Discover how event planner John Hanks, Jr.  transformed pandemic challenges into growth opportunities. Learn essential strategies for building teams, handling crises, and creating unforgettable attendee experiences.

When COVID-19 hit in early 2020, the events industry didn't just pause—it collapsed. Eighty-seven percent of event professionals canceled events, and 66 percent postponed them. For many planners, it was career-ending. But for John Hanks, Jr., president of Make It Happen Events in central Pennsylvania, it became the catalyst for his agency's most significant transformation.

The Passion That Started It All

Every successful event planner has that "aha" moment when they realize this is more than just a job—it's a calling. For John, the spark was simple but powerful: using his experience and skills to create memorable events that bring people together for a purpose. It's the kind of mission statement that sounds straightforward until you're three weeks deep in vendor negotiations, managing a last-minute venue change, and somehow still smiling.

What makes John's approach particularly refreshing in an industry often drowning in corporate jargon is his genuine focus on connection. Not just the "let's-exchange-business-cards-and-never-speak-again" kind of connection, but real, purposeful gatherings that matter to attendees long after they've left the venue.

The Turning Point: When Crisis Became Catalyst

Ask most event planners about their biggest growth moment, and you'll hear about landing a major client or successfully executing a large-scale conference. John's answer? The global pandemic that shut down the entire industry.

While around 70% planners moved their face-to-face events partially or fully to virtual platforms, John and his team did something remarkable—they didn't just pivot, they innovated. Longstanding projects became virtual experiences, outdoor celebrations, and even drive-thru events (yes, really).

“We had been producing events for nearly 20 years by then, and had client and vendor relationships that went back almost that long,” said Hanks.

The secret sauce? Creativity paired with client loyalty. According to research, 73% of event planners successfully pivoted their events to virtual formats, but John went further, maintaining relationships with clients when canceling would have been the easier path. Nearly three-quarters of planners, or 74%, became more proficient or much more proficient in tech as a result of the pandemic.

This wasn't just survival—it was strategic adaptation. And in an industry where relationships are currency, his clients' willingness to stick with him during unprecedented uncertainty spoke volumes about the trust he'd built.

Pro Tip: Crisis management isn't about having all the answers immediately—it's about maintaining open communication with clients, being willing to experiment with new formats, and demonstrating unwavering commitment to their goals, even when the path forward isn't clear.

The Early Mistake That Changed Everything

Here's where John's story gets really interesting. When asked about his biggest early mistake, his answer is one that nearly every event planner can relate to: "Trying to do everything myself."

Sound familiar? If you've ever found yourself simultaneously answering emails, coordinating with vendors, updating the event timeline, managing social media, AND trying to eat lunch (cold, at your desk, again), you're not alone. But here's the kicker—John discovered that building a team doesn't just create a better work product. It's also, and we quote, "a lot more fun!"

“Having Chris Lunden, the logistics genius, and Brenda Pulaski, an administrative powerhouse, on my team helped us to be more effective for our clients and helped me to be more productive,” he states.

The data backs this up beautifully. Research shows that CEOs who excel in delegation see remarkable increases in revenue, and that effective delegation empowers team members with greater job satisfaction and motivation. It turns out that trying to be a one-person event planning army isn't just exhausting—it's actively limiting your growth potential.

Think about it: when you're buried in logistics, you can't focus on creative vision. When you're handling every vendor call, you can't nurture client relationships. When you're doing everything, you're not doing anything as well as you could be.

Pro Tip: Start delegating early in your agency's growth. Identify tasks that match your team members' strengths, provide clear expectations and resources, and resist the urge to micromanage. Remember: delegation isn't dumping work on others—it's strategic task assignment that develops capabilities and builds trust.

The Art of Under-Promising and Over-Delivering

John's approach to client expectations is refreshingly straightforward: figure out what the client is really looking for (even if they're not sure themselves), determine the event objectives, then under-promise and over-deliver. It sounds simple, but in practice, it requires serious emotional intelligence and strategic thinking.

Many planners fall into the trap of trying to impress prospects with grand promises during the sales phase. The problem? When you promise the moon and deliver a nice satellite, clients feel disappointed—even if what you delivered was objectively excellent. John flips this script entirely. “Clients often know that they want to host an event, but they haven’t thought through why.  Helping them to craft 2 or or 3 well stated goals creates the standards you use to evaluate each activity and new idea,” says Hanks.

By taking the time to truly understand client needs, including the ones they haven't articulated yet, he positions himself as a strategic partner, not just an order-taker. Event professionals believe the top three elements that contribute to a memorable attendee experience include content (38%), venue (27%), and destination (25%). Understanding these priorities helps John frame realistic expectations while leaving room for delightful surprises.

Pro Tip: During initial client consultations, ask open-ended questions and listen more than you talk. The best event planners are part detective, part therapist, and part mind reader. Your job is to uncover not just what clients say they want, but what they actually need to achieve their goals.

The Vendor Relationship Goldmine

When asked about a time a vendor relationship saved an event, John drops a truth bomb that should be tattooed on every event planner's forearm: "The key is not only having a relationship with the sales person, but the owner, the operations people, and accounting."

This is next-level relationship management. While many planners maintain surface-level vendor relationships, John understands that the person who sells you the contract isn't necessarily the person who'll save your bacon when the keynote speaker's flight gets canceled three hours before doors open.

Building deep vendor relationships across multiple departments creates a safety net of support that goes far beyond transactional interactions. When you know the operations manager personally, when accounting recognizes your name, when the owner trusts your business—that's when magic happens. Last-minute requests get priority attention. Problems get solved creatively. Challenges that would derail other events become minor hiccups.

71% of younger generations report increased trust following brand interaction at live events, and the same principle applies to vendor partnerships. Face-to-face connections, consistent communication, and mutual respect build the kind of trust that transforms ordinary vendor relationships into strategic partnerships.

Pro Tip: Don't limit your vendor relationship building to the sales team. Schedule calls with operations managers, send holiday cards to accounting departments, and whenever possible, meet vendor leadership in person. These relationships are insurance policies you hope to never need, but you'll be grateful to have when crisis strikes.

Standing Out in a Sea of Sameness

The event planning industry is more competitive than ever. With lower barriers to entry and increased visibility through social media, differentiation is crucial. So how does Make It Happen Events stand out? John's answer is beautifully uncomplicated: "Loyalty and dedication to the client and the project."

In an era of ghosting, disposable relationships, and "onto the next thing" mentality, steadfast commitment is revolutionary. This isn't about offering the newest technology or the trendiest themes (though those have their place). It's about showing up, following through, and treating every project, regardless of size or budget, with unwavering dedication.

Companies experience 10x the ROI from attendees versus non-attendees, which means the events you plan have serious business impact for your clients. When clients know you'll fight for their success with the same intensity regardless of circumstances, you become irreplaceable.

Pro Tip: Your competitive advantage doesn't have to be complicated. Sometimes the most powerful differentiator is simply being reliable, communicative, and genuinely invested in client success. In an industry where things constantly go sideways, consistency is incredibly valuable.

The AI Revolution: Proceed With Creative Caution

When asked about emerging trends planners should take seriously, John doesn't hesitate: "Incorporating AI into the planning and presentation process."

He's not wrong. 45% of event organizers and directors are actively using AI tools to enhance operations and personalize attendee experiences. Additionally, 50% of meeting planners globally planned to use AI technology in 2025, and that number is only climbing.

But here's the nuance that separates smart AI adoption from blindly following trends: AI should enhance human creativity, not replace it. Use it for tedious tasks like generating initial speaker bios, creating event timelines, or analyzing attendee data. Don't use it to replace the human touch that makes events memorable.

The most successful event planners in 2026 will be those who view AI as a powerful assistant that handles the grunt work, freeing them up for the strategic thinking, relationship building, and creative problem-solving that technology can't replicate. Think of AI as your highly efficient intern who never needs coffee breaks—helpful, but still requiring your expertise and judgment.

Pro Tip: Start experimenting with AI tools now, but maintain a critical eye. Use AI for brainstorming, first drafts, and data analysis, but always add your expertise, creativity, and industry knowledge to the final product. The goal is "human-enhanced-by-AI," not "AI-with-occasional-human-input."

What He'd Do Differently: The Team-Building Redux

If John were starting his agency today, knowing everything he knows now, what would he change? "Build a team earlier, rather than trying to do everything myself."

Notice this is the second time team building has come up. That's not a coincidence—it's the basis of his entire growth story. The stubborn belief that he had to handle every detail personally didn't just make work harder; it actively prevented scaling, limited creative possibilities, and honestly? It probably made the work less enjoyable.

Effective delegation empowers team members by recognizing their capabilities and providing them with authority and accountability, leading to higher morale and better performance. The benefits compound: better work products, more satisfied team members, increased capacity for new projects, and yes—more fun.

For planners just starting out or those still operating as solo warriors, this insight is gold. You don't need a massive team to start delegating. Begin with contractors for specialized tasks, bring on a part-time coordinator for administrative work, or partner with other planners for larger projects. The key is recognizing that growth requires letting go of the myth that only you can do it "right."

Pro Tip: When building your team, hire for attitude and aptitude, not just experience. The best event team members are resourceful problem-solvers who stay calm under pressure and genuinely enjoy making other people's visions come to life. Skills can be taught; the right temperament cannot.

Crisis Management: The Only Constant Is Chaos

Every event planner has war stories about things going spectacularly wrong. The question isn't whether you'll face emergencies—it's whether you'll be prepared when they inevitably happen.

John's crisis management strategy is refreshingly pragmatic: "Give yourself enough time and resources, including people, to deal with the unexpected." His example perfectly illustrates the principle: you can't manage a last-minute speaker cancellation if you're chained to the registration table.

This is strategic redundancy at its finest. Build buffer time into schedules. Assign backup team members to critical roles. Create contingency plans for your contingency plans. It might feel like overkill during planning, but when the DJ's equipment fails to arrive and the caterer shows up two hours early, you'll be grateful for every extra resource you built into the system.  “Always have a Plan B,” John says.

78% of organizers say in-person conferences, summits, and conventions are their organization's most impactful marketing channel, which means the stakes for flawless execution are incredibly high. Your clients are investing significant budget and staking their reputations on event success. Your job is ensuring that when things go wrong (and they will), attendees never know there was a problem.

Pro Tip: During event planning, identify every critical element and ask yourself: "What's our backup plan if this fails?" Then assign specific team members to monitor each critical area during the event. Distributed vigilance catches problems early, when they're still manageable instead of catastrophic.

The Stories That Make You Legend

Every event planner dreams of creating those "you'll never believe what we pulled off" moments. John has several, but two stand out as particularly ambitious (or crazy, depending on your perspective).

First, there's the 1,100 jack-o'-lantern tower designed to attract people to downtown businesses. Let that number sink in. Eleven hundred carved pumpkins. Stacked. Into a tower. This wasn't just logistics—this was logistics meets art meets community engagement meets "is this structurally sound?"

The solution? Hire a theater set designer to engineer the structure. Partner with 20 downtown businesses to provide volunteer carvers (lunch break pumpkin carving might be the most Pennsylvania thing ever). Create a kid's costume competition. Screen Monsters Inc. during the lighting ceremony with the mayor. Attract crowds and media coverage. Then—and here's the really smart part—let people enjoy the spectacle for two additional nights, maximizing impact from the investment.

This project beautifully illustrates several key principles: creative problem-solving, strategic partnerships, multi-day event extension to maximize ROI, and the willingness to attempt something nobody's done before. It's the kind of project that either becomes your signature success story or your cautionary tale—there's rarely middle ground.

The runner-up in John's "crazy ideas we actually executed" category? An attempted Guinness World Record pie fight with 1,200 cream pies. (The logistics alone make your head spin—pie procurement, fight choreography, massive cleanup plans, and presumably, a LOT of tarps.)

95% of organizers say incorporating experiential learning is important, and 75% say immersive experiences that allow attendees to disconnect are important. Both of John's unconventional events delivered exactly this kind of immersive, disconnected-from-daily-life experience that creates lasting memories and generates word-of-mouth marketing money can't buy.

Pro Tip: When clients bring you unconventional ideas, resist the immediate "that's impossible" response. Instead, ask: "What would it take to make this possible?" Then assemble the right experts (theater designers, engineers, whoever specializes in the specific insanity proposed) to problem-solve collaboratively. The projects that initially sound crazy often become your most memorable successes.

Making Expertise available

These days, John and his team not only produce events, they provide coaching for others looking to create amazing experiences.  He can work with a planner, business or community group for an hour, or every week. “Helping others to craft their plan, or to help implement it, is a way to share our experience with others to achieve goals and create memories.”

Pro Tip: Teambuilding takes on a whole new meaning with current technology.  Reach out to get the professional help you need, no matter where you are.

The Takeaway: Building a Sustainable Event Planning Business

John Hanks' journey from solo planner to resilient agency owner offers a masterclass in event planning business fundamentals:

1. Purpose Over Profit: Events that bring people together for meaningful purposes attract clients who value the same thing—and they're the clients worth having.
2. Crisis as Catalyst: The ability to pivot, adapt, and innovate during challenging times isn't just about survival, it's about demonstrating to clients that you're the steady hand they need when everything else is chaos.
3. Team Building as Growth Strategy: Trying to do everything yourself isn't noble, it's a business limitation. Strategic delegation and team building don't just make work more manageable; they make it more creative, more profitable, and more fun.
4. Under-Promise, Over-Deliver: Managing client expectations starts with truly understanding what they need (not just what they say they want) and leaving room for delightful surprises that exceed expectations.
5. Deep Vendor Relationships: Building connections beyond the sales team creates a network of support that transforms good events into great ones and saves potentially disastrous situations.
6. Loyalty as Differentiator: In a crowded market, unwavering dedication to clients and projects creates competitive advantage that flashy marketing can't match.
7. Strategic AI Adoption: Embrace technology that enhances human creativity and efficiency, but maintain the human touch that makes events memorable.
8. Redundancy as Crisis Prevention: Build enough time, resources, and people into your plans so that when (not if) things go wrong, you have the capacity to handle emergencies without visible panic.
9. Attendee-Centric Design: Every decision should be filtered through the attendee experience lens, starting with those critical first impressions that set the tone for everything that follows.
10. Logistics Before Creativity: The most stunning creative vision falls apart without solid logistical foundations and clear communication systems.
11. Seek Guidance from Experience: Build the right team for your project utilizing technology like Hopskip and non-traditional relationships with experienced planners.

Ready to Transform Your Event Planning Approach?

John's story demonstrates tahat sustainable success in event planning isn't about having the biggest budget, the fanciest technology, or the most Instagram-worthy portfolio. It's about building strong foundations, maintaining unwavering commitment to client success, and being willing to adapt when circumstances demand it.

The event planning industry continues evolving at breakneck speed. 85% of event professionals are optimistic about the industry's prospects in 2026, and opportunities abound for planners who understand that success comes from combining rock-solid logistics with genuine creativity, strategic technology adoption with human connection, and individual talent with team collaboration.

Whether you're planning intimate corporate gatherings or attempting Guinness World Records with 1,200 cream pies, the principles remain the same: understand your clients deeply, build your team strategically, create purposeful attendee experiences, and never stop adapting to industry changes.

Start Planning Better Events with Hopskip

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Get started with Hopskip for free today or book a demo and discover how the right tools can transform your event planning process from overwhelming to organized.

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