Ever wonder who’s behind the curtain making sure the coffee arrives before the keynote speaker… and that 600 chairs somehow appear in the right ballroom overnight?

Hi — I’m the (mostly caffeinated) human behind Life of a Conference Planner. Since 2006, I’ve been orchestrating conferences for nonprofit organizations — everything from 250-person workshops to 8,000-attendee extravaganzas. I’ve survived more site visits than I can count, negotiated with hotels until my phone battery begged for mercy, and learned that “just one small change” in the schedule usually means a three-hour chain reaction.

Over the years, I’ve worn all the hats — logistics wrangler, speaker therapist, vendor whisperer, and occasionally, unofficial crisis manager. I’ve learned that event planning is part strategy, part chaos control, and part pure magic (fueled by equal parts coffee and spreadsheets).

This blog is where I pull back the curtain — sharing the funny, chaotic, and oh-so-relatable moments that come with creating conferences that actually work. Expect real stories, a few cautionary tales, and maybe a sprinkle of wisdom picked up along the way.

Because behind every flawless conference… is a planner silently panicking in the corner — but smiling through it anyway.

– The Anonymous Planner