Latest news with #eventplanning
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Champagne Towers Are Wedding Mainstays—Here's How to Craft a Showstopping Bubbly Display for Your Nuptials
They bring a playful and interactive moment to your cocktail hour, reception, or after-party. If you're currently in the midst of wedding planning, you likely spend much of your time envisioning the grand, showstopping moments that will unfold on your big day—from saying 'I do' to your partner at your ceremony to entering your reception as newlyweds. Yet, when it comes to such a celebration, the smaller details are often what makes the affair truly special for you and your guests; maybe you opt to splurge on luscious floral centerpieces or book a portrait studio for your friends and family to enjoy. However, if you're searching for a photo-worthy, interactive experience that's both functional and stunning, consider a Champagne tower, an tiered arrangement of coupes or flutes that are full of the Expert Laura Ritchie is the principal designer and CEO of Grit and Grace. Rebecca Lang is the owner of L3 Events, a wedding and event-planning though it's technically in the name, don't feel obligated to pour Champagne over your tower of coupes. For example, Laura Ritchie, the principal designer and CEO of Grit and Grace, suggests considering dirty martinis as an out-of-the-box alternative. Looking for a non-alcoholic option? Swap a bottle of bubbly out for one containing sparkling cider, says Rebecca Lang, the owner of L3 Events, a wedding and event-planning company. Before committing to such a feature, make sure to to think about the potential cost. The larger the tower, the more bottles of Champagne you'll need to fill all of the glasses. Below, Ritchie and Lang explain how to best execute a Champagne tower on your big day. Read on for everything you need to know, as well as 10 examples for inspiration. Related: 28 Late-Night Wedding Snacks You Can Serve on the Dance Floor Why Are Champagne Towers So Popular? Rather than simply handing out glasses of bubbly, a Champagne tower offers you the chance to share an experience-driven moment with your loved ones. 'If executed correctly, a Champagne tower is a great way to serve a lot of guests swiftly while also having a fun photo opportunity,' Ritchie says. Many couples see such a display as something that's sophisticated and memorable, Lang adds. 'Champagne towers are visually appealing and add a level of luxury to weddings,' she says. 'The interactive aspect of pouring the Champagne brings excitement to the wedding festivities without disrupting the flow of events too much.' 4 Common Mistakes Couples Make With a Champagne Tower While a Champagne tower can be an impressive addition to your big day, you'll want to carefully plan the set-up. Below, the experts break down four common mistakes to avoid when crafting such a feature. 1. Not Having Enough Glasses To create a striking Champagne tower, make sure you have enough glasses. Lang recommends having at least three to four tiers of coupes or flutes. Ritchie echoes this advice: 'You need way more coupes than you think to create a tower.' And remember, the more glasses you have, the more Champagne you'll ultimately need to fill them. 2. Letting the Champagne Get Warm and Flat Oftentimes, couples find themselves with a tower full of Champagne—and no guests interested in grabbing one of the drinks, Lang says. Don't assume that all of your loved ones will immediately reach for a coupe. 'Stagnant, room temperature Champagne is not becoming,' Ritchie says. 'It's important to have an attendant with the Champagne tower to ensure that the Champagne isn't warm, and to carefully hand out coupes to the guests.' 3. Not Distributing It Equally One of the most complicated aspects of such a feature is actually pouring the bubbly. 'Sometimes, the Champagne isn't flowing,' Lang says. 'You will have to pour from the sides to fill up the remaining glasses.' To ensure that the alcohol is equally distributed, consider asking an attendant to make any necessary adjustments after you and your partner have your photo-worthy moment. 4. Not Accounting for the Potential Mess In an ideal scenario, all of the Champagne would make it into the pre-arranged coupes, but this isn't always a reality. 'Double check with your linen company or venue about any contingencies of possibly drenching their linen with Champagne,' says Lang. Otherwise, you may be left with some unexpected charges once the festivities have concluded. 10 Champagne Tower Ideas From Real Weddings Whether you're envisioning a grand display or small arrangement, take inspiration from the Champagne towers at these real weddings. A Post-Ceremony Aperitivo At this minimalist wedding at a villa in Verona, a Champagne tower served as an aperitivo for guests following the ceremony. The six-tier tower, which featured a clean and simple design, added a stunning focal point to the lush outdoor celebration. A Kickoff to Cocktail Hour These newlyweds went straight from their ceremony to pouring bottles of bubbly over their Champagne tower at their 60-person celebration in Laguna Beach, California. In addition to the interactive display, which served as the kickoff to cocktail hour, they served three signature drinks: a spritz, an old fashioned, and an olive oil martini. Dueling Displays At their destination nuptials in the French countryside, this couple turned their dueling Champagne towers into a lighthearted competition. Amidst the interior of the stately chateau, they each poured a bottle of bubbly over the seven tiers of coupes. A Four-Tier Arrangement During their intimate elopement at a villa in Mallorca, this couple made sure to reserve time for a Champagne tower. After exchanging their vows, they both poured the sparkling alcohol over an arrangement of glasses—before celebrating their new martial status with their family members. An Artful Display With Grapes For their spring wedding in Los Olivos, California, this couple took inspiration from the stunning wine-country setting for their décor, which included the design of their Champagne tower. With grapes placed in and around the coupes, the artful arrangement perfectly complemented their soft, rustic aesthetic. A Square-Shaped Tower This bride and groom made their Champagne tower a key part of their reception. Hosting the festivities at a chateau in France, they poured bottles of bubbly over a square arrangement of glass coupes minutes after their first dance. However, the moment also served another key purpose: a signal to guests that the dinner service was about to begin. An After-Party Kickoff Following their ceremony and reception, this couple headed to their after-party, which mimicked the inside of a private club, complete with a lounge area, custom bars, and a dance floor. 'Instead of a traditional wedding cake, we chose to do a Champagne tower,' the bride says. 'This was a fun way to kick off the after-party!' A Post-Ceremony Celebration For their fall wedding, this couple hosted a gorgeous European-inspired celebration in the heart of Georgia. After recessing down the aisle, they paused for a moment to pour a bottle of bubbly over a tower, providing the perfect sign for their attendees to migrate into the venue's greenhouse for cocktail hour. A Grand Finale At their Mexico wedding, this couple hosted their ceremony and reception on the beach. They concluded the celebration with a grand finale: a fireworks display and a four-tier Champagne tower. In addition to offering coupes to their friends and family, the newlyweds also enjoyed some of the bubbly themselves. A Celebratory Start to the Weekend There's no reason why you can't integrate a Champagne tower into other wedding events, such as your welcome party or rehearsal dinner. This couple did just that, pouring a bottle over a towering arrangement of glasses at their pre-nuptial event. 'Surrounded by our nearest and dearest, [we] were cheered on as we poured Champagne into the tower, signaling the start of our wedding celebrations,' the bride said. Up Next: How Much Alcohol Do You Need for Your Wedding? Read the original article on Brides Solve the daily Crossword
Skift
6 hours ago
- Business
- Skift
5 Trends Driving the Future of Business Events in 2025
Budgets are tighter, audiences are more diverse, and the old event playbook is cracking under pressure. The Skift Meetings Forum tackles the real-world shifts redefining how event pros plan, prove value, and make destination decisions. There's no shortage of 'trends' floating around in eventland – some recycled, some wishful thinking, and some straight from AI hallucinations. But if you work in business events, you don't need another listicle. You need to know what's actually reshaping your budgets, strategies, and attendee expectations. Politics, economic pressure, technology shifts, and changing audience behavior are all forcing senior planners, marketers, and destination strategists to rethink their roles and recalibrate their approach. That's exactly what we're digging into at the Skift Meetings Forum. But before you see it play out live, here's a look at the five trends truly reshaping the business events landscape right now. 1. Events Are Being Measured by Business Results, Not Attendance Leadership teams are asking tougher questions: Did this event move the needle for the pipeline? Did we shift buyer behavior? What outcomes can we prove? Events are no longer separate from the business engine. And it's definitely not enough to hit registration targets or get good post-event survey scores. They need to support sales goals, reinforce brand strategy, and deliver clear value. And that conversation starts early at the planning stage. The takeaway: if your event can't hold its own in a boardroom conversation, it may not hold its place on the calendar. 2. Geopolitics Is Forcing a Smarter Approach to Destination Strategy With elections, unrest, visa restrictions, and inflation, it's no longer safe to assume that a great venue and flight access are enough. Every international event now includes a layer of geopolitical risk assessment, and many organizations are reconsidering long-standing destination habits. But this isn't only about minimizing risk. There's an opportunity in the disruption. Secondary cities and lesser-known regions with political stability, strong infrastructure, and compelling value are getting fresh attention from planners under pressure. Planners need to think outside the box like never before. 3. Business Festivals Are Changing the Value Equation Traditional conferences still have their place, but the energy is shifting. Events that blend serious content with high-quality production, cultural moments, and human connection are getting traction. Less 'meeting,' more 'movement.' Attendees expect inspiration, surprise, and the kind of networking that doesn't feel like work. While they come at a premium, they deliver on impact and memorability. For next-gen attendees, this format hits the mark: smart, unexpected, and time well spent. Sponsors are asking different questions, too. They want better targeting, more control over how they engage, and results they can report back to their leadership. Standard packages are fading. The new playbook includes integrated content, hands-on experiences, data-backed insights, and co-created moments that actually add to the event experience. If you're still selling square footage and banner ads, you're leaving long-term sponsor relationships (and money) on the table. 5. AI is Transforming the Back End of the Industry The AI conversation has moved past gimmicks and hype. The planners and marketers making real progress are using AI for operational efficiency, personalized content strategy, and smarter audience segmentation to enhance decision-making. This is less about innovation theater and more about optimization. As pressure builds to do more with less, AI is emerging as a powerful tool for planners in tackling everyday tasks to managing large-scale portfolios, and global teams. This Is What We're Talking About at the Skift Meetings Forum 2025 These aren't surface-level shifts. They're the real factors driving conversations in boardrooms, planning meetings, and strategy sessions across the industry, and they're built directly into the program at this year's Skift Meetings Forum. From Monique Ruff-Bell at TED and Anick Beaulieu at C2, to Tavar James at Forrester and Tahira Endean at IMEX, our speakers are the leaders building strategies and formats around these exact challenges. Every session is designed to give planners, marketers, and senior event leaders a better read on the future and the tools to respond to it with confidence. Skift Meetings Forum Isn't About Watching Trends. It's About Acting on Them. If you're shaping strategy, managing growth, or leading innovation across your event portfolio, this is where you want to be. Explore the full agenda and see how these conversations unfold with the people who are setting the pace for the rest of the industry. Because staying ahead means stepping into the room where the future is already being built.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Major Wedding-Planning Trends Set to Take Over
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Whether you've had a curated Pinterest board since middle school or you're newly engaged, there's no question that the task of planning a wedding is a daunting one, to say the least. With so many decisions to be made, both big and small, and no shortage of inspiration across the internet, it can feel overwhelming to figure out where to even begin. As such, we're taking the opportunity to report on the biggest trends happening in the wedding and event planning space right now, naturally filtered through our fashion-person perspective. We've already reported on the biggest bridal fashion trends to know for 2026 brides, but now we're taking it further and diving into everything beyond the dress. From the trending font that's featured on the coolest invitations to the floral arrangements that are art pieces in and of themselves, these are all the elements of a wedding weekend that are taking over right now. And while the big day remains at the heart of it all, multiday celebrations don't appear to be slowing down anytime soon. In fact, wedding and event planner Beth Helmstetter shared that she sees couples continuing to host weekend-long celebrations but focusing on regions and experiences that highlight who they are and what they love as a couple. 'Many couples are leaning into more casual and less produced celebrations that encourage guests to have more fun and lean into intimacy over formality,' she explained. Destination or not, it's all about the unexpected and unique when it comes to venues. Mindy Weiss, who planned both Demi Lovato's and Hailee Steinfeld's respective nuptials this year, shared that several clients want to find a location where their event can spread out for several days from Thursday through Sunday. 'This offers a guest experience that they're hoping their loved ones have never had before. It could include golf tournaments, spa experiences, game days, pool parties, cooking classes, and cocktail parties. We're not just planning a wedding anymore,' she insisted. Weddings in 2026 are set to become 360-degree experiences beginning from the arrival of the custom invitations to the gifts guests part with and every detail in between. There's no question that destination weddings are growing more popular every year, but in 2026, couples looking to tie the knot abroad are putting renewed emphasis on locales that are rich in authentic and local charm and venues that are striking and cinematic. Venues that are immersed in nature with dramatic backdrops and striking architecture are quickly becoming the must-haves, whether that be the limestone quarry in Menorca that's hosted weddings and fashion brand events alike or historic fincas like Sa Pedrissa in Mallorca with its unspoiled views of the coastline. For exact locations, traditional Italian destinations like Tuscany will always be that girl, but Fora adviser Katherine Flynn noted that Mallorca, Puglia, and Todos Santos are quickly rising as top wedding destinations, too, which she says is thanks to their natural beauty, authentic charm, and boutique feel. 'These places fit perfectly with the trend of turning weddings into multiday getaways for friends and family,' she continued. 'Guests want sunset dinners, local wine, and unique experiences. In Puglia, Masseria San Domenico is a perfect example of the region's rustic elegance with historic farmhouses surrounded by olive groves and incredible local cuisine.' The five-star hotel hosted an exclusive trip for earlier this summer, which highlights how close the fashion and wedding event worlds are tied. While venues are striking and dramatic on the one hand, they're also rustic and familiar on the other. The next big wedding venue trend? Ranches. 'Remote and rugged is the new romantic,' insisted Sunna Yassin and Mollie Jones Hennes, principals of Bash Please. The pair are the planners behind Alex Cooper's highly buzzed-about wedding last year and shared that they're seeing a strong draw toward private ranches, wineries, and architectural compounds that feel completely off-grid. Weiss echoed this sentiment, sharing that she's seeing mountainous regions like Big Sky, Montana, and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, gaining more and more popularity. Hosting multiday celebrations in these places means couples can plan a number of guest excursions, including horseback riding and custom cowboy hat bars. With couples putting intimate and meaningful celebrations ahead of all-out productions, it makes sense that we'd see a resurgence of at-home weddings. Though, we're not necessarily talking simply backyard affairs. 'Whether it's a ranch tucked into the foothills of Jackson Hole or a private villa in the South of France, hosting at 'home' has never felt more relevant,' shared Jesse Tombs, owner and creative director of Jesse Tombs. 'Home settings carry stories, and there's an unmatched intimacy in celebrating surrounded by the landscapes that have meaning. There's a richness in that kind of authenticity, where every view has history and heart for all of your loved ones in attendance.' There's one buzzword in wedding décor right now, and it's draping. 'Drapery is huge for 2026,' Weiss insisted. 'So many of my clients want dripping, scrunched, and unkempt elegance when it comes to draping.' As for how we can see it being used as a décor choice, Yassin and Jones explained that they expect to see sheer drapery used in unexpected ways: 'Framing nature instead of hiding it, adding height without weight. Clients want spaces that feel cinematic but still breathable.' This is one trend that feels in step with the 1950s nostalgia that we're seeing play out in bridal fashion right now, too. Drapery is an element that brings a sense of luxury and a timelessness that's still fluid and unfussy and, according to Helmstetter, has evolved into a design feature in its own right. 'We're seeing it installed in unexpected places, ceiling treatments that dip low over dining tables and become part of the tablescape, and even bars or cake tables layered in luxurious fabric to create a moment that feels just as intentional as what they're displaying. It's no longer just functional—it's a focal point.' Personality-first elements are winning when it comes to 2026 weddings, and couples want every décor detail to be intentional and deeply personal. For Tombs, that means that 'every detail should feel like it was always meant to be there. Think elegant minimalism, wabi-sabi, and a sense of purpose behind every fork and fabric selection.' One way to inject some personality is through intentional mismatching—flatware, dishware, and even mismatched chairs all bring a sense of uniqueness to a wedding that can't be replicated. View Deal View Deal View Deal There are myriad ways in which couples are creating conversation and connection through the design and décor of their wedding, and opting for handcrafted details and artisanal accents is one way to do so. It's all about vintage or vintage-inspired pieces that tell a story and perhaps carry personal or cultural significance. Retro wrought iron chairs, especially for venues with an outdoor terrace or garden area, are a niche but impactful design choice that can instantly bring a warmth and familiarity to the event. Helmstetter says she's prioritizing these handcrafted details over overly produced moments. 'The goal is to create a space that feels lived-in and a dining table that encourages conversation, connection, and comfort.' View Deal View Deal View Deal Wedding food is no longer only about the food but has become a part of the larger design and aesthetic direction of the event itself. 'The runway is setting the table now, and this trend will be seen in weddings and events around the world,' Tombs said. Abundant tablescapes, color coordination, and hyperlocal produce are all components of the storytelling that wedding catering is doing now. 'Culinary creatives are stepping into the spotlight like never before, often working alongside wedding planners, designers, and art directors to shape the look and feel of events. They're co-curating design, tabletop, food displays, and styling. Think of it as food with a fashion-campaign treatment, styled, storied, and saturated in mood and story. This is also driving new kinds of culinary collabs: Loewe x Laila Gohar [and] Jacquemus x Oursin.' Another design-planning element that mirrors the timelessness and elegance happening in the bridal fashion space is the employment of antiques in the overall décor and, specifically, in the food and beverage offering. Coupe glasses holding everything from champagne to hand-scooped tiramisu, antique trays overflowing with hors d'oeuvres, sterling silver flatware—these are just a few of the accents that bring a sense of nostalgia for a golden age to wedding design. View Deal View Deal View Deal One detail that is carrying on from our 2024 wedding planning reporting is the trend of the large-format cake. No longer is the default wedding cake design one with multiple tiers that tower ever higher. Now, we're seeing a wave of oversize wedding tarts covered in fresh berries that are becoming the new go-to dessert choice to both cut as a couple and serve to guests. The oversize format feels much more familial and is an especially popular choice for intimate gatherings. View Deal View Deal View Deal More is not always more when it comes to wedding-day florals. Instead, planners want to hit on a much more minimal and directional tone. 'The vibe is more fashion showroom than bridal Pinterest board,' shared Tombs. 'Instead of overworked frilly arrangements, we're loving simplified compositions with one to two floral varieties that act like color blocks in the overall event color palette. Monochrome clusters create visual ease and allow the flowers to function as part of the architecture of the space. It feels modern, elevated, and most importantly, more like a chic party and less like a wedding.' Florals are going minimal, but they're also going maximal—'sometimes in the same weekend,' according to Yassin and Jones. 'Sparse, sculptural arrangements using bold single blooms are gaining traction,' they noted, like the minimalist arrangements described above, 'while others are going for volume and chaos in the best way: overflowing blooms that look like they sprouted overnight. Wild, abundant installs tap into something romantic and uncontained—perfect for nature-forward settings.' In fact, wild and overflowing are two keywords that experts seemed to echo over the course of my conversations. Weiss insisted that this aesthetic is one that will only continue to gain momentum. 'Think actual greens growing up the walls and chandeliers made out of calla lilies. Very art-forward designs,' she added. Timeless glamour is the mood that's leading the direction for cool wedding stationery. 'Our current mood board includes vintage social invitations from the golden era and fashion show invites with sharp, pared-back yet graphic typography,' shared Tombs. 'There's something luxurious about going back to the basics. I'm talking about thick, creamy-buttery paper, deep letterpress printing that leaves a gorgeous impression, spot calligraphy that feels like it came straight from an artist's atelier.' Classic ivory tones and the occasional rich oxblood hue mark the color palette, while bespoke details like wax seals and thick-cut heavyweight letterpress leave an impact on guests from the very beginning. Timeless elegance is going strong in one direction, and joyful, whimsical designs are rearing their heads in another. Traditionally, stationery tends to be low in the hierarchy of design-forward choices, but experts say that wedding invites are just another avenue for couples to inject some personality into their guests' experience. 'Playful, handwritten typography and color-forward palettes are having a moment,' Yassin and Jones confirmed, 'especially when paired with tactile elements like letterpress or hand-dyed paper. The more it feels like a piece of art or a collector's object, the better.' Instead of following one format, the trend is all about personalization. 'Custom fonts, oversize letters, saturated color are all elements of our invitations in 2026,' Weiss added. Personalization continues to be the defining feature of 2025 and 2026 weddings. 'There's a real appetite for design-forward branding,' Yassin and Jones shared. 'Clients want transportive settings, highly curated design moments, and brand-level storytelling—from the first invite to the final farewell.' That could look like anything from bespoke matchbooks to personalized menus to embroidered napkins, but for couples looking to go the extra mile, it goes beyond menus and itineraries. 'We just monogrammed robes for each guest in their hotel rooms,' Weiss shared of one recent couple. In essence, customization is at an all-time high. There will always be a place for traditional guest gifts, but more couples are placing emphasis on experience-driven gifting. 'We're seeing things like custom cowboy hat bars, adventure kits with matching branded gear, personal photos in guest rooms, and bespoke turndown treats that feel deeply personal,' shared Tombs. 'It's less about quantity, more about curation and customization.' This is especially true of weddings where the couple has a personal bond with the destination or surroundings. Experiences and excursions are a way to share that connection with their guests in the hopes of creating memories that last long after the last dance. View Deal View Deal View Deal 'Wedding 'merch' is officially a thing—but only if it feels thoughtful, wearable, and a little unexpected,' Yassin and Jones insisted. For Cooper's wedding, the planners curated an assortment of sweats, hats, and bags that looked more like concert drops than party favors. 'Guests want keepsakes they'll actually use—and post about—long after the weekend ends.' Gifting is another way to create a through line from the aesthetic of the invites all the way to the final tone of these take-home items. Instead of individual gift bags, Weiss noted that some of her couples are taking things up a notch and hosting 'welcome stores,' where guests can choose from several items and make their own gift bags. View Deal View Deal View Deal
Skift
21-07-2025
- Business
- Skift
5 Tech Tool Making Planners' Lives Easier
There might be an initial learning curve, but planners say once they are up to speed, these technologies are not only improving their meetings but lightening their load. For planners who never have enough time in a day, the initial learning curve of a new technology can be daunting. Will they catch on? And most important: Will the effort be worth their time? Only rarely is it not, as in the case of these five new technologies recently featured in the Skift Meetings Toolkit, our new how-to hub with hundreds of information-packed articles about meeting planning. 1. Agentic AI A new wave of AI may transform the way planners manage everything from incentive trips to large conferences. For an incentive trip, for example, generative AI might suggest a list of popular destinations, but an agentic AI can go a step further by analyzing weather conditions, venue availability, flight options, and car rentals, crafting an itinerary, and even booking everything. Among the new agentic AI tools are NotebookLM for note-taking, and DALL·E, Midjourney for image and 3-D content creation. Learn more here. 2. Apple Invites Apple Invites combines invitation creation with practical event management tools. It integrates with Apple Maps for directions and Weather for forecasts, while offering collaborative features like shared photo albums and Apple Music playlists. The platform allows hosts to manage RSVPs, control event visibility, and share invitations through a web link. Guests can view and respond to invitations even if they don't have an Apple account. Learn more here. 3. Nowadays A new venue sourcing platform, Nowadays, features more than 30,000 venues and an AI virtual assistant, known as Ina. Planners submit their requirements and receive a list of suggested hotels, event spaces, private dining spaces, and even unconventional venues. It is also trained to warn users of potential challenges in terms of destinations, such as weather issues or a large event causing the prices to spike. Ina then sends the requests for proposals, and collects and collates responses. Learn more here. 4. Generative AI Planners have come a long way in their use of generative AI, with ChatGPT leading the way. The Skift Meetings Toolkit has several articles where they share their favorite applications and prompts. Still, some planners say they don't have the time to learn AI. We asked Elyse Dawson, senior events manager at Homrich Berg about that in an article where she shares her AI journey. 'This is one of the lowest-risk, highest-reward things that you could put your time into,' she said. 'It's actually a time-saver. And if you put in the time and what you tried doesn't work, you will be more comfortable the next time.' Also learn about the favorite AI prompts of Ginger Taylor, assistant director-leadership at Leadership Network for Women at Arc here and find more AI prompt suggestions from Julia Tripp, who created a coaching guide, The Events Industry Survival Guide, packed with prompts. 5. Event Tech Almanac For more on tech tools, Skift Meetings has just released the Event Tech Almanac 2025, for event planners, producers, and strategists. It's packed with information, and designed to cut through the noise in the constantly evolving event tech sector. Download it for free here.
Forbes
18-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Stop Selling The Story. Start Solving The Problem.
Getty getty The speaker industry isn't broken. It's bloated and, perhaps, only getting worse. Every week, event planners are getting bombarded with pitch decks, promotional sizzle reels, and vaguely inspirational bios. The volume of noise is a problem, but the lack of substance is far larger. Christa Haberstock has been on the inside of the speaker business long enough to spot the difference. 'One speaker is telling a story about how he overcame something,' she told me. 'The other one is giving the audience something to overcome themselves.' The second one gets booked, however, the first one makes it about themselves. Who is the more strategic speaker? Haberstock is not new to the scene. As the founder of See Agency and Bookable Speakers, Haberstock spent decades serving as the conduit between the stage and the sale. Her new book, Become a Bookable Speaker , distills that experience into a single challenge: find your obvious advantage or be forgotten. 'You have to be so valuable they can't imagine their event without you,' she said. That means solving a client's actual business problem, not delivering motivational filler in a new pair of shoes, despite certain people's love of shoes. If the client or the room is looking for ROI, your job as a speaker is to hand them a receipt. This holds true in leadership, too. If the team, division, or function you are leading feels like a nice-to-have—rather than essential infrastructure—you're in trouble. Haberstock's concept of being bookable is relevance made visible. It's knowing your value and making it impossible to ignore. Haberstock never set out to be a 'speaker whisperer.' She started in 1997, working 100% commission, and sold keynote talent from a windowless office in Texas. 'I knew nothing about the industry,' she said. 'But I knew how to listen and I could smell desperation.' What did she smell most often? Speakers who led with emotion and personal story, but couldn't tie their message to a corporate objective. 'There's got to be a hook,' she told me. 'What do you offer that clients don't even know they need yet?' If that sounds familiar, it should. Leaders often make the same mistake. Leaders anchor the vision in values or storytelling but frequently forget to articulate the strategic outcomes. Your job as a leader is not just to energize, it's to equip. Whether you're leading a function or running a department, your strategy should point to a hook: a defined, useful, and unexpected contribution. She put it plainly: 'If a buyer can't repeat your pitch in one sentence to their boss, you won't get hired. The same goes for teams. If the CFO or COO doesn't know what you do, you don't get funded.' Optional does not scale. Confusion is not clarity. Being obvious is a far better answer. From Coaching to Cohorts After a long run representing speakers, Haberstock began to demarcate her position and role. In 2020, she moved into coaching individual speakers. She wanted to help more voices get clear on their value, but, in the end, she found that one-on-one coaching wasn't scalable. 'I got tired of telling one person at a time,' she said. 'So, I created a cohort to teach many.' That's how Bookable Speakers was born: a community of speakers building their clarity together. No posturing or one-upping, just people gathering to do the hard work of refining their value with peers. It's a subtle but powerful lesson for leaders: Individual coaching is noble, but community-based clarity might be a better option for you and your teams. Cohorts, cross-functional groups, and peer-led advisory councils are the modern architectures of scale. They take clarity from the individual to the collective. And Haberstock's style is far from soft. 'If you're not willing to sharpen your idea and take feedback, you're not bookable,' she said. In other words, don't build a community to feel good, but make one to get better. Partnerships A good speaker doesn't get booked once. These are the ones that build systems to make the next booking easier. That's the logic behind Christa's emphasis on partnerships. Whether it's speaker bureaus, planners, or platforms, they all require one thing: packaging. 'If a bureau partner can't pitch you in a sentence that makes sense to a buyer, you don't get booked,' she told me. Too often, we treat partnerships like passive channels. In leadership, it's no different. We build alliances across departments, but we often fail to equip those partners with the language, clarity, and outcomes necessary to effectively pitch our work up the chain. If they don't know how to explain your value, they won't bother trying. Purpose-Driven Christa Haberstock Christa Haberstock Haberstock is candid about her own 'push vs pull' driver. Many leaders share this tension: duty vs desire. But she's learned that when pull is aligned with obvious advantage—and repackaged through purpose—the grind becomes meaningful. Not just for her, but for the communities she builds. She told me, 'I always felt like I had to push to make things happen, but the moment I realized that my work was being pulled by a bigger purpose, everything changed.' Leaders need these skills, too. Motivational urgency works in the short term, but its long-term impact emerges when teams wake up excited to identify their advantage, share it, and use it to fuel their purpose. When push is turned into pull. External Alignment There's academic evidence that clarity and alignment impact buy-in and performance. A recent McKinsey Organizational Purpose survey found that, in organizations where purpose is both activated and aligned with employees personally ('the sweet spot'), employee intent to stay was 87%, compared to 41% in organizations lacking this alignment. Similarly, the share of engaged employees was much higher (77% vs. 20%), with additional positive impacts on organizational performance and societal good. Furthermore, a Harvard Business Review article found that companies with clear purpose and role alignment among teams have significantly higher employee engagement and team efficacy. Positions backed by purpose, community, partnerships and internal clarity are hard to ignore. That may explain why Haberstock's Become a Bookable Speaker reached #1 on Amazon and was named one of Forbes' '5 Must-Read Books for Personal and Professional Growth.' The Leadership Lesson Christa Haberstock's four pillars—discover your advantage, build community, craft partnerships, and orient toward purpose—are essential leadership principles. They match the four leadership strategies we know work: clarity, collaboration, leverage, and meaning-making. You don't need to be on stage to lead like a bookable speaker. You need an 'obvious advantage.' If you start with clarity, build community that shares your advantage, design strategic partnerships that amplify it, and tie it all to purpose, you don't need performance metrics to prove impact. The results will follow the logic. And you may find you're already bookable. Watch the full interview with Christa Haberstock and Dan Pontefract on the Leadership NOW program below, or listen to it on your favorite podcast.
