Plan Ahead Events Boulder

Plan Ahead Events Boulder We provide logistical support for events and operations of all sizes. Strategy. Solutions. Success. It's What We Do! How can we help?

No matter what your business does, you are constantly seeking effective ways to grow your customer base, and proven ways to invest your budget for the highest return possible. Locally owned and operated in Boulder, PAEB has helped organizations nationwide conceptualize and implement creative solutions that will increased their business and improved their performance, leveraging the power of effect

ive engagement - virtually, face-to-face, and hybrid. We can help you customize solutions that will maximize your investment, and provide your staff and customers with a unique and memorable event. From conferences and conventions, fundraising and special events, and incentive travel, PAEB offers the flexibility to support any event from concept to completion, or selected services to enhance your current programs. As established industry experts, we can help manage every detail, from site selection to contract negotiation, event programming and promotion, sponsorship and budgeting, registration, transportation and audiovisual needs, along with anything else that will support you achieving your goals.

I’m still processing my time working at Sundance, but a few things really stand out in my memories of our week in Park C...
02/24/2026

I’m still processing my time working at Sundance, but a few things really stand out in my memories of our week in Park City.

First: the people.
Every staff member and volunteer I encountered was warm, engaged, and genuinely happy to be part of the festival. That kind of energy doesn’t happen by accident, and it shapes the experience as much as anything I saw on the screen.

Second: the complexity.
The precision required for loading theaters for multiple screenings in dispersed venues, sponsor activations, institute events, and all of the other nooks around the city where space was made for artistic collaboration and development is breathtaking. When it works, it’s invisible. When it doesn’t, everyone feels it. Watching that choreography unfold was immensely impressive.

And finally: the legacy.
The impact Robert Redford has had on this community is tangible. Nearly everyone I spoke with who had worked with or met him had a fond story to share. That kind of leadership leaves a mark—not just on an organization, but on a place and its people.

Still absorbing it all, and grateful for the chance to participate in and support an event where intention, coordination, and community are so deeply intertwined. Looking forward to what the next chapter has in store for this community.

I watched the Olympic Opening Ceremony with equal parts awe and curiosity. But not just as a viewer, also through the l...
02/10/2026

I watched the Olympic Opening Ceremony with equal parts awe and curiosity. But not just as a viewer, also through the lens of someone who produces large-scale live events. I loved the overarching theme of Harmonia: the attempt to weave culture, history, spectacle, and hope into a single, shared experience. Some moments really sang, and a few fell flat. (Pun intended…)

The "La Scala" opener immediately set a tone of reverence for artistry - exquisite dancers, emotional grounding, and a moving tribute to Italian sculptors. The cultural parade was highly entertaining. I was initially confused by the suspended paint tubes, but they ultimately became elegant anchors for the fantastic three-dimensional set, which I thought was a smart way to give structure to all of the chaotic movement. Many small cultural nods landed big for me, including the absolutely delightful Moka pot cameo! And the final color wheel was a stunning visual payoff - one of those moments where you can feel the design team collectively exhale. I thought Ghali’s call for peace, paired with spectacular 360-degree lighting and thoughtful choreography, was one of the most impactful segments of the night.

There were also moments that didn’t quite connect for me. Mariah Carey didn’t add emotional or narrative value in a way that justified her participation, and I thought the clips of Samuel L. Jackson disrupted momentum and distracted from the parade of athletes. As for the solar system segment, none of it landed for me - the outfits, the music, the concept. Maybe that says more about how dim my personal “hope for the future” is than the piece itself? And WOW did that untied silver boot lace in the history montage just about give me a panic attack!

From a production standpoint, I was deeply impressed by the logistics of dividing the athletes across four unique locations and integrating them into a cohesive experience. That kind of cue-to-cue coordination is no small feat (I would really love to nerd out over that run of show). That said, it’s hard not to imagine that it felt less powerful for the athletes who didn’t get to enter an arena together as full teams. I think this must have been an emotional tradeoff in service of excellent logistics.

For me, the all-female all-female honor guard was incredibly powerful, and helped the flag ceremony and national anthem land with true gravitas. IOC President Kirsty’s Coventry’s line that “...the best of humanity is found in courage, compassion, and kindness,” felt so sincere and rooted in the theme of harmony, and underscored what I want to experience when I watch Olympic events.

Overall, I found the ceremony to be the perfect celebratory tone to kick-off this global competition - ambitious, imperfect, and genuinely fascinating. Kudos to all of the producers and directors conceptualizing and implementing a hybrid* event at this scale. “Harmonia” isn’t about everything being perfectly aligned; it’s about appreciating moments of true connection.

I’m curious what resonated (or didn’t) for others. What did it make you think or feel?

*I know many of you cringe at this word after our collective experience navigating the pandemic. But yes, this was a large-scale hybrid event! One experience was produced for viewers watching on our screens, while on-site production was happening simultaneously for in-person audiences in several different locations.

Before an event becomes a spreadsheet, I like to ask one grounding question:If attendees remember only one thing from th...
01/27/2026

Before an event becomes a spreadsheet, I like to ask one grounding question:
If attendees remember only one thing from this gathering, what should it be?

If you’ve worked with me (or sat on a board or committee with me), you’ve heard my spiel about how establishing a PRIORITY means picking THE most important objective. Not four takeaways, or an exhaustive list of worthy outcomes.

One.

I know it can feel impossible! But when you focus on one thing that will truly matter, it guides everything - agenda decisions, speaker selection, budget priorities, and what gets cut when something has to give. When your priority is clear, everything else gets easier, and you will make an impact.

If you’re still in an early planning phase for 2026, try writing your intention for the event in a single sentence, and keep it visible as you plan.

What’s the ONE THING you want people to leave with?

Not quite on stage, but sharing the magic with a global audience might be the next best thing!This weekend I managed the...
01/20/2026

Not quite on stage, but sharing the magic with a global audience might be the next best thing!

This weekend I managed the livestream production for Resonance Women’s Chorus, working in the booth to ensure that audiences near and far could experience the performance in real time.

Hybrid events live or die by audio quality, visual clarity, and seamless coordination behind the scenes. It was a joy to collaborate with the artists and technicians to make sure the technology supported the music!

I'm grateful for the opportunity to help extend the reach of such powerful work, and for projects like this that remind me how meaningful thoughtful production can be.

What do you think about when you hear about “Values-Driven Events”? This tagline gets used a lot, but I don’t like it be...
01/13/2026

What do you think about when you hear about “Values-Driven Events”? This tagline gets used a lot, but I don’t like it because values don’t live in the program copy. They live in the decisions made by leadership and the planners supporting them.

Values show up in practical, sometimes invisible ways. Who feels welcome when they walk in? Is accessibility assumed or intentional? How are culture, music, and voices chosen to be represented? How are decisions made when budget, time or attention are at a premium?

This year, I’m holding myself (and my clients, gently) accountable to deeper alignment between stated values and lived experience.

What’s one value you want your events to actively embody—not just reference—this year?

What do you think about when you hear about “Values-Driven Events”? This tagline gets used a lot, but I don’t like it b...
01/13/2026

What do you think about when you hear about “Values-Driven Events”? This tagline gets used a lot, but I don’t like it because values don’t live in the program copy. They live in the decisions made by leadership and the planners supporting them.

Values show up in practical, sometimes invisible ways. Who feels welcome when they walk in? Is accessibility assumed or intentional? How are culture, music, and voices chosen to be represented? How are decisions made when budget, time or attention are at a premium?

This year, I’m holding myself (and my clients, gently) accountable to deeper alignment between stated values and lived experience.

What’s one value you want your events to actively embody—not just reference—this year?

January tends to push us toward big goals and new visions. Right now, I’m pausing to ask what actually needs to change b...
01/06/2026

January tends to push us toward big goals and new visions. Right now, I’m pausing to ask what actually needs to change before I dive into details.

As I look ahead to 2026, I’m thinking less about “bigger” events and more about better ones. Better questions. Better alignment between purpose and experience. Better care for the people in the room - attendees, staff, speakers, and planners alike. Better value for stakeholders.

The most impactful events I see on the horizon aren’t going to be defined by scale or spectacle, they’ll be defined by intention:
* Why THESE people?
* Why NOW?
* Why THIS gathering?

If you’re planning events this year, I’d encourage you to start there, even before dates, venues, or run-of-show docs.

What does a “better” event look like to you in 2026?

As the sun sets on 2025, I’ve been taking a little time to reflect on the work I’ve been part of and the communities I’v...
12/31/2025

As the sun sets on 2025, I’ve been taking a little time to reflect on the work I’ve been part of and the communities I’ve helped bring together. The gatherings that felt the most successful throughout the year share a few common threads:
1.) Clarity beats complexity. When people know WHY they’re together, the rest tends to fall into place.
2.) Preparation shows up in subtle ways. Not in polished agendas, but in how conversations flow and how included people feel.
3.) Trust is built between the moments. The transitions, follow-ups, and the space when people can connect carry more weight than then primary programming.
4.) Progress often looks quieter than expected. Alignment, shared understanding, and renewed energy don’t always make headlines, but they move work forward.

Before jumping into plans for next year, I’m finding value in pausing to acknowledge what worked, and thinking about why.

What’s one thing from your work this year that worked better than you expected and deserves more recognition than it got?

In 2026, experience won’t be a nice-to-have, it will be the event strategy.I’m seeing more organizations rethink events ...
12/16/2025

In 2026, experience won’t be a nice-to-have, it will be the event strategy.

I’m seeing more organizations rethink events not as a line item or a logistics exercise, but as a core part of how they build trust, culture, and long-term engagement. That shift changes the questions we ask:

Instead of "What’s on the agenda?" try "How will people feel throughout the day?"

Not just "How many people attended?" but "Who felt connected, seen, and energized enough to come back?"

Beyond "Did it run on time?" explore "Was it designed for real humans?" (Here's where attention to pacing, accessibility, comfort, and moments of connection come into play!)

When EXPERIENCE becomes the strategy, events stop being transactional and start strengthening relationships, reinforcing values, and supporting larger goals beyond the room. As teams look ahead to 2026, this mindset is becoming a differentiator.

I'm curious to hear:
When you think about your next event, what part of the experience do you think is most underestimated, and why?

This time of year, everyone is talking about gratitude. I’ve been thinking about what meaningful appreciation looks lik...
12/02/2025

This time of year, everyone is talking about gratitude. I’ve been thinking about what meaningful appreciation looks like in our organizations, because a lot of what we see ends up sounding the same.

A few things that have stood out to me: Specificity means a lot, authenticity is more important than polish, and acknowledging the impact of my work is incredibly powerful.

"Thanks for everything you did this year" is nice, but the thank-you's that have stuck with me named a specific contribution that I offered, which makes me feel genuinely seen. Also, when this is heartfelt and timely, I don't care what the final product looks like! A heartfelt note sent today is more powerful than a 'perfect' message that doesn't get finished (I am super guilty of this trap, myself!) Everyone wants to feel like their work has impact, whether it's as a staff member, board member, volunteer, donor, or client. If you can, connect their effort to a real outcome to help your gratitude land.

So as we close out the year, remember that small gestures count. A handwritten card, a public acknowledgement in a meeting, even a quick voice memo - none of this requires any budget, just your attention. Taking a few minutes to express thoughtful appreciation strengthens relationships long after the holidays are over.

Who helped make your work possible this year, and have you told them, clearly and personally?

I spent most of this past weekend working behind the scenes at a show at the Dairy Arts Center. And as we head into Tha...
11/25/2025

I spent most of this past weekend working behind the scenes at a show at the Dairy Arts Center. And as we head into Thanksgiving week, I am overwhelmed at the many moments of gratitude I get to experience in this industry.

Event production happens in the quiet hours: the run-of-show revisions, the backstage cues, the hallway conversations with vendor partners, the last-minute adjustments that keep everything seamless for the audience.

I’m grateful for this craft . Grateful for the chance to create spaces where people can connect, be moved, and feel cared for. And I’m grateful for the clients and collaborators who trust me to take care of the details.

Here’s to the invisible work that makes meaningful moments possible, and to everyone in this industry who brings that work to life!

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2525 Arapahoe Avenue, Ste E4
Boulder, CO
80302

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