The Spring Debrief 2025: 35 Lessons from Event Marketers
When we asked our community to share their best tip from this event season, we didn’t expect 200+ responses. But we should’ve known better—because if there’s one thing event marketers don’t do, it’s gatekeep.
The result? A goldmine of practical advice, hard-earned lessons, and honest reminders from people who get it.
Whether you’re deep in planning mode or reflecting on a wild season, these are the kind of insights that’ll make you nod, laugh, and maybe even tweak your next run-of-show. Because behind every badge pickup drama and AV snafu is a whole lot of wisdom—and we’re better when we share it.
Here are 35 of our favorite takeaways, straight from the Planwell community:
On Teamwork + Support
“Don't paddle the boat alone. Collaborate with the rest of your department and accept the help that’s offered on event days. We know we could do it on our own, but we can thrive with a little help from our friends.” — Becca Lau
“Build your support network—and don’t hesitate to rely on it. Surround yourself with the right people, and trust them.” — Sarah Dommerich
“The success of your entire event lives and dies by how well-aligned your internal team is.” — Mallory Meyer
On Planning + Strategy
If it’s not on the run of show, it doesn’t exist. Document everything, over-communicate, and assume nothing the week of the event. — Kayla Drake
“Get aligned with sales leaders early and often.”. — TeAnne Sparaco
“Set 15 minutes before and after the event day for your team to recap best practices and conversations.” — Kayla Tollerson
“Measure what matters and socialize it often. I think it's easy to get caught up in logistics and overlook the importance of regularly showcasing impact and how it's tied to business outcomes. This is something I'm trying to work on but making it a habit to translate wins into clear, digestible insights for leadership and sales.”. — Tony Grandlienard
On Creativity + Experience
“Create an experience, not just an event. Anyone can put together a booth, a happy hour, or a conference—but the real impact happens when you focus on the feeling people walk away with. From the way you welcome attendees, to the little unexpected details that make them smile, it’s the full experience that builds connection, drives engagement, and keeps your brand top of mind long after the event ends.” — Geraldine Moreno
“The most valuable moments don’t happen at the event, they happen between the sessions, in the quiet conversations. Design for connection, not just content.” — Maddie Clapp
“Put yourself in the attendees shoes - what is something that would surprise and delight them, or make them feel like you've designed the event just for them?” — Katie Brunette
“Don’t just invite—connect. The extra effort in understanding your audience pays off in meaningful engagement.”. — Gelena Correia
“Design for connection, not just consumption. Modern events aren’t about broadcasting information; they’re about building relationships. Create opportunities for attendees to interact with each other, speakers, your product, and your brand.” — Jordan Wynne
“Don't underestimate guest's eagerness to network and socialize at your events! Be customer obsessed in every element of the experience.” – Hannah Kearney
On Burnout + Boundaries
“Find ways to automate as many post-event tasks as possible, so that you can give yourself a few days to recharge after a big trade show or summit. Prioritizing rest is SO important for preventing burnout, and it's far too easy to get burnt out as an events professional!” — Abbey Phillips
“Utilize your calendar, don't be afraid to block time and sync your work and personal life. There is no avoiding chaos during busy season but having one view of everything going on is a lifesaver.” — Jess Toro
“Make time for yourself every day! Even if it is just 10 minutes. Having that reset time will help you be more productive and present!” — Mary Mac Williams
“As event marketers we often strive for perfection but inevitably things can and will go astray. Have grace is a mantra I remind myself of frequently to get through those challenging times!” — Cara Sidoti
“Understand you can’t control it all, and be mindful of all the unexpected changes. Have Grace.” – Austin Sandmeyer
On Confidence + Leadership
“Don't be afraid to say 'no' - learn to trust your experience - have your feedback rooted in logic but remember no is also a full sentence. It leads you to better decision making and outcomes. The contrary is just as true, learning to say 'yes' leaning into experiments can lead to both successes and failures but either way you're learning.” — Gurlene Kaur
“Be your own advocate and highlight wins and the metrics that made your event successful. Always tie it back to the business’s overall goals/KPIs.” — Rachel Palmisciano
“Be patient — the registrations will come in, eventually :)” — Jessica Connolly
On Operational Genius
“It's always worth getting to your booth as early as possible to inventory your shipped items and ensure power/av/furniture has been set up correctly. It's the best time to connect with show services staff and on-site contractors to build a team to help resolve any onsite issues before the rush!” — Brooke Eder
Everything goes in Asana! If it's in Slack, it'll get lost- so put everything in Asana then Slack me about it!” — Katie Ray
“Recycle, reuse, reduce! Take that initial executive briefing deck and slice and dice it with audience tweaks for your stakeholder briefings: working team, onsite sales team, post-event summary to the org.” — Sam Trieu
On Human Moments
“Don’t sweat the small stuff!” — Bethany Murphy
“Just remember, what you think may be going "wrong" might not be what attendees notice is going "wrong". Take a second to breathe and know that we are curating lots of moments for our attendees, so it will all work out!” – Jenn Luong
“Try to get back into routine right when you get back from a trip. It's tempting to take a few days off of the gym or meal prep or whatever it usually is, but the longer you wait, the harder it is to restart.” — Melanie Reid
“I started to art journal. Even if it was 15 minutes and scribbles. It took all my emotions and turned it into something on a page.” — Diana Kuhiwczak
On Perspective
“Do the big thing but also sometimes smaller events are more effective. Know the audience and the goal.” — Dayjah Brock
“Bigger doesn’t always mean better. You can be everywhere in spirit, without being everywhere in spend.” — Emily Dilbeck
Don't be afraid of summer events! The spring and fall event season can feel so cluttered, sometimes attendees welcome the break.” — Jessica Lore
On Follow-Through
“It’s not just about the event, it's about the experience and follow up.” — Sarah Kamp
“Meet with key stakeholders prior to the event to ensure that all objectives are aligned. It’s fairly common for multiple departments to have a conflicting goal, the end of an event. Ensure a proactive reach prior to beginning the planning phases of the event.” — Deni Blair
“Consider running a proof of concept by your stakeholders in advance!” — Linor Vaknin
“Before sending off an email, always ask yourself: What one extra little thing can I do right now to make this person's job/life easier?” — Melanie Nye
These insights reinforce what we believe at Planwell: event marketing is human work. It’s strategy and logistics, yes—but it’s also intuition, care, connection, and collaboration. That’s why we exist: to help modern B2B brands and marketers create memorable experiences, not just calendar fillers.
Need help bringing your next event to life? We’re Planwell—your partner for strategic, high-impact B2B events.
Want more tips like these? Follow us on LinkedIn or join our community, Planwell Collective.
