Integrated Event Format & Run of Show
How Planners Use My Event Architecture
This page displays the full range of how my work can be used, not a prescribed program.
Each element is designed to function independently and integrate cleanly into an existing agenda. In some cases, clients choose to build a larger through-line across the day. In most cases, they select a single anchor experience and add only what serves their goals.
Think of this as a map of possibilities, not a rigid package. We decide what belongs (and what doesn’t) together.
When planners bring Gentry into an event, they are not booking “a speaker plus some entertainment.”
They are engaging a single guide who can, when useful, anchor the intellectual, social, and experiential arc of a program, from morning sessions to the evening experience.
This page outlines how that optionality typically works in practice.
Nothing here is mandatory. These are proven formats that can be used individually or combined, depending entirely on the goals, scale, and structure of the event.
The Integrated Gentry-Led Event Day
In its most complete form, Gentry’s event architecture can serve as the connective tissue across an entire event, reducing vendor complexity while increasing coherence and memorability.
Below is how a full-day program might be structured.
I. Morning Keynote (Conceptual Anchor)
Purpose: Set the intellectual and emotional frame for the day.
Gentry begins the event with a keynote grounded in applied philosophy, communication, and lived experience, designed to give the audience a shared lens for everything that follows.
Rather than abstract motivation, the focus is on how people actually think, decide, communicate, and perform under pressure.
Topics are selected in advance based on the audience and event goals.
Current keynote themes include:
Faking It Is Making It: How Action Creates Confidence, Competence, and Identity
Seeing Is Not Believing: How Perception, Framing, and Attention Shape Judgment Under Pressure
Why Not Major in Something Useful—Like Philosophy? : How Philosophy Trains Judgment, Decision-Making, and Clear Thinking
Typical placement:
Opening keynote
Morning plenary session
Duration:
45–60 minutes
II. Breakout Session / Team-Building / Communication Workshop
Purpose: Translate ideas into practice.
Following the keynote, Gentry works with smaller groups in a facilitated session that reinforces the morning’s themes through participation rather than lecture.
Depending on the event, this may take the form of:
A communication or public-speaking workshop
A facilitated discussion around judgment, framing, and decision-making
A structured team-building experience where participants learn and perform a simple effect together
These sessions are designed to feel engaging and experiential, while still delivering transferable skills teams can use after the event.
Typical placement:
Morning or early afternoon breakout
Workshop block
Group size:
Flexible, depending on format
III. Cognitive Analysis Sessions (Midday / Afternoon)
Purpose: Depth, personalization, and executive value.
During breaks or concurrent sessions, Gentry offers a limited number of Cognitive Analysis sessions—structured, conversation-driven engagements designed to surface assumptions, clarify thinking, and reframe decisions.
These are not therapy sessions and not fortune-telling. They function as a thinking tool, often reserved for:
Executives
Leadership teams
VIP guests
Selected pairs or partners
Because availability is limited, these sessions are typically scheduled in advance and positioned as a premium experience.
Typical placement:
Lunch blocks
Free time
Concurrent programming windows
IV. Evening Cocktail / Networking Experience
Purpose: Social ease and memorability.
As the event transitions into the evening, Gentry shifts into a more informal role—circulating during cocktail hour and engaging guests through close-up mentalism and unscripted demonstrations.
This format:
Encourages conversation
Breaks social barriers
Creates personal moments guests remember and talk about
Importantly, it enhances the atmosphere without stopping the flow of networking.
Typical placement:
Cocktail hour
Reception
V. Interactive Music During Dinner
Purpose: Set tone and create anticipation.
At select events, dinner is accompanied by live, improvised music performed by the Gentry Band—a high-class jazz trio specializing in real-time composition.
Rather than taking traditional song requests, the band takes mood requests, ideas, stories, or images, building music collaboratively with the room.
This segment functions as:
Elegant ambiance
A light focal point guests can lean into
The “show before the show”
At the conclusion of dinner, Gentry steps away from the bass and transitions seamlessly into the evening’s featured experience.
Typical placement:
Seated dinner
Awards dinners
Special evening programs
VI. Mentalism & Illusion Show (Flagship Finale)
Purpose: Synthesis and emotional payoff.
The day culminates in Gentry’s flagship mentalism and illusion performance — an intelligent, high-impact show that brings the event’s themes to life through direct experience.
Rather than standing apart from the day, the show ties together everything the audience has already encountered: perception, influence, communication, and human judgment.
This is often the moment guests remember most clearly—and the one they discuss long after the event ends.
Typical placement:
Post-dinner feature
Evening program close
Duration:
45–60 minutes
How Planners Typically Use This Structure
Very few events use every element listed above.
Most planners:
Begin with a keynote or evening experience
Add a workshop or breakout to reinforce themes
Layer in optional elements (Cognitive Analysis, networking entertainment) as value-adds
For some offsites and retreats, however, clients may choose to let Gentry anchor the entire day, reducing complexity while creating a clear narrative arc.
Each component works independently. Together, they create continuity.
Production & Logistics (High-Level)
Standard microphone support
No special staging requirements
Works in ballrooms, theaters, boardrooms, and unconventional spaces
Designed to integrate cleanly with existing AV and production teams
Minimal setup and teardown across segments
Planning Support
If you’re considering one or multiple components and are unsure where they fit, most planners schedule a brief planning call to map their agenda against the formats above.
The goal is not to add complexity—but to simplify execution and ensure the event flows smoothly.