Last week, I mentioned I was launching Fruitful 15, a 15-day pop-up series where I'll feature 15 B2B event pros sharing one tactic, framework, or playbook that has actually worked for them.

Every entry will get a dedicated post on my LinkedIn and a permanent home on my website to share with your own network. We're also partnering with another media brand with 11,000 subscribers, so your entry will reach their audience too.

A few of you have already taken me up on this offer (thanks!) and I still have a few spots left. Either hop on a quick call with me or fill out the contributor brief, and we'll start posting in late June.

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Last week I mentioned I was headed to Chicago to support one of my clients as a James Beard Award finalist. I grew up in Chicago, so the trip gave me a chance to see family and be in the room for a genuinely momentous occasion at the same time.

I want to share what I took away from that weekend, not just as someone cheering on a client and friend, but as someone who cannot walk into any event without mentally taking notes.

OpenTable Event

One of the pre-award events was hosted by OpenTable, who happens to be a prospective sponsor for our culinary festival in November. I had been emailing their team for a few weeks before the trip. We knew each other by name, but only through a screen.

Before the event, I shared my cell number with my OpenTable contact, and she immediately texted me to close the loop. When I arrived and saw how many people were there, I texted her to let her know I had made it. We found each other in the crowd, clinked drinks, and talked about how excited we both were to work together on the November event. She introduced me to other colleagues on her team, and then introduced me to the person who had put the whole evening together. He and I now have a meeting on the calendar. None of that would happen over email.

That is something I tell clients and readers often, but living it in real time reminded me why I believe it so strongly. The N in my GARDEN framework is Nurture, and nurture is not just about following up after your own event. It is about showing up at the events where your future partners are, and letting the relationship deepen in person before the negotiation and contract conversation ever starts.

What James Beard got right

The main awards show was held at the historic Lyric Opera House in Chicago, and the production was exceptional. Every moment felt planned and intentional in a way that is harder to pull off than it looks. A few specific things stood out to me.

Signage: At the panel event I attended the day before the awards, the building was nondescript from the outside, but the moment you walked in, the signage made it clear exactly where to go. At the awards themselves, after the ceremony ended and attendees spilled out of the Opera House, volunteers were stationed outside holding signs directing everyone to the buses for the after party. Without those signs, a lot of people would have assumed they needed to walk or call a car.

Food: At the after party, every food station was clearly labeled with the dish name and any allergy or dietary information. That is a small thing that makes a big difference when you are standing in line trying to decide what to eat among an array of options.

Experience: The transportation itself was a nice touch. A twelve-minute walk became a comfortable bus ride, and attendees were greeted with champagne as they walked into the reception. The evening ended with a DJ, a live singer, a pianist in a back room, and two photo booths. These choices helped people leave with a positive impression.

What I would have done differently

A few things stood out as gaps, and I say this with full respect for what the James Beard Foundation pulled off across an entire weekend of programming.

The first is a ride-share partnership. There were multiple events across different parts of the city, and a lot of attendees were traveling from out of town. A discount code or a single complimentary ride through Uber or Lyft would have been a meaningful convenience touch, and a natural sponsorship opportunity for a brand that wants visibility with a high-profile audience.

The second is a visual event map. The email communications were thorough and the calendar reminders were helpful, but a visual map showing where each event was located relative to attendee hotels and the main venue would have made the logistics feel even more seamless. Most people were visiting so a one-page visual could have been helpful.

The third is photo distribution. After the awards weekend, I do not know where the professional photos went. Every event had photographers. At my own events, I try to send the full photo album to attendees within a few business days. After my last event, which ran on a Thursday and Friday, I sent the photos on Monday morning. By Monday afternoon, attendees were already sharing them on LinkedIn. Professional photos outperform candid phone shots every time in terms of engagement, and giving attendees a shareable link is one of the easiest ways to extend the life of your event online without spending anything extra.

The reason I keep going to other people's events

I never go to an event just as an attendee. That is not a criticism of anyone else's approach. It is just how I am wired at this point.

Every event I attend, whether it is a culinary awards show, a creator summit, or a restaurant industry panel, gives me something to bring back to my own work. Sometimes it is a tactic I want to steal. Sometimes it is a gap I want to close. Either way, I walk away sharper than I arrived. The best investment you can make as an event planner or pro is not always another course or another framework. Sometimes it’s simply buying a ticket to someone else's event and paying close attention to how it feels to be in the room.