Leadership Under Pressure: Inside the EPNow Leadership Summit
The EPNow Leadership Summit opened the 2026 Event Series with a clear focus: what it actually takes to lead event programs today.
Not just how to produce great events — but how to guide teams, influence stakeholders, navigate constant change, and protect the human side of high-stakes work.
Hosted by Lisa Gregory (Gregory Event Services) with co-host Marisa Nebosky (FIFA World Cup), the Summit brought together event leaders for a morning of candid conversation, strategic insight, and peer exchange designed to reflect the real complexity of the role.
From the first session, the tone was clear:
This wasn’t about theory.
It was about the realities event leaders are navigating every day.
A Future-Focused Opening
The Summit opened with a state-of-the-industry keynote from Brent Turner (Opus Agency), who challenged the audience with a question that many leaders are asking right now:
As AI becomes embedded in everything we do, what becomes more valuable?
His answer centered on what cannot be automated:
Human connection.
Belonging.
Experience design that truly earns attention.
In an industry increasingly shaped by technology and automation, Brent reminded the audience that the most meaningful experiences will still be the most human ones.
Leadership Is Getting More Complex
From there, the conversation shifted to the human side of leadership.
Sheena Yap Chan introduced her VISIBLE Framework™, offering practical guidance for leaders navigating burnout, blurred boundaries, and the invisible labor that often sits behind successful event programs.
The session resonated deeply with attendees who are managing expanding responsibilities while trying to maintain sustainable teams and healthy leadership habits.
Because leadership in events isn’t just operational.
It’s personal
Leading Through Constant Change
The Summit then moved into one of the most candid conversations of the morning.
Lisa Gregory moderated Leading Through Change with Heads of Events, featuring:
• Jeremy Youett (Atlassian)
• Sarah Gannon (MathWorks)
• Tracey Major (Lucid Software)
The discussion highlighted a reality many event leaders recognize immediately:
Change is no longer a phase. It’s the environment.
Leaders shared how they guide teams through shifting priorities, influence stakeholders, and maintain trust even when strategies and expectations evolve quickly.
Across the conversation, one theme remained consistent:
The leaders gaining traction internally are the ones who combine clarity, communication, and data-backed decision making.
Turning Insight Into Action: EPN Zones
One of the defining elements of the Leadership Summit was how intentionally it moved from content to conversation.
Immediately after the keynote sessions, attendees joined the EPN Zone: Highlights & Hot Takes, led by:
• Marisa Cali (Be Present LLC)
• Gabriella Robuccio (Gabriella Robuccio Consulting)
Instead of ending with the presentation, the conversation continued in real time.
Attendees compared notes, surfaced ideas that felt most applicable, and discussed how the insights might translate into their own programs.
The result felt less like a traditional event session and more like a strategic working group.
Peer Leadership Breakouts
From there, the Summit transitioned into structured peer conversations through Leadership Breakout Rooms, where community leaders guided discussions across five strategic topics.
These sessions allowed attendees to move beyond listening and actively exchange perspectives with peers navigating similar challenges.
Breakout sessions included:
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)
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)
These conversations didn’t end as interesting dialogue.
They became the foundation for something larger.
✨ The collective insights from these rooms are being captured and developed into an Event Leadership AI Booklet, built from peer conversations and shared back with the community as a strategic resource.
Two Lightning Talks That Brought Extra Edge
The Summit also featured two fast-paced lightning talks that delivered powerful perspective shifts.
Michelle Kennedy (Plato Media Co.) and Emily Griesing (Bossible) reframed networking as something far more strategic than traditional relationship building.
Instead of transactional networking, they introduced the concept of intentional relationship architecture — building systems that strengthen long-term professional connections.
Then Andrew Moses, creator and host of Everybody Pulls the Tarp, delivered a memorable reminder about what truly defines strong teams.
Culture, he argued, is built in the unglamorous moments — when people show up for each other, help when it’s needed, and collectively “pull the tarp.”
The Takeaway From The Leadership Summit
By the end of the morning, one theme stood out clearly:
Leadership isn’t just about vision.
It’s about managing pressure without passing it down the line.
It’s guiding teams through constant change.
It’s protecting the human side of work while delivering results in environments where expectations continue to rise.
For many attendees, the Summit felt less like a conference session and more like a moment of alignment — a chance to pause, reflect, and recalibrate how they lead.
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 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.
🌍 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:
Access to future-focused programming and peer-led insights
Real-time dialogue through EPN Zones
Leadership resources and strategic toolkits
Mentorship and professional growth pathways
A trusted space to ask better questions – and get sharper answers
In a year defined by expansion, acceleration, and rising complexity, community isn’t just energizing.
It’s strategic leverage.
👉 Join EPN
