Julius Solaris

My free weekly newsletter read by 20k event professionals -> insights.Boldpush.com

I am obsessed with media, content, and events. I sold two businesses, a tech company and a media business, worked in fast-paced environments, keynoted worldwide, planned iconic virtual events during the pandemic, and wrote reports downloaded 300k times. 

Longer story:

I founded EventMB (exited to Skift in 2019) and Showthemes, exited in 2018, and worked for technology companies and tech events. 

I have been in senior marketing positions in hypergrowth tech companies. Recently, I founded Boldpush, a management consulting agency for the event industry. 

In 2023, 8 million LinkedIn users read my content and I became a Top Voice, an invite only program for top content creators on LinkedIn.

The government of the United States granted me an EB1 visa as an alien of extraordinary ability for my contribution to the event industry and research on event technology.

Many publications have nominated me as the most influential individual in the event industry for several years.

300,000 event professionals downloaded my books.

Founder

Boldpush is a vertical agency helping eventtech, corporate teams and agencies grow.
Go-to-market, content, registration and sponsorship strategy.  


Last year a potential client came to me and said, we need to change the way we do things.

I asked why.

‘Well, the event is no longer growing.
We need to redesign the whole experience.’

I asked what aspect specifically?

‘We need to redesign the whole event.’

I did not sign up that client.

Why? 

I would have spent the next 3 months convincing them it was a bad idea.

Changing ‘the whole event’ is a strategy I rarely support.

Too much disruption is never good for an event.

Small tweaks
Targeted interventions where NPS went down
Direct addressing of the things that do not work. 

That’s what I like.

This little episode made me think about statements or predictions we accept as dogma. 

Listen, I am guilty as charged. Experience or research changed my mind. 

Before you ask. 
This is all Boldpush+ proprietary research we shared in November.

Here they are. 
State the numbers you support below.

 1. We thought events were about content. They are about connection, research says.
 2. We thought logos on a banner were useless. It’s in the top 5 sponsorship revenue generators.
 3. We thought late registrations were ending after 2022. 86% GenZ registers 4 weeks out.
 4. We thought alcohol worked for everyone. 64% GenZ don’t drink at events.
 5. We thought we could not monetize content. 32% of Dreamforce pipeline is from Salesforce+.
 6. We thought email was dead. It’s the top source of registrations.
 7. We thought sponsors would plan ahead. 44% sign up late.
 8. We thought the industry measured ROI. 13% don’t.
 9. We thought 365 day community was a myth. It’s the second top reg driver.
 10. We thought AI would kill eventtech spend. It’s up 4.5%.
 11. We thought events peaked in 2025. 4.5% more events in 2026.
 12. We thought budgets were going up in 2026. They are not.
 13. We thought GenZ did not want to be sold at. Only 5% avoids booths.




P.S. 37,000 event professionals also require better answers. I clarify things for them in my weekly newsletter.

Find it next to my name. It’s free.

Events Consultant and Creator | Follow me for insights on events, marketing and technology.

140,000 attendees, this is not your usual CES review. It comes with 76 FREE slides.

Last week I attended CES.

I have to be clear, though.

This is not a video of me taking selfies with robots.

It is a strategic deep dive into the ideas that won at the show.

Why does it matter?

Because CES sets the tone for the rest of the year on how companies will show up at events.

Whether you own or exhibit at events, this is a video review you don’t want to miss.

This video is not sponsored. 

It is the result of our work to bring you the most advanced content to make your job easier.

Please do consider sharing it with your colleagues and leaving a comment on LinkedIn.

The FREE SLIDES. 
Here is what you will find inside:

 - Pictures of the most clever booths
 - Breakdown of the key strategies
 - Field marketing trends

Including:
 - IRL to URL
 - Gating
 - Product First
 - Make Freebies Work For You
 - Creators and Influencers strategic use
 - Buy at the Show

How to get it:
If you want a copy, leave a comment.
I must be able to follow you and all the usual good stuff.

Timing:
I’ll keep the deck up for a week, then take it offline on January 21, 2026.

A new MAP of the event technology landscape with AI focus - FREE PDF!

There is a lot happening in eventtech. 

If you are sourcing for tech, this is the document you can’t do without.

A PDF with clickable links to check out what’s new in eventtech and AI today.

The updates from last quarter:

Cvent has carried two major acquisitions. On24 and Goldcast. 

I left them on the maps as is, as it is uncertain whether Cvent will operate them as standalone brands or absorb them under the Cvent umbrella.

Also notable acquisitions for the last quarter was Eventbrite being acquired by Bending Spoons. 

For the AI category, I made a specific call out on LinkedIn to collect as many as possible. I will soon retire AI and move them within vertical categories, as it will become the standard. 

For the time being, it signals AI native companies. The criteria are more relaxed. 

About the Map

This map is the result of my analysis and experience in eventtech. 

It is subjective and purely EDITORIAL.

Some of the criteria for inclusion:

* New product features
* Revenue milestones
* Organic media coverage (no paid placements)
* High-profile client sign-up
* Recent funding rounds
* Country-specific penetration
* Recurring presence in online planner conversations
* Positive online reviews
* Meaningful product launches


If I missed you, send me a message by March 15 2026, with an answer to the above criteria (it doesn’t have to be all of them) and what category fits you best.

Disclosure: 

Inclusion on this map is NOT pay-for-play. 

I have worked and do work with many of the companies listed. However, I have also never talked to many of the companies listed. 

The map is not up for sale or sponsorship for eventtech providers. 

This map does not endorse any of the listed companies, and it is not buyer advice.

If you want a PDF version with clickable links, leave a comment and I’ll share the link. 

If you’ve been listed, repost this post with a comment. 
The repost with the most likes gets a star on the next map.

I took my notes from all the research and client work I did over the past 3 months and added them here.

A quick reference for you.

More context for those who still read words:

 - Not having a data strategy will shut down many events. There is no way in a conversation with multiple stakeholders and teams that you will win with just opinions. 

 - The side events trend is exploding (more on this later this week). Booking entire neighborhoods is the new venue sourcing.

 - Bring podcasts live on stage. I posted about this in December.

 - Segmenting receptions leads to higher NPS

 - Sponsors are booking late. 86% of Gen Z registers 2 weeks out. See T-8 weeks.

 - Some sessions are better to be intimate and with no devices allowed.

 - Imperative to cater to multiple learning and connection styles. I covered all content formats in my newsletter.

 - Your CEO reading a script to open your event is a mood killer, learn from Benioff at Dreamforce, improv.

 - Planners are now building with AI, or building AI. Eventtech beware.

 - Side events are a higher pull than the main event for many attendees. Own them.

 - Send a post-event attendee report including connection, session recaps, and booths visited as Dreamforce does.

 - T-8 weeks is the most important time in your registration timeline.

 - Having an MC that makes sense of main stage moments and directs the experience is key.

 - Move sponsors to coordinate workshops and roundtables. Easier to scale.

 - Hands-on content across the board. Hire experts, not speakers.

 - Gen X, Millennials, and Z together at most business events. Your challenge is to cater to all of them.

 - Registration never closes. Pre-register people. Pre-sell. Do not give up revenue.

 - Connection official, research-backed, number one reason to attend. Change your event accordingly.

The reality is that I lost 75% of you after the first three lines.

For those who stayed.

If you want to go deeper, I invite you to join my newsletter, or Boldpush+, where we go even deeper.

You can find these next to my name at the top.

Congrats, you just landed the top 13 job on LinkedIn, you are in Field Marketing. Now what?

The news: Field marketing representative is the 13th ‘on the rise’ job on LinkedIn. An annual chart of the hottest jobs.

Whether you’re in the field repping or running the show, here’s what should be top of mind:

 - It’s not enough to share opinions like ‘face to face is the future’ to your boss. Build a plan and show data.

 - The ability to get your sales team to act on what you generate will define your success. Obsess over it.

 - Sync Salesforce or Hubspot to your event tech platform, figure out a way to make it happen. NOW.

 - A dinner is worth 3 booths. Hyve just launched a dinner product to help marketers connect with buyers. It’s that hot.

 - If you are giving something away for free, either show up and talk to every person, or you are wasting budget.

 - For your key show, try to show up at multiple touchpoints, across the funnel. If the budget does not allow it, use dinners in conjunction with partners.

 - This is going to be a ‘busy’ year. More than usual. Be ready, take care of yourself. Pre-schedule your holidays. Join Boldpush+ for content and community support.
 
There is more. Much more.

Congrats and keep us posted on how it goes.


P.S. 37K top event people get my newsletter every Wednesday. Join the party.

Find it at the top, next to my name.

I am sorry to say this, but I am done with immersive screen activations.

Let me be clear.

I think there is space to use 360-degree screens to help attendees forget about the sad convention center carpet. But I hate when it turns to a glorified sales presentation.

Here is when it gets messy:

Heavy corporate language
Massive amount of information
Lack of so what

It becomes a fancy PPT.

Here is why I don’t like it as an attendee:

I am here to talk to humans. 
If you use more tech, you have to be super clever.

Also

I feel content overload 9 out of 10.
I don’t want to digest the story behind AI. 
I don’t care.

And

We have seen the Sphere, it takes a lot to impress us just with a screen.

So here is the question.

What is the message?



P.S. On Wednesday, I am dropping my CES review. Unfiltered and unsponsored. 

On my newsletter, we are almost 40K. 

Find it next to my name on top.

Zillow

Executive Producer, Live Content

VentureBeat

Driving success of VentureBeat and GamesBeat events by ensuring alignment with editorial side of business and delivering content-driven events.
●	Managing a $3.5M budget and P&L while controlling expenses, and delivering financial planning, forecasting, and reporting, including executing effective cost-saving strategies.
●	Designing event plans for successful event outcomes to reach 50,000 engaged users in 2023.
●	Supervising complex projects with tight deadlines, limited resources, and cross-functional dependencies, through the implementation of Monday.com project management resource.
●	Spearheading all aspects of event management, including content coordination, speaker outreach, logistics, digital marketing (social media, email, content), finance, managing vendor relationships, systems management, event communications, and reporting.

Event Director

GitLab

Led corporate events program as part of Brand Activation team under Corporate Marketing, overseeing a $12M annual global budget and providing creative vision for internal and external events. 
●	Developed and executed brand awareness and affinity strategies for sponsored events with up to 20,000 attendees and owned events for 2,500 in-person and thousands of virtual attendees.
●	Managed a high-performing team of five direct reports, supporting their event responsibilities, learning and development goals, conflict resolution, and individual growth plans. 
●	Managed all aspects of technical production planning for virtual and hybrid events, including coordinating with vendors, budgeting management, and implementing innovative event features such as live polling, gamification, and Q&A efforts to enhance the attendee experience resulting in a 96% participation rate.
●	Outlined initiatives for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging and Environmental Sustainability which are documented for others to utilize on the public GitLab Handbook.
●	Expertly led vendor contract negotiations for multi-year event tech agreements, collaborating with procurement, legal, and executives for approvals and review. 
●	Demonstrated strong cross-functional team collaboration and project management skills in the planning and execution of event operations and production, event promotion, demand generation, marketing plans, brand communications, sales enablement, speaking engagements, event messaging, product and corporate content strategy, and customer experience.

Director, Corporate Events

Homepoint

Led the company's corporate event programming and aligned stakeholders across the executive team, sales, and marketing functions.
●	Devised and executed a high-impact B2B marketing strategy for a monthly online Live Event series, achieving a 40% attendance rate and generating increased leads for the acquisition funnel.
●	Played a critical role in multiple high-profile campaigns, including company re-branding, IPO announcement and listing, and the launch of a new service offering, using customer storytelling to enhance engagement and drive sales.
●	Revolutionized marketing communications by introducing video email, resulting in a 30% increase in engagement and an impressive 78% open rate.

Director of Events

Particle

Outlined B2B and B2C event strategies for developers and executive audiences, leveraging corporate marketing events and community building to drive business results with an emphasis on innovation and impact. 
●	Owned Particle's signature event, Spectra, implementing a comprehensive plan that was set to surpass the previous year's performance and successfully relocated the event to a new city.
●	Revamped sales event strategy by shifting from a sponsored booth approach to a targeted Account-Based Marketing (ABM) approach at conferences, resulting in increased ROI and better customer engagement.

Senior Event Marketing Manager

Capsilon

Managed B2B event digital marketing, industry, and internal event programming after being recruited by the SVP of Marketing. 
●	Developed comprehensive event plans and contributed to the company's marketing strategies, including direct mail and surprise & delight deliveries, which resulted in increased pipeline for field sales teams. 
●	Successfully outlined the strategic direction of the Customer Executive Advisory Board, which directly contributed $15M to the pipeline and closed $6M in deals.
●	Reduced the event budget by 55% while maintaining pipeline opportunities, providing off-site space for key prospects and customer decision-makers to meet with sales and executives one-on-one. 
●	Implemented an innovative video email campaign that significantly increased email engagement by 30% and achieved an 88% open rate.

Senior Manager of Event Marketing – Budget Management, Event Logistics, Marketing Strategy

Reinventing Events

Led a high-performing event planning company, overseeing the production of 50+ B2B conferences and experiential events across multiple countries with up to 7,000 attendees, and managing 10 remote staff and numerous contractors. 
●	Developed and implemented streamlined event production processes and templates to manage logistics, reducing lead times, and increasing scalability using project management tools like Asana and Airtable. 
●	Designed engaging event experiences to meet stakeholders' goals while managing budgets of nearly $2M. 
●	Sourced and procured vendors and services, negotiating contracts, and managing invoicing and payments for catering, A/V, registration, furniture rentals, and shipping.
●	Achieved a 270% increase in conference revenue for a client, up to $192K, by reworking event strategy, sponsorship benefits, and pricing tiers.
●	Prioritized attendee experience from initial marketing campaigns through online registration, on-site check-in, and post-event follow-up.

Director of Event Production & CEO – Event Design & Planning, Customer Service, Vendor Relations

Board of Directors for INFORUM at The Commonwealth Club of California

INFORUM is the fastest growing division of The Commonwealth Club, as well as one of the largest professional groups for people in their 20′s and 30′s in the Bay Area.

INFORUM produces events across numerous verticals including business, culture, environment, food, politics, media, tech and science, so there’s something for everyone! Recent speakers include Spike Lee, Reid Hoffman, Jaime Oliver, Gavin Newsom, and Michael Minna. Recent topics that have been covered include Doing Business in China, Soldiers Back from Iraq, Urban Singles, Hot Young Chefs, Online Personas, The State of the Arts in San Francisco, and Middle East History 101.

Program Co-Chair

Mashable

Developed and implemented Mashable's event strategy and marketing plan, managing a team of four full-time remote employees.
●  Successfully revitalized the largest Mashable Awards event at CES, in collaboration with Cirque du Soleil, and achieving over 1,200 attendees and tens of thousands of views through a live stream.
●  Generated over 14,000 registrants for SXSW events and designed activations that made Mashable the go-to brand for attendees.
●  Identified and developed targeted opportunities for sponsors at SXSW Mashable House events, collaborating with sponsors to understand their goals and create benefits that achieved ROI success.
●  Curated a first-ever multi-day conference with a strategic mix of known influencers and up-and-comers, resulting in an event attended by 300 participants. 
●  Produced Social Good Summit in partnership with UN Foundation and 92Y.

Director of Events – Conference Strategy, Multi-Day Meetings, Sponsorships,  Event Production

Porter Novelli

Joined the newly created Digital Strategy & Social Media team to build event and sponsorship activations.
●	Oversaw strategic and creative development of sponsorship opportunities for key clients including Laughing Cow, Pepsi, and Monster.com.
●	Produced TechSet’s annual SXSW networking event for tech influencers with over 4,000 people registered.

Manager, Social Media Events & Sponsorships - Brand Engagement, Sponsor Activation, Event Management

CORPORATE MARKETING EVENT STRATEGIST combining extensive experience as an in-house event planner and as the owner of a successful event planning agency to execute corporate events that attendees remember – and produce significant ROI. 
-- 
In my first event planning job, I was tasked with being the housing manager and registrar for a conference targeted to 1,000 college students. From that very first conference, I fell in love with event planning and as they say, the rest is history.

Now, with 18+ years’ experience as a corporate event planner and having organized hundreds of events, I’ve learned that I not only love to execute events flawlessly but also enjoy creating a company’s entire event strategy.

Here are a few other ways I contribute to the success of my events, team, and company: 
✔ VISION + EXECUTION: I learned early on that I have the unique ability to combine the 30,000-foot event vision with the on-the-ground execution.

✔ BUDGET MANAGEMENT: I treat each budget as if it were my own – I make sure I’m getting the most bang for my company’s buck – and I’m proud to have built a solid reputation for coming in under budget.

✔ EVENT PRODUCTION: Having launched a successful corporate event production company, I’ve developed systems and processes that enable my team to take large-scale events from ideation to full execution.

I work tirelessly with key stakeholders to ensure all of my events, whether for high-profile client executives or for internal employees, are designed to make sure attendees leave satisfied.

taplio

The Battle

Julius Solaris

Karen Hartline, CMP

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The Battle

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Karen Hartline, CMP

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Engagements

Likes

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