If you're reading this on BizBash, you can thank David Adler. In 2000, he founded the media outlet with a simple but powerful idea: that events matter—and the people who create them deserve a space to connect, collaborate, and be inspired. As CEO for two decades, Adler built BizBash into the go-to resource for the industry, helping reshape how brands and planners approach live experiences. Today, he continues to explore the power of gathering as curator in chief of GatheringPoint.news, a newsletter on how events shape culture and influence.
Adler’s editorial and event roots run deep: Just one month out of college, he launched Washington Dossier, a society magazine chronicling D.C.’s “soft power” scene; he’s the author of the 2023 book Harnessing Serendipity, which included his interviews with more than 60 top "collaboration artists." He’s remains a sought-after speaker, known for his enthusiasm, curiosity, and big-picture thinking. Now back in Washington, D.C., after 35 years in New York, Adler describes himself as "a lifelong student of human connection."
How his role has evolved—and stayed consistent—over the past 25 years:
"Over the past 25 years, I’ve gone from being the founder and CEO of BizBash—where I spent 19 years shaping a media platform that helped legitimize and elevate the event industry—to becoming an independent observer and curator of its future.
After stepping back from day-to-day leadership, I advised others in the field until launching GatheringPoint.news, a Substack-powered media brand designed to expand how we think about gatherings. My focus now is on helping the industry be bigger than itself—positioning live gatherings not just as logistics or experiences, but as central to human survival and advancement. Gathering is as vital as food, shelter, and clothing. That belief drives everything I do today.
What’s stayed the same? My curiosity. I’m still learning every single day, building a deeper intellectual foundation so that when I speak to leaders, planners, or creators I’m sharing not just opinion, but earned insight." 
At BizBash and Connect conferences over the years, Adler became known for his engaging fireside chats with high-profile event professionals like former White House social secretary Deesha Dyer.Photo: Thomas Bonano, SpotMyPhotos
What trends/tech have had the biggest impact on events today:
"The biggest shift is this: We now have the tools to focus more on the 'why' instead of the 'how.' Technology, especially AI, has freed us from many of the mechanical limitations of planning. Now the emphasis can return to meaning and memory. What makes a moment stick? What makes it matter? Those are the questions we can finally afford to prioritize.
The future of events will be shaped by the ability to curate real-time resonance. We have to master the design of emotion, belonging, intention. Tech lets us scale efficiency—but it’s the human connection, the emotional core, that determines impact."
Advice for his younger self:
"Keep saying yes to the journey—even when it’s chaotic. I’ve worked in small companies and big ones, in scrappy start-ups and buttoned-up institutions. Each chapter added to my understanding of the ecosystem. I would tell my younger self that it’s OK not to know everything at the start—you learn in layers, through collisions, exposure, experimentation.
The only real advice? Stay curious. Stay open. Stay positive. Every day, some new lightbulb will go off—and that’s what keeps it fun."
An event he'll never forget:
"One of the most awe-inspiring recent events I’ve attended was at Cannes Lions. It wasn’t just a conference—it was an adventure. A spectacle. It made you feel like a kid again, discovering a giant playground filled with possibility. You’d stumble into new ideas just by wandering the beach. 
In 2022, BizBash teamed up with the event tech platform Hubilo to host a yacht-based Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity activation. Adler moderated on-board panels and podcast recordings with marketing executives from brands like Pinterest, Spotify, and Meta. See more: An Event Prof's Oasis: See Inside BizBash and Hubilo's Yacht Activation at Cannes LionsPhoto: Overflow Creative
But the most meaningful event I ever helped create was right after 9/11, when the entire industry was paralyzed. I partnered with my then-president Richard Aaron to help bring New York City back to life through the power of gathering. We hosted a series of emotionally charged events at Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s residence, and invited leaders from every sector of the events world to return to the city and stand with it.
There was one moment—I’ll never forget it—when a live musical group and a Broadway singer performed 'New York, New York.' There wasn’t a dry eye in the house. Goosebumps weren’t just felt—they were shared. That night was an emotional turning point. It reminded all of us why we do what we do.
That experience taught me one of the greatest lessons of my career: In moments of crisis, the greatest tool an event professional can wield is leadership. Not just operational leadership, but moral, cultural, and emotional leadership. The kind that helps people come back together and move forward."
What he hopes his legacy will be:
"I want to raise the self-esteem of the event industry. This isn’t fluff work. It’s fundamental. Gatherings change minds, hearts, and history. But they can also be used to manipulate and divide—just look at how Hitler weaponized group contagion. Our responsibility is to use our powers for good.
My impact, I hope, is in showing others how powerful, how noble, and how essential this work is when done right. That I was a decent human being. That I encouraged others to see the value in what they do. That I made people feel capable, creative, and part of something bigger.
Someone once said I had PMA—positive mental attitude—and I’d be proud if that’s what people remember. The world is messy. Staying positive is a choice, and I hope I inspired others to choose it too." 
Adler (pictured with co-authors Andrew Frothingham and James Cornehlsen) launched his first book, Harnessing Serendipity, with a party at The Times Center in New York.Photo: Courtesy of David Adler
What excites him most about where the industry is headed:
"Events are becoming the new megaphones of society. They’re not just activations or brand moments—they’re where truth gets validated in real time. We’re entering a phase where side conversations in hallways will shape industries. That’s where the social physics of influence happens.
We need to rethink formats. We need to overcome the shyness epidemic. We need facilitators, or what I call collaboration artists, to help people connect with purpose. I wrote a book called Harnessing Serendipity because that’s what we do—we design collisions. We make magic possible.
What excites me most? We’re finally getting serious about the science of gathering—the neuroscience, the strategy, the intentionality. And that means we can build more powerful, inclusive, unforgettable human moments."
Back to the full list
This feature is sponsored by Convene, a global hospitality company that manages a growing portfolio of brands that design and operate premium event venues, meeting spaces, and flexible office.
