When our team at MurphyEpson partnered with The Beta District to bring Ohio’s Future of Mobility Conference to life, we knew it would be big. But we didn’t quite realize how big until we were in the thick of coordinating: three days, 50+ speakers, 90+ organizations, two tours and hundreds of attendees from across the country and all over the world.
This wasn’t just a conference. It was a flagship moment for The Beta District and the communities that power it; a chance to showcase Ohio’s role in shaping the future of mobility, infrastructure, innovation and talent.
Planning something of this scale taught me a lot; about collaboration, communication and the very, very fine line between vision and logistics.
Here’s what I’m taking with me:
1) Vision Only Works When You Can Translate It
You can have the boldest vision in the world, but unless you can turn it into timelines, talking points and a well-paced agenda with a team hustling around communicating through tiny earpiece microphones, it’s just a good idea in a Google Doc. Our goal was to make this more than a conference. It needed to be immersive, catalytic and full of real connection. That meant turning big goals into tangible moments people would actually experience and enjoy. We wanted people to leave feeling like their cup was so full and they were so engaged, they hadn’t even checked their emails in an hour or two.
2) You Need Both Builders and Amplifiers
Planning this wasn’t a one-person job. Our team worked in lockstep with Doug McCollough, the executive director of The Beta District, every step of the way. From the big-picture vision to the nitty-gritty details, we were aligned on delivering something meaningful. Some of us were deep in logistics: juggling speaker coordination, managing partner relationships, tours and making sure not a single dot was left aimless. Others were busy making beautiful creative and signage, and some were peppering social media with exciting announcements and updates about the event. During the conference, we snapped beautiful photos, wrangled tech/food and watched while Doug brilliantly guided us as the emcee through our run of show each day. We even coordinated with two television stations that were on-site to cover the conference and later share with their affiliates. Two! That’s what made this work: a shared purpose and a crew that showed up and delivered. I was (and still am) so proud.
3) Flexibility Is A Skill
No matter how detailed the run of show is, there will be curveballs. A scheduled speaker who is suddenly unable to make it. The potential of a rain-soaked tour. A panelist who gets stuck in traffic. You learn to build in breathing room and have a back-up plan (or come up with one really, really quickly in the moment).
4) People Remember How They Felt
Yes, content matters. But so does tone, energy and hospitality. From the signage to the playlist to the check-in table, it all shapes how people feel in the space. And that’s what lingers. The goal wasn’t just to inform. It was to create momentum, build relationships and offer people a glimpse of what’s possible when we work together. And have fun! Our team was a big part of shaping that experience.That’s just so rewarding.
5) You Can Be Busy and Still Enjoy It
Somewhere in the middle of all the chaos, when emails were flying, panelists were being prepped and we were finalizing run-of-show documents at 11 p.m., I remembered a story my father-in-law once told me. Years ago, during a particularly hectic time at work, he was visibly stressed when one of his bosses looked at him and said, “Why don’t you just enjoy it?” At the time, it felt a little condescending. But the message stuck, and over time, he started to approach the busiest moments differently – with a little more presence, and maybe even some appreciation.
That story stuck with me, too. And in the middle of the whirlwind, I consciously chose to pause. To look around at what we had pulled together. To take in the energy of the space. To notice the conversations happening that wouldn’t have happened otherwise. It was a lot, but it was also worth a lot. And yeah, I enjoyed it.
