Creativity doesn't come from chasing the newest platform or piling on more tools; it comes from listening.

In this episode of The Event Solutions Podcast, Jorge Lopez sits down with Josh Weaver, a marketing leader whose career spans Zappos, Exploding Kittens, Amazon-owned brands, and experiential campaigns that connect deeply with audiences. While Josh doesn't come from the traditional events world, his perspective offers a powerful reset for event professionals feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or pressured to constantly "out-create" expectations.

Together, they unpack what it really means to design events, marketing, and experiences through empathy. From failing fast and learning quickly, to resisting shiny new platforms that your audience isn't actually using, this conversation challenges creatives to stop working in silos and start building with intention.

If you've ever felt the weight of being "the creative one," struggled to promote an event effectively, or wondered why great ideas sometimes fall flat, this episode delivers perspective, clarity, and practical insight you can apply immediately.

• Creativity isn't about access to tools; it's about how well you listen to your audience
  
  

• The best marketing and event promotion starts with empathy, not trends
  
  

• You don't need to be everywhere; you need to be where your audience already lives
  
  

• Failing fast is not failure; it's how you iterate toward success
  
  

• Collaboration beats creative martyrdom every time
  
  

• Designing events from the attendee's point of view reveals simple fixes that make a big impact
  
  

• Word-of-mouth, through trusted voices, still outperforms most promotional tactics
  
  

Josh Weaver is a marketing leader and experiential strategist known for building audience-first campaigns that balance creativity with clarity. He began his career at a startup in 2010, where he learned early how to do more with less, and went on to help shape the social media presence of brands like 6pm.com and Zappos as part of their early social teams.

Josh later served as Marketing Lead at Exploding Kittens, where he worked on award-winning tabletop games and app launches, including Poetry for Neanderthals, Barking Kittens, A Game of Cat and Mouth, and more. His work blends brand storytelling, experiential marketing, and deep audience listening.

Today, Josh works at TrophySmack, creating custom recognition products for everyone from fantasy football leagues to major partners like the MLB, NFLPA, and Hasbro. Across every role, his focus remains the same: understanding what audiences actually want and building experiences that meet them there.

In this episode of The Event Solutions Podcast, Jorge Lopez sits down with Dan Reback, Event Strategist for the West Coast and Mountain States at Jewish National Fund USA, to explore what it really takes to design events that deliver meaningful ROI.

Dan oversees more than 150 events annually across five states, blending strategy, creativity, and hands-on execution to ensure events aren't just polished productions, but purposeful experiences. He shares why "strategy" isn't a buzzword, how ROI goes far beyond dollars raised, and why staying boots-on-the-ground is critical for leadership credibility.

The conversation dives into real-world challenges, getting 600 people in a room at 8:00 a.m., keeping long-running events from going stale, vetting vendors properly, and managing high-pressure moments when everything goes wrong at once. Dan also unpacks how production can make or break an event, why breaking the mold must be intentional, and how learning through hands-on experience shapes better planners and stronger teams.

This episode is a candid, practical look at event leadership, creativity under constraint, and designing experiences that actually matter.

• ROI isn't just revenue; impact, donor retention, audience growth, and long-term engagement matter just as much.
  
  

• Strategy must come before creativity to ensure events align with organizational goals.
  
  

• Comfortable events are forgettable events; meaningful experiences should push boundaries.
  
  

• Production defines perception and can elevate or sink an event experience.
  
  

• Staying hands-on builds credibility with teams and keeps leadership grounded in reality.
  
  

• Never repeat the same event twice; even successful formats need evolution.
  
  

• Vendor scale matters; talent alone isn't enough if a vendor can't handle the size and complexity.
  
  

• Calm leadership on-site is critical; guests only know something is wrong when you show it.
  
  

Dan Reback is the Event Strategist for the West Coast and Mountain States at Jewish National Fund USA, where he oversees more than 150 events annually across California, Colorado, Utah, Washington, and Oregon.

A UCLA graduate, Dan discovered his passion for event planning early and quickly built a career defined by creativity, strategic thinking, and execution at scale. During his seven years at JNF USA, he rose through the ranks from coordinator to manager to strategist, helping transform events from traditional gatherings into immersive, high-impact experiences.

Known for his out-of-the-box thinking and deep investment in production and experiential design, Dan believes events should never be comfortable, repetitive, or purely transactional. His work focuses on ensuring every event serves a clear purpose, delivers measurable ROI, and creates lasting impact for both organizations and communities.

In this episode, Jorge Lopez speaks with Brooke Erickson of K&L Gates, where she leads sophisticated, high-touch client experiences for one of the world's largest law firms. Brooke shares how she designs bespoke events ranging from zoo buyouts to multi-day destination programs, all built around relationship-building and strategic engagement. She breaks down the psychology of attendee types, the importance of airtight logistics, and the planning frameworks she uses to create seamless, memorable experiences for high-level corporate clients.

• Successful events begin with a clear purpose, relationship growth, thought leadership, or business development.
  
  

• Logistics determine the guest experience: clarity, timing, transitions, and communication matter more than spectacle.
  
  

• Understanding attendee psychology allows planners to tailor experiences based on personality, interests, and comfort levels.
  
  

• Event memos and "guest POV walkthroughs" help identify gaps, friction points, and unrealistic timing long before event day.
  
  

• Small surprise-and-delight moments create emotional connection and elevate even simple experiences.

Brooke Erickson is an event strategist at K&L Gates, where she oversees curated client entertainment and high-impact corporate experiences across diverse sectors. With a background in luxury retail, sales, and operations, plus a degree in History & Warfare, Brooke blends creativity with logistical excellence to design events that strengthen client relationships and elevate brand perception. From intimate VIP gatherings to multi-day destination programs, she is known for her seamless execution, signature surprise-and-delight touches, and hospitality-driven approach.