The Special Event, Part 1: Event Trends & Hot List 2019!

To kick off the new year inspired, I flew out to San Diego and attended what is coined as the event industry’s largest conference and tradeshow, The Special Event 2019. Together with over 4,000 industry professionals, I attended 3 over-the-top evening event experiences, had a selection of 100+ educational sessions to participate in, and perused the […]

The Special Event, Part 2: Behind the Smoke & Mirrors

In last month’s blog The Special Event, Part 1: Event Trends & Hot List 2019!, I highlighted some pretty great new products and trends for the coming year. If you missed it, you should go back and check it out, there’s some pretty cool stuff in there! In addition to exposure to all of the new […]

Why #EventProfs Love What They Do – and The Stats to Back it Up!

Those who have had the pleasant experience of planning events for friends, company outings, or maybe a wedding, have had the pleasure of getting a little taste of what the Events Industry can be at its best and worst. If you are one of these lucky people, you probably got to experience creativity, innovation, education, […]

Enhancing Event Experiences with Event Technology

Interactive user technology is and will always be at the forefront of not only the Events Industry but all industries. Consider how the following industries have dramatically changed over the last few years with advances in technology: Uber changed transportation, Instagram changed shopping, Netflix changed entertainment. These examples of changing technology highlight the user’s desire […]

Building a Spectacular Summer Event Theme

When creating a theme for your event, there are so many options to choose from, where does one begin? Rather than settling on the same trends or themes that have been done before, check out these thought-provoking fun summer decor themes to get your creative juices flowing to help you build a spectacular event theme. […]

To Swag, or Not to Swag – Our TOP 5 Favorite Swag Themes

To Swag, or Not to Swag, that is the question.  Everyone loves free stuff, right? Well… not always. Let’s talk about the highly anticipated swag bag and our TOP 5 Favorite Swag Themes along with some helpful tips to engage your guests and keep your brand top-of-mind long after your event. Sometimes a poorly thought out swag bag […]

A Letter from the President of NLED – Cathy Genetti

Can you believe we have made it to 2020!?!  Twenty-Twenty!  I must admit, it looks a bit different than I thought it would as a kid, but then again, so does life in general – fortunately, most of it for the better!  I feel accomplished and energized by the path I’ve been able to create […]

Virtual Events: The Pandemic Pivot

Virtual Events: The Pandemic Pivot This time of COVID-19 has been a ‘pivot’ in nearly every way including how and where we work, live, engage with our communities, and dress when we leave the house (when/if we leave the house). There’s an intense amount of information coming at us impacting nearly every aspect of our […]

#NextLevelOnTheScene: Where have we been!?

Okay, we get it – it’s been over two years since you last heard from us… we can totally blame the pandemic and the complete disruption to the events industry creating a void of interesting things to talk about. We can also blame being too busy executing events with a skeletal staff and unbelievably short […]

Event Recap: Chicagopalooza 2022

As the world navigates coming out of the pandemic, corporations are navigating the return to office policies, rebuilding company culture, trying to avoid ‘The Great Resignation,’ and are focused on ‘The Great Retention.’ For one of our Chicago-based clients, this meant bringing back a family-friendly retreat filled with 50+ activities over a 3-day weekend at […]