From Pushback to Buy-In: Leading Through Event Transformation

Changing your event isn’t hard because you lack ideas. It’s hard because of the resistance you get when you try.

From attendees and sponsors to internal teams and executive leadership, every shift you propose - whether it’s format, pricing, content, or technology - can feel like a threat to someone. It disrupts their expectations, patterns, or comfort. It removes what feels safe. And unless you acknowledge that, you’ll keep running into the same wall.

Successful event transformation isn’t about force. It’s about leadership.

Resistance Is Predictable—And Natural

People aren’t always resisting your strategy. They’re resisting change. And that resistance is a sign of engagement, not indifference. If they didn’t care, they wouldn’t push back.

According to organizational change expert Dr. John Kotter, over 70% of change initiatives fail, not because they are bad ideas, but because leaders underestimate the power of culture, communication, and emotional buy-in.

Pushback is data. It tells you what people are holding onto and what they’re afraid of losing. Your job isn’t to bulldoze it - it’s to decode it.

Start by Listening, Not Selling

The instinct when you know you’re right is to push harder. But the path to buy-in begins with curiosity:

• What’s behind the concern?

• What are they actually worried about?

• What does the proposed change represent to them?

As Chip and Dan Heath emphasize in their book Switch, successful change leaders “focus on the bright spots,” identifying what’s already working and then scaling it - not throwing out everything and starting over. If people feel heard and respected, they’re far more willing to engage in the process.

Anchor in the "Why"

People won’t support your plan until they understand your purpose.

Simon Sinek famously said: “People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it.” The same holds true for internal strategy. The clearer you are on the reason behind a change - and the more that reason aligns with mission, vision, or audience needs—the easier it becomes to bring others along.

Don’t lead with logistics. Lead with outcomes.

Share the Journey, Not Just the Destination

During a major event transformation at a previous organization - one that would ultimately impact thousands of attendees and generate millions in revenue - I made an intentional choice to meet individually with every affected team. In the early stages, I sat down with more than 30 groups over a 12–18 month period to explain the vision, explore the implications for their roles, and invite their insights. Those conversations weren’t just for alignment - they were critical for building trust, surfacing risks, and shaping a stronger plan with true buy-in.

When people feel like something is being done to them instead of with them, they resist.

Involve internal stakeholders early and often. Share the process. Let them see what you’re wrestling with. Ask for ideas. Try a prototype. Pilot a new approach. Break the change into smaller parts so they can adjust and respond.

Transparency builds trust. Inclusion builds buy-in.

And as Freeman's 2024 Trends Report revealed, event professionals who actively involved cross-functional teams in event planning were 37% more likely to report successful outcomes compared to those who operated in silos.

Reinforce What Isn’t Changing

One of the most overlooked strategies in transformation is reminding people what will stay the same. Certainty and familiarity provide stability, especially during periods of transition. When people know what they can still count on, they’re more open to what’s new.

Let them know:

• The community is still at the center.

• The event still aligns with your mission.

• The commitment to quality and experience hasn’t changed.

Give Them Something to Say Yes To

Sometimes pushback happens because people don’t have a clear picture of what you’re inviting them into. They can see what’s going away, but not what’s coming in its place.

Paint the picture. Help them envision the outcome. Show what success looks like on the other side. And create a narrative that helps them become part of the future - not just passengers on the journey.

As one Freeman report stat revealed, 82% of event professionals measure success, but only 27% actually use those insights to guide change. That gap is where your opportunity lies.

A Note About Transformation (and Pain)

Let’s be honest - “transformation” is often just a more palatable word for “change.” And while we tend to focus on the excitement of reinvention, there’s a harder truth that often gets overlooked. A management professor once told me that the one guaranteed ingredient in any real change process is pain. If there’s no discomfort, there’s no true change. That stuck with me. Transformation often disrupts routines, reshuffles priorities, and challenges long-held assumptions. So when you're leading event transformation, remember - what feels strategic to you may feel threatening to others. Acknowledge the discomfort. Lead with empathy. And keep sight of the bigger picture.

Final Word

Pushback isn’t the enemy of innovation. It’s part of the process. And the way you lead through that friction - with clarity, empathy, and strategy - will determine whether your event evolves or stays stuck.

Buy-in isn’t granted. It’s earned.

How We Can Help

If you're navigating event transformation and hitting resistance, we can help you build the strategy, facilitate alignment, and communicate change in a way that actually moves people.

Contact us at todd@eventcraftstudios.com or www.eventcraftstudios.com/contact.

References

• Kotter, J. P. (2012). Leading change. Harvard Business Press.

• Heath, C., & Heath, D. (2010). Switch: How to change things when change is hard. Crown Business.

• Sinek, S. (2009). Start with why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action. Penguin.

• Freeman. (2024). Trends Report: 2024 Event Research. https://www.freeman.com/resources/trends-report-2024-event-research