Better Events
by Better Events Pod
Latest episode
What Every Caterer Wished Event Planners Knew with Tuxedos & Tennis…
What Every Caterer Wished Event Planners Knew with Tuxedos & Tennis…
About this podcast
Welcome to the "Better Events" podcast! Join two event planners and producers, Logan Clements and Mary Davidson, who believe we can all create, host and attend better events. In this podcast you will 1. Learn about event strategy and actions that you can use today as an event host, planner, or manager, 2. Hear directly from the people who are creating innovative and inspiring events today and tomorrow 3. And Grow your business and career along the way! Now let's get started and thanks for listening to the "Better Events" podcast. Support this podcast at https://www.buymeacoffee.com/bettereventspod
Episodes
The newest 50 of 288 episodes
- What Every Caterer Wished Event Planners Knew with Tuxedos & Tennis Shoes · 37 min · Season 6 Episode 279In this episode, Logan and Mary finally do the episode they should have done a long time ago: they talk catering. They sit down with Matt Haggerty and Adam Purkey from Tuxedos &…
- What's Saving Our Lives Right Now in Events, Business and Life (Fall 2026) · 31 min · Season 6 Episode 278In this episode, Logan and Mary are back with one of their favorite recurring episodes: what is saving their lives right now. Inspired by a practice from the Lazy Genius Podcast…
- Onsite Scenarios: When to Say No at an Event · 36 min · Season 6 Episode 277In this episode, Logan and Mary tackle one of the hardest skills in the event business: saying no to a client. They get honest about why event professionals are wired to say yes…
- The Small Nonprofit Playbook for Large-Scale Galas with Cynthia Mikimoto · 35 min · Season 6 Episode 276In this episode, Logan and Mary sit down with Cynthia Mikimoto, a strategic advisor with experience in nonprofit galas, to talk about what it actually takes for small- and…
- Speaker Management 201: What to Do When Speakers Go Rogue · 37 min · Season 6 Episode 275In this episode, Logan and Mary are back with a follow-up to one of their most popular episodes: Speaker Management 101. This time they go deeper, tackling the situations that…
- Mary Returns & Life Outside of Events Update · 34 min · Season 6 Episode 274In this episode, Logan and Mary are back together for a long overdue life update. Mary shares what life has looked like since returning from maternity leave, including the honest…
- Mary's Back: Her Reactions to Every Episode She Missed · 29 min · Season 6 Episode 273Mary is back from maternity leave and she's catching up on every episode she missed. In this solo episode, she shares her reactions to some of the guest co-host conversations…
- Event Day Production Essentials: Audio, Pre-Show Checks, and Staying on Schedule · 35 min · Season 6 Episode 272In this solo episode, Logan pulls together three of her most practical production-focused YouTube videos and adds her own commentary along the way. She covers the audio files…
- 271 - How to Land that Next Big Event Contract · 43 min · Season 6 Episode 271In this episode, Logan and guest co-host Erin Leonard get into a question a lot of event pros have quietly wondered about: how do you actually break into big events? From trade…
- 270 - Your Brand Is Your Booking: How to Stand Out in a Crowded Events Market with Shannon Werkhoven · 36 min · Season 6 Episode 270In this episode, Logan and guest co-host Erin Leonard sit down with Shannon Werkhoven, a decade-plus event pro and venue sales manager at two iconic Live Nation venues, to talk…
- 269 - AI, We Need to Talk: What's Working, What's Not, and What Worries Us · 35 min · Season 6 Episode 269In this episode, Logan and guest co-host Erin Leonard have the AI conversation that's been on a lot of event pros' minds but not enough of their podcasts. Erin came in with some…
- 268 - Earning the Referral: What It Really Takes to Build a Relationship-First Business · 39 min · Season 6 Episode 268In this episode, Logan and guest co-host Julianne get into one of the most sustainable — and most misunderstood — growth strategies in the event business: referrals. They talk…
- 267 - The Pricing Mistakes Most Planners Don't Know They're Making with Jackie Baker · 35 min · Season 6 Episode 267In this episode, Logan and guest co-host Julianne sit down with Jackie Baker, founder of Spark Events and co-founder of Event Pro Suite, for an honest conversation about pricing…
- 266 - The Anatomy of a Paddle Raise with Julianne Read · 35 min · Season 6 Episode 266In this episode, Logan sits down with Julianne, a fundraiser-turned-event architect who specializes in nonprofit events, to break down one of the most high-stakes moments in any…
- 265 - Go Beyond Lectures & Slides with Alternative Session Design · 39 min · Season 6 Episode 265In this episode, Logan and guest co-host Lee Gimpel tackle a question that's been nagging at conference organizers for years: why do we keep defaulting to presentations and…
- 264 - The Data-Driven Event: Personalization, AI, and What Actually Works with Vinnu Deshetty · 30 min · Season 6 Episode 264In this episode, Logan is joined by guest co-host Lee Gimpel and guest Vinnu Deshetty, the Event ROI Coach, for a conversation about one of the most misunderstood topics in the…
- 263 - Peaks and Leaks in Your Event Agenda with Lee Gimpel · 35 min · Season 6 Episode 263In this episode, Logan sits down with Lee Gimpel, conference engagement expert, president of Better Meetings, and creator of the Conference Engagement Cards, to dig into one of…
- 262 - The Questions to Ask Before Saying Yes to an Event · 45 min · Season 6 Episode 262This week, Logan shares one of the most important skills she's developed as an event professional: knowing what to ask before saying yes to a project. She shares why she became…
- 261 - Grief, Gatherings, and Connection with Dana Pake · 44 min · Season 6 Episode 261In this episode, Logan sits down with Dana Pake, founder of Lalago Experiences and death doula in training, a personal conversation about grief and it's space at events. Dana…
- 260 - You Asked, We Answered: Event Bibles, AV Tips, Freelance Advice & More · 44 min · Season 6 Episode 260In this episode, Logan and guest co-host Vanessa Loney are back with another listener mailbag, tackling your questions across every corner of the events world. From what an event…
- 259 - Behind the Curtain: What It Really Takes to Plan Events for the U.S. Government with Brittany Carroll · 40 min · Season 6 Episode 259In this episode, Logan and guest co-host Vanessa Loney sit down with Brittany Carroll, Manager of Event Operations at the Library of Congress and former U.S. diplomat, to pull…
- 258 - Are You Actually Staying Relevant in The Event Industry — Or Just Busy? · 45 min · Season 6 Episode 258In this episode, Logan and guest co-host Vanessa Loney tackle a question every event professional should be asking themselves: Are you actually staying relevant, or are you just…
- 257 - How to Manage Multiple Events at Once Without Dropping the Ball · 40 min · Season 6 Episode 257This week, Logan and guest co-host Peggy Katz tackle a question sent in by a listener who asked: how many events can you realistically manage at once? Logan and Peggy share how…
- 256 - What Your Graphics Operator Wishes You Knew with Cassy Albert · 36 min · Season 6 Episode 256In this episode, Logan and guest co-host Peggy Katz sit down with presentation designer and graphics operator Cassy Albert to pull back the curtain on one of the key roles in…
- 255 - How to Scale Your Event Production for Any Budget — From $10K to the Olympic Games with Peggy Katz · 34 min · Season 6 Episode 255In this episode, Logan and guest co-host Peggy Katz, a veteran producer with seven Olympics under her belt, dig into what it really means to scale an event based on budget, from…
- 254 - Being Good at Events Is Only Half the Job (of Running an Event Business) · 46 min · Season 6 Episode 254In this episode, Logan and guest co-host Ryan Criswell tackle one of the most honest conversations in the event industry: being great at producing and planning events doesn't…
- 253 - From Venue Coordinating to Event Curator with Tauti Kimbrough · 36 min · Season 6 Episode 253In this episode, we sit down with Tauti Kimbrough to explore what it really means to wear multiple hats in the event industry — from venue marketer to event planner to event…
- 252 - Designing Public-Facing Events That Actually Engage People · 38 min · Season 6 Episode 252In this episode, Logan sits down with guest co-host Ryan Criswell to explore the unique art of producing public-facing events — and what sets them apart from ticketed or…
- 251 - Speaker Management 101: Setting Expectations, Timelines, and Deliverables · 36 min · Season 6 Episode 251Managing speakers can make or break an event — and it starts with setting the right expectations. In this episode, we’re breaking down the fundamentals of speaker management…
- 250 - 250 Episodes Later: What We’ve Learned About Events · 37 min · Season 6 Episode 250We made it to 250 episodes — and we’re taking a moment to reflect on what that really means. In this milestone episode, we look back on the conversations that shaped the podcast…
- 249 -Behind the Scenes of Showcalling and Producing at the Winter Olympics · 32 min · Season 6 Episode 249Working the Olympics looks different depending on where you sit — and this time, Logan was on the in-venue side. In this solo episode, she takes you behind the scenes of her…
- 248 - Prepping for Parental Leave as an Event Pro with Jessica Zimmerman · 32 min · Season 6 Episode 248Parental leave in events doesn’t come with a playbook — so you have to build your own. Parental leave can feel overwhelming for event pros considering starting a family — so what…
- 247 - Managing Maker Markets and Vendor Relationships with Sarah Frost · 32 min · Season 6 Episode 247In this episode, we’re joined by Sarah Frost to unpack what goes into organizing maker markets and what event pros can learn from them. We dive into her expertise on managing…
- 246 - Being an Event Contractor: How to Get Hired (and Rehired) · 42 min · Season 6 Episode 246In this episode, we flip the perspective from last week's episode and talk about what it really means to be an event contractor — and how to get hired (and rehired). We break…
- 245 - Hiring Event Contractors: Building the Right Team · 29 min · Season 6 Episode 245In this episode, we’re breaking down how to hire event contractors and build the right team for your events. We talk through which roles are typically contracted, how to decide…
- 244 - Behind the Mic: The Art of Live Announcing with Queen Noveen · 35 min · Season 6 Episode 244In this episode, we’re joined by Queen Noveen — an Emmy-nominated live announcer and voice actress whose voice has powered everything from major sports and awards shows to film…
- 243 - Where Nonprofits Should Spend Their Time When Planning Fundraising Events · 22 min · Season 6 Episode 243In this solo episode, Mary breaks down where nonprofits should actually spend their time when planning fundraising events — and where effort often gets misplaced. She walks…
- 242 - The Production Decisions That Matter More Than Your Event Theme · 32 min · Episode 242While event themes and visuals get most of the attention, the production decisions behind the scenes are what truly shape how an event feels. In this solo episode, Logan unpacks…
- 241 - Team Management 101 with Alex Martin · 30 min · Season 6 Episode 241Managing a team is one of the biggest shifts many event pros make — and it rarely comes with a manual. In this episode, Owner and Event Strategy Lead of Synchronocity Events…
- 240 - Debunking the Boring Side of Events Part 2: Bathrooms, Security, and More · 40 min · Season 6 Episode 240We’re back with Part 2 of the boring side of events — because someone has to talk about bathrooms, signage, and load-in logistics. This episode covers the practical realities of…
- 239 - 2026 Goal Setting - Tips & Tricks for Event Professionals · 44 min · Season 6 Episode 239In this episode, we’re doing one of our favorite things — revisiting our goals. We listen back to what we said we wanted to accomplish in 2025, react (honestly) to how it…
- 238 - 2025 Better Events Conference Recap & Sustainability Audit · 41 min · Season 6 Episode 238This week, we’re recapping the 2025 Better Events Conference — what worked, what surprised us, and the moments that stuck with us most. We reflect on attendee feedback, lessons…
- 237 - Lessons Learned in Events and Business in 2025 · 34 min · Season 6 Episode 237As we kick off Season 6, we’re looking back at the lessons 2025 taught us — both as event professionals and as business owners. We go back and forth on what worked, what…
- 236 - Season 5 Finale: What This Year Meant for Us as Event Pros · 42 min · Season 5 Episode 236As we wrap up Season 5, we’re taking a moment to reflect on what this year really meant for us as event professionals and business owners. We talk honestly about the wins, the…
- 235 - Event Pro Mailbag: Your Top Questions on Engagement, A/V, and Business Growth · 43 min · Season 5 Episode 235In this special mailbag episode, we're answering your questions — the ones event pros swap in DMs, backstage, and over conference coffees. We’re diving into everything from…
- 234 - Permits, Power, and Parking: Debunking the Boring Side of Events (Part 1) · 40 min · Season 5 Episode 234Not every part of event planning is glamorous—but ignoring the “boring stuff” can cause big problems. In this episode, we’re shining a light on the unsexy yet essential logistics…
- 233 - How to Grow and Differentiate Your Services in the Events Industry · 37 min · Season 5 Episode 233If you’ve ever wondered how to stand out in a sea of event pros—or when it’s the right time to add something new to your offerings—this episode is for you. We’re digging into…
- 232 - Behind the Scenes of Planning the 2025 Better Events Conference Pt. 2: In-Person Focus · 28 min · Season 5 Episode 232We’re pulling back the curtain on the 2025 Better Events Conference and sharing more about the planning behind the in-person day—and what’s got us most excited about it. We also…
- 231 - Breaking into Corporate Events: Tips, Trends & Tangible Advice with Gianna Gaudini · 35 min · Season 5 Episode 231Curious about what it really takes to succeed in the world of corporate events? In this episode, we sit down with Gianna Gaudini, a master corporate planner and event strategist…
- 230 - When and How to Raise Your Event Rates Confidently · 48 min · Season 5 Episode 230Talking about money isn’t always easy—but it’s essential, no matter if you're running an event business or navigating your event career. In this episode, we dive into one of the…
