EPNow 2026 Event Series Recap: Big Ideas, Real Talk, and a Community Built for Engagement

Mar 5

The EPNow 2026 Event Series by the Event Professionals Network wasn’t built to be a “watch-and-leave” experience.

Across two events – The Leadership Summit and our annual gathering, The BIG Event – what emerged was something the industry needs right now:

Smart programming
Candid leadership conversation
And a community actively engaging with each other in real time through EPN Zones.

✨ EPNow 2026 Series Snapshot

Across the Leadership Summit and The BIG Event, the community showed up in a big way:

👥 800+ event professionals across the two events

🎤45+ expert speakers sharing real-world strategies and leadership insight

🕒 8+ hours of programming across keynotes, panels, and peer conversations

💬 Hundredsof live chat interactions, questions, and shared resources

🤝 Active EPN Zones discussions, where attendees continued conversations, compared notes, and applied ideas together in real time

More importantly, the engagement didn’t stop when a session ended.
It carried forward through peer dialogue, shared frameworks, and conversations that pushed ideas beyond the stage.

These weren’t sessions filled with lofty inspiration and no next step. They felt like strategic working sessions for event professionals navigating the real conditions of modern event work - at every level of experience.

Because the reality in 2026 is clear: it’s more, more, more – of everything.

⚡ More events.

⚡ More moving parts.

⚡ Faster growth.

⚡ Higher expectations.

⚡ Compressed timelines.

⚡ Greater pressure to prove value.

⚡ And a constant need to translate effort into measurable outcomes.

📈 In fact, the data reflects what we’re all feeling.

The global events industry is projected to reach approximately $1.46 trillion in 2026, up from $1.34 trillion in 2025 – nearly 9.4% year-over-year growth. Long-term forecasts project expansion beyond $2.1 trillion by 2032–2035, driven by bold event strategies, deeper tech integration, and rising audience expectations.

In 2026 alone, we’re seeing one of the strongest years of growth in the industry’s history – not just in volume, but in complexity.

And you could feel that tension and ambition inside the EPNow Series.

What made these days different wasn’t just the content – it was the participation.

People didn’t sit back. They leaned in.

You could see it directly in the chat threads building in real time. In the thoughtful questions. In the fun GIFs flying across the screen. In the EPN Zone debriefs where attendees processed ideas together, compared notes, and pushed conversations a layer deeper.

The experience was intentionally designed that way:
Sessions that challenged assumptions.
Paired with structured community dialogue.
Creating space not just to learn – but to think, apply, and evolve.

That’s the point of EPN.

Not passive consumption.
Active engagement.

And in a year defined by expansion, acceleration, and rising stakes – that kind of community isn’t optional.

It’s strategic.

Part One: The Leadership Summit | Jan 29

Leadership, Change, And The Human Side Of Running High-Stakes Work

The Leadership Summit set the tone with future-focused thinking grounded in real leadership reality — and it moved fast in the best way.

Hosted by Lisa Gregory (Gregory Event Services) with co-host Marisa Nebosky(FIFA World Cup), the morning opened with a state-of-the-industry keynote from Brent Turner (Opus Agency), who posed the kind of question that sticks: as AI becomes more embedded in everything, what becomes more valuable?

His answer centered on what can’t be automated: human connection, belonging, and experience design that earns attention.

From there, the Summit turned inward to the human side of high-stakes work. Sheena Yap Chan introduced the VISIBLE Framework™, offering a practical reset for leaders navigating burnout, blurred boundaries, and the invisible labor that keeps programs afloat.

Then the conversation moved into the candor event leaders rarely get enough of: Lisa moderated Leading Through Change with Heads of Events, featuring Jeremy Youett(Atlassian), Sarah Gannon(MathWorks), and Tracey Major (Lucid Software).

The message was clear — change isn’t a season anymore. It’s the environment. Leaders shared what it truly takes to influence stakeholders, guide teams through shifting priorities, and earn trust through clarity, consistency, and data.

But what made the Leadership Summit feel different was how intentionally it kept pulling the community into the experience.

Community-Led Moments That Turned Insight Into Action

The Summit moved from stage to real-time reflection in the EPN Zone: Highlights & Hot Takes, led by Marisa Cali(Be Present LLC) and Gabriella Robuccio(Gabriella Robuccio Consulting), where attendees compared notes, pressure-tested ideas, and surfaced what was actually usable.

From there, the day shifted into structured peer exchange through Peer Leadership Breakouts, guided by community leaders across five topic rooms:

Leading with a Growth Mindset for High Performance — Lisa Gregory (Gregory Event Services) + Stephanie Savage(Gregory Event Services)
Experiential & Content Strategy — Marisa Nebosky (FIFA World Cup) + Michael Penhollow(Penzy Films LLC)
Event Strategy & Cross-functional Alignment — Rob Blasko(Public Schools) + Jenna Perrine(Opus Agency)
Measurement & Metrics — Jonathan Kazarian(Accelevents) + Dax Callner(DAC Strategy)
Stakeholder Management & Influence — Shanondoah Nicholson(Beyond the BEO) + Evan Babins(Event Production)

The breakouts didn’t end as “good conversation.” They became raw material for something bigger:

✨ The collective thinking from these rooms is being captured and converted into an Event Leadership AI Booklet — built from peer conversations and shared back with attendees as a practical strategic asset (coming soon!).

Two Lightning Talks That Gave The Day Extra Edge

The Summit also delivered two sharp, memorable lightning sessions:

Michelle Kennedy(Plato Media Co.) and Emily Griesing(Bossible) reframed networking as a strategic system — moving from awkward transactional “networking” to intentional relationship architecture.
Andrew Moses, creator and host of Everybody Pulls The Tarp, brought a rallying reminder about high-performing teams: culture is built in the unglamorous moments — when people show up, help, and pull together.

The standout feeling from Day One was clear:

Leadership isn’t just having vision.
It’s managing pressure — without passing it down the line.

Part Two: The BIG Event | Feb 26

Where Strategy Got Sharper – And Community Became The Competitive Advantage

The BIG Event picked up The Leadership Summit’s momentum and turned it into practical application.

Hosted by Lisa Gregory with Ricky Salguero as co-host, the day began with a burst of energy from DJ Graffiti — setting the tone for a morning designed to be both strategic and genuinely fun.

From the moment the music started, the vibe was upbeat, dialed in, and genuinely fun — and it wasn’t just an opener. The vibe stayed alive throughout, helping the day feel like a shared experience, rather than a series of disconnected sessions.

Rich Bracken(Unstoppable Solutions) reframed the role of the event professional as an Experience Architect – pushing beyond “agenda building” into pacing, emotional intention, and how to close moments with meaning.
Nick Bennett(NB Marketing) named the trap of being the dependable “yes” person and pushed toward work that actually drives pipeline and outcomes.
Mia Masson(Independent)+ Julien Bouvier (The Arc) made the case for the bridge role becoming essential: the event strategist who can translate logistics into strategy and experience into measurable business value.
Anca Platon Trifan(Demystified Podcast) brought a pragmatic lens to AI: less novelty, more leverage – segmentation, structure, reporting models leadership can actually use.
Jonathan Kazarian(Accelevents) tackled the event tech reality: consolidation, integration, and systems that reduce tool sprawl and reporting chaos.
Evan Babins(Event Production) explored leadership as both strategy and culture – the why and the how.
Starr Stephenson(Deltek) reminded everyone how often we don’t ask for what we need – budget, support, partnership – because we assume the answer will be no.
Amy Gattoni(Pinnacle) +Rich Rodrigues(Pinnacle) gave language for show floor design that sticks: theaters and playgrounds – places to feel something and do something.
Juliette Paige(The Slowdown Summit) +Zach Reizes(The Slowdown Summit) challenged default conference design and pushed for experiences that support different learning styles and social comfort levels.
Lorrena Black(She Served LLC) +Dr. Darla Bishop(FinanSis, LLC)closed with a powerful pairing: emotional intelligence + financial literacy as a real edge for modern event leaders.

And just as importantly, the community didn’t stay on mute.

The EPN Zonesbrought the “so what?” to the surface — layered with insight, clarification, and shared examples from teams actively doing the work:

Carter Parrish(Robotproof) + Gurlene Kaur(memoryBlue) guided Highlights & Hot Takes, turning the morning’s early sessions into immediate takeaways.
Starr Stephenson(Deltek) + Traci Myers(Pulumi) broke down the tech conversations into what’s actually useful versus what’s just noise.
Amanda Pavan(Cvent) + Karlyanna Kopra Burton(Zafran Security) led a candid conversation on leadership and boldness — the asks, boundaries, and decisions that change outcomes.
Lakesha Moore(Rolling with Keke) + Melissa Cheng(Scentex) connected the dots on human-centered design and spaces that work for real humans.

The chat threads were active. The GIFs were flying. Ideas were pressure-tested in real time.

This wasn’t content consumption.
It was community calibration.

Across sessions, a consistent throughline emerged: the event professional of 2026 isn’t just executing programs – they’re shaping strategy, influencing stakeholders, architecting experiences, and proving value in language the C-suite understands.

The BIG Event didn’t end with applause.
It acted as a catalyst – insight igniting action across the community.

And in a year defined by growth, complexity, and rising expectations, that kind of momentum isn’t just energizing.
It’s a competitive advantage.

What Took Hold Across Both Days

The Themes That Defined The EPNow 2026 Series ✨

1) Events Are Being Evaluated Like Business Drivers

Across The Leadership Summit and The BIG Event, the message was consistent: event teams are increasingly expected to connect work to outcomes – pipeline, retention, stakeholder confidence, and measurable value.

2) The Role Is Expanding: Execution Is Expected, Influence Is Earned

Both days reinforced a shift from “doer” to strategist. The professionals gaining trust internally are the ones who can shape direction early, ask better questions, and speak the language of impact.

3) Tech Is Only Useful If It Reduces Friction

Whether it was AI workflows or event platform consolidation, the common bar was clear: tools must simplify operations, strengthen measurement, and improve clarity – not add layers.

4) Better Experience Design Is More Human, Not More Complicated

From experience architecture to inclusive event design to show floor journeys, the emphasis stayed grounded: design for attention, emotion, participation, and different ways people learn and engage.

5) Leadership Is Operational… And Personal

Boundaries, communication norms, stakeholder management, team sustainability – the series treated leadership as something practiced in real moments, not just discussed in theory.

The industry is expanding.
The expectations are rising.
The opportunity is real.

Whether you’ve been part of EPN for years or you’re just stepping in – this is the moment to lean forward.

The momentum doesn’t stop here. 💜

What’s Next

If the EPNow 2026 Event Series proved anything, it’s this: the momentum doesn’t stop at the closing slide.

It carries forward through the people shaping what’s next.

🚀 Apply to Speak – CFP Now Open

EPN is powered by practitioners.

The Call for Speakers is officially open, and we’re looking for event leaders ready to share real-world insights – the wins, the lessons, the frameworks, and the strategies that are working now.

If you’re actively navigating modern event complexity and have perspective to elevate fellow professionals, we invite you to step forward.

👉 Apply to Speak

🌱 Apply to Be a Mentor or Mentee

Growth doesn’t happen in isolation.

The EPNow Mentorship Program is now accepting applications through March 20. This complimentary program runs from April 15 – June 30 and is intentionally designed to be high-impact and manageable – approximately three hours total, with one meeting per month.

Whether you’re looking to fast-track your career or give back by guiding others, this is an opportunity to invest in the future of the industry – and in yourself.

👉 Apply to be a Mentor or Mentee

📊 Take the Survey

Your voice shapes what we build next.

We’re gathering insight from this year’s Series to continue refining, elevating, and strengthening the experience. If you attended, we’d value your perspective.

👉 Take the Survey

🌍 Join the EPN Community

If you’re not already part of EPN, this is your invitation.

The Event Professionals Network is more than a series – it’s a global community of practitioners committed to raising the standard of the industry together.

Inside EPN, members gain: