From Vineyard to Virtual: Lessons from the Purple Cork VIP Roundtable on Connection-Driven Events
Attendees at Purple Cork VIP Roundtable
When fifty event leaders log on to a Thursday-night “Happy Hour” and the first thing they hear is “Grab your glass, grab your wine, and let’s see what our hour looks like together,” you know you’re in for something special. Hosted by Purple Cork and co-sponsored by Swoogo, the latest VIP Roundtable was part tasting, part think-tank, and 100 percent inspiration.
Live from Sonoma, acclaimed winemaker Tanner Scheer of Red Car gave guests a peek inside harvest season—barrels, presses, and all—while Kelly Robb, Purple Cork’s Owner, Founder, & CEO, and Caroline Kite from Swoogo guided the conversation toward what event leaders care most about: how to make events more collaborative, authentic, and valuable.
The Art of Turning a Flagship into a Movement
“Don’t just host an event,” said ABX Programs Lead Christian Lowery of CyberArk. “Deconstruct it.” Lowery explained how his team takes their massive global conference and breaks it into smaller, purpose-built experiences—each one tailored to a specific audience. A hands-on lab for practitioners becomes a roadshow stop. An executive panel becomes a fireside chat in a local market.
The idea is simple but powerful: view your event like a dinner plate with five components—the protein, the vegetable, the salad, the side, and the dessert. Then serve each component separately where it will resonate most. This modular approach extends the life of your flagship event and multiplies its impact.
His team even records just a few “hero sessions” instead of the whole conference, choosing the ones that spotlight customer champions or key industry verticals. Those videos then fuel campaigns, enable sales, and help field marketers run localized activations months after the main event has ended.
For event strategists, the takeaway is clear: your flagship is not a finish line. It’s a launch pad.
From Audience to Community
Josh Vande Krol from Intrivium, a community-experience platform, reminded the group that the most important conversations happen between events.
“When you’re attending an event, one of the last questions you ask someone is, ‘When are we going to get together next?’” he said. “That’s momentum. That’s shared stewardship.”
Allen described how leading organizations are inviting participants to co-create their flagship content. Instead of post-event surveys that ask what people liked, they ask: What themes do you want to see next year? That forward-looking feedback shapes programming and makes attendees feel like contributors, not consumers.
Transparency is another emerging best practice. Some organizers are opening up survey results publicly during or after events. While it can feel risky to expose criticism, the payoff is trust—and, as Allen noted, 99 percent of feedback is positive when people have had a genuine role in shaping the experience.
It’s a shift in mindset from audience management to community building. Events are no longer one-off moments; they’re milestones in an ongoing conversation.
Making Flagship Events Work for ABM and Advocacy
Adam May of SoftServe brought the discussion home for B2B marketers. His focus: aligning event strategy with Account-Based Marketing (ABM).
“For our one-to-one accounts, the flagship has to feel VIP,” he said. “That means bespoke agendas, curated dinners, extra executive access—the works.”
May’s team plans those moments months in advance, folding them into each account’s campaign plan. Who delivers the invitation? Who follows up? Who captures feedback? Every touchpoint is intentional.
He also emphasized using the flagship as a catalyst for customer advocacy. Recording live testimonials, hosting advisory-board sessions on-site, and capturing casual “hallway interviews” all provide authentic stories that fuel marketing for the rest of the year.
And, crucially, ABM and event teams collaborate from day one—not two weeks before the doors open. “The longer the lead time, the more meaningful and seamless the experience,” Pierce said. “That’s not just good for us; it’s good for the customer.”
A Toast to 2026: Trends from Purple Cork + Swoogo
After the panels, the Purple Cork and Swoogo teams shared rapid-fire insights for where event marketing is heading next year:
Choice and inclusivity matter. Attendees could pick wine, spirits, or a non-alcoholic option before the event—a small gesture that made everyone feel part of the toast.
Lead with customers, not sales decks. As Kelly Robb noted, “The selling can happen later. Keep the event conversational and fun.”
Build loyalty through recognition. Caroline Kite suggested surprise welcome gifts for repeat attendees—tiny touches that make people feel seen.
Personalize by account. Many teams are experimenting with single-account virtual tastings—ten people from one company sharing an intimate experience tailored just for them.
Global reach, local flavor. With Purple Cork now shipping to EMEA, APAC, and LATAM, hybrid programs can unite international teams over shared moments, wherever they are in the world.
Themed creativity wins hearts. Halloween candy pairings with Pinot Noir? Why not. When your winemaker votes Snickers as the perfect match, you know you’ve created a memory.
The Magic of Human Moments
As the event wound down, laughter filled the virtual room. Attendees compared Halloween costumes for their dogs, swapped travel stories, and traded restaurant tips from Austin to Seattle. In that moment, the line between business networking and genuine friendship blurred—and that’s precisely the Purple Cork effect.
It’s easy to talk about ROI, engagement metrics, and pipeline influence, but connection is the true currency of modern events. When your audience feels included, heard, and a little delighted, you’ve already won.
Final Pour
The Roundtable ended as it began—with a collective toast. “Cheers to new ideas, new friends, and great wine,” said host Christine from Purple Cork. The group clinked glasses on camera, some with Pinot, others with mocktails, all with smiles.
In the spirit of keeping the conversation going, Purple Cork reopened its Marketing Mastery LinkedIn Group for continued collaboration and idea-sharing. Because in this community, a great event never really ends. It just pours into the next one.
Key Takeaway for Event Leaders:
Think modularly: turn big moments into many micro-moments.
Empower your community to co-create.
Make advocacy part of your ABM motion.
Design experiences that celebrate inclusion, joy, and human connection.
Raise your glass to the next event season—because the best events, like great wines, only get better when shared. Ready to take your events to the next level? Reach out today to learn more.
