I've planned events for years. Here are the 5 biggest mistakes I see event planners make — and the fixes that actually work.

1. No clear objective

"We need an event" is not a brief. Before you book a venue, nail down one sentence: what should attendees feel/know/do after this event? Everything else flows from that.

2. Choosing the venue before the experience

A beautiful venue means nothing if the layout kills networking or the AV setup can't support your program. Design the experience first, then find a venue that fits it.

3. Ignoring the 48-hour window

The 48 hours before your event are where 80% of problems happen. Build a detailed run-of-show for this window — staffing, deliveries, tech checks, backup plans. No detail is too small.

4. Treating vendors like order-takers

Your best vendors have seen hundreds of events. Tell them your goals, not just your specs. You'll get better ideas, better pricing, and a partner who actually cares about the outcome.

5. No post-event debrief

If you're not sending a survey within 24 hours and doing a team debrief within a week, you're leaving growth on the table. Document everything — what worked, what didn't, what you'd change.

I'm building a community for event planners who want to level up. We share templates, vendor contacts, and real talk about the industry.

If that sounds like you, come join us 👇

I've managed dozens of corporate conferences and summits. Here's what separates the events people actually talk about from the ones they forget by Monday:

1. The first 90 seconds

Your opening moment sets the tone for everything. Not with a PowerPoint slide — with an experience. Sound, lighting, and a hook that makes people put their phones down.

2. Flow over content

Most organizers overpack the agenda. The best events give people room to breathe, network, and absorb. White space is a feature, not a bug.

3. Food is not a detail

It's a memory. Bad catering undermines a $200K production. Great food becomes part of the story people tell.

4. Tech that disappears

The AV should be invisible until it's spectacular. If your attendees notice the tech, something went wrong.

5. A closing that lands

End with intention. A surprise moment, a call to action, or a shared experience. Never end with "thanks for coming."

We build events around these principles at NEW LEVEL. If you're planning a conference or summit and want it done right — we should talk.