2026 Confirmed Sessions 

Thursday Sessions

Keynote Speaker - Friday, March 13th, 9:15AM

The Story Advantage: The Main Event Is You
Nancy Lyons, Speaker | Author | Founder | Cultural Strategist

In a world saturated with fleeting trends and marketing jargon, how do you create lasting impact? As event professionals, the most powerful experience is the one you build around your own unique story. Move beyond "personal branding" and tap into your authentic narrative.

This keynote invites event pros to build legacy through storytelling. Nancy Lyons will guide you in uncovering, crafting, and telling your story to captivate audiences, build trust, and scale your business.

Attendees will leave with:

• A framework to see your unique value through story
• Techniques to identify your core narrative
• Confidence to lead with authenticity and purpose

Ten Experts, Ten Challenges - Ten industry experts discuss ten real-world challenges they have faced while producing festivals and events across Minnesota. In this fast-paced session, each expert shares how they approached a challenge in a variety of different function areas that include: logistics, vendors, rentals, funding, sustainability, accessibility, design and marketing. Expect practical ideas, fresh perspectives, and actionable takeaways you can use right away.

Placemaking Essentials

Lisa Middag, Senior Director for Economic Development for the Mpls Downtown Council and Downtown Improvement District

Whether you’ve used the term of not, chances are your events work has touched on aspects of placemaking. This class is your opportunity to learn what placemaking is, what it is not, and how you can apply the practice and principals of placemaking in your events planning work to connect better with audiences and support stronger event outcomes.

Learning Objective #1: Learn how placemaking can be used to engage communities inclusively and foster collaboration and communication.

Learning Objective #2: Gain an understanding of placemaking as a process, including adapting to create flexible solutions based on the community’s ideas, and facilitating the transformation of their ideas into authentic place outcomes.

Learning Objective #3: Attendees will recognize the critical phases of placemaking implementation, including program development, budgets, and in-kind contributions, and how to foster inclusive design processes, assure resilient program management, and evaluate program strategies.

Sustainable Events in 2026;  Where are we going and what’s next?  Presented by TVG Events
Nick Reishus - Scott County  
Tabitha Birdwell - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Kellie Kish - City of Minneapolis & Minnesota Composting Council

So many events have worked very hard on waste sustainability for years, providing opportunities to reduce and divert waste to some sort of recycling. We also have seen that all of these activities getting more expensive each year. However we are not seeing much improvement in diversion rates. In some cases we even see some of these efforts go backwards. As the State and Counties add more regulation to drive these activities, how are we going to make these services cost effective to events and festivals? This session will provide the most up to date information on State, County, and City rules. We will also cover programs and funding that are available to support activities, and how to drive the best value out of waste and recycling spent for events will be included.

From Gut Feeling to Ground Truth: Using Data to Drive Tourism & Event Decisions

Presented by Tim Zunker, President, Shakopee Chamber & Visitors Bureau

You know your event or destination made an impact — but can you prove it? In this session, Tim Zunker shares how the Shakopee Chamber & Visitors Bureau moved from anecdotal evidence to data-driven decision-making using Placer.ai, Zartico, and other data sources. 

Through real examples, including a case study of Rhythm on the Rails in downtown Shakopee, Tim will walk through how these tools are actively used to measure economic impact, understand visitor behavior, target marketing investments, and make smarter budget decisions. This isn't a tech demo — it's a practical look at how tourism and event professionals can turn data into dollars and results into relationships with sponsors, stakeholders, and community leaders.

This session will explore:

• What it looks like to calculate and communicate the true economic impact of events and destinations
• How to identify where visitors are coming from — and who they are
• How visitor traffic data can be used to prove ROI to sponsors and elected officials
• What smarter, more targeted marketing looks like with limited budgets
• How to build a data story that resonates with boards, funders, and community partners

Whether you're promoting a community festival, a regional event, or an entire destination, this session will open your eyes to what's possible when data becomes part of how you make decisions.

Idea Cafe Lunch - Presented by Audio Visions 

This is an interactive lunch designed to spark meaningful conversation and share real-time insights with your peers.  Grab your meal, Pick your room, join the conversation, and leave with actionable ideas.    

• Create: Dreaming up bold new concepts
• Collaborate: Diving into sponsorship strategy
• Elevate: Tackling operational challenges
• Communicate: Exploring marketing trends
• Innovate: Looking ahead to future technology

Poured to Perfection: Emerging Beverage Trends Shaping Minnesota Events

Minnesota’s beverage landscape is evolving at a remarkable pace, and festivals and events are feeling the impact. From the rapid rise of THC-infused drinks to the explosive growth of non-alcoholic options—and the continued innovation in craft beer, premium spirits, wine, and cocktails—today’s attendees expect more variety, more creativity, and more intentional curation than ever before.

This dynamic panel brings together three industry leaders who are shaping the future of event beverage programs:

• Tim Naumann, Luce Line Brewing – Craft beer innovators pushing flavor boundaries and redefining what local beer can bring to community events.
• Courtney Sein & Shannon Masera, O’Shaughnessy Distilling Co. – Makers of world-class whiskey and champions of elevated cocktail experiences that resonate with modern audiences.
• Cori Snyder, Southern Spirits – A forward-thinking distributor with a pulse on national and regional trends, including the fast-growing THC and non-alcoholic categories.

Together, they’ll explore what’s trending now, what’s coming next, and how event organizers can build beverage offerings that are safe, compliant, profitable, and unforgettable.

AI for Festivals and Events
S. David Ramirez, CFEE; SDMRamirez Agency - Award-winning Marketer, Speaker, and Technologist

Artificial Intelligence is sharing how event professionals plan, promote, and manage their festivals. This session is designed for first-time users, skeptical leaders, and anyone who keeps hearing about AI but has not been shown how it applies to festivals and events

Explore real use cases like marketing content creation, programming ideation, sponsorship prep, and internal planning. You will learn what AI is good at, where it fails, and how to avoid the most common mistakes that waste time or create risk.

We’ll also review popular AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Midjourney. Many tools event professionals use already include AI. We will discuss how to incorporate existing AI features into your process and how to pick new tools that connect with your existing technology.

Lights, Sound, Action: Mastering Audio & Video Production for Modern Festivals

High-quality audio and video can make or break a festival experience. Whether you're hosting a community celebration, a multi‑stage music event, or a large‑scale cultural festival, production expectations have never been higher. Attendees want immersive sound, crisp visuals, seamless livestreams, and engaging on‑site content—and organizers need reliable partners who can deliver all of it under pressure.

This session brings together three of Minnesota’s most respected production experts to unpack what it really takes to execute flawless AV at festivals of every size:

• Nic Hentges, Audio Logic Systems – Specialists in large‑format audio, staging, and turnkey festival production.
• Dan Schlueter, AV for You – Leaders in flexible, scalable AV solutions for events ranging from intimate gatherings to major public celebrations.
• Barrie Borchers, Audio Visions – Innovators in video, LED walls, and creative visual design that transforms event spaces and elevates audience engagement.

Cannabis & Events in Minnesota: Compliance, Opportunity, and What Organizers Need to Know
Merone Melekin - COO of the MN Office of Cannabis Management
Michele Havert - Compliance Supervisor of the MN Office Cannabis Management
Cory Lake – Lake Insurance Group
Jason Tarasek – Partner at Vicente LLP

Cannabis is rapidly becoming a new frontier for festivals and events in Minnesota. With evolving regulations, growing consumer interest, and increased demand for THC‑infused products and cannabis‑friendly experiences, event organizers are navigating unfamiliar territory. This session brings together three of the state’s leading experts to break down what’s allowed, what’s risky, and what’s possible as cannabis becomes part of the event landscape.  Together, they’ll provide a clear, practical roadmap for integrating cannabis into festivals safely, legally, and responsibly.

Elevating Experiences + Your Brand

Steph March – Principal, Smarch & Co Strategies
Mike Brown – Owner, Travail Collective
Molly Herrmann – Director of Operations, Graze Food Hall by Travail
Andrea Graham - MN Sports & Events;  Moderator

What separates a good experience from one people talk about, share, and return to?

In an industry that never stands still, the most successful hospitality and food brands are constantly evolving, not just to meet expectations, but to exceed them. This dynamic panel brings together creative leaders from the Twin Cities hospitality scene to explore how they intentionally design elevated guest experiences while strengthening and evolving their brands.

From immersive dining concepts to community driven food halls and innovative event programming, our panelists will share real world insights on creative leadership, team building, brand storytelling, and adapting in an ever changing landscape. You will walk away with practical ideas for enhancing your own guest experience, deepening audience connection, and positioning your brand for long term growth.