What happens when a sudden, freezing cold snap threatens to derail a massive, high-profile art fair just hours before opening? In this episode of In The Unlikely Event, host Rick Kiley sits down with highly accomplished event producer Glenn Charles, President and CEO of Show Strategy, to discuss the chaos behind producing the world-renowned Armory Show at Pier 92/94 in New York City. To elevate the attendee experience, the team planned to build a massive new tent structure for registration and a restaurant. However, a sudden, severe drop in temperature made it impossible to install the new vinyl tops.

Glenn recounts the heart-stopping 5 a.m. moment he had to make the impossible call: tear down the 65% built structure and revert to Plan B. Hear the story of the high-stakes decision that saved the event from embarrassment and proved that a successful event sometimes means knowing when to walk away from a bad plan. This is a masterclass in crisis management where the audience never even knew a disaster was averted.

Links: •SoHo Experiential: [https://www.sohoexp.com]

What happens when you have to pull off a massive, world-class Olympic marketing campaign that started far too late and was then hit by an external crisis? In this episode of In The Unlikely Event, host Rick Kiley sits down with two exceptional event creators, John Millward (Chief Creative Officer, SoHo Experiential) and Jeffrey Berke (veteran of large-scale events), to relive a high-stakes project from nearly 25 years ago.

The challenge was an Olympic-sized activation that demanded world-class execution under impossible conditions. John and Jeffrey, who met for the first time in the middle of the chaos, had to navigate a project that was already behind schedule and then faced a turning point that threatened to derail the entire effort. This is the story of how they turned a potential disaster into a masterclass in problem-solving. Hear the untold details of the chaos and the ingenuity that saved the day, proving that even under the most intense, global pressure, creativity and grit can carry the torch to the finish line.

Links:
•SoHo Experiential: [https://www.sohoexp.com]

What happens when the President of France cancels your event just one week before showtime?

In the premiere episode of In The Unlikely Event, host Rick Kiley (Co-Founder of SoHo Experiential) is joined by his partner Jeff Boedges and former clients Emma Medina and Sarah DeCoste to recount one of the most chaotic and memorable crises in their 20-year history.

The team was set to host a high-profile cognac tasting program, The Heart of Cognac Experience, at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. The contract contained a unique, seemingly impossible clause: the embassy could cancel if the President of France needed the space.

Hear the heart-pounding, minute-by-minute story of how the team scrambled to find a new venue, manage a full-scale event cancellation and reschedule, and pull off the impossible—this is the ultimate story of crisis, creativity, and a comeback that proves why event professionals keep coming back for more.

Links:

•SoHo Experiential: [https://www.sohoexp.com]