Producing an Event During the Pandemic: Expect the Unexpected

By: Scott Hutmacher
Founder, The Nudge Mill
Former Membership & Marketing Manager, Center for Exhibition Industry Research

The Background
During my time at the Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR), I quickly fell in love with the events industry. Our offices were in McCormick Place, which provided me unparalleled access to hundreds of events. When the opportunity arose to join the Events Team at LaSalle Bank and breathe new life into the Chicago Marathon, I jumped at it.

Never did I imagine the role at LaSalle would lead to a career in the endurance events industry, where I managed some of the world’s largest marathons and most successful triathlons (and became an Ironman competitor myself). After 17 years of specializing in sports marketing, I left my dream job last fall to pursue another — launching a marketing agency focused on in-person experiences. My timing was terrible. COVID-19 sidelined everything.