AI in every session title. Wellness lounges next to espresso bars. Puppies that are cute … but don’t close deals.

If you’re an event professional or event marketer trying to separate what’s trendy from what actually works, this live episode of Event About It is for you.

Recorded in front of a studio audience at the Club Ichi Telethon, this episode is loud, unfiltered, and packed with real opinions from people who’ve seen events go very right — and very wrong.

Together, we debate today’s biggest event trends, share real behind-the-scenes failures, and break down how smarter event strategy leads to stronger business growth.

This is Event Growth Unfiltered — live.

🔥 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Which event trends deserve a hard mute — and which ones still deliver ROI

• How misaligned content, wellness messaging, and logistics hurt attendee trust

• What real event pros do when production fails, power goes out, or plans unravel live

  
  

🎤 Live panel guests:

• Seth Weiner — Your Rocktioneer® | The Fundraising Producer Benefit Auctioneer | Emcee | Game Show Host | CAI, BAS
• David T. Stevens — Co-Founder, Olympian Meeting
• Antwone Stigall — Owner & Chief Event Officer, Planner Approved

If you plan, market, or produce events — and want fewer gimmicks and better results — you’re in the right place.

🎧 Subscribe for weekly episodes focused on event marketing, event strategy, and business growth

👉 Your backstage pass to event success.

Have a Vent of the Week?

Head to⁠ www.eventaboutitpodcast.com⁠ to share YOUR “Vent of the Week” and join the Squared Squad for bonus content, guest Q&As, and our exclusive After Show.

Connect with Us!

Follow the show on social media ⁠@eventaboutit⁠

⁠https://www.instagram.com/eventaboutit⁠

Work with Megan Martin

⁠https://msquareddynamics.com/

When you go from coordinating guest speakers with the secret service to a sabbatical on a farm, there's a LOT to unpack. This Dynamic Dialogue After Show feels like stepping out of the ballroom and into a deep exhale.

Host Megan Martin and Morgan Prewitt, CMP go full truth-teller about bringing new ideas to events and how they've both learned that experience does not equal years.

In the After Show:• Morgan’s post-DNC sabbatical • Farming, goats, and finding joy that isn’t tied to deadlines• How to create main-character confidence in events• Why women in events need strong mentors and the courage to say "no"• How to ditching stale event formats• And yes… the Secret Service moment that proves political events are their own Bravo franchise

Guest Bio:
Morgan Prewitt, CMP is a seasoned event strategist with deep experience across tech, venue management, associations, and large-scale political programming.

Have a Vent of the Week?

Head to www.eventaboutitpodcast.com to share YOUR “Vent of the Week” and join the Squared Squad for bonus content, guest Q&As, and our exclusive After Show.

Connect with Us!

Follow the show on social media @eventaboutit

https://www.instagram.com/eventaboutit

Work with Megan Martin

https://msquareddynamics.com/

Connect with the Guest

https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-prewitt-cmp/ 

When your speakers go rogue and the weather tries to destroy your show, you need proof that even the best planners survive pure chaos with style.

Host Megan Martin sits down with Morgan Prewitt, CMP, the calm-in-the-storm strategist behind major corporate, tech, and political programs. She’s here to break down the moments that would make any event pro clutch their headset.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• You’ll hear some truly unhinged speaker “ideas”

• Vent of the Week: events practicing faux sustainability

• Why being transparent is the key to surviving any event disaster

• How she rebuilt a full closing reception in under five hours (pizza included)

• What sixteen hour days taught her about loving this industry

Plus: An Event About It moment where Morgan proves no gig is ever as “handled” as your client thinks it is.

Guest Bio:

Morgan Prewitt, CMP is an accomplished event strategist known for leading large scale corporate, tech, and political programs with precision and heart.

Have a Vent of the Week?

Head to www.eventaboutitpodcast.com to share YOUR “Vent of the Week” and join the Squared Squad for bonus content, guest Q&As, and our exclusive After Show.

Connect with Us!

Follow the show on social media @eventaboutit

https://www.instagram.com/eventaboutit

Work with Megan Martin

https://msquareddynamics.com/

Connect with the Guest
https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-prewitt-cmp/

Ever feel like your event is perfectly planned but something still isn’t landing with your attendees?

This Dynamic Dialogue After Show goes deeper into the psychology behind the why. Megan Martin and guest Dr. Kristin Malek unpack the brain science, behavior patterns, and real transformation strategies event planners desperately need.

What You’ll Learn

• Planning for the next generation who want events that matter

• Practical ways to create safe learning environments

• The real secret to building agendas that stack learning

• Why rest is an amplifier for creativity and not a luxury

• The one habit Dr. K would break in the events industry

• The surprising place she says event design should begin: email campaigns

Dr. Kristin explains why “the brain doesn’t care if you’re miserable, it cares if you’re familiar” and she reveals how curiosity and fear battle for the same real estate in your mind. Plus how knowing all this can be a game changer for your events.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Kristin Malek is an internationally known behavior change expert whose frameworks help leaders, planners, and creators rewire identity, spark momentum, and create transformation that lasts.

Have a Vent of the Week?

Head to www.eventaboutitpodcast.com to share YOUR “Vent of the Week” and join the Squared Squad for bonus content, guest Q&As, and our exclusive After Show.

Connect with Us!

Follow the show on social media @eventaboutit

https://www.instagram.com/eventaboutit

Work with Megan Martin

https://msquareddynamics.com/

Connect with the Guest

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkevents/ 

Have you ever poured your soul into an event and still wondered… did anyone actually learn anything? If that question feels too real, this episode is a must listen. Megan Martin sits down with Dr. Kristin Malek, the architect of curiosity who mixes neuroscience with name badges to design events that shift hearts, minds, and behavior.

From her Las Vegas executive director days to the moment she realized event agendas were “RSVPing no” to her brain, Dr. K comes in blazing with alliteration, improv energy, and lines like, “You cannot spreadsheet serotonin.”

They play a round of Science or Schedule, where Megan tosses out industry dilemmas and Dr. Kristin fires back with gems including, “A ninety minute keynote is our parents lifetime,” and “Sending the PowerPoint is like sending a grocery list and calling it dinner.”

What You’ll Learn:

• Why adult attention spans tap out at twelve minutes

• Why overstuffed agendas kill transformation

• “You cannot hashtag oxytocin” and other truths about your event

• A Lego story that changed a community

• How good design thinking shapes experiences far beyond events

And her Vent of the Week story about eight board members having emotional breakthroughs with Legos. Iconic.

Guest Bio:

Dr. Kristin Malek is an internationally recognized designer and educator specializing in mindset and behavior change, known for blending neuroscience, psychology, and experience design to create measurable transformation.

Have a Vent of the Week?

Head to www.eventaboutitpodcast.com to share YOUR “Vent of the Week” and join the Squared Squad for bonus content, guest Q&As, and our exclusive After Show.

Connect with Us!

Follow the show on social media @eventaboutit

https://www.instagram.com/eventaboutit

Work with Megan Martin

https://msquareddynamics.com/

Connect with the Guest

https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkevents/⁠

If you’ve ever wondered how your early event jobs shaped the way you plan today, this one’s for you. In this “Dynamic Dialogue After Show”, host Megan Martin and guest Jessie Smith rewind to where it all began.

Starting on the venue side, learning the ropes from restaurant sales offices to full-scale corporate programs, and how those “learn-it-on-the-fly” lessons built a 20-year career in events for Jessie.

Jessie opens up about what earning two degrees in event management really taught her, and how living at a slower pace has reshaped her approach to work, leadership, and burnout.

From hospitality roots to managing high-stakes global programs, this “After Show” is a refreshing reminder that success looks different for everyone. It’s okay to define it on your own terms.

🔥 What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• How starting on the venue side shapes the way planners think

• Why formal education in event management still matters

• The difference between big-city hustle and small-town balance

• Whether earning your CMP is truly worth it — and what it actually changes

• How Jessie defines “success” after two decades in events

  
  

About the Guest:

Jessie Smith is an Event Manager at Enterprise Events Group and a Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Virtual Event Producer, and Event Strategist. She’s an industry enthusiast who brings heart, humor, and hands-on experience to every production she manages.

Have a Vent of the Week?

Head to eventaboutitpodcast.com to share YOUR “Vent of the WeeK”, it can be anonymous, and join the Squared Squad for bonus content!

Connect with Us!

Follow the show on social media @eventaboutit

https://www.instagram.com/eventaboutit

Work with Megan Martin

https://msquareddynamics.com/

Connect with the Guest
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesssmith1031/

If you’ve ever had an event day spiral into chaos and somehow still pulled off magic, this one’s for you. Host Megan Martin sits down with Jessie Smith, Event Manager at Enterprise Events Group, who’s known for delivering high-stakes programs with poise, precision, and serious production chops.

Together they laugh about the real life chaos of event planning like sprinklers going off in the middle of an event gala dinner and discuss why the post-COVID event timeline still gives planners nightmares.

Plus, they play Run of Showdown. The rapid-fire game of planner instincts that’ll have you shouting your own answers out loud.

What you'll learn in this episode:

• How Jessie accidentally launched her career running a hotel sales office in college

• Why she went back to school for both undergrad and grad degrees in event management

• The event that went off the rails when a key team member ended up in jail (yes, really)

• Murphy’s Law in action: mud pits, busted sprinklers, and keeping guests calm

• The “tight timeline trap” and how the industry still hasn’t recovered from it

• The Run of Showdown game: VIP seating vs. GA, selfie stations vs. step-and-repeats, and more

About the Guest:

Jessie Smith is an Event Manager at Enterprise Events Group, known for her ability to keep cool under pressure and execute global programs seamlessly. She’s a Certified Meeting Professional, Virtual Event Producer, Event Strategist, and lifelong events enthusiast.

Have a Vent of the Week?

Head to eventaboutitpodcast.com to share YOUR “Vent of the WeeK”, it can be anonymous, and join the Squared Squad for bonus content!

Connect with Us!

Follow the show on social media @eventaboutit

https://www.instagram.com/eventaboutit

Work with Megan Martin

https://msquareddynamics.com/

Connect with the Guest

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesssmith1031/ 

If you’ve ever felt like running your business feels more like chasing cars than driving them, then you’ll relate to this episode.

This week on the Event About It Dynamic Dialogue After Show, Megan Martin sits down with Marc Ghafoori, CEO and founder of AlphaTooth, for a real and raw conversation about entrepreneurship, innovation, and what it means to build something that lasts in the events world.

They dive into the unglamorous side of starting up, the evolution of personal vs. business brands, and the power of advocacy in an industry that often operates behind the curtain.

Marc shares what launching his company taught him about pivoting, self-discovery, and redefining success on his own terms.

🔥 What You’ll Learn in This After Show Episode:

• What starting AlphaTooth really looks like behind the scenes—and what no book or mentor tells you

• How to reevaluate your business every 90 days to stay aligned and inspired

• Why event entrepreneurs must separate their brand from their business

• The truth about advocacy work and how it’s shaping our future

• How to find inspiration and community through connection (and why Club Ichi might just be the blueprint for industry evolution)
  

It’s honest, insightful, and a must-listen for every event professional reimagining what leadership and innovation look like today.

About the Guest:

Marc Ghafoori is the CEO and founder of AlphaTooth, a creative strategy and production consultancy helping event organizations design smarter, bolder, more impactful experiences. With 15+ years in the events industry and a background in architecture, Marc is known for fusing design-thinking with advocacy to move the industry forward.

Have a Vent of the Week?

Head to eventaboutitpodcast.com to share YOUR “Vent of the Week”, it can be anonymous, and join the Squared Squad for bonus content!

Connect with Us!

Follow the show on social media @eventaboutit

https://www.instagram.com/eventaboutit

Work with Megan Martin

https://msquareddynamics.com/

Connect with the Guest

https://www.alphatooth.com/marc-ghafoori

If you’ve ever felt like your event lineup is running on repeat, this episode is your wake-up call. Megan Martin sits down with Marc Ghafoori, a creative event strategist who’s built a career helping brands transform tired conference formats into experiences that actually inspire people to care. 

Together, they talk about the all-too-familiar chaos that happens when plans go sideways and how to bring the energy back when your keynote—or your client—loses the plot.

From what makes a good event actually “good” to the creative burnout so many producers face, this episode gives the honest, funny, and sometimes painfully relatable truths about being the one everyone looks at when the lights flicker.

They also play a round of Tooth or Dare, where Marc shares which event buzzwords make him cringe and the one industry peer he’d love to trade jobs with (spoiler: he might bend the rules on that one).

🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to reset the room when a keynote (or an event) derails

• Why creativity doesn’t survive in constant chaos

• What makes event producers secretly love the adrenaline rush

• The buzzword Marc thinks should be permanently banned

• Which event pro he’d swap roles with for a week—and why

About the Guest:

⁠Marc Ghafoori ⁠is an award-winning event strategist and creative producer known for turning traditional conferences into high-impact, story-driven experiences that connect audiences and brands. His work blends design, direction, and innovation to help clients deliver events that resonate long after the lights go down.

Have a Vent of the Week?

Head to ⁠eventaboutitpodcast.com⁠ to share YOUR “Vent of the WeeK”, it can be anonymous, and join the Squared Squad for bonus content!

Connect with Us!

Follow the show on social media @eventaboutit

⁠https://www.instagram.com/eventaboutit⁠

Work with Megan Martin

⁠https://msquareddynamics.com/⁠

Connect with the Guest

⁠https://www.alphatooth.com/marc-ghafoori⁠

If you’ve ever felt like your event lineup is running on repeat, this episode is your wake-up call. Megan Martin sits down with Marc Ghafoori, a creative event strategist who’s built a career helping brands transform tired conference formats into experiences that actually inspire people to care. 

Together, they talk about the all-too-familiar chaos that happens when plans go sideways and how to bring the energy back when your keynote—or your client—loses the plot.

From what makes a good event actually “good” to the creative burnout so many producers face, this episode gives the honest, funny, and sometimes painfully relatable truths about being the one everyone looks at when the lights flicker.

They also play a round of Tooth or Dare, where Marc shares which event buzzwords make him cringe and the one industry peer he’d love to trade jobs with (spoiler: he might bend the rules on that one).

🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• How to reset the room when a keynote (or an event) derails

• Why creativity doesn’t survive in constant chaos

• What makes event producers secretly love the adrenaline rush

• The buzzword Marc thinks should be permanently banned

• Which event pro he’d swap roles with for a week—and why

About the Guest:

Marc Ghafoori is an award-winning event strategist and creative producer known for turning traditional conferences into high-impact, story-driven experiences that connect audiences and brands. His work blends design, direction, and innovation to help clients deliver events that resonate long after the lights go down.

Have a Vent of the Week?

Head to eventaboutitpodcast.com to share YOUR “Vent of the WeeK”, it can be anonymous, and join the Squared Squad for bonus content!

Connect with Us!

Follow the show on social media @eventaboutit

https://www.instagram.com/eventaboutit

Work with Megan Martin

https://msquareddynamics.com/

Connect with the Guest

https://www.alphatooth.com/marc-ghafoori