The Subtle Art of Getting the C-Suite to Your Event

Event planner Gianna Gaudini faced a vexxing challenge during what she called the  “Super Bowl of tech events,” AWS Re:Invent: How do you grab the attention of C-level executives at an event with 60,000 attendees and 500 events happening simultaneously?

Her solution? A poker tournament. “Sometimes, the best business conversations happen when you're betting on a pair of jacks,” said the author of The Art of Event Planning.

“There's a reason why tech executives are obsessed with poker,” Gaudini said. “It's not just a game; it's a masterclass in decision-making under uncertainty, reading people, managing risk, and knowing when to go all-in. Poker mirrors the executive experience itself: incomplete information, calculated bets, and the ability to maintain composure when the stakes are high.”

They also upped the ante on the prize: two US Open tickets, including VIP hospitality (valued at $3,000). “As one attendee shared with me during the cocktail hour, ‘That's what got my attention,’” she said. 

An Art Form

It’s a kind of art form to entice C-level attendees to overlook the dozens of cocktail party and dinner invitations, tickets to concerts and shows, and networking events flooding their inboxes to attend your event.  

For Hannah DeMaio, vice president of Women Leading Travel, A Skift Brand, it all starts with trust, from the moment the invite is sent. “Personal outreach is essential. Word of mouth and network quality matter just as much as the agenda,” she said.

“C-level leaders want to be in rooms with peers they can learn from and build relationships with. They often ask, ‘Who else is going?’ before they ask, ‘What’s the topic?’”

Ultimately, it’s a balance of both, but the “who” often comes first. “When executives trust the caliber of people in the room, they’re far more likely to make time for the event.”

Insights from C2

“There’s a misconception that C-suites are drawn to extravagance. They’re not,” said Anick Beaulieu, CEO of C2. “They’re drawn to intentional design, curated cohorts, and experiences that generate real momentum.”

Beaulieu points to the pillars of what she calls Generative Experiences (GenXP) — relevance, curation, and consequence — as the key to earning C-suite time.

“Executives show up because they know the room will sharpen their thinking,” she said. “When we designed a private community experience for a leading fintech company, the draw wasn’t production value — it was the promise of peer-level dialogue with other decision-makers wrestling with similar challenges. That intentional segmentation turned the gathering into a must-attend moment in their industry.”

For another event for a major software company, they designed what she called “immersive micro-environments.” These enabled leaders to have distraction-free, high-value conversations — the kind that accelerate deals and shift priorities.

“The experience was architected so the momentum didn’t stop when people left the room; it carried directly into pipeline and long-term engagement.”

5 More Attention-Grabbing Tips

1. Keep It Clubby

Think s​mall, private, exclusive. Quality over quantity. Those are the types of events C-level execs seek out — gatherings with their peers, rather than crowded, high-energy environments. 

2. Have Other C-level Execs Do the Inviting

Consider having the invitation come from a peer, whether that's your company president or someone from your planning committee.  

3. Invite Them to Co-create the Event 

Include some C-level executives on your planning committee so you can get their feedback on things like speakers, entertainment, and potential charities. Involving them will give them a sense of ownership and make them more invested in the event’s success.

4. Provide Exclusive Access

A behind-the-scenes tour of a Broadway show or a musical concert, with a chance to meet the performers to ask questions and take photos, will grab their attention. Or offer VIPs an “all access” tour of a stadium or other sporting venue. For an added wow factor, hire an ex-player to give the tour and share his or her own personal stories. If it's appropriate, consider inviting their families as well.

5. Include Intentional Windows for Networking

Whether the event is a concert, a football game, or a poker tournament, build in breaks for the attendees to have a chance to mingle. Afterwards, plan cocktails and cigars around a rooftop firepit to close out the evening for those who aren’t ready to call it a night.