The Real Business of Events

In this episode, we sit down with Nicola, CEO of ELX — the exclusive community for senior event leaders at enterprise companies. Nicola shares her winding career path from incentive travel dreamer to leading one of the most talked-about communities in the events industry.We dig into what makes ELX different, why event leaders feel so isolated in their roles, and how Chatham House rules create a space for real, unfiltered conversation. If you want to learn more about the community, visit https://www.eventleaders.com/.Nicola also gets into the data that keeps her up at night — like the fact that 28% of senior event leaders have no KPIs for their events — and why shifting from the "events business" mindset to the "business of events" mindset is the key to getting a seat at the table.Plus, she shares her biggest event confession: a Palm Springs rain disaster that had her avoiding outdoor events for her entire career — until dinner on Wrigley Field changed everything.What you'll learn:What ELX is and who it's forWhy measurement needs to start before you plan a single thingHow to make the case for your events using business languageWhat it takes to become an ELX-eligible leaderHow to spot and avoid burnout in a high-pressure events role