While the roles of meeting planner and bartender are very different, the two jobs have interesting crossovers. Professionals in these occupations operate using a set of basic guidelines for successful meetings or tasty cocktails, yet the best in their respective fields add healthy dashes of creativity that still manage to respect a client’s purpose and tastes. They put lessons learned along the way to good use, watch for standout examples from peers, and monitor the latest industry trends to keep things fresh.
To illustrate how these event innovators operate, Colorado Meetings + Events reached out to four planners who came highly recommended as people who think outside the box. These featured professionals run the gamut from destination management company (DMC) and independent meeting-planning company staff to association and corporate event organizers.
Sara Lawrason, regional director of client experience and event operations for Vail Valley-based Operation Altitude, has a primary goal of creating an experience that not only matches clients’ visions but also exceeds their expectations. “No two clients, visions, or challenges are ever the same, and I thrive in that environment,” she says. “I love taking an idea—sometimes just a spark—and turning it into an experience people remember. Seeing clients light up when everything comes together is incredibly rewarding and is truly what keeps me passionate about this work.”
Colorado-based Brooke Eder, global events lead for Cloudsmith, a technology company headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland, notes the meetings and events industry is constantly evolving in terms of expectations, technology, formats, and attention spans. “That forces me to stay curious and rethink what value looks like for attendees,” she says. “I have spent my career in technology and designed experiences mainly for developers and software engineers, which makes it fun to borrow inspiration directly from that world when designing events and activations.”
Perhaps a future issue will highlight how groups can best tap the talents of top Colorado bartenders. For now, raise a glass to these four talented meeting planners and the insights and case studies they shared.
Generating Fresh Ideas
It can be difficult to churn out new takes on familiar event types, but curiosity and collaboration help Lawrason keep creative juices flowing. “I’m constantly exploring new venues; building relationships with vendors; and staying up to date on design trends, technology, and attendee-experience innovations,” she says. “Collaboration also plays a huge role—I love brainstorming with my team and partners because it pushes us to think creatively and look at events from new perspectives.”
The fact that no two events are alike keeps the work exciting for Jen Houseman, meeting architect for Littleton-based Kinsley Meetings. “I am deeply committed to innovation and try to be proactive by researching emerging trends, exploring new technologies, and collaborating closely with my clients and vendor partners to ensure every single experience is tailored to its unique audience,” Houseman says.
Like Houseman and Lawrason, Eder prioritizes getting to know colleagues in her respective industry. “I love building relationships with event marketers at partner companies in our ecosystem, sharing ideas, and working together to create experiences that feel fresh, thoughtful, and genuinely creative.”
Meghan Keelean, a certified meeting planner and associate director of meetings for the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), with main offices in Denver and Washington, D.C., finds it helpful to get involved with industry associations for extra support from peers. She currently is a board member for the Meeting Professionals International Rocky Mountain Chapter (MPIRMC) alongside Eder. “Every day is different,” Keelean says. “If I think I have seen it all, something new comes up—there are always new challenges to tackle. I try to stay involved in groups like MPIRMC, so I have those industry friends to reach out to for advice like, ‘How have you handled this?’ and sometimes just to vent.”
Beyond the Norm
For Lawrason, thinking outside the box for a program begins with an in-depth brainstorming session with a client. “Once we know their direction, we take that concept to an entirely new level,” she explains. “We do our research—learning about the company, its goals, its culture—and find meaningful ways to tie everything together so the event feels intentional and on-brand.”
Multiday meetings and events open the door even wider for creative expression, Lawrason suggests. “Each day can have its own experience, its own energy, and its own story while still tying into the overarching theme,” she explains. “This gives us the freedom to layer in surprise moments, dynamic entertainment, and design elements that evolve throughout the event.”
Designing events with a positive attendee experience and sponsor satisfaction is a top priority for Houseman. “Every single detail—from the logistical flow and agenda pacing to unique interactive sessions—must be geared toward transforming attendees from passive observers to active contributors,” she says. “It is also important to maintain sponsor activation and fulfillment from a revenue standpoint.”
Houseman adds, “When attendees and exhibitor sponsors walk away feeling that their time and investment were well spent, if they made genuine connections and the experience was truly impactful for them, that’s when we know we have delivered an event experience that generates real value.”
Eder also recommends designing events around what people tend to remember, which doesn’t require bigger budgets but does involve more intentional choices. “Smaller, focused programs often create space for richer conversations, stronger connections, and clearer outcomes,” she says. “When events stand out in a thoughtful way, they earn attention, build trust more quickly, and leave a lasting impression.”
Standout Examples
Lawrason and Operation Altitude partnered with Visit Denver in 2019 to host an event at Ironworks as part of the convention and visitor bureau’s annual Meet Denver program, which showcases the city’s capabilities for hosting meetings, conventions, and events to meeting planners. For this event, the partners wanted to push the envelope of creativity and showcase Ironworks as a venue, so they landed on a steampunk theme “for something bold, immersive, and a little unexpected,” Lawrason says.
The DMC filled the main room with gear-inspired light fixtures and teamed up with Denver-based Three Tomatoes Catering to design thematic tablescapes. She adds, “The entertainment and activations also brought the theme to life: Attendees sipped smoked cocktails, had fortunes read, and enjoyed whimsical bites served in light bulbs,” Lawrason recalls. “It was one of those events where every single element worked together to tell a story, and the response from attendees was incredible.”
When Kinsley Meetings spearheaded a 1,500-person conference last year in Orlando, Florida, for the Minneapolis-based Professional Liability Underwriting Society, its team incorporated what they called the “Connections Lounge” to encourage meaningful networking. During the day, attendees could have their dreams interpreted and handwriting analyzed. One evening, the space transformed into a curated happy hour that went beyond traditional mingling. “To elevate the attendee experience, we introduced highly personalized activations set against the backdrop of live acoustic music,” Houseman shares. “For example, a Pantone color analysis [activity] helped attendees discover their own signature shade, and [the creation of] custom caricature keepsakes resulted in a relaxed, engaging atmosphere that encouraged connection while celebrating each attendee’s individuality.”
While attendees also had the opportunity to network over less-personalized activities such as indoor miniature golf and an outdoor football toss, many preferred the individualized activations. “Event attendees want experiences they cannot create for themselves,” she says. “The color-analysis sessions were the standout feature of the entire event. They were interactive, personalized, and provided a tangible tool participants could use long after the conference ended.”
Cloudsmith recently hosted an executive roundtable with an industry partner at the Churchill War Rooms in London, intentionally choosing a venue that would capture the interest of corporate-level leadership. The program paired a fireside chat and roundtable discussion with an immersive guided tour of the museum. “The venue created instant intrigue, and the flow of the event made attendees feel actively involved rather than spoken at,” Eder says. “Every attendee stayed on for informal networking at a nearby pub, and the most common feedback we received was that they wished the half-day event had been longer.”
Even though there are limits on how creative Keelean can get with NCSL events due to grant and funding guidelines, she strives to find unique approaches for unlocking the full potential of the destination where a meeting is held. She describes one recent event that involved a trade show in the rotunda of the New Mexico Capitol in Santa Fe. “If you have been to Santa Fe, you know how artsy the city is, and that carries through the Capitol building as well,” Keelean says. “We had lunch outside because the weather was great, and there wasn’t one room large enough to hold 250 people inside.” She notes another memorable portion of the conference was the business meeting and luncheon at Mortenson’s Eaves Movie Ranch. “We had [the food] catered and then had some free time in the afternoon to mingle and check out the different buildings and sites.”
Top Tips for Pitching Ideas to Bosses & Clients
Remind them if it doesn’t work, you can go back to the old way: “Just because we try something new doesn’t mean we have to keep doing it. We always evaluate and see if a new approach worked out how we wanted it to. A couple years ago, we tried having 30-minute sessions at our annual meeting. It didn’t work.” –Meghan Keelean, associate director of meetings, National Conference of State Legislatures
Address strategy before tactics: “When everyone agrees on the goal, unique ideas feel much less risky. From there, I focus on clearly explaining the ‘why’ by tying creative ideas back to real outcomes and walking stakeholders through what the attendee experience will actually feel like.” –Brooke Eder, global events lead, Cloudsmith
Draw from past experiences: “Identify what has worked well and explore how you can elevate these ideas specifically for the program. The combination of visuals, proven concepts, and tailored enhancements helps clients immediately understand the vision and get excited about the possibilities.” –Sara Lawrason, regional director of client experience and event operations, Operation Altitude
Collaborate early with trusted vendors: “This ensures outside-the-box ideas are logistically feasible. Once the goal and target audience are clear, I bring the clients into the process right away, allowing them to feel invested in the mission and vision from the very beginning.” –Jen Houseman, meeting architect, Kinsley Meetings
cloudsmith.com
kinsleymeetings.com
ncsl.org
operationaltitude.com
