Keynote Speakers

Alan Berg is a leading sales strategist and consultant specializing in the event industry. With decades of experience working with venues, planners, and event professionals, he has helped thousands of businesses improve their sales processes and increase their closing rates.
Known for his practical approach and real-world insights, Alan focuses on helping teams convert more inquiries into booked clients while improving communication and overall customer experience.

Christie Osborne is a marketing strategist and educator who helps event professionals grow their businesses through clear messaging, brand positioning, and strategic marketing.
With years of experience in the wedding and event industry, Christie is known for helping business owners stand out in competitive markets and attract the right clients with confidence.

Rachel Druckenmiller is a keynote speaker and performance expert who helps organizations improve employee engagement, energy, and leadership effectiveness.
Her work focuses on creating stronger connections within teams, improving workplace culture, and helping professionals show up with more confidence, purpose, and impact.

Matt Radicelli is an entrepreneur, executive coach, and speaker from Cleveland, Ohio. Over the course of his career he built, scaled, and sold multiple companies in the event and entertainment industry, including a nationally operating production business handling thousands of events annually. After exiting his largest venture, Matt founded Mentor Pods, a group coaching platform designed to help entrepreneurs grow through accountability, strategy, and shared experience. Known for blending creative thinking with analytical problem solving, Matt helps business owners strengthen leadership, improve systems, and increase profitability. He speaks and coaches entrepreneurs across the United States and lives by the motto: Decline, Delegate, Do.

Rich Bracken is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and leadership
communication expert specializing in emotional intelligence, executive
presence, and high-impact communication.
He helps leaders and organizations improve confidence, influence, and
performance in today’s fast-paced business environment.
As Brand Ambassador for TalentSmartEQ, the world’s leading emotional
intelligence research and training company, Rich delivers data-backed insights
and practical strategies that drive lasting behavior change.

David E. Merrell, a trailblazing figure in the event industry, founded AOO Events in 1989. As the visionary CEO and Creative Director, David has elevated AOO into an award-winning event agency and significantly impacted the industry with his willingness to share his insights and talent with others. His expertise spans the full spectrum of event design, from creative concepts, design and production to fabrication, food and beverage, entertainment and flawless execution, setting a high standard for the industry. In addition to leading the company, David remains actively involved in the design and production of events for AOO clients. Some of his most cherished projects from the past year include a lavish, high-end birthday celebration, an incentive trip set against the serene backdrop of Ojai, and a high-profile fundraiser for The Heart Foundation featuring David Foster and Katherine McPhee. These projects are a small taste of David’s signature style of creating unique and personalized experiences that leave a lasting impact on his clients and their guests. As a sought-after industry speaker for over 25 years, David has made a name for himself by sharing his philosophy and expertise in event design, trends, and the evolving landscape of live and virtual experiences. His presentations educate and inspire, equipping the next generation of event professionals with the knowledge and creativity needed to thrive in an ever-changing and fast-growing industry. David’s legacy of innovation extends beyond the event floor. In 2007, he launched the industry’s first online blog, Design Dawgs, which quickly became a leading platform for thought leadership on event production, design, and technology. What began as an online publication quickly became a popular seminar series, bringing industry experts together at industry conferences to discuss hot topics and share ideas for over 10 years. Today, David continues to share his insights and inspiration through his monthly email series, David Merrell Event Style, which offers business tips, design ideas, and life lessons to a loyal audience. David was named the 2023 Special Event Gala Designer of the Year and has been honored with numerous awards and distinctions throughout his career, including a prestigious Crystal Award, many ILEA Esprit, Bizbash Awards and Special Event Gala Awards. David has built a career through creativity, persistence, and the relentless pursuit of delivering excellence in all that he does. David has also been honored with the Klaus InKamp Award for Lifetime Achievement from ILEA, as well as the Steve Kemble Leadership Award.

Danielle Gertner is a speaker, emcee, and embodiment-based leadership coach known for delivering raw truth that moves people from motivation into embodied confidence and real-world ownership. She helps high-performing leaders stop outsourcing their power and start leading their lives, businesses, and communities with self-trust, clarity, and emotional resilience. Danielle's core philosophy is simple and uncompromising: Ownership is the new leadership, and your life was not meant to be rented; it was meant to be owned. Her work lives at the intersection of mindset, embodiment, and leadership, blending tools from NLP, somatic practices, habit transformation, and nervous system regulation to create transformation that lasts beyond inspiration. Danielle doesn't teach people how to perform confidence; she teaches them how to build it from the inside out. Danielle is the founder of Warrior Women ATX, Austin's most empowering community for women, and the creator of multiple transformational programs, including the Own Your Shit Self Mastery Program and the Radical Confidence Blueprint. She is also THE Queen of Hype and emcee for HYROX North America, where she has energized and inspired hundreds of thousands of athletes across the country. Whether she's on stage, behind a mic, or leading a room through movement and conversation, Danielle creates spaces where people feel safe to tell the truth, brave enough to choose themselves, and supported enough to take radical responsibility for the lives they are building.