DEVELOPMENT strategic thinking. A chief executive might share genuine insights about market challenges while watching Formula 1 in Monaco that they’ d never reveal in a formal meeting.
The environment changes everything
According to Joely Bonner, smart EAs can use hospitality to build their boss’ s strategic network. Here, she explains it all
THE EXPERT
Joely is head of corporate at Sports Entertainment Tours, where she designs premium hospitality experiences for business leaders seeking authentic relationship building opportunities through exclusive sporting and entertainment events.
As a senior EA, you’ re already orchestrating board meetings and managing stakeholder relationships. But there’ s a powerful tool many EAs overlook when it comes to strengthening their executive’ s strategic thinking and expanding their influence. And that’ s well-designed hospitality experiences.
Corporate hospitality isn’ t just about entertaining clients over dinner. When planned strategically, these experiences become catalysts for the kind of high-level conversations and relationship building that traditional boardrooms simply can’ t deliver.
Your role as experience architect Think about your last board meeting. Formal agenda, time constraints and everyone sticking to their predetermined talking points. Now, imagine those same executives sharing a VIP box at a major sporting event or attending an exclusive industry concert. The environment changes everything.
As an EA, you’ re uniquely positioned to design these experiences because you understand both your executive’ s strategic goals and the personalities of key stakeholders. You know which clients respond to innovation, which board members prefer traditional settings and which potential partners might be influenced by unique access.
When you remove leaders from their usual business environment, you create space for the kind of authentic conversations that drive real
Measuring the investment return You’ re probably already tracking meeting outcomes and relationship development. So, apply the same systematic approach to hospitality experiences. Monitor client engagement levels before and after events, track new business opportunities that emerge from conversations and document strategic partnerships that develop.
One EA I spoke with organised a private dining experience for eight key stakeholders around a major industry summit. Within six months, two new joint ventures had emerged from connections made that evening. And they were deals worth significantly more than the event cost!
The key is matching the experience to the outcome you want. Need to improve knowledge sharing between departments? A collaborative cooking class works better than a concert. Want to spark innovation? Choose experiences that challenge perspectives, like art exhibitions or technology showcases.
Building your strategic toolkit Start small and build your expertise. Partner with hospitality specialists who understand business objectives, not just event logistics. Document what works for different personality types and business objectives. Create a database of successful formats, preferred venues and which combinations deliver the best strategic conversations.
Remember, you’ re not just booking an event. You’ re creating an environment where your executive can think differently, connect authentically and access insights that formal business settings can’ t provide. S sportsentertainmenttours. com
EA action plan
Before the event: n Brief your executive on each attendee’ s current business priorities n Share conversation starters related to industry trends n Set specific relationship objectives for each guest
During the event: n Position yourself to facilitate introductions between compatible personalities n Monitor conversations and identify follow-up opportunities n Capture contact details and key discussion points
After the event: n Schedule follow-up meetings within 48 hours while conversations are fresh n Create a summary report linking new insights to current business strategies n Track resulting business opportunities and relationship developments
52 Executive PA | Spring Issue 2025