Don’t you love those days when you get to break out of the ordinary? Whether it’s a morning meetup with a client at a new coffee place or attending a wine down networking event after hours, shaking up the daily routine can really stir creativity.

Earlier this week, I was in Orlando attending The Special Event. It is a multi-day conference geared toward event professionals and is centered around over 100 educational sessions, a large trade show, showcasing events and, of course, networking.

This was my first time attending the conference and my expectations were high since it catered to such a creative crowd. I expected to be wowed… and I was not disappointed. My primary purpose for going to the conference was for the educational component. While some sessions were more engaging than others, I found that I was able to extract practical takeaways from each session I attended.

Educational session topics ranged from social media and digital marketing to risk management and technology. Peppered throughout were inspiring sessions about trends, design and branding led by the Who’s Who in our industry.

ECE managing partner, Rick Stowe, was part of a panel discussing Buying Talent With Expertise… Learn How to Identify the Right Talent and Speaker From The Experts. Moderated by the renowned Andrea Michaels, president of Extraordinary Events, panelists gave insight on how to find appropriate talent for the client, how to navigate the national talent buying process, the benefits of booking talent through a reputable agency, and more.

While, yes, I was there for the education, it was impossible to not have fun, get inspired and meet some incredibly talented special event professionals. Check out my favorite highlights from the opening session and trade show.