This Intimate Dinner Built Its Own Event Prof Community in Just Three Hours

NEW YORK—On Nov. 9, BizBash and BrandSync hosted 16 senior-level event marketers and planners for an intimate dinner at Palma in New York. The theme for the evening: What's keeping you up at night? We wanted to hear what our readers are currently struggling with in their roles so we could be better informed about the type of content the industry needs now. 

The dinner incorporated a Jeffersonian conversation style, meaning one question would be posed to the group, with each person seated answering it one at a time. This is a tactic often used by BizBash chairman and founder David Adler. 

"Our recent BrandSync Jeffersonian dinner is a prime example of how we excel at creating these remarkable connections," he said. "It served as a dynamic platform where individuals from various backgrounds came together, sparking impromptu gatherings that could very well be the building blocks of an inspiring community of colleagues-turned-genuine friends. At the heart of every BrandSync event lies the commitment to fostering these meaningful connections, making the discovery of great new friends the ultimate ROI." 

Palma handled the design of the dinner.Photo: BizBash

In answering the question—what keeps you up at night?—guests answered with challenges like remaining relevant, leading a team successfully, and being authentic within their events. 

"There were a lot of common themes when it came to what's keeping planners up at night," said Michela Giovannotto, BizBash's director of brand experiences. "It was interesting to see someone who worked in the financial realm and someone who worked in media say that they struggled with the exact same thing, but they had different tenures in their career and worked in completely different industries with different events and branding campaigns."

Before the conversation took place, when guests entered the event, they were greeted with a welcome cocktail, curated by Palma, and were encouraged to mix and mingle to get to know each other, since the dinner portion of the evening would be more scripted. The entire dinner, held in Palma's Courtyard Garden, was then served family style, with each course introduced by the Palma team.

Palma's Courtyard Garden is meant to be reminiscent of an Italian villa. It features a retractable roof, so it's open year-round. During the winter, the roof is closed and the room is heated.Photo: BizBash

"It's a fully enclosed sunroom, so the whole space is filled with flowers and greenery," Giovannotto said of why she chose this venue. "Because of the format of the dinner being so conversation based, we needed something that was going to be quiet but also bring an ambiance that gave attendees a warm feeling when they walked in. In planning these Jeffersonian dinners, we always go for something comforting. When you think of the type of cuisine that Palma has, it's more on the comfort end, something that's warm and inviting for everybody."

BrandSync senior vice president of brand experience Matt Mongoven served as the Jeffersonian "host" of the evening, meaning only he was able to interrupt those giving their answer to the question.

Toward the end of the evening, when everyone had answered the scripted question, Giovannotto said guests were able to chat freely over dessert, but she noticed that "the room still stayed quiet, and one person would ask someone a question and everyone else would still listen," she explained. "It was a way to really see the group intimately."

In keeping with the theme, these Molton Brown aromatherapy soaps gifted to the attendees at the end of the evening are meant to promote sleep.Photo: BizBash

Following the dinner, BrandSync gifted attendees an on-theme favor: Molton Brown aromatherapy soaps, specifically meant to promote sleep. 

"The Jefferson dinner by BizBash and BrandSync was truly one of a kind," said attendee Micayla Diener, CMP, CSEP, global event lead for TikTok. "The people, the conversation, the food, and the atmosphere was top notch. From someone who goes to lots of events, this evening was executed flawlessly."

By the end, Giovannotto said attendees left with ideas on how to recreate this style of dinner for their own organizations. And those who didn't know each other well at the beginning also left saying they wanted to meet again to continue the conversation. 

"It was really cool to see a group of people that came to spend three hours of their time on a Thursday night in New York for a dinner and by the end, they made lasting relationships," Giovannotto said.