From spin class lessons to ballroom openings—how intentional planning transforms gatherings into unforgettable experiences.
By: Patricia Johnson
August 8, 2025
Wednesday’s 5:45 am spin is one thing I look forward to every week.
For many reasons.
One of them is the second row.
If I had to pick one word for the second row, it would be ‘tribal’. It’s like the Hunger Games, but the second row is one alliance. We’re mostly in our early forties to, maybe, mid-fifties, slogging it out in corporate America or entertainment. The lead guitarist of Thrice takes bike nineteen. Liz, my lovely sister-in-law, is a concert violinist, takes bike seventeen. I’m on bike sixteen. There is a pharma executive on bike fifteen and his commercial banking executive wife on bike fourteen. The woman on the last bike on the starbird side owns a long string of laundry mats and dry cleaners all over Irvine. (Guess which one of us is printing money?)
There’s no spring in this group of chickens; we’re the kind who likely have a monthly Amazon subscription for Hot ‘n Cold patches.
We’re also not the group that would show up to a spin class when we could be sleeping. No one in our class is taking sweaty selfies for our Stories. No one is creating a Reel with a “This Is Community” overlay. But there we are. Half awake. Speaking in grunts, nods, and eyerolls. Often without caffeine. We are committed and consistent to Wednesday 545 spin.
I bet you’re asking, ‘But why?
Chief reason is that we have a spin instructor who knows how to hold space.
You’re probably thinking, ‘Holding space?! That can’t be a compelling enough reason.
But stay with me — here’s why ‘holding space’ is exactly why we show up to ride with Dylan Pavlik.
Dylan is a novelist/food content creator for Food Beast / moonlights as a spin instructor twice a week. He’s a theater kid who graduated with two degrees in performance arts, who LOVES to read. In short, Dylan understands narrative. More importantly, he uses narrative to turn us from sleepy heads into speedy people hopped-up on endorphins.
Do you see where I’m going with this and holding space?
OK — good.
Unlike the other instructors, Dylan doesn’t open the spin room until five minutes before class. He is getting the lighting right, making sure it’s cold when we get in, and plays just the right bike-set-up song.
He doesn’t leave the room open to chance. Every minute, it feels like, is planned just so.
More than just getting the vibe right, I believe Dylan is in there, quietly preparing how he’ll transform us, make us better, even if it’s only on a Wednesday.
This is the same reason I don’t open a ballroom, a new model-home complex, or even a Western Saloon until I’m 100% ready, because I have intentionally assigned every minute to accomplish something for my guests.
For people who design spaces where you want guests to leave meeting someone they’ve never met before, knowing something they didn’t know before, or having their hearts and minds changed, you have to name every moment on purpose.
This idea, plus 24 other questions, are what I’ve been asking myself as the fall event season creeps up (just three weeks away!)
I’m splitting the 24 questions into two parts. Here are #1–12; stay tuned for #13–24 next week.
24 Questions to Ask Yourself About That Event You’re Planning Right Now.
- Who exactly am I really planning this event for, my guests or myself?
I have been fired so many times for asking this one question: “So What?”
As in, “So what? Why does this matter to your guests in the room? Will your guests leave having met someone new or learned something surprising?
If in your heart the answer is no, then you know this gathering might be a place where you or your boss is looking to gain status.
(Playing the status game isn’t wrong. Everyone does it. But when it comes to events and gatherings, it’s essential to know who you’re planning the thing for.)
- Have I budgeted for the unexpected?
You know you need to prepare if you get a case of the just-in-cases. Just in case there is rain in the forecast. In the event your CEO wants to host wine and cheese after a fireside chat. Surprise ~ a speaker would like an extra 72” LED.
My general rule is to have 10-12% of your budget set aside for the unexpected.
- Is my venue going to say “wow” or “ow, my back”?
Super critical. Your venue shapes how your guests will receive and remember your event. And remember, people talk. You don’t want people talking about how cheap you were. Your event might not get a Yelp rating, but your event will make it on a text thread. Make sure it’s a good review.
- Can I picture the perfect guest arriving… or just the one who asks for too many things and will be scrolling their phone?
Having an Ideal Guest Avatar is the first step to knowing your audience. It’s how you build affinity and loyalty. By building an audience profile, you know the tone of communication they’ll engage with, you know what is compelling to them, you know what they’ll respond positively to, you’ll know what kind of beverages they’ll like, and you’ll know how they want to be nurtured.
Austin Kleon in Steal Like An Artist talks about the difference between seeing your audience and seeing through your audience. You don’t want to see your guests simply; you want to see through your guests’ eyes. Experience what they experience, understand their worldview. That’s the only way to deliver a gathering that gets full engagement.
- Am I accidentally planning a conference or a glorified Zoom call?
This is an easy one. It’s kind of like that saying, “This meeting could have been an email.” Time, quickly followed by attention, is your most valuable asset. If you’re guests show up, make sure it was worth their time, attention, and energy.
- What’s the one thing that will make guests say: “I need to talk about this on LinkedIn”?
Something I learned from Nancy Duarte: S.T.A.R.
Give your guests: Something They’ll Aways Remember.
- How many worst-case scenarios have I thought about?
I can’t tell you how valuable you become when you’re someone who can identify and plan for real worst-case scenarios.
It’s what separates event planners from real event planners. There is a benefit to being slightly paranoid. I say “slightly” because paranoia can quickly turn into paralysis.
To plan for the worst-case scenario. Schedule a 60-minute meeting with your marketing, brand, PR, and event team. Layout your program (run of show is fine) and schematic. Now ask yourself, it’s the day after the event, and we didn’t meet our objectives, what happened? Make a list. Do what you have to do to protect yourself from the worst-case list.
- How do I approach planning a menu?
Ask yourself: What would I serve at home if this event/meeting/conference were being hosted in my living room? Make a list. Serve that menu.
- Did I overbook speakers so much that even I can’t keep track?
Over-programming happens all the time. I once had not one, not two, not three, but four Investor Relations Managers send me four unique run-of-shows that had eight hours of straight programming without breaks. Not a lunch break, not a coffee break, not a bio break.
When looking at your agenda, if you have more than five 45-minute programs, you’re doing too much. Three is programming gold, five is good. Make sure you have breaks.
More importantly, ask yourself, am I giving my audience moments to organically connect?
- How do I approach my Mikey Ears?
When you go to Disneyland (or World) imagineers and cast members leave little Mikey Ears as a delightful reminder of why you’re there. Little easter eggs.
You should consider these for your events, too. Think about your audience and consider what they might find delightful, surprising, and even an inside joke. Plant those in as many places and as many program elements as possible.
- Have I read through the contract or just skimmed the fun parts?
This is where ChatGPT comes in handily. Upload your contract to ChatGPT. Ask it to review your contract as if it were your lawyer. Ask it to simplify the legalese, identify the pitfalls, and counter asks so you know you’re protected.
- Am I giving myself enough time for a victory dance at the end?
It takes a team of eight 1,236 hours to raise over $650,000 at a fundraising gala.
It takes 12-18 months to book a five-star resort for a strategic retreat or an investor conference.
It takes 18-22 weeks to plan and promote a grand opening event for a master plan.
Events take a long runway and team to execute flawlessly. Are you giving yourself what you need to be successful?
The start of the fall event season is only three weeks away, and the busiest selling season, Black Friday, is only 108 days away. If you are in sales, marketing, branding, or events, climbing your annual Everest isn’t too far from now.
My intention with this list is to guide you with key questions that help you see around corners, so you’re successful when this Fall revs back up.
Back in a week with part 2.
Tags: #Strategy #Storytelling #EventMarketing
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