In the Unlikely Event

What happens when the giant truck carrying the very thing that makes your event famous—the color powder—sinks into the mud just 30 minutes before 7,000 runners cross the start line?   In this episode, host Rick Kiley sits down with John Connors , founder of Peak End Creative and a founding member of the team that launched The Color Run . They travel back to 2012, to the second-ever Color Run in Au...

What do you do when your "Super Bowl" event for 1,000 guests suddenly balloons to 2,700 RSVPs just two weeks before showtime—and then a global tech outage hits? In this live-recorded episode from the TruNorth Presents: The Business of Experiential event in New York City, host Rick Kiley sits down with Marie Christofferson (Experiential Marketing Lead, Campari Group) and Jeannie Veneri (SVP of Clie...

What happens when your entire national marketing campaign is built around an international icon who suddenly and tragically passes away mid-tour?   In this episode, host Rick Kiley and co-host Jeff Boedges travel back to the 1990s with guest Paul Robinson , a veteran brand activation leader. They recount a high-stakes promotional tour for the network Romance Classics (now WE tv) that involved tour...

What happens when your $400,000 luxury vehicle reveal is suddenly upstaged by a $70 million private jet—and a looming tornado?   In the kickoff to Season 2, host Rick Kiley is joined by  Heather Salkin (Co-Founder & CEO of Artists and Robots) and Executive Producer Theresa Loguercio to recount a high-stakes launch for Ferrari . The mission: transform a raw, industrial airport hangar in Dallas into...

Season 1 proved one thing: the best stories don't come from perfect plans. As we head into Season 2 of In the Unlikely Event, we're looking for event organizers, producers, and creative leaders willing to talk honestly about the moments that tested them and what they learned along the way. If you've got a story, we're listening. 🎧 Explore Season 1 and connect with us at sohoexp.com/podcast

What happens when a multi-year, record-breaking mission to the edge of space is threatened by a mysterious, untraceable signal just hours before launch?   In this episode, host Rick Kiley and co-host Jeff Boedges are joined by event producer Ben Nelson (Director of Ground Operations for Stratos) to discuss the years of work that went into Red Bull Stratos . This was the mission where Felix Baumgar...

What happens when two powerhouse female producers are tasked with creating an authentic men's experience at a festival historically dedicated to women?   In this episode of In The Unlikely Event , host Rick Kiley is joined by award-winning experiential producer Carmen Jones and brand architect Dawn Marie Gray to discuss the challenge of launching a bold new initiative at the Essence Festival of Cu...

What happens when a sudden, freezing cold snap threatens to derail a massive, high-profile art fair just hours before opening? In this episode of In The Unlikely Event , host Rick Kiley sits down with highly accomplished event producer Glenn Charles, President and CEO of Show Strategy, to discuss the chaos behind producing the world-renowned Armory Show at Pier 92/94 in New York City. To elevate t...

What happens when you have to pull off a massive, world-class Olympic marketing campaign that started far too late and was then hit by an external crisis? In this episode of In The Unlikely Event , host Rick Kiley sits down with two exceptional event creators, John Millward (Chief Creative Officer, SoHo Experiential) and Jeffrey Berke (veteran of large-scale events), to relive a high-stakes projec...

What happens when the President of France cancels your event just one week before showtime? In the premiere episode of In The Unlikely Event, host Rick Kiley (Co-Founder of SoHo Experiential) is joined by his partner Jeff Boedges and former clients Emma Medina and Sarah DeCoste to recount one of the most chaotic and memorable crises in their 20-year history. The team was set to host a high-profile...

In The Unlikely Event is the podcast that dives into real stories of crisis, creativity, and comebacks from the world of experiential and event marketing . Hosted by Rick Kiley , Co-Founder of SoHo Experiential , each episode features industry pros sharing how they turned event disasters into brand-building wins. From live event production to brand activations and experiential storytelling , disco...