In the Unlikely Event

Rick Kiley

5.0 (2)
Marketing
Updated Weekly

In the Unlikely Event is a vibrant video podcast spotlighting the untold stories of crisis, chaos, and creativity in experiential marketing. Each episode is a candid conversation with industry pros who've faced major event challenges—and lived to tell the tale. We explore the heart-pounding details of what went wrong, how it was fixed, and what keeps event people coming back for more.

May 27

Noche Neon: The 2,700-Guest Gamble

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 Client Services, SoHo Experiential) to recount the chaotic production of Noche Neon. This massive event celebrated the 25th anniversary of Espolón Tequila during the legendary Tales of the Cocktail festival in New Orleans. The team faced a "comedy of errors" that would break most producers: a 3x surge in attendance, the infamous 2024 CrowdStrike travel outage that stranded key staff, a DJ testing positive for COVID on event morning, and a centerpiece neon backdrop that arrived in plain black and white. Hear the incredible story of how the crew "acted like ducks"—calm on the surface while paddling furiously underneath—to solve every crisis, from hand-coloring a massive scenic wall with Sharpies to turning a production assistant into the night's headlining DJ.

32 min
Apr 21

The Princess Diana Mall Tour Crisis

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 touring three of Princess Diana's original dresses—purchased at auction for $700,000—across major U.S. malls. The campaign, boldly titled "Dressed to Di For," was a massive success until the unthinkable happened: the tragic death of Princess Diana in Paris. Paul and Jeff relive the heart-pounding Saturday night of Labor Day weekend when they had to act without client approval, scrubbing "exploitative" branding, securing priceless assets, and literally peeling wraps off promotional trucks in mall parking lots before the sun came up. It's a masterclass in gut-instinct decision-making and protecting a brand during a global tragedy. Links: Website: https://www.sohoexp.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnlikelyEvent Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dqPOmSUXp2cyUVJc7LnrY?si=4b8a9f3a203f4cc0

43 min
Mar 25

The Millionaire Hangar Crisis

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 a world-class luxury experience for the reveal of the Ferrari Portofino. Everything was on track—complete with a "scent sommelier" and immersive projections—until the weather turned. With a tornado and hail threatening North Texas, the hangar's primary residents (multi-million dollar private jets) had to be moved back inside for protection, right into the middle of the meticulously built event space. Hear the heart-pounding story of how the team managed a last-minute structural redesign, moved massive trussing and walls, and navigated the ultimate "space sharing" conflict just 24 hours before the curtain rose. Links: Website: https://www.sohoexp.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@UnlikelyEvent Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0dqPOmSUXp2cyUVJc7LnrY?si=4b8a9f3a203f4cc0

43 min
Jan 23

In the Unlikely Event Season 1 Recap

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

2 min
12/16/2025

Pushing the Edge of Possible: Producing Red Bull Stratos

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 Baumgartner ascended to 128,000 feet and jumped from the stratosphere, breaking the speed of sound. Ben recounts the immense scale of the operation in Roswell, New Mexico, and the final, heart-stopping crisis: a mysterious communication interference that nearly shut down the entire, multi-million dollar endeavor. Hear the incredible story of the team that built a temporary mission control in the desert and the final-hour scramble to save a stunt that pushed the limits of human courage and event production. Links: Website: https://www.sohoexp.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTyqEy1cd8I Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0HQ2CmoStTwRMNyLtuq9ue?si=BLNrAgx3R5KnuMs_vCDqYA Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pushing-the-edge-of-possible-producing-red-bull-stratos/id1852356725?i=1000741576997

44 min
12/09/2025

Essence

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 Culture in New Orleans. The festival, a massive cultural event focused on Black women, decided to launch a men's experience in 2022 to expand its audience. The twist? The two creative strategists brought in to conceive and execute the vision were women. This fact alone created a major internal challenge when a "council of men" demanded a "direct men's perspective," threatening to halt the project. Hear how Carmen and Dawn Marie navigated the skepticism and pushed forward with their intentional vision, centered on the "five E's" (Enlighten, Enrich, Empower, Elevate, Embrace), to create an authentic and successful space for Black men at the festival. Links: Website: https://www.sohoexp.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH8dSxRYqek Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0rBQm8DoTAhYEDBDJBaCDP?si=wdrIWGciTNCVjg7r3bZDeA Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/essence/id1852356725?i=1000740488803

46 min
12/02/2025

The Armory Show

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 the attendee experience, the team planned to build a massive new tent structure for registration and a restaurant. However, a sudden, severe drop in temperature made it impossible to install the new vinyl tops. Glenn recounts the heart-stopping 5 a.m. moment he had to make the impossible call: tear down the 65% built structure and revert to Plan B. Hear the story of the high-stakes decision that saved the event from embarrassment and proved that a successful event sometimes means knowing when to walk away from a bad plan. This is a masterclass in crisis management where the audience never even knew a disaster was averted. Links: Website: https://www.sohoexp.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fbflz_iADxI Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/48OXzPOXNiHZ5KF29WWnLF?si=UBiQ-U1XSnSjNTTP_WP6PQ Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-armory-show/id1852356725?i=1000739387441

36 min
11/18/2025

Trial by Olympic Fire

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 project from nearly 25 years ago. The challenge was an Olympic-sized activation that demanded world-class execution under impossible conditions. John and Jeffrey, who met for the first time in the middle of the chaos, had to navigate a project that was already behind schedule and then faced a turning point that threatened to derail the entire effort. This is the story of how they turned a potential disaster into a masterclass in problem-solving. Hear the untold details of the chaos and the ingenuity that saved the day, proving that even under the most intense, global pressure, creativity and grit can carry the torch to the finish line. Links: Website: https://www.sohoexp.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edGz3wgvQ34 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0rNCD9YzVFDl3IrYTmEQYi?si=un8hzndkTNKYJtKqhk3yug Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trial-by-olympic-fire/id1852356725?i=1000737318850

39 min
11/11/2025

The President of France

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 cognac tasting program, The Heart of Cognac Experience, at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C. The contract contained a unique, seemingly impossible clause: the embassy could cancel if the President of France needed the space. Hear the heart-pounding, minute-by-minute story of how the team scrambled to find a new venue, manage a full-scale event cancellation and reschedule, and pull off the impossible—this is the ultimate story of crisis, creativity, and a comeback that proves why event professionals keep coming back for more. Links: Links: Website: https://www.sohoexp.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EdeBLktHNc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3HlBRyShELqXPHs2u6vmyL?si=SZX1Y4dFSpGdncfW641_zg Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-president-of-france/id1852356725?i=1000736335136

37 min
Season 1, Episode 1 Trailer

In The Unlikely Event: Trailer

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, discover how the best in business show that the most memorable experiences often start in the most unlikely ways.

1 min

Trailer

In The Unlikely Event: Trailer

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, discover how the best in business show that the most memorable experiences often start in the most unlikely ways.

S1, E1

•

1 min

5

out of 5

2 Ratings

In the Unlikely Event is a vibrant video podcast spotlighting the untold stories of crisis, chaos, and creativity in experiential marketing. Each episode is a candid conversation with industry pros who've faced major event challenges—and lived to tell the tale. We explore the heart-pounding details of what went wrong, how it was fixed, and what keeps event people coming back for more.

Creator

Rick Kiley
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

10
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© 2025
Show Website

In the Unlikely Event