Meetings Innovator: Anh Nguyen

Anh Nguyen is the founder of Spark Event Management, a full-service event management firm. She is also the founder of the Spark Event Collective, a network of independent planners collaborating to deliver event experiences. Her experience with entrepreneurship’s thrills and frustrations is key to her enthusiasm for helping independent planners achieve their career objectives.

Nguyen has over 20 years of experience in event marketing, event design, production, and management. She has managed a range of events, including intimate corporate functions, field marketing events, awards and fundraising galas, large conferences, virtual events, tradeshows, and international hospitality events.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Anh successfully led 50 leading event professionals to coordinate the Global Meetings Industry Day (GMID) Goes Virtual initiative, which gathered event professionals in an attempt to set the record for the largest-ever virtual event.

Nguyen has served on the board of directors for leading chapters of industry associations, including Meeting Professionals International (MPI) and the Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA).

Meetings Innovators is a new series dedicated to shining a spotlight on the trailblazers who are defining the future of the meetings industry. Each month, we feature visionary professionals who are breaking the mold with innovative strategies, fresh perspectives, and bold ideas. Beyond planning events, these pioneers are crafting experiences that resonate, inspire, and lead the way forward. Join us as we celebrate the creative minds taking the future into their own hands and shaping what’s next in the world of meetings.

Meetings Innovators is sponsored by Stova.

What does innovation mean to you?

Innovation can be a bit of a buzzword.

For me, innovation isn’t just about developing technology or new inventions. It’s about spotting a gap or opportunity in how we’re doing something and being motivated to find a solution.

It happens when you take the opportunity to challenge the status quo and push yourself and others to think differently, experiment, try (and sometimes fail), but in the end, work towards finding a better way to do things. It’s all about incremental improvement, even if it’s in just a tiny way.

Do you see yourself as an innovator? Was there a moment in time when you felt you became an innovator?

I’m the type of person who isn’t afraid to question why we do things a certain way. When I spot an opportunity to improve or get frustrated with how something works, I don’t just complain. I complain a little, but then I focus on bringing people together to brainstorm, experiment, and try new approaches to fix it.

I’ve been lucky to collaborate with some amazing people on projects that aimed to offer fresh solutions to old problems. Some were huge wins (#GMIDGoesVirtual, #EventProfsBreakShit), while others completely flopped. But for me, it’s not about one big moment. It’s the ongoing process of experimenting and trying new things that keeps me in an innovative mindset.

Does your past experience with technology help you be an innovator?

Absolutely! Building technology is all about an iterative mindset. You release it, find bugs, get feedback, and improve with each update. Experimenting and being okay with failure are key to innovation—it’s a constant cycle of learning and evolving.

This can be tough for event planners. Tough since we tend to be perfectionists who want everything to be just right. However, learning from the tech industry and adopting a more agile, iterative approach has helped me get more comfortable with experimentation and even embrace failure along the way.

What areas of the meetings industry are most in need of innovation?

Our industry is brimming with people driving incredible innovations in areas like technology, sustainability, and attendee engagement. 

One area I reflect on often is our industry association model.

Many associations have broad initiatives and messaging, making it challenging to communicate value clearly. This has opened the door for many grassroots communities to emerge and thrive. I think we are seeing growth in these groups because these large associations may not be offering planners what they need.

The way we learn, connect, and collaborate has evolved significantly since the pandemic, and there’s an exciting opportunity for associations to adapt and meet these changing needs.

Which organizations do you see genuinely innovating?

I find so much inspiration in industry events that are pushing the boundaries of content delivery, event formats, and technology. Events like Money20/20 stand out because they’re so transparent about their creative process. They share not just their successes but also what didn’t work and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.

To me, true innovation is about experimentation, learning, and embracing failure. The events that openly share their journey are the ones that truly embody what it means to be innovative.

What did the innovation journey of creating Spark Event Management and Collective look like?

I didn’t set out to be an innovator—my journey was born out of survival.

Balancing my new role as a mother with running my business made it clear that our industry’s approach to workload, support systems, and work-life balance is deeply flawed. Hustle culture and the “hero complex” where you have to do it all on your own often prioritize work above health, family, and personal well-being, and I needed to change that for myself.

I set out to find support for myself and it led me to start building a community of senior planners—one that offers built-in support while allowing individuals to remain autonomous and independent.

It’s been an exciting journey filled with experimentation, learning from failures, and evolving. I’m proud of what we’re creating and can’t wait to see where it goes next.

Are there other parts of your professional journey that you see as innovative?

I’m incredibly fortunate to have the support of industry peers and friends who have embraced new ideas with me throughout my career.

One of the most rewarding projects I’ve worked on is #EventProfsBreakShit—an initiative designed to help event planners and technology companies connect and learn from each other in non-traditional ways (down with the demo!). It was amazing to see this concept gain momentum during the pandemic, and it continues to thrive.

To this day, we still ideate and hold regular brainstorming sessions, constantly exploring new ways to bridge the gap between event planners and tech, pushing boundaries, and driving meaningful collaboration.

How has focusing on innovation changed how you think about meetings and events?

I’ve become much more open to experimentation—both in my business and in designing events.

I love working with clients who are willing to challenge their own status quo and embrace new ideas. It’s exciting to collaborate with people who see the value in trying something different, even if it means stepping into the unknown.

Focusing on innovation has made me more comfortable navigating uncertainty. Earlier in my career, I might have been hesitant to plan events where the path from point A to point B wasn’t perfectly clear. Now, I see those moments as opportunities to discover something truly unique and impactful.

What part of your professional journey are you most proud of? 

What we’re building at Spark Event Collective fills me with pride.

Our team and community have grown to include 20+ senior, independent planners who approach projects in a way that aligns with their lives. They have the flexibility to take on as much or as little work as they choose, with the reassurance of a skilled, supportive community ready to step in whenever needed. No one has to do it alone, and no one has to sacrifice their life for work.

The caliber of planners we’ve attracted is truly inspiring. I’m so proud to collaborate with such a talented and dynamic community.

Are there specific people who inspired me to become a meeting innovator?

There are three incredible people in the industry I’m lucky to collaborate with: Shawn Cheng, Sina Bünte, and Miguel Neves. Together, we’ve brainstormed ideas (some good ones, some not!), shared perspectives on industry challenges, and helped each other uncover blind spots.

They’re not just inspiring event professionals but also amazing friends. Whenever one of us sees an opportunity for change, we’re quick to connect and explore it together. Sometimes, we spark an exciting new idea we want to try and execute.Other times, we share a good laugh. Either way, the group chat is always inspiring and hilarious!

What would you like your legacy to be?

I don’t overthink the idea of legacy—if you set out to create one, you might end up disappointed.

For me, it’s about focusing on small, incremental changes that make a difference within my circle of influence. I love working hard on meaningful projects with great people, and that’s what keeps me motivated every day. That simple combination of purpose and collaboration is enough for me.

What’s your advice for aspiring innovators?

“Just buy the domain.”

That’s my mantra whenever I have an idea, whether it’s fully formed or not. It’s my way of saying, “Just get started.” Taking a small first step is often all it takes to put an idea into motion.

It’s easy to get stuck in analysis, waiting for the perfect timing or for everything to align. But sometimes, you just need to take that leap. Maybe the domain sits dormant for a while, or maybe it becomes the foundation of something incredible. Either way that simple action can be the spark—no pun intended—that gets you moving.