the moment you walk through those iconic doors, you're immersed in a world where Japanese minimalism meets Miami maximalism, where Old Hollywood glamour dances with contemporary cool, and where every detail—from the custom Nobu mattress to the handcrafted cocktails at the Lobby Bar—is designed to elevate your experience and get you into a Zen state of mind to both indulge and unwind in an unparalleled location.

Whether you're planning an intimate boardroom strategy session in the Nobu Penthouse, hosting a 500-person gala in the historic Pompeii Ballroom, or simply seeking a sophisticated beachfront escape with world-class dining and wellness, this is Miami Beach at its absolute finest. This is where legends are made, deals are closed, and memories become stories.

Welcome to paradise, Gianna-style. 

Property Information: Nobu Hotel Miami Beach & Eden Roc Miami Beach

4525 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33140

Phone: (305) 531-0000

Meetings & Events: (305) 674-5502

Website: www.nobuhotels.com/miami-beach

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Interested in having your event or venue featured in Gianna's Gems? Reach out at gianna@gaudini.com

Create your Own Serendipity and Manifest the 2026 of your Dreas

hi there and happy last day of 2025!

I’m taking a much needed family vacay after an epic year. Rather than break my intention of pausing on work this week to reflect and recharge, I’m re-sharing one of my most popular Gianna’s Gems from 2025…and this one’s all about manifesting the 2026 you want and deserve! So dream big…10X!

But you know I love stories, so first a few NEW stories as a preamble to the re-published blog:

As I draft this, a gal with hot pink hair sitting next to me on my flight asks me what the best car I can imagine is…I ask her why and she tells me her boss said he’ll get her one as a bonus gift…(she works for Formula 1).

So I pause and tell her about the new car I manifested for myself this year and how my son helped me pick it out and custom design the details (message me if you want to know what he picked out!)…then I share his pro tips and his dream car with her. It seems serendipitous to be having this convo the same month my first new car in 12 years was delivered…and she tells me “I asked you because you have good energy”.

A funny story about the car…I had been meaning to buy a new car for a few years, but I’m not a big car person, much to my son’s dismay, so I kept putting it off, even though I had it on my vision board. In July, I was driving home, singing to myself in a great mood, when some girl reversed full speed backwards into me! I hadn’t ever had this happen to me before…and even though she admitted fault, and gave me insurance, she later wouldn’t return insurance’s calls, and so I had to use my own insurance to cover the damage. I was shocked that someone would do this and held the anger in my for a day or two until I realized - why did this happen FOR me (not TO me)? With that, I decided to use the opportunity to have my car get a fresh coat of glossy paint so it was in pristine condition to be sold. And then…I designed my dream car! So it became a great motivating factor to move on that vision.

One more story from traveling today:

I awoke at 4:30 am to make it to the airport on time. I had planned out my morning meticulously, including time to shower, Uber scheduled in advance, journaling en route to the airport, checking flight status all morning. And despite making it through crowded TSA lines flawlessly using the TSA pre + Clear me in separate terminal trick, 20 min before my flight, I learned it was delayed 2 hours. ARGH! I could have slept in! I started heading to AMEX lounge thinking I’d work for a couple hours, and when it was full, I started feeling stressed and annoyed. However, I used that to clue into a need to reset and rather than get annoyed, I went back to the yoga lounge I had passed and did a 20 min meditation then a 30 min stretching/yoga session using a youtube app. I left feeling refreshed, restored, well stretched before my 6 hour flight and as I was standing in line for the plane, another lady told me she saw me in there and we started a great conversation about the benefits of meditation!

It’s crazy how wild manifesting and mindset is…so here you go Gems - a few pro tips to set you up for success in life and in your events in 2026!

***

Have you ever noticed how some people seem to effortlessly create their dream lives while others constantly struggle against obstacles and blame others for their misfortune? The difference often lies in the power of manifestation combined with strategic planning. These two powerful tools can work together, especially when planning events that leave lasting impressions and full disclosure: I use them daily!

I didn’t think anyone noticed that I do this intentional manifesting, but last week, I received a rare gift: my best friend sent me a lengthy, but incredible email outlining all the reasons she loves me and what makes me unique. She specifically acknowledged my intentional approach to creating a life I want and not expecting others to do it for me (below verbatim): 

“you have a relentless focus on creating the life you want. From the day I met you you’ve known what you wanted and gone after it and more importantly you’ve achieved it… from Google, to Garrett, to your son, publishing your book, placing in your first marathon, to running your own company now…”

The Science Behind Manifestation

What Manifestation is not: just  wishful thinking – it's a powerful combination of psychology and focused action. When we clearly envision our desired outcomes, our reticular activating system (RAS) – the part of our brain that filters information – becomes primed to notice opportunities aligned with our goals. This explains why when you're thinking about buying a certain car, you suddenly see that model everywhere.

Gianna’s Gem: Below are two real life ways I did this which became my reality and how you can create yours.

• When I was impacted early in my career during the infamous recession of 2008, I used it as an opportunity to take a pause from the grind to visualize my life in landscape mode and imagine what my dream job looked like. I made a list of 50 companies I wanted to work for (in order) which was hard and took a lot of research, but guess what? Google was the #1 company on my list and within a year, I went on to run events for Google and stayed there in my dream job for nearly a decade!

• In my twenties, I read an article by Oprah that said you should create a list of 100 qualities you want in a romantic partner. I took the time to do this, which gets challenging towards the end of the list and even got as detailed as “he plays scrabble”. Within a few months, I met the love of my life (and now husband of 14 years) and… He actually made me play scrabble on Facebook with him three times before asking me on a date. Crazy right?!

But here's the real magic: manifestation works because it creates a feedback loop between our thoughts, emotions, and actions. When we visualize success with emotional intensity, we:

• Develop stronger motivation to pursue our goals

• Build confidence in our ability to achieve them

• Make decisions aligned with our desired outcomes

• Recognize and seize relevant opportunities

• Stay resilient in the face of challenges

Your Simple Guide to Manifestation:

1. Crystal Clear Vision Start by getting incredibly specific about what you want to create. For event planning, this means visualizing every detail – from the reactions on guests' faces to the way the room feels. Write it all down, or do a “pre-event attendee journey audit session” creating a vivid picture that engages all your senses.

2. Emotional Connection Spend time feeling the emotions you'll experience when your vision becomes reality. How will you feel when your event unfolds perfectly? Let yourself experience that joy, pride, and satisfaction now. This emotional investment is key to maintaining motivation and making aligned choices.

3. Strategic Action Planning Here's where manifestation meets practical planning. Break down your vision into actionable steps. Create timelines, delegate tasks, and establish clear metrics for success. Remember – manifestation without action is just daydreaming.

The Pre-Mortem: Your Secret Weapon For Nailing Events

Now, let's talk about one of the most powerful tools in your planning arsenal: the pre-mortem. While manifestation focuses on the perfect outcome, a pre-mortem helps ensure that outcome by identifying and addressing potential issues before they arise.

How to Conduct an Effective Pre-Mortem

1. Headline: Start with what headline you want written about your event. That will help you envision the end result in one sentence which really drives home the most critical goals you’re aiming to achieve and prioritize them above all else.

2. Preventative Scenario:  Begin by imagining it's the day after your event. Everything went wrong. What happened? Have your team imagine this scenario in detail. This might feel counterintuitive to manifestation, but it's actually complementary – you're identifying obstacles to clear the path for your vision.

3. Comprehensive Analysis:  List every possible failure point: i.e. vendor mishaps, weather issues, technical difficulties, timing problems, guest experience challenges, etc.

4. Preventive Solutions: I conduct a deep dive attendee journey audit with my clients about a week before my event where my goal is to poke holes in every part of the guest experience. Is it fun? Not always. Does it work? Always! We always end up solving problems we hadn’t thought of in advance which is why doing the work up front is better than having to troubleshoot onsite.

5. Integration with Success Planning Now, fold these preventive measures into your main event plan. This creates a robust strategy that combines positive visualization with practical problem-solving. 

6. Conduct a Staff Briefing + Share at an All Hands: I always find that when I run my event strategy by the entire company and present it at an All Hands, and also conduct a staff briefing, questions arise that perhaps might have slipped my team’s radar (maybe from someone in a different country or different team). Sharing plans in advance can help alleviate any questions that arise onsite when there’s less time to respond elegantly.

Bringing It All Together

The beauty of combining manifestation with pre-mortem planning lies in its comprehensive approach. You're simultaneously holding space for your perfect vision while pragmatically addressing potential obstacles. This dual focus creates a powerful framework for success.

Remember, true manifestation isn't about passive hoping – it's about active creation. When you pair your clear vision with strategic planning and proactive problem-solving, you create an unstoppable formula for success. By embracing both the magic of manifestation and the pragmatism of pre-mortem planning, you're setting yourself up for events that don't just meet expectations – they exceed them in ways you might not have even imagined.

Remember, the most successful events (and lives) aren't just well-planned – they're well-envisioned, thoroughly protected, and mindfully manifested into reality.

Happy New Year - make it a blissful, and well-intentioned 2025!

XX,

Gianna

What I'm Loving This Week: And for all my favorite vendors, partners and products, visit: https://www.giannagaudini.com/gianna-recommends

”Partytrick” you’ll want to use ASAP this season (and beyond): 

If you're hosting personal celebrations or smaller-scale events and want to streamline your planning without sacrificing creativity, Partytrick is a game-changer. This free all-in-one platform transforms event planning from overwhelming to effortless with expertly designed templates, built-in guest management, and smart mood boards where every gorgeous image is tagged with actual product links—no more endless scrolling trying to find where to buy that perfect centerpiece! 

Whether you're planning a birthday dinner, holiday gathering, or intimate celebration, Partytrick takes you from inspiration to execution with cohosting tools for collaboration, RSVP tracking, task assignments, and expert hosting tips all in one beautifully designed portal. It's like having an event planner's toolkit at your fingertips, designed by professionals but built for anyone who wants to spend less time stressing and more time actually enjoying the celebrations they create. Best part? It's completely free—no fees, no credit card required, no catch.

And…I couldn't be more excited to join Partytrick as an official advisor that will quickly become part of your toolkit so you can spend more time with your guests and less time on the tactics. If you have questions, or want to learn more, feel free to reach out!

You can check also out the fun templates and product recommendations by signing up here: https://lnkd.in/gvzv458H

Because the best moments don't always just happen...they're intentionally planned.

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or take the Master Class: https://www.giannagaudini.com/learn-from-me

Because once you commit to excellence in one small area, it bleeds into everything else.

Remember - your attendees are no different: They're asking: "Is this a brand that sweats the details? That thinks before acting? That cares about how I feel, not just whether I showed up and agreed to scan my badge?"

How you plan your events is how you run your business.

How you write your emails is how you'll treat your customers.

How you do anything is how you do everything.

So: What are your small moments signaling?

Start Here: If you're feeling overwhelmed, start with one thing. Not ten. One.

Personal:

• Make your bed tomorrow morning

• Write one thoughtful email this week instead of firing off a quick response

• Floss your teeth tonight (even though you're tired)

Professional:

• Rewrite one attendee outreach email to feel warm and personal

• Ask "why" before adding the next thing to your event agenda or 2026 plans

• Spend five extra minutes writing compelling marketing copy instead of the standard boring text.

Excellence isn't built in grand gestures. It's built in the accumulation of small, intentional choices.

Start with one. And watch how it changes everything.

XX,

Gianna

p.s.

What I’m loving this week: And for all my top vendors and partners, check out my Gianna Recommend’s Page.

I have to give a shout out to one of my favorite companies. I not only am a proud advisor to them, but I use them frequently for my own events (everything from holiday parties to multi-million dollar celeb evens!) Women-ownedEva is my favorite one-stop platform to book whatever it is I need to make an event more entertaining: From comedians to musicians, unique team-building activities to A-List speakers, even dress-up party costumes and makeup artists…I can find and book it here. I use Eva for both inspiration and new ideas as well as to handle logistics like payment, insurance and riders for me. And since I’m a fangirl, they’ve provided me with my own discount code to give you 10% off any booking with the code: EVAGVIP. Or, DM me for a personal connect.

What I'm Loving This Week: Monet

Speaking of revolutionizing the events industry, I'm thrilled to announce that I've joined an early stage but very hot event tech startup, monet.io as an advisor.

Here's what really blows my mind: Monet can generate entire showfloor layouts for conferences and expos—something that traditionally takes weeks of back-and-forth with venue teams, agencies, sponsors, and operations. The platform doesn't just create a generic floor plan; it uses intelligent algorithms to recommend optimal sponsor booth placements based on traffic flow, sponsor tier, and strategic visibility.

Think about what this means for event planners managing large-scale conferences: instead of manually juggling sponsor requirements, attendee flow, and venue constraints in CAD software or PowerPoint, Monet does the heavy lifting while you focus on the strategic decisions. It's like having an expert event designer and operations manager working 24/7 on your team.

For sponsors, this means better ROI—their booth placement isn't arbitrary, it's data-driven. For attendees, it means better navigation and experience. For planners, it means hours (sometimes days) of work condensed into minutes.

If you're managing complex events—especially in the enterprise space where showfloors, sponsor management, and multi-stakeholder coordination are involved—I encourage you to check out what the Monet team is building. They're not just creating software; they're creating space for event professionals to do what we do best: design experiences that matter. Drop me a line if you want an intro and a Gianna’s Gems VIP discount on their product.

Learn more at monet.io

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Interested in having your event or venue featured in Gianna's Gems? Reach out at gianna@gaudini.com

Gianna's Gem: Practicing the Pause and Embracing Space

Hi there,

During this hectic holiday week, I want to take a pause to talk about mindfulness. If you’re like most parents (or people for that matter), December can become a blur of holiday parties, closing out year end work projects and EOY planning, gift buying, wrapping, and moving that adorable Elf on the Shelf around every night…

Let me tell you about something I discovered while wrapping gifts this past week—something that sounds counterintuitive in our optimize-everything culture but that might just be the most radical practice you can adopt as an event planner (or honestly, as a human being trying to thrive rather than just survive).

In our current world—especially the of us who plan events for a living —we're masterclass multitaskers. We're listening to podcasts while working out or doing errands. Talking on the phone while gift-wrapping or cooking. Responding to slack, whatsapp and texts while in a Zoom meeting or in the carpool line. We've optimized every moment, convinced that doing two (or three, or five) things simultaneously equals productivity. We wear our busyness like a badge of honor (not admitting that I know this from experience!).

But this past week, I tried something different. I had the intention of being more mindful—of slowing down and doing one thing at a time, even for just a few minutes each day.

Gianna’s Gem: In a world that moves too quickly, the ultimate trick for slowing down time is to be mindful and savor every minute.

The Gift Wrapping Meditation

I usually outsource gift-wrapping, and have recommended this approach to others in the past—it's efficient, it saves time, and honestly, I've always told myself I'd rather spend the time with my son, enjoying the holiday magic, rather than wrapping gifts for him and others. But this year, I decided to wrap half the gifts myself. And something unexpected happened.

While wrapping, I found it was almost like meditation. Sure, it took more time. Yes, it took me away from my computer and my endless to-do list. But it also helped me slow down. To be creative with ribbons, decorations, handwriting, and paper. With my hands engaged and nothing but soft Christmas jazz playing, I became reflective at the end of a long day. And most surprisingly? I actually really enjoyed the calm quiet of it to actually check in with my thoughts and feelings.

Each crease in the paper became intentional. Each ribbon curl required presence and I savored the beautiful output  at the end of each creative iteration. I wasn't thinking about tomorrow's client call or tonight's dinner prep. I was just... wrapping a gift. Fully present. Completely focused on the gratitude I have for life.

And you know what? When my family and friends unwrapped the gifts, I felt that much more connected to the experience having lovingly used my time, CHOSEN to spend my time on them.

Savoring the Season (Without a Screen)

I've also been trying to consciously put my phone down and look around to savor this time of year. To actually see the holiday lights instead of photographing them for Instagram. To feel the winter air and smell the pine needles instead of rushing through the day to get to the next task.

Am I perfect at this? Far from it. But that's why they call it a mindfulness practice—because it's exactly that: a daily practice. And the more you do it, the easier it gets to tap into the present.

Which means you actually enjoy life more. You remember the things that matter. And here's what really surprised me: I find I'm actually better at the tasks I need to get done once I tend to them with 100% engagement.

Why Multitasking Is Making You Worse at Everything

Here's something that'll make you rethink your next Zoom-while-Slacking session: neuroscience has definitively proven that multitasking is a myth. What we think of as multitasking is actually rapid task-switching, and every switch has a cognitive cost.

Studies show that when you multitask, your IQ drops by an average of 10 points—putting you at the cognitive level of someone who's just pulled an all-nighter. Your error rate increases by up to 50%. You retain less information and make poorer decisions. Ever hear the saying “penny-wise, pound foolish”? That embodies what happens when you multitask.

But here's the real kicker for event planners: multitasking kills creativity. That brilliant solution to your budget challenge? That innovative way to restructure your agenda? Those inspired ideas come from deep focus, not fragmented attention.

When you split your attention between multiple tasks, you're operating from your brain's shallow processing mode. You're executing, not creating. You're reacting, not strategizing then responding with intention.

Gianna's Gem: The quality of your work is directly proportional to the quality of your attention. Single-tasking isn't a luxury—it's a competitive advantage.

The Event Planner Paradox: Rushing Through Planning, Missing the Experience

As event professionals, we spend months creating experiences designed to make people feel something. To create moments worth remembering. To help attendees be present.

And then we rush through the planning process itself, multitasking our way through vendor calls while answering emails, reviewing floor plans while in stakeholder meetings, finalizing run-of-show while on another Zoom.

See the irony? We're so busy optimizing the process that we miss the very thing that makes great events possible: thoughtful, intentional, fully present planning.

The best event concepts don't come when you're juggling five things at once. They come when you sit with a problem long enough to let your brain actually work on it. When you give yourself the space to ask 'why?' instead of just executing 'what.'

My one exception: Phone calls while on walks. I am known for taking a phone call on a walk, If I don’t need to be in front of a screen (think catch up calls, check-ins). Why? Because I actually feel more engaged when I don’t have my screen open to distract me from the conversation. Plus, it gives my body some exercise and fresh air - and better health leads to better decisions and mood. Win - win!

Practicing the Pause: How to Build Mindfulness Into Your Planning Process

Okay, so you're convinced that mindfulness matters. But how do you actually practice the pause when you have three concurrent events, a dozen vendor calls, and stakeholders who expect instant responses?

Here are the practices that have transformed my planning process—and my sanity:

1. The Single-Task Power Hour

Every morning, block one hour for single-task deep work. No Slack. No email. No interruptions. Just you and one strategic task that requires your full attention. I am religious about prioritizing this time which sets up my entire day for success.

Use this hour for tasks like: strategic planning, reviewing event decks and plans, copywriting, creative brainstorming for activation concepts, complex budget modeling, thoughtful stakeholder communication, or event flow design.

Why it works: Your brain needs approximately 23 minutes to fully focus on a complex task after switching. That hour of uninterrupted focus is worth more than three hours of fragmented attention.

2. The Vendor Call Ritual

If you need to be in front of a screen rather than taking a phone call on a walk, try this: Before every vendor call, take 60 seconds to:

• Close all unnecessary tabs and applications

• Take three deep breaths (inhale 4, exhale 8 to activate parasympathetic and get our of flight or flight)

• Review what you need from this conversation

• Set an intention to be fully present

Why it works: When you're fully present in vendor conversations, you catch details you'd otherwise miss. You build better relationships. You ask better questions. And you make better decisions.

3. The Site Visit Slowdown

During site visits, resist the urge to photograph everything while simultaneously answering texts and slacks coming in. Instead:

• Put your phone in airplane mode and designate one person to be the “photographer” who isn’t also leading the attendee experience design

• Walk the space slowly, imagining the attendee experience

• Sit in different areas and actually feel the energy, hear how “live” the space is, and check the lighting

• Notice details you'd miss while multitasking: smells, sound quality, temperature, quality of furnishings, signage

Why it works: The venue insights that separate good events from great ones rarely appear in the sales packet. They come from presence and observation. This will save you countless hours later on when you’re onsite as there won’t be those “surprises” you missed when not present on your site visit.

4. The Email Batching Boundary

Stop checking email constantly. Instead, set three designated email windows each day: morning, midday, and end of day. Outside these windows, close your inbox.

When you do check email, give it your full attention. Read thoroughly. Respond thoughtfully. Don't skim while simultaneously on another task.

Why it works: Context switching between tasks can decrease your productivity by up to 40%. Batching similar tasks (like email) reduces switching costs and increases quality of responses.

You will also have time to respond when you’re in a more calm/thoughtful mode rather than frantic mode “swatting” emails away.

5. The Meeting Pause

Build in 5-10 minute buffers between back-to-back meetings. Use this time to:

• Stand up and stretch

• Take a few conscious breaths

• Capture any critical action items from the previous meeting

• Clear your mental slate before the next conversation

• Use the restroom (without your phone!) and consciously set your intention for the next meeting.

Why it works: Without transition time, your brain is still processing the previous meeting while trying to engage in the current one. Those 5 minutes increase your presence and effectiveness dramatically.

6. The Creative Pause Walk

When you're stuck on a creative challenge (event theme, activation concept, experience design), get up and take a 10-minute walk. No phone. No podcast. Just you and the problem.

Why it works: Your best creative insights rarely come when you're staring at a screen. They come when you create space for your brain to make unexpected connections.

Embracing Space: How to Design Events That Breathe

If practicing the pause matters in our planning process, it matters even more in the events we create. Yet most event agendas are packed wall-to-wall with content, leaving attendees exhausted rather than energized.

The best events I've planned have something in common: they intentionally build in space. Not empty time—strategic space designed to enhance the experience.

Here's how to embrace space in your next event:

1. The Extended Break

Instead of cramming breaks into 10-minute bathroom-and-coffee sprints, schedule 30-minute extended breaks between major sessions.

What happens: Attendees actually have time to process what they just learned. Real networking conversations happen. People return to the next session ready to engage rather than mentally exhausted. And…your business benefits because when customers are talking to prospects (or your sales and product team), that’s the best sales method there is!

Pro tip: Design your break areas to encourage mingling and lingering. Comfortable seating. Great coffee. Quiet spaces for reflection alongside social spaces for conversation.I like designing my common spaces to resemble “a giant living room” where people feel comfortable and want to stick around.

2. The Breathing Room Session

Build open time into your agenda where attendees can “choose their own adventure”: attend optional workshops or breakout sessions, explore the expo floor, have one-on-one conversations, or literally just decompress (bonus point if you have a meditation lounge available which is all the rage now).

What happens: Attendees feel trusted to manage their own experience. They make connections that matter to them rather than being herded through a mandatory agenda. They stay at your event rather than retreating to their own hotel room “sanctuary”.

What you'll hear: "This was the most valuable time of the conference—I had three breakthrough conversations during the open session, and learned tactical skills I can apply tomorrow at work."

3. The Reflection Moment

After powerful keynotes or intensive sessions, build in 3-5 minutes of structured reflection time before moving to the next thing.

Prompt attendees with a simple question: "What's one insight you're taking from this session? What will you do differently as a result?"

What happens: Instead of information washing over them, attendees actually process and internalize what they heard. Retention increases dramatically.

Better still, leave a notecard on every chair at the last keynote session where they can write the one thing they want to be reminded about six months from now. Then gather them and mail them to attendees in six months. They are pleasantly reminded of their intention AND of you!

4. The White Space Design

Just like visual design needs white space to let key elements breathe, event design needs temporal white space.

Design principle: If you're tempted to pack "just one more session" into the day, and struggling to find the right topic and/or speaker, that's probably the session that should be cut. Quality over quantity. Always.

What happens: Your agenda feels curated rather than crammed. Attendees leave energized rather than overwhelmed. And paradoxically, they retain more from fewer sessions.

5. The Mindful Morning Start

Instead of starting at 8:00 AM sharp with content, consider beginning at 9:00 AM and creating a mindful opening experience:

• Optional early arrival for networking breakfast and a later keynote to accommodate morning commutes (hello parents with school drop off!)

• Exceptional lounge with space with product demos open early, and lots of comfortable small lounges built for organic conversation

• Arrival music and ambiance that sets a calm, intentional tone.

• Start the keynote with a 5 minute mindful meditation for all attendees to help them shift and down-regulate their keyed up nervous system. A wonderful moderator did this before a keynote session I gave for the Four Seasons Tech Summit this year, and I found myself participating back stage as well and it was just incredible plus helped me bring my A game as a speaker on stage and calm the jitters.

What happens: Attendees arrive centered rather than frazzled. They engage more deeply in the first session because they're actually present, not still mentally commuting.

The Resistance You'll Face (And How to Handle It)

Here's what will happen when you start building space into your planning process and your events: you'll face pushback.

"We don't have time for single-tasking when we have three concurrent events!"

"Why are we building in so many breaks? Attendees came here for content!"

"Can't we just add one more session? We have the room!"

Here's how I respond:

To the multitasking defense: "Single-tasking isn't slower—it's smarter. The time I invest in focused planning prevents mistakes that cost exponentially more time to fix. Would you rather I catch that venue capacity issue now during focused review, or discover it two days before the event while I'm distracted by five other tasks?"

To the packed agenda argument: "Research shows that attendees retain only 10-20% of content from back-to-back sessions with no processing time. With strategic breaks and space, retention jumps to 40-50%. We can deliver more content and have them remember less, or deliver less content and have them remember more. Which serves our objectives better?"

To the "just one more session" temptation: "The events people remember most fondly aren't the ones that exhausted them with options. They're the ones where they had space to think, connect, and integrate what they learned. We're designing for impact, not for volume."

Gianna's Gem: The courage to build space into your events—and defend it against the inevitable pressure to fill it—is what separates strategic event leaders from tactical executors.

The Real ROI of Practicing the Pause

Let's talk about what happens when you commit to mindfulness in planning and space in events:

Better Strategic Decisions

When you give yourself space to think deeply about venue selection, agenda design, or experience strategy, you make better choices. Not faster choices—better ones. The kind that your future self thanks you for.

Fewer Costly Mistakes

Multitasking increases error rates by 50%. When you're fully present reviewing contracts, designing timelines, or managing budgets, you catch issues before they become emergencies. That no-resell clause you would have missed while half-listening to the venue contract review? You caught it because you were fully present.

Deeper Stakeholder Relationships

When you're fully present in stakeholder conversations instead of simultaneously answering Slacks, something magical happens: people feel heard. They trust you more. They communicate more openly. Misalignments surface early instead of exploding late.

More Memorable Events

Events with intentional space consistently receive higher satisfaction scores than packed agendas. Attendees remember the conversations they had during extended breaks. They implement the insights they processed during reflection moments. They leave energized rather than exhausted.

Greater Personal Wellbeing

Event planning is demanding work. When you practice the pause, you protect your own mental health and prevent burnout. You remember why you love this work instead of just grinding through it. And if you’re a manager, employee retention saves you so much more time in the long term from having to re-hire a team that’s burned out or taking the blame for unforced errors made by your team.

Your Mindfulness Practice Starts Now

Here's my challenge to you this week:

Pick one practice from this piece.

Just one. Not all of them. One.

Maybe it's the single-task power hour each morning. Maybe it's building 30-minute breaks into your next event agenda. Maybe it's simply putting your phone down during your next site visit and actually experiencing the space (or if you’re not a planner, putting down your phone for ten minutes while you do something with 100% attention).

Commit to that one practice for seven days. Notice what changes. Notice what you discover when you're fully present. Notice how the quality of your work—and your life—shifts when you stop optimizing every moment and start experiencing them instead.

Because here's what I've learned from gift-wrapping, from mindful planning, from building space into my day…and events:

The pause is where the magic happens. The space is where the meaning emerges. The presence is where the excellence lives. And you’ll remember it…and aren’t events (and life) about the memories you make?

You don't have to be perfect at this. I'm FAR from it. But that's why it's called a practice. Show up. Try. Be kind to yourself (and others) when you forget. And try again tomorrow.

The world will always demand you optimize, multitask, and pack every moment with productivity.

The true rebellion—and the true excellence—is in choosing to pause instead.

Happy holidays,

Gianna

What I'm Loving This Week: And for all my favorite vendors, partners and products, visit: https://www.giannagaudini.com/gianna-recommends

”Partytrick” you’ll want to use ASAP this season (and beyond): 

If you're hosting personal celebrations or smaller-scale events and want to streamline your planning without sacrificing creativity, Partytrick is a game-changer. This free all-in-one platform transforms event planning from overwhelming to effortless with expertly designed templates, built-in guest management, and smart mood boards where every gorgeous image is tagged with actual product links—no more endless scrolling trying to find where to buy that perfect centerpiece! 

Whether you're planning a birthday dinner, holiday gathering, or intimate celebration, Partytrick takes you from inspiration to execution with cohosting tools for collaboration, RSVP tracking, task assignments, and expert hosting tips all in one beautifully designed portal. It's like having an event planner's toolkit at your fingertips, designed by professionals but built for anyone who wants to spend less time stressing and more time actually enjoying the celebrations they create. Best part? It's completely free—no fees, no credit card required, no catch.

And…I couldn't be more excited to join Partytrick as an official advisor that will quickly become part of your toolkit so you can spend more time with your guests and less time on the tactics. If you have questions, or want to learn more, feel free to reach out!

You can check also out the fun templates and product recommendations by signing up here: https://lnkd.in/gvzv458H

Because the best moments don't always just happen...they're intentionally planned.

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or take the Master Class: https://www.giannagaudini.com/learn-from-me

Because once you commit to excellence in one small area, it bleeds into everything else.

Remember - your attendees are no different: They're asking: "Is this a brand that sweats the details? That thinks before acting? That cares about how I feel, not just whether I showed up and agreed to scan my badge?"

How you plan your events is how you run your business.

How you write your emails is how you'll treat your customers.

How you do anything is how you do everything.

So: What are your small moments signaling?

Start Here: If you're feeling overwhelmed, start with one thing. Not ten. One.

Personal:

• Make your bed tomorrow morning

• Write one thoughtful email this week instead of firing off a quick response

• Floss your teeth tonight (even though you're tired)

Professional:

• Rewrite one attendee outreach email to feel warm and personal

• Ask "why" before adding the next thing to your event agenda or 2026 plans

• Spend five extra minutes writing compelling marketing copy instead of the standard boring text.

Excellence isn't built in grand gestures. It's built in the accumulation of small, intentional choices.

Start with one. And watch how it changes everything.

XX,

Gianna

p.s.

What I’m loving this week: And for all my top vendors and partners, check out my Gianna Recommend’s Page.

I have to give a shout out to one of my favorite companies. I not only am a proud advisor to them, but I use them frequently for my own events (everything from holiday parties to multi-million dollar celeb evens!) Women-ownedEva is my favorite one-stop platform to book whatever it is I need to make an event more entertaining: From comedians to musicians, unique team-building activities to A-List speakers, even dress-up party costumes and makeup artists…I can find and book it here. I use Eva for both inspiration and new ideas as well as to handle logistics like payment, insurance and riders for me. And since I’m a fangirl, they’ve provided me with my own discount code to give you 10% off any booking with the code: EVAGVIP. Or, DM me for a personal connect.

What I'm Loving This Week: Monet

Speaking of revolutionizing the events industry, I'm thrilled to announce that I've joined an early stage but very hot event tech startup, monet.io as an advisor.

Here's what really blows my mind: Monet can generate entire showfloor layouts for conferences and expos—something that traditionally takes weeks of back-and-forth with venue teams, agencies, sponsors, and operations. The platform doesn't just create a generic floor plan; it uses intelligent algorithms to recommend optimal sponsor booth placements based on traffic flow, sponsor tier, and strategic visibility.

Think about what this means for event planners managing large-scale conferences: instead of manually juggling sponsor requirements, attendee flow, and venue constraints in CAD software or PowerPoint, Monet does the heavy lifting while you focus on the strategic decisions. It's like having an expert event designer and operations manager working 24/7 on your team.

For sponsors, this means better ROI—their booth placement isn't arbitrary, it's data-driven. For attendees, it means better navigation and experience. For planners, it means hours (sometimes days) of work condensed into minutes.

If you're managing complex events—especially in the enterprise space where showfloors, sponsor management, and multi-stakeholder coordination are involved—I encourage you to check out what the Monet team is building. They're not just creating software; they're creating space for event professionals to do what we do best: design experiences that matter. Drop me a line if you want an intro and a Gianna’s Gems VIP discount on their product.

Learn more at monet.io

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Interested in having your event or venue featured in Gianna's Gems? Reach out at gianna@gaudini.com

Gianna's Gem: How You Do Anything Is How You Do Everything

hi there!

I recently got into a conversation with my son about making his bed. It went something like “what’s the purpose of making it if I’m just going to get back into it tonight”?

My response to him: "Show me someone who makes their bed every morning, and I'll show you someone who becomes a CEO."

At first, he thought I was joking. A made bed? How could that translate into life success?

But then I explained: "It's not about the bed. It's about how you approach the small things when no one's watching. Because how you do anything is how you do everything."

That conversation changed how my son perceived excellence—and I find that I’ve been repeating this phrase to him, my clients, and also myself all week long.

Gianna's Gem: The small, invisible choices you make when no one is watching reveal how you'll show up when everyone is.

The Power of Small Acts of Thoroughness

Think about the people in your life you truly trust. The ones you turn to when it really matters.

I'd bet money they're the same people who:

• Actually floss their teeth (not just the night before a dental appointment)

• Respond to emails thoughtfully, not just quickly to zero out their inbox

• Remember your birthday without a Facebook reminder and send a thoughtful text or email rather than a quick instagram like

• Proofread before hitting send

• Show up five minutes early instead of five minutes late

• Follow through on what they say they'll do no matter what

These aren't coincidences. These are patterns.

Because here's the truth: Excellence isn't an isolated act. It's a habit.

When you take care in the small, seemingly insignificant moments—making your bed, writing a thoughtful thank-you note, double-checking the details—you're training yourself for thoroughness. You're building the muscle of follow-through.

And that muscle? It shows up everywhere.

Gianna's Gem: Thoroughness isn't about perfection—it's about intentionality. It's asking yourself, "Does this reflect my standards?" even when the stakes feel low of maybe when not any people would even notice.

What This Looks Like in Real Life

Let me give you a personal example.

A few days ago, I hosted a small dinner party—nothing fancy, just eight people catching up. The day after, I sent every guest a personalized thank you for coming, and not a generic email to everyone, instead I wrote something unique to each guest such as:

“Carly, I loved hearing about your daughter's performance in The Nutcracker ballet last night. I can tell how proud you are of her dedication. Also, I found that book recommendation you mentioned about interior design—just ordered it. Thanks for always bringing such thoughtful conversation and recommendations to our gatherings."

That text took maybe two minutes to write instead of 20 seconds.

But here's what it did: It made her feel seen. It told her I was actually listening, not just hosting. It showed her that that I cared about curating her as part of my inner circle and appreciated her contributions and even her presence.

Not three hours later, she recommended me for a major consulting opportunity. Why? Because she likely recognized that if I’m that thoughtful about a casual dinner party, I'll be meticulous with a client's million-dollar project.

Not because the email was anything extraordinary. Because it signaled how I operate. How you do anything is how you do everything.

The Translation: How Brands Reveal Themselves Through Events

Now, let's talk about what this means for brands—and why your events are sending signals you might not even realize.

Every event you host is a preview of what it's like to work with you.

Your attendees aren't just evaluating your product or your keynote speaker. They're watching how you operate. They're noticing the details. They're asking themselves: Is this a company that takes care of people? Is this a partner I can trust?

And here's the uncomfortable truth: attendees are making judgments about your brand based on things you might consider "small."

The registration email that felt generic and rushed? That signals you're transactional.

The swag that was clearly chosen because it was cheap, not because it was meaningful? That signals you don't value quality.

The name badge with a typo? That signals you don't sweat the details.

The staff member who didn't know the answer to a basic question? That signals you don't invest in your people.

These aren't isolated incidents. They're data points that attendees use to predict what working with you will be like.

If you cut corners on the event experience, they assume you'll cut corners on customer support. If your follow-up email is thoughtless, they assume your account management will be too. If your branded materials feel like an afterthought, they assume your product might be one as well.

Gianna's Gem: Events don't just showcase your brand—they are your brand in action. Every detail is a promise you're making about how you treat people.

The Difference Between Checking Boxes and Creating Experiences

I see this all the time: companies that approach events like a checklist.

✅ Secure venue

 ✅ Book keynote speaker
✅ Order swag
✅ Send registration link
✅ Done!

But here's the question they never ask: Why?

• Why this venue? (Not just: Did we book a venue?)

• Why this speaker? (Not just: Did we get a speaker?)

• Why this swag? (Not just: Did we order something?)

When you're just checking boxes, you're not thinking—you're executing.

And attendees can feel the difference.

Let me give you a concrete example. I recently attended two tech conferences in the same month. Both had:

• 500+ attendees

• Branded swag

• Networking receptions

• Keynote speakers

But the experiences couldn't have been more different.

Conference A: The Box-Checkers

The swag? Cheap pens and cheaper notebooks with the logo printed low quality—items I've seen at a dozen other conferences.

The welcome email? A wall of text with logistics but zero personality or excitement.

The registration desk? Understaffed, with volunteers who couldn't answer basic questions.

The networking reception? Poor quality generic wine and cheese in a poorly lit ballroom with no icebreakers, no structure, no intentionality. Just people awkwardly standing around.

What this signaled to me: This company doesn't think deeply about experience. They do the minimum. If I become their customer, I'll probably get the minimum too.

Conference B: The Thoughtful Operators

The swag? A beautifully designed leather-bound notebook with logo embossed and an insert with writing prompts related to the conference themes, plus a high-quality water bottle that “cleans itself” that I actually now use every day. They also gave us a choice of one high quality item to select on the website and have shipped home after the conference - a win win for getting something you actually want and not having to carry a heavy item home with you

The welcome email? Personalized with my name, a note about why they were excited I was attending, a curated "top 3 sessions" recommendation based on my profile along with a personal introduction to another attendee they thought I’d enjoy connecting with and a human’s cell phone to contact in case I needed onsite support.

The registration desk? Appropriately staffed with team members who greeted attendees warmly, answered questions confidently, and handed out a one-page "day-of guide" with everything I needed to know.

The networking reception? Structured with "conversation starter" cards at each table, thoughtfully paired small bites and healthy buffet stations (not just cheese cubes), and staff circulating to make introductions between attendees with common interests.

What this signaled to me: This company thinks about every detail. They care about how I feel, not just whether I showed up. If I become their customer, they'll probably anticipate my needs before I even ask.

One of these companies earned my business. Guess which one.

Quality Over Quantity: Why "More" Isn't Better

Here's a trap I see brands fall into constantly: they think more is better.

More swag items. More speakers. More networking events. More, more, more.

But attendees don't want more. They want better. They want intentional.

I'd rather receive one thoughtfully chosen, high-quality item than five cheap ones. I'd rather attend one well-curated session than sit through three mediocre ones. I'd rather have one meaningful conversation than collect 50 business cards or badge scans I'll never follow up on.

Gianna's Gem: Abundance without intention is just noise. Quality always beats quantity when it comes to creating memorable experiences.

Think about the last event you attended that truly impressed you. I'm willing to bet it wasn't because they gave you the most stuff or packed the most activities into the day.

It impressed you because someone asked "why" at every decision point:

• Why are we including this session? What value does it provide?

• Why this particular swag item? Will attendees actually use it, or will it end up in a landfill?

• Why this flow for the day? Does it respect attendees' energy and attention spans?

• Why this vendor? Do they share our values and standards?

When you ask "why" before you act, you eliminate the meaningless and amplify what matters.

The Human Moments That Make or Break Trust

Let's talk about the moments that attendees remember most—and they're rarely the ones you think.

It's not the keynote speech (though that matters). It's not the swag (though that's nice).

It's the human moments where they felt seen, valued, and cared for.

The Welcome Email

You have two choices when someone registers for your event:

Option A (Box-Checking): Subject: Registration Confirmed

"Thank you for registering for TechConf 2025. Your confirmation number is 847392. The event will be held on March 15 at the Marriott Downtown. Check-in begins at 8 AM. See you there!"

Option B (Thoughtful): Subject: We're So Glad You're Coming, [Name]!

"Hi [Name],

We just saw your registration come through and wanted to say—we're thrilled you're joining us at TechConf 2025!

We know your time is valuable, so we've built this day specifically for people like you: [job title] who are trying to [solve relevant challenge]. We think you'll especially love the session on [relevant topic]—we built it based on feedback from folks in your role.

A few things to make your day easier:

• Check-in opens at 7:45 AM (we recommend arriving early to grab coffee and settle in before things kick off)

• Lunch is included, and we've got options for every dietary need

• Our team will be in bright blue shirts—flag us down if you need anything

Looking forward to meeting you on March 15!

[Name]
[Title]"

Which email makes you feel like a valued guest vs. a registration number?

The second version takes three extra minutes to write. But it signals: We see you. We thought about you. We care that you're coming.

The Onsite Introduction

Here's another moment that matters more than you think: how your staff introduces attendees to each other.

I've been to events where staff would say: "Oh, you should meet Sarah—she's in tech too."

Cool. Now what? We awkwardly exchange pleasantries and move on.

Compare that to: "Sarah, meet Mark—he's the VP of Product at [Company]. Mark, Sarah just gave the most interesting presentation on AI-powered analytics. Given your focus on data strategy, I thought you two would have a lot to talk about. I'll leave you to it!"

That's a human moment. Someone took the time to understand both people, saw a genuine connection, and facilitated a meaningful introduction.

That's not checking a box. That's creating value.

The Follow-Up

Post-event follow-up is where most brands completely drop the ball.

The typical approach: Send a generic "thanks for attending" email with a link to session recordings. Maybe throw in a "let us know if you have questions."

The thoughtful approach: Send a personalized note referencing something specific about their experience.

"Hi [Name],

It was great to meet you at TechConf last week! I loved our conversation about [specific topic]—I've been thinking about your point on [insight they shared].

I wanted to follow up with a few things:

• Here's that article I mentioned: [link]

• You expressed interest in [topic]—we're actually hosting a smaller roundtable on that next month if you're interested

• I'd love to hear how you're thinking about [challenge they mentioned] now that you've had time to reflect

No pressure to respond—I know your inbox is probably buried. But I genuinely enjoyed our conversation and wanted to keep the connection going.

Best,
[Name]"

One of these follow-ups gets deleted. One gets a response and builds a relationship.

The difference? Five minutes of thought.

What This Means for Your Brand (and Your Life)

Whether you're planning an event or packing your lunch for tomorrow, the principle is the same:

Excellence is a habit, not a one-off occurrence.

The way you approach the small, unsexy, behind-the-scenes work reveals how you'll show up when it counts.

If you rush through your registration emails, you'll rush through customer onboarding.

If you pick swag based on price alone, you'll probably make other decisions based purely on cost, not value to your attendees which ends up wasting money in the end (penny saved, pound foolish!).

If you don't train your staff to be helpful and knowledgeable, you're signaling that people aren't a priority.

And attendees—just like colleagues, clients, and partners—are always watching.

They're asking: "Is this someone who cares? Is this someone who's thorough? Is this someone I can trust?" And you're answering with every decision you make and action you take.

So here's my challenge to you—both personally and professionally:

In Your Personal Life:

Ask yourself:

• How do I show up in the moments when no one's watching?

• Do I respond to emails thoughtfully or reactively?

• Do I follow through on the small commitments I make to myself? (The made bed. The flossed teeth. The morning routine.)

• Am I building the habit of thoroughness, or am I cutting corners because "it doesn't matter that much" and I “don’t have time”?

Because here's the truth: It does matter. The small things are never small and believe e, they do and will pay off.

In Your Events:

Ask yourself before every decision:

• Why are we doing this? (Not: Are we doing it?)

• What does this signal about our brand? (Not: Is this good enough?)

• Does this create genuine value, or are we just checking a box?

• Would I want to experience this if I were an attendee?

• Have we taken the time to be human—to see people, not just registrants?

The Made Bed Moment - at the very least, get your kid to start making theirs!

I'll leave you with this.

After that conversation with my son, he started making his bed every morning. 

But here's what really shocked me - he shared with me what he discovered after doing this for a week: It really wasn’t about the bed.

It's about starting his day with a small act of completion that creates a ripple effect on the success he has through the rest of his day. It proves to himself that he’s someone who finishes what he starts—even the insignificant stuff. It's about creating order where he has control  (which for 8 years olds can some times feel like not a lot).

And you know what? That 90-second habit changed how he’s now approaching everything else.

He’s responding to my questions more thoughtfully. He’s preparing for his spelling test instead of winging it. 

Because once you commit to excellence in one small area, it bleeds into everything else.

Remember - your attendees are no different: They're asking: "Is this a brand that sweats the details? That thinks before acting? That cares about how I feel, not just whether I showed up and agreed to scan my badge?"

How you plan your events is how you run your business.

How you write your emails is how you'll treat your customers.

How you do anything is how you do everything.

So: What are your small moments signaling?

Start Here: If you're feeling overwhelmed, start with one thing. Not ten. One.

Personal:

• Make your bed tomorrow morning

• Write one thoughtful email this week instead of firing off a quick response

• Floss your teeth tonight (even though you're tired)

Professional:

• Rewrite one attendee outreach email to feel warm and personal

• Ask "why" before adding the next thing to your event agenda or 2026 plans

• Spend five extra minutes writing compelling marketing copy instead of the standard boring text.

Excellence isn't built in grand gestures. It's built in the accumulation of small, intentional choices.

Start with one. And watch how it changes everything.

XX,

Gianna

p.s.

What I’m loving this week: And for all my top vendors and partners, check out my Gianna Recommend’s Page.

I have to give a shout out to one of my favorite companies. I not only am a proud advisor to them, but I use them frequently for my own events (everything from holiday parties to multi-million dollar celeb evens!) Women-ownedEva is my favorite one-stop platform to book whatever it is I need to make an event more entertaining: From comedians to musicians, unique team-building activities to A-List speakers, even dress-up party costumes and makeup artists…I can find and book it here. I use Eva for both inspiration and new ideas as well as to handle logistics like payment, insurance and riders for me. And since I’m a fangirl, they’ve provided me with my own discount code to give you 10% off any booking with the code: EVAGVIP. Or, DM me for a personal connect.

What I'm Loving This Week: Monet

Speaking of revolutionizing the events industry, I'm thrilled to announce that I've joined an early stage but very hot event tech startup, monet.io as an advisor.

Here's what really blows my mind: Monet can generate entire showfloor layouts for conferences and expos—something that traditionally takes weeks of back-and-forth with venue teams, agencies, sponsors, and operations. The platform doesn't just create a generic floor plan; it uses intelligent algorithms to recommend optimal sponsor booth placements based on traffic flow, sponsor tier, and strategic visibility.

Think about what this means for event planners managing large-scale conferences: instead of manually juggling sponsor requirements, attendee flow, and venue constraints in CAD software or PowerPoint, Monet does the heavy lifting while you focus on the strategic decisions. It's like having an expert event designer and operations manager working 24/7 on your team.

For sponsors, this means better ROI—their booth placement isn't arbitrary, it's data-driven. For attendees, it means better navigation and experience. For planners, it means hours (sometimes days) of work condensed into minutes.

If you're managing complex events—especially in the enterprise space where showfloors, sponsor management, and multi-stakeholder coordination are involved—I encourage you to check out what the Monet team is building. They're not just creating software; they're creating space for event professionals to do what we do best: design experiences that matter. Drop me a line if you want an intro and a Gianna’s Gems VIP discount on their product.

Learn more at monet.io

Gianna Gaudini is an event strategist, advisor, and author of the Amazon bestselling book "The Art of Event Planning." She's held leadership roles at Google, AWS, SoftBank Vision Fund, and Airtable, creating unforgettable experiences that drive business results. For more insights on creating exceptional events, visit GiannaGaudini.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Interested in having your event or venue featured in Gianna's Gems? Reach out at gianna@gaudini.com