Freeman Publishes New Live Events Playbook

January 28, 2025

Freeman’s Bob Priest-Heck and Carrie Freeman Parsons have published a new live events playbook that details how to create a successful event.

Inside Live Events: Your Playbook for Mastering the Experience, a new book by Bob Priest-Heck and Carrie Freeman Parsons, is, as the authors say in the foreward, “for anyone who is curious about how concepts become real events that provoke positive action.” The emphasis throughout the 435-page book is on providing practical, actionable insights and strategies that everyone, from industry veterans to newbies, can use to create meaningful, effective events.

Bob Priest-Heck, the first non-family member to be CEO of events giant Freeman, and Carrie Freeman Parsons, who has worked in about every division of the company and is now Chair of the Board with Freeman, drew on their, and the company’s, long history of experience in meeting and event planning to put together this guide, which is designed to be easy to read, absorb and put into practice.

“Inside Live Events captures the expertise and insights of industry leaders,” says Freeman Parsons. “For event pros, it has checklists and tips that help promote continuous improvement. But it’s also designed to help those new to the industry find a unique career path. It’s like a Masterclass on how to make a meaningful impact through live events. Our goal is to demystify what we do, celebrate the adventure of live events, and help those new to the industry feel more confident.”

The book is divided into four sections:

Getting started, which covers how to build a multidisciplinary team and ensure everyone is on board with the strategic plan, build a strategy brief that details each step along with success metrics, and implement a project-tracking system.
Designing the plan, which covers everything from building a budget and a production schedule to finalizing a timeline.
Building the plan, which gets into the nitty gritty, such as creating signage and exhibits, finalizing content and everything else that happens between load in and load out.
Reviewing and improving, which covers how to debrief in a way that celebrates and wins while also acknowledging what needs to improve and lessons learned so the next event can benefit from the insights gained.

The book focuses more on the design and execution of events after the decision to organize the event has been made, not what the authors call the foundational work of determining the event’s concept, purpose and dates.

Each section starts with a quick summary of action items, and each chapter of each section includes short to-do lists and bulleted guides, along with pro tips gleaned from experts and firsthand stories from those in the field that showcase both the excitement and the work involved in producing successful in-person events.

It also contains an extensive glossary of frequently used terms — as well as advice to not use some of that insider terminology when communicating with attendees. “When we invite people into our circus tent, they come to see the trapeze artists, not the rigging,” they say when explaining why event professionals should use attendee-centric terminology.

“As an industry veteran, I’ve witnessed the evolution of events and the incredible ways it continues to shape connections, trust, and collaboration,” says Priest-Heck, who is now a Freeman Board Member. “I hope this book will help more people embrace and amplify the power of events to create positive change.”

You can purchase a copy of Inside Live Events at most major booksellers, including Amazon. Learn more here.