Épisodes

  • Noche Neon: The 2,700-Guest Gamble

    Noche Neon: The 2,700-Guest Gamble
    May 27 2026

    What do you do when your "Super Bowl" event for 1,000 guests suddenly balloons to 2,700 RSVPs just two weeks before showtime—and then a global tech outage hits?

    In this live-recorded episode from the TruNorth Presents: The Business of Experiential event in New York City, host Rick Kiley sits down with Marie Christofferson (Experiential Marketing Lead, Campari Group) and Jeannie Veneri (SVP of Client Services, SoHo Experiential) to recount the chaotic production of Noche Neon. This massive event celebrated the 25th anniversary of Espolón Tequila during the legendary Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans.

    The team faced a "comedy of errors" that would break most producers: a 3x surge in attendance, the infamous 2024 CrowdStrike travel outage that stranded key staff, a DJ testing positive for COVID on event morning, and a centerpiece neon backdrop that arrived in plain black and white. Hear the incredible story of how the crew "acted like ducks"—calm on the surface while paddling furiously underneath—to solve every crisis, from hand-coloring a massive scenic wall with Sharpies to turning a production assistant into the night's headlining DJ.
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    32 min
  • The Princess Diana Mall Tour Crisis

    The Princess Diana Mall Tour Crisis
    Apr 21 2026
    What happens when your entire national marketing campaign is built around an international icon who suddenly and tragically passes away mid-tour? In this episode, host Rick Kiley and co-host Jeff Boedges travel back to the 1990s with guest Paul Robinson, a veteran brand activation leader. They recount a high-stakes promotional tour for the network Romance Classics (now WE tv) that involved touring three of Princess Diana's original dresses—purchased at auction for $700,000—across major U.S. malls. The campaign, boldly titled "Dressed to Di For," was a massive success until the unthinkable happened: the tragic death of Princess Diana in Paris. Paul and Jeff relive the heart-pounding Saturday night of Labor Day weekend when they had to act without client approval, scrubbing "exploitative" branding, securing priceless assets, and literally peeling wraps off promotional trucks in mall parking lots before the sun came up. It's a masterclass in gut-instinct decision-making and protecting a brand during a global tragedy. Links: Website: https://www.sohoexp.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnlikelyEvent Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dqPOmSUXp2cyUVJc7LnrY?si=4b8a9f3a203f4cc0
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    43 min
  • The Millionaire Hangar Crisis

    The Millionaire Hangar Crisis
    Mar 25 2026
    What happens when your $400,000 luxury vehicle reveal is suddenly upstaged by a $70 million private jet—and a looming tornado? In the kickoff to Season 2, host Rick Kiley is joined by Heather Salkin (Co-Founder & CEO of Artists and Robots) and Executive Producer Theresa Loguercio to recount a high-stakes launch for Ferrari. The mission: transform a raw, industrial airport hangar in Dallas into a world-class luxury experience for the reveal of the Ferrari Portofino. Everything was on track—complete with a "scent sommelier" and immersive projections—until the weather turned. With a tornado and hail threatening North Texas, the hangar's primary residents (multi-million dollar private jets) had to be moved back inside for protection, right into the middle of the meticulously built event space. Hear the heart-pounding story of how the team managed a last-minute structural redesign, moved massive trussing and walls, and navigated the ultimate "space sharing" conflict just 24 hours before the curtain rose. Links: Website: https://www.sohoexp.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnlikelyEvent Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dqPOmSUXp2cyUVJc7LnrY?si=4b8a9f3a203f4cc0
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    43 min
  • In the Unlikely Event Season 1 Recap

    In the Unlikely Event Season 1 Recap
    Jan 23 2026

    Season 1 proved one thing: the best stories don't come from perfect plans.

    As we head into Season 2 of In the Unlikely Event, we're looking for event organizers, producers, and creative leaders willing to talk honestly about the moments that tested them and what they learned along the way.

    If you've got a story, we're listening.

    🎧 Explore Season 1 and connect with us at sohoexp.com/podcast
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    2 min
  • Pushing the Edge of Possible: Producing Red Bull Stratos

    Pushing the Edge of Possible: Producing Red Bull Stratos
    Dec 16 2025
    What happens when a multi-year, record-breaking mission to the edge of space is threatened by a mysterious, untraceable signal just hours before launch? In this episode, host Rick Kiley and co-host Jeff Boedges are joined by event producer Ben Nelson (Director of Ground Operations for Stratos) to discuss the years of work that went into Red Bull Stratos. This was the mission where Felix Baumgartner ascended to 128,000 feet and jumped from the stratosphere, breaking the speed of sound. Ben recounts the immense scale of the operation in Roswell, New Mexico, and the final, heart-stopping crisis: a mysterious communication interference that nearly shut down the entire, multi-million dollar endeavor. Hear the incredible story of the team that built a temporary mission control in the desert and the final-hour scramble to save a stunt that pushed the limits of human courage and event production. Links:
    Website: https://www.sohoexp.com
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTyqEy1cd8I
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0HQ2CmoStTwRMNyLtuq9ue?si=BLNrAgx3R5KnuMs_vCDqYA
    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pushing-the-edge-of-possible-producing-red-bull-stratos/id1852356725?i=1000741576997
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    44 min
  • Essence

    Essence
    Dec 9 2025
    What happens when two powerhouse female producers are tasked with creating an authentic men's experience at a festival historically dedicated to women? In this episode of In The Unlikely Event, host Rick Kiley is joined by award-winning experiential producer Carmen Jones and brand architect Dawn Marie Gray to discuss the challenge of launching a bold new initiative at the Essence Festival of Culture in New Orleans. The festival, a massive cultural event focused on Black women, decided to launch a men's experience in 2022 to expand its audience. The twist? The two creative strategists brought in to conceive and execute the vision were women. This fact alone created a major internal challenge when a "council of men" demanded a "direct men's perspective," threatening to halt the project. Hear how Carmen and Dawn Marie navigated the skepticism and pushed forward with their intentional vision, centered on the "five E's" (Enlighten, Enrich, Empower, Elevate, Embrace), to create an authentic and successful space for Black men at the festival. Links:
    Website: https://www.sohoexp.com
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH8dSxRYqek
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0rBQm8DoTAhYEDBDJBaCDP?si=wdrIWGciTNCVjg7r3bZDeA
    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/essence/id1852356725?i=1000740488803
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    46 min
  • The Armory Show

    The Armory Show
    Dec 2 2025

    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:
    Website: https://www.sohoexp.com
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbflz_iADxI
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/48OXzPOXNiHZ5KF29WWnLF?si=UBiQ-U1XSnSjNTTP_WP6PQ
    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-armory-show/id1852356725?i=1000739387441

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    36 min
  • Trial by Olympic Fire

    Trial by Olympic Fire
    Nov 18 2025

    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:
    Website: https://www.sohoexp.com
    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edGz3wgvQ34
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0rNCD9YzVFDl3IrYTmEQYi?si=un8hzndkTNKYJtKqhk3yug
    Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trial-by-olympic-fire/id1852356725?i=1000737318850

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    39 min