curator in chief
gatheringpoint.com
David Adler is a media entrepreneur, event industry visionary and cultural strategist who has spent his career exploring the power of gatherings to shape human connection, commerce and society. He is the founder and former CEO of BizBash, which he launched in 2000.
David’s publishing career began in 1975 with the launch of Washington Dossier. After serving in corporate communications roles at Macmillan and PRIMEDIA, he returned to entrepreneurship and became a leading voice in the events industry, championing innovation, strategic convening and the professionals behind memorable experiences.
In 2025, David launched GatheringPoint.news, a cultural reporting platform focused on decoding the event world and elevating its influence.
He is also the author of Harnessing Serendipity, a manifesto for collaboration and creative leadership that reframes event organizers as architects of possibility.
Based in Washington, D.C., David continues to influence the future of events through editorial leadership, platform building and a belief that gatherings can create meaningful impact.
Date

Getting creators to attend is only the beginning. Explore how events, hospitality brands and destinations can build creator strategies that deliver measurable results.
Discover how to identify the right partners, create offers that benefit everyone and turn authentic storytelling into attendance, destination interest and business outcomes. Explore tools for finding and managing creators, tracking content performance and connecting results to bookings and revenue.
Learn how to measure conversions, bookings, audience growth and ROI, rather than relying only on likes and impressions. Take away a practical plan for adding a creator strategy to your next event or destination campaign.
Learning outcomes:
Identify creator partners who align with your objectives
Build a practical creator content plan
Measure the business impact of creator partnerships

Ever wish you could bottle joy? While we’re not quite there yet, we have found ways to measure it and use those insights to create more meaningful, memorable experiences.
Explore “Joyosity,” why it matters and how it can support both your attendees and your team. Hear real-world stories from entrepreneurs working to measure joy and footfall as indicators of engagement, and learn how data can help shape better event outcomes.
Discover how ethical facial expression and location analysis can turn attendee behavior into real-time insights, supporting deeper audience understanding, more informed decision-making and stronger customer success.
Learning outcomes:
Hear from pioneers exploring joy and how to measure it
Discover how new technologies can help analyze joy in participants
Recognize how measuring and improving joy levels can support your event goals and retention
This session is approved for the following certifications.
* ICCA Skills Domain CICS/CICE: 0.75