Unlocking Event Strategy

Aug 26

What happens when three of the brightest minds in event strategy come together for one powerful conversation? At the August 20 Event Professionals Network (EPN) Meetup, the discussion sparked fresh ideas, candid insights, and practical tools.

With Brent Turner, EVP, Strategy & Solutions at Opus Agency, Marisa Nebosky, FWC Boston, and host Lisa Gregory, CEO and Founder of Gregory Event Services, we dug into how today’s innovative event teams can think bigger, align better, and deliver experiences that truly drive impact.

1. Every Event Needs a Bullseye

Good strategy isn’t a laundry list — it’s a single-minded focus.

Define the bullseye: Is this event meant to close business, accelerate pipeline, or build awareness?
Align everything to that center point. When the purpose is clear, both measurement and execution snap into focus.

2. Build Event Personas

Not just buyer personas, but attendee personas.

Ask practical questions: Do they have time to travel? Do they have a budget? Do they even enjoy traveling?
Match the format to the reality of their lives — sometimes that’s a global conference, sometimes a short webinar.
Layer in curiosity: What sparks them to choose your event over everything else competing for their attention?

3. Fix the Attribution Gap

Events often get erased in traditional reporting.

First-touch models give credit to the website form, but ignore the role of events in the middle of the funnel.
Align attribution with your true sales cycle — if deals take six months, don’t measure event impact at 30 days.
Partner tightly with marketing ops to ensure events show up as the revenue-driving engines they are.

4. Create “Events Within the Event”

ROI doesn’t come from scanning badges and handing out swag. It comes from moments.

Build micro-experiences inside your larger program: coffee with a CEO, curated breakout sessions, surprise demos, or meetups with community influencers.
These intentional touchpoints turn standard agendas into differentiated journeys.

5. Handle the Swirl

Every event leader knows the “swirl” — when the pace accelerates, chaos builds, and strategy starts slipping.

Pause: Reset before moving forward.
Simplify: When in doubt, do fewer things really well.
Check the feeling: If you or your team are anxious or unclear, stop and realign. That pause can protect both mental health and outcomes.

6. Always Ask: Why LIVE? Why Together?

If you can’t answer those two questions, you’ve designed an expensive YouTube broadcast — not an event.

Live events should deliver something that can’t be replicated on demand.
Togetherness should create energy, learning, and connection that would be impossible alone.

Looking Ahead

The August EPN Meetup reminded us that advanced strategy is about discipline: setting a bullseye, designing for real people, fixing the gaps in attribution, and creating moments that matter.

A huge thank you to Brent Turner and Marisa Nebosky for sharing their expertise, and to our EPN community for showing up with honesty, curiosity, and collaboration.

📺 Watch the full conversation (42 min.) here.

📅 Next Meetup: Sept 18 — we’ll explore Inclusive Event Design and how to create experiences where every attendee feels welcome, supported, and engaged.

This Meetup was brought to you by the Event Professionals Network (EPN), a non-profit supported by Gregory Event Services.

👉 Join our free Slack community to connect, collaborate, and grow with 850+ event professionals: Register here to join the Event Professionals Network

Come for the insight. Stay for the community. ✨