Be Useful: Patrick Garrigan on Building Events, Media, and Revenue That Last

Heather Holst-Knudsen is a distinguished figure and expert in the events, media, marketing and technology sectors. Using her extensive experience, she guides clients in adapting to structural economic and market changes, seizing the chance to innovate and evolve. She specializes in digital and data disruption and opportunity, exploring how these overarching factors can impact revenue growth,customer-centricity, operational efficiency, profit margins, and the overall valuation of companies in both public and private markets. Her journey began at her family business, Thomas Publishing Company, where she honed her skills. She further expanded her expertise by holding positions at early industry giants Miller Freeman, Reed Elsevier, and IDG. Returning to Thomas Publishing, Heather founded and spearheaded Manufacturing Enterprise Communications, an integrated media portfolio connecting buyers and sellers in the manufacturing and technology sectors. Starting in 2015 and spanning the next seven years, she leveraged her expertise as a revenue and business leader in various SaaS businesses, including Feathr, Gleanin, Brella and Edflex. Heather is deeply passionate about digital innovation, data monetization, and AI and how these strategies fuel revenue growth, profitability, and company valuation. To serve and create value for clients in these areas, she launched H2K Labs, dedicated to generating and leveraging value through data for media, business information, events, and adjacent technology and service markets.

Patrick Garrigan is the Co-Founder of Tenning, an advisory and events agency, founded on one guiding principle: Be Useful. In this role he advises clients on event, content, audience and revenue strategy; providing B2B clients with the strategies and accelerators to enable their organizations to grow. Previously Garrigan was the Senior Vice President of Global Events and Business Services at Conde Nast. He sat at the nexus of editorial, commercial and consumer functions to build unforgettable experiences for Condé Nast’s global communities. During his tenure, Patrick launched the global phenomenon, Vogue World, Allure Best of Beauty Live and WIRED Big Interview. Additionally, Patrick oversaw Condé Nast’s consulting work, leading Vogue Business and WIRED Consulting. Prior to joining Condé Nast, Patrick was the Global Head of Bloomberg Live, where he launched the Qatar Economic Forum, among other new initiatives. As part of these efforts, he was recognized as ADWEEK’s Hottest in Events. Before that, he led event innovations & partnerships for The Atlantic and POLITICO. All of which was predated by his work pioneering experiential marketing with the MAG agency. He is the co-author of "Guerrilla Marketing for Dummies," which has been reprinted in three languages, his writing has been featured in BizBash, Event Marketer Magazine, and Mediapost. Patrick has also served as a guest lecturer at New York University and LIM College.