Event Planner Confessions

Cohera

Welcome to Event Planner Confessions, a Cohera podcast.
Every week, we dive into the candid, unfiltered stories of event professionals navigating the vibrant world of event management. From behind-the-scenes wins to lessons learned the hard way, we explore how creativity, collaboration, and a little chaos come together to create unforgettable experiences.

Hosted by the team at Cohera, we spotlight the people and passions that shape the industry, revealing what really goes on when the lights go up, the guests arrive, and the magic happens.

Tune in for insights, laughter, and confessions that celebrate the power of human connection and how events truly have the ability to change the world, one story at a time.

Disclaimer: These confessions and stories have been altered to ensure anonymity and protect the identities of the individuals or entities involved. Any identifying details have been modified. The purpose of sharing these stories is to foster learning, celebrate our profession, and honor our clients and partners across the hospitality industry.

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Yesterday · 24 min
How Canva Brings a Digital Brand to Life | Part 1
Canva is one of the world’s most recognizable digital platforms. Jimmy Knowles is responsible for making it something people can walk into, explore, and feel. In Part 1 of this Event Planner Confessions conversation, Ashley Currin sits down with Jimmy...
September 8 · 20 min
Why Forrester Is Betting on Smaller Events
More content is not always more valuable. In this episode of Event Planner Confessions, Cara Pratt talks with Tavar James, vice president of global events at Forrester, about why the company introduced shorter, more intimate Forums alongside its...
August 25 · 27 min
The Destination Rebrand Every Event Planner Should Study
Anaheim is one of the most recognizable destinations in the country, but recognition does not always lead to consideration. Visit Anaheim’s research found that roughly nine out of ten people knew the city, yet there was a 64 percent drop between...
August 11 · 20 min
Why Event Teams Break Down Under Pressure
Most event problems do not begin on-site. They begin much earlier, when expectations are misunderstood, important details are missed, or everyone leaves the same conversation with a different version of what was decided. In this episode of Event...
July 28 · 17 min
Why Being Busy Is Making You Less Productive
A packed calendar can look like ambition from the outside while quietly becoming the very thing that is burning you out. For event planners, every open space can quickly become another client call, site visit, internal meeting, networking event,...
July 14 · 21 min
Why Your Event Gifts Keep Ending Up in the Trash
Event gifting sounds simple until the wrong item ends up in a hotel trash can, the timeline gets compressed, or the planner realizes too late that “custom” does not mean “available tomorrow.” In this episode of Event Planner Confessions, Sam sits...
June 30 · 44 min
Why "Experiential" Isn't a Buzzword… It's a Business Strategy
Experiential design gets talked about constantly in the events industry, but too often it gets reduced to flashy activations, trendy tech, or “wow factor” moments that do not connect back to the reason people gathered in the first place. In this...
June 16 · 16 min
The Furniture Company Behind The Biggest Events in America
Furniture is often treated like the last thing event planners figure out. But the right furniture can completely change how a room feels. In this episode of Event Planner Confessions, Ashley sits down with Sarah Bradley and Renee Pool from AFR Events...
June 2 · 18 min
The Art of Knowing What's Cool in Events
Some event ideas feel impossible until the right creative partner figures out how to make them real. In this episode of Event Planner Confessions, Ashley sits down with Melis Feingold, Senior Director of Creative Partnerships at Cohera, to talk about...
May 19 · 12 min
We Planned an Event for Event Planners (This is How We Did It)
Planning an event is already hard. Planning one for a room full of event planners raises the stakes even more. In this episode of Event Planner Confessions, Cara, Sam, and Ashley go behind the scenes of Cohera’s inaugural “Imagine That” event and...
April 21 · 27 min
The Event Theme You Need to Stop Using
Event creativity in the DMC world isn't about copying Pinterest boards... it's about building something no one's ever seen before. In this episode of Event Planner Confessions, Cara Pratt sits down with Danny McMillan, Director of Design and...
April 7 · 28 min
The Real Business of Events
In this episode, we sit down with Nicola, CEO of ELX — the exclusive community for senior event leaders at enterprise companies. Nicola shares her winding career path from incentive travel dreamer to leading one of the most talked-about communities in...
March 24 · 16 min
What Technology Can’t Replace in Events
Tony Lorenz has spent 30 years in the events industry — building a company from the ground up, selling to Freeman, leading PRA through 16 acquisitions, and now serving on the board at Cohera. In this episode of Event Planner Confessions, Tony shares...
March 10 · 18 min
What Actually Gets Attention at Trade Shows
Join us for an insightful conversation with Ronnie Collins from Visit Anaheim as we explore what it takes to create truly engaging trade show experiences in today's distracted world. In this episode of Event Planner Confessions, we dive deep into...
February 24 · 23 min
Why Attendance Looks Different Now
Join us for an honest conversation about the evolving landscape of industry conferences and trade shows. We're breaking down what really influences event attendance decisions—from the macro factors like budget constraints to the micro moments like...
February 10 · 25 min
The Leadership Shift Event Teams Can’t Ignore
What does it really take to build culture that lasts in a 24/7 industry? In this episode of Event Planner Confessions, we sit down with Carrie Campbell, longtime hospitality leader and the force behind Evergreen, formerly Fenway Park Events. With 16...
January 27 · 33 min
The Economy Is Better Than You Think in 2026
If the headlines feel chaotic, how do you figure out what is actually happening with the economy and what it means for your meetings? In this episode of Event Planner Confessions, host Cara sits down with Mike Dominguez (ALHI) to cut through the...
January 6 · 11 min
What to Wear to Your Next Event (and What to Skip)
Struggling to figure out what to wear to your next company event or conference? Let’s talk about what actually works. In this episode of Event Planner Confessions, Cara Pratt, Ashley Currin, and Samantha Monroe break down what actually works when...
Dec 23, 2025 · 24 min
Attending PCMA Convening Leaders? Watch This.
Convening Leaders isn’t just another conference. It’s a carefully designed experience that helps set the tone for the entire events industry year. Samantha Monroe and Ashley Currin sit down with Karla-Jean Zander, Director of Operations &...
Dec 9, 2025 · 15 min
Fix Your Event Marketing in 15 Minutes
Event marketing is changing fast and relying on last year’s playbook is one of the quickest ways to fall behind. Ashley Currin and Jay Schwedelson unpack the most common pitfalls in event marketing, why routine tactics no longer deliver, and how...

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