HANDLE Bourbon Tasting: Conference Event
A grassroots conference event built around a private blind bourbon tasting, designed to create meaningful connections with hospital supply chain leaders through a curated, low-budget experience in HANDLE Global's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.
HANDLE hosted a private blind bourbon tasting at Mashup Food Hall in Louisville, KY. Small and curated: 6 to 10 provider-level attendees, no pitch, no slides. The Louisville hometown angle shaped everything, anchored by the line:
"Two things Louisville does well: bourbon and hospitality. Tonight, we're handling both."
My Role
I led concept, creative, and copy across all channels: LinkedIn posts, a printed flyer, and internal Slack messaging. On event day, I sourced all food and drinks and handled venue setup.
Creative Approach
No sponsorship, no branded backdrop, small budget. Just a well-crafted invite, a curated guest list, and a genuine experience worth showing up for. The LinkedIn comment-gating mechanic ("Comment BOURBON for details") drove private RSVPs while keeping the guest list controlled.
Why It Mattered
The event gave attendees a reason to seek us out and a shared experience to reference in every follow-up. Conversations that night led to genuine prospect interest, with several attendees moving into product demo discussions after the conference.