David Lytle
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Hoosier in Napa by way of SF & NYC. 🏳️🌈Husband to 1, dad of 2, journamalissst. Find me at bsky.app/profile/davitydave.bsky.social
Articles by David Lytle
Get to Know Tess Vismale
13 March 2026 | By: David Lytle | Publisher: Smart Meetings Tess Vismale's path to receiving her CMP Fellow designation this year is less a straight line than a seasoned event professional's braided rope-threaded with on-the-ground grit, formal learning, mentorship and a persistent focus on execution. Today, she is the founder and CEO of iSocialExecution, Inc. (iSocialX) , a co-founder of Pull Up With Us and Event Tech Atlas , and a co-host of the Event Tech Pull Up podcast .
Get to Know Michelle Allgauer
17 February 2026 | By: David Lytle | Publisher: Smart Meetings When Michelle Allgauer, CAE, CMM, CMP Fellow, thinks about the moment that set the course for her career, it isn't a single dramatic event but a series of small, formative experiences that added up to a vocation built on detail, service and connection.
A Tale of Two Half-Time Shows
Some moments explode into culture, and others simply happen. For meeting planners, the difference between the two is everything—one becomes a shared memory that propels your organization’s relevance long after the lights go down; the other is a tidy, functional event that closes when the audience files out. A recent analysis from ad-tech firm Qortex makes this distinction vivid by comparing two very different Super Bowl halftime shows and why one kept living while the other did not.
A Tale of Two Half-Time Shows
09 February 2026 | By: David Lytle | Publisher: Smart Meetings Some moments explode into culture, and others simply happen. For meeting planners, the difference between the two is everything-one becomes a shared memory that propels your organization's relevance long after the lights go down; the other is a tidy, functional event that closes when the audience files out.
CMP Fellow Spotlight: Get to Know Eduardo Chaillo
Eduardo Chaillo’s career in the meetings and events industry is defined by connection—between cultures, between sectors and between people who may not initially speak the same professional or personal language. Chaillo’s journey to industry leadership was anything but linear. Instead, it reflects the very adaptability, empathy and global mindset that increasingly define excellence in the space today. Born and raised in Mexico City, Chaillo grew up immersed in cultural duality.
The Best of 2025: Sustainability
Sustainability matters in the meetings and events industry because these gatherings concentrate people, resources and waste in a short window of time, which means they also concentrate their impacts. Here are five ways Smart Meetings helped you gain a better understanding of how and why to embrace sustainable practices.
CMP Spotlight: Get to Know Nancy J. Zavada
Native Oregonian Nancy J. Zavada, the thoughtful founder of MeetGreen, has built an impressive career on careful planning, hard work and a strong commitment to sustainable events. With a career spanning over three decades, her journey shows how passion, continuous learning and smart choices can create a unique path in the fast-paced world of event management. Even as a child, Zavada had dreams that, though seemingly different, helped shape her future success.
Search, Rescue and Relief Efforts Ramp Up Post-Melissa
As officials of Caribbean islands assess damage from Hurricane Melissa, the storm remains powerful as it heads toward Bermuda. The hardest hit islands include Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica. The Category 5 hurricane made landfall on Tuesday, October 28, on Jamaica’s southwest bringing 185 mph winds and a deluge of rain and storm surge, tearing off roofs, downing trees and flooding streets.
Smart Meetings Epicurean Experience Delivers Delicious Moments for Meeting
Top meeting professionals gathered for education, inspiration and networking at Smart Meetings Epicurean Experience held at Silverado Resort & Spa in Napa, California. Over three days, attendees were treated to elevated encounters that engaged all their senses, woven into the very fabric of the Golden State’s iconic Wine Country.
Practical AI: Weaving Personalized Experiences into Your Events
Artificial intelligence (AI) is the buzzword du jour, and planners are clammering to better understand it as a tool that brings values to an event. Smart Meetings welcomed Brittany Fisher, a team lead in product marketing at Cvent, to a recent webinar to break down how to use AI to personalize meetings and events. The focus is on real-world application, not just hype. Fisher stresses that personalization isn’t just a trend–it’s a rapidly growing expectation from attendees.
Smart Design Drives Success in Financial and Insurance
In a landscape often governed by spreadsheets and ROI, a fresh perspective is emerging in the world of financial and insurance events. A recent webinar hosted by Smart Meetings dissected a new report from the Incentive Research Foundation (IRF), revealing that when it comes to creating impactful events, the key to success lies not in how much is spent, but how it’s spent.
CMP Spotlight: Get to Know Geralyn Krist
Geralyn Krist grew up on Long Island where, as a child, she was enthralled by the grandeur of New York City hotels during holiday visits. “I was fascinated by hotels,” she recalls. The TV show Hotel, starring James Brolin and Connie Sellecca, only fueled her ambition. “To me, working in a hotel looked glamorous and exciting.” Krist is vice president of global accounts at ConferenceDirect. She earned her CMP in 1999 and became a Fellow in 2022 with the inaugural class of her fellow Fellows.
Experts Offer Tips for Meaning-Rich Events on Any Budget
Learn how to manage costs with these insights In an era of soaring costs, certified meeting planners are facing unprecedented challenges in delivering high-quality events without breaking the bank. A recent webinar hosted by Smart Meetings offered timely insights and practical strategies for managing budgets effectively in 2025 and beyond.
How AI Is Beneficial Before, During and After Events
AI is starting to demonstrate its usefulness Artificial intelligence (AI) offers powerful tools to address the industry’s biggest challenges: heavy workloads that lead to burnout, the need for enhanced attendee experiences and the pressure to achieve more with fewer resources and less time. In a recent webinar, JT Long, vice president and content director for Smart Meetings, hosted event experts to discuss the practical applications of AI for professional planners. Author Gary A.
Independent Planners: A Vital Resource in Today's Event Landscape
With AI encroaching upon our work spaces, sometimes it’s the human touch that makes the difference. As event teams face staffing shortages and an increasingly complex landscape, independent planners are emerging as a vital resource for professional meeting planners. A recent webinar shed light on the unique value these professionals bring to the table.
Charting a Course for Jamaican Tourism
The Caribbean Darling Has a Vision to Maintain its Hold on Inbound Travelers, Starting with the Luxury Segment The Honorable Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s minister of tourism, outlined a strategic vision for the tourism industry’s future in the most visited island in the Caribbean. Bartlett spoke to an audience of international journalists during the Jamaican Product Exchange (JAPEX) travel trade show in Montego Bay.
Luxury Numbers, Wellness Standards, Disney Magic and Royal
Hi, Managing Editor Kate Zaliznock extended the courtesy of offering me the opportunity to write this week’s Smart Travel column, and I jumped at the chance. Today is my fifteenth day serving as Smart Meetings senior editor and community concierge, and I’m genuinely excited to join such a whip-smart team. I cut my teeth writing about travel for Frommers.com, where I had the privilege to work for 13 years, first as a web producer, then as the site’s editorial director. But, enough about me.
Association Forum Launches a New Leadership Experience for Men
In a progressive move designed to reshape how men lead and connect in the predominantly female meetings space, Association Forum has announced a new leadership experience for men taking place in summer 2026—and it’s anything but business as usual. Association Forum is extending its vision of inclusive leadership to men seeking purpose-driven, connective and authentic ways to grow as leaders. “This is not about giving men more power,” said Artesha Moore, president and CEO of Association Forum.
Who Baptised Thomas Lambe?: Lambe’s Soteriology and its Relation to the Helwys-Murton Tradition
ABSTRACT Baptist historians have traditionally assumed that Thomas Lambe’s London congregation descended from Thomas Helwys’s original Baptist Church. The recent scholarship of Stephen Wright and Matthew Bingham has challenged this notion, while Stephen Holmes has offered arguments for continuity. Since much of the argument for the independent origin of Lambe’s congregation focuses on soteriology, a comparison of their soteriology is needed.
Biogeochemical and community ecology responses to the wetting of non-perennial streams - Nature Water
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Abstract Transitions between dry and wet hydrologic states are the defining characteristic of non-perennial rivers and streams, which constitute the majority of the global river network. Although past work has focused on stream drying characteristics, there has been less focus on how hydrology, ecology and biogeochemistry respond and interact during stream wetting.
By Adam Price, Amy Burgin, Erin Seybold, Sam Zipper, Michelle Busch, Annika W. Walters, Rachel Stubbington, Thibault Datry, Mathis L. Messager, Julian D. Olden, David Lytle, Ryan Burrows, George Allen, Kate Boersma, Daniel Allen, Corey Anne Krabbenhoft, Walter Kennedy Dodds, Jane Sarah Rogosch, James Christian Stegen, Jonathan Douglas Tonkin
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CMP Spotlight: Get to Know Kyle Jordan, CMP Fellow
As a kid growing up in Roscoe, Illinois, Kyle Jordan was obsessed with LEGO bricks. He would sit for hours building sets and creating his own worlds. “I wanted to be a set designer,” he says. “That dream came quickly to an end when I took a CAD design class in high school and realized I had no talent for it.” Jordan, now director of meetings for the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS), earned his CMP in 2025 and was recognized as a CMP Fellow this year.
The 2024 Poppy Awards Finalists and Winners
By 02/08/2024 Visit California received hundreds of submissions this year for its biennial Poppy Awards that recognize some of the best work in the industry. After rounds of reviewing so many outstanding entries, industry judges have arrived at the list of finalists. Winners were announced on Tuesday, March 12, at the Poppy Awards gala that closed out Outlook Forum in Greater Palms Springs.
Join Visit California in Celebrating California Tourism Month
By David Lytle Posted 1 day ago May is California Tourism Month, the state of California’s official observance of tourism’s essential role in the state’s economy and identity. This year, Visit California and California’s tourism industry are celebrating the ongoing strength and resilience of California’s travel industry that is poised to set new records for visitor spending, employment and tax generation after the devastating coronavirus pandemic.
11 Best Pride Festivals and Parades in US to Celebrate LGBTQ rights
Get your rainbow flag ready for the best pride festivals and parades in the US to celebrate LGBTQ rights. Pride month is a good time, but it's so much more than a party. And the best pride festivals and parades in the US celebrate LGBTQ rights and history. Remember the Stonewall riots of 1969. Fed up with police raids on gay establishments, the queer community in New York City’s Greenwich Village, led by trans women of color, protested in the streets – and thus Pride was born.
Modern Guide to the Castro: The Best Restaurants, Bars, Shops + Community Hubs
Chloé Hennen , Matt Charnock and David Lytle Oct 19, 2021 This story is brought to you by Poppy the AV, an all-electric self-driving Cruise vehicle, who knows the ins and outs of the City. The Castro, it seems, is always having some kind of a renaissance.
8 Spots for Mocktails in the West
Via magazine - Your AAA Magazine Move over, Shirley Temple. Nonalcoholic drinks have evolved, and they're delicious. January 2019 Hail the mocktail. Clever mixologists have recently been upping their game when it comes to alcohol-free drinks; in just the past two years, the number of options at bars, restaurants, and even distilleries has exploded. Now, those who avoid booze can choose from a bevy of beverages based on zero-proof spirits, house-made sodas, and shrubs (drinking vinegars).
LGBTQ Guide: Last gay bar in the Tenderloin never a drag
A silhouetted figure, slightly hunched and topped with something akin to a park ranger’s hat, enters out of the bright daylight into the small, cramped space that sits at the eastern edge of The Tenderloin on Turk Street. A regular has arrived at Aunt Charlie’s Lounge, bearing a boxed dinner from Popson’s from around the corner on Market Street, a gift for Gabriel, the mesh-tanked bartender who’s managing the joint on a recent late Thursday afternoon.
LGBTQ Guide: Last gay bar in the Tenderloin never a drag
LGBTQ Guide: Last gay bar in the Tenderloin never a drag A silhouetted figure, slightly hunched and topped with something akin to a park ranger’s hat, enters out of the bright daylight into the small, cramped space that sits at the eastern edge of The Tenderloin on Turk Street.
LGBTQ Guide: San Francisco City Hall a landmark in history of struggle and triumph
The bust of Harvey Milk in San Francisco City Hall stands in space that popular for wedding ceremonies. It was unveiled in 2008. Engaged couples, (left to right) Xavier and Josep Garcia-Weibel and Bella Reynoso, 19, and Alex Garcia, 18, wait in line to be married at City Hall in San Francisco.
Everything You Need to Know to Buy Legal Weed in California
Recreational cannabis use is legal in California—and now, shops are licensed to sell it. But who can buy it? Where can you smoke it? We answer all your burning questions. Can you legally buy a beer? Congratulations! That means you can also legally buy cannabis (pot, weed, marijuana) in California. Decriminalization came into effect on January 1, 2018, after voters passed Proposition 64 in November 2016.
Artist Raegan Truax Mounts 37-Hour-Long Performance Piece at Counterpulse
In the theater, there is a special niche carved out and delved into by endurance performers—think Marina Abramovi?'s multiday sessions sitting in a chair across from strangers at the MOMA, or even illusionist David Blaine's made-for-television runs of freezing himself into a block of ice in Las Vegas. These are performance artists who use time—and their own bodies—as their means of expression.Starting this Friday at Counterpulse, Raegan Truax will stage her original work, Citation.
PARK(ing) Day 2017 Brings Art, Design, Performance & Booze to a Parking Meter Near You
What started as a one-off in 2005 to get people to re-imagine how we use urban spaces has now grown into a global event. On the third Friday each September, PARK(ing) Day, the brainchild of local design group Rebar, cleverly takes advantage of affordable spaces for rent—public metered parking spaces—and transforms them into temporary art and event spaces.
Take Some Time to #MeetAMuslim This Weekend
In 80 cities around California and across the continental United States tomorrow, Muslims will be performing an outreach effort to bridge the divide between what people think they know about Islam and what practicing the faith actually means. It's all part of National Meet a Muslim Day.Organized by Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA), the group hopes to break everyday misconceptions about the religion as well as the many Islamophobic ideas engendered by hate groups across social media.
Cleve Jones and Juanita More Plan Weekend Counter Protest in the Castro
Activist, author, and NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt founder Cleve Jones is teaming with Juanita More to stage a counter protest, called Come Together, on Saturday August 26th in the Castro. The assembly is coordinated to provide a safe location to speak out against the misleadingly named Patriot Prayer Freedom Rally taking place at the same time at Crissy Field.
Irreverent poems + illos grace Trick Dog's new kid's book/cocktail menu by McSweeney's
It's that time of year when everyone's favorite just-a-little-too-small Mission bar, Trick Dog, releases its biannual cocktail menu. Meh, you say. Most bars have seasonal cocktail menus. Well, the folks behind the bar are the Bon Vivants, a boozy creative firm that, yes, make drinks. But, there's more.A design thread runs through the Bon Vivants' enterprise that prompts singularity in their menus, not just in the concoctions, but in the presentation of the pages themselves.
The Fab Juanita More! Kicks off Pride Month With 3 New Murals in SF
Three new murals have popped up in the Castro, SoMa, and Polk Gulch nabes courtesy of drag queen extraordinaire Juanita MORE! As part of the month-long celebration of Pride, MORE! commissioned three artists—Elliott C. Nathan, J. Manuel Carmona, and Serge Gay, Jr.—to design Pride-themed works and paint them around the city. You can find them on 18th Street side of Unionmade in the Castro; on the western wall of Lush Lounge in Polk Gulch; and on the Folsom Street–facing wall of the Power Exchange.
The Made-in-CA Father's Day Gift Guide for Last Minute Shoppers
Pick up a Petaluma-produced ukelele for the music man in your life. Kala offers multiple models, from the inexpensive Makala line that's perfect for novices who are eager to learn, to the more expensive Kala Elite ukes that will make a grown man cry upon opening. All instruments are hand-made, and the higher-end models are custom-built from some exquisite woods such as koa, mahogany, and maple. They're perfectly portable to add a little music to your life wherever you may be.
Barbary Coast Spectacular "The Soiled Dove" Promises a Raucous Time Under the Big Top in Alameda
The Vau de Vire Society, creators of the annual Edwardian Ball, is re-staging its larger-than-life celebration of San Francisco's decadent, lawless past. With a nod to a 19th-century nickname for prostitutes, The Soiled Dove combines burlesque, dance-hall era showstoppers, history, circus arts, dinner theater, and cosplay—for the latter, audience members are encouraged to come in their fanciest 1890s ensembles. Everything takes place inside a 12,000-square-foot Italian circus tent.
Summer of Love Turns 50, Offers Doses of Remembrances Across SF
In 1967, San Francisco became the heart and soul of the transformational counterculture movement during a brief period dubbed "The Summer of Love." Music, thought, fashion, art, and politics found a new forms of expression in reaction against the war in Vietnam and the pre-existing cultural norms—aka, "The Establishment"—all coming to a head in a glorious, raucous, drug-addled season.
Importance of neutral processes varies in time and space: Evidence from dryland stream ecosystems
Many ecosystems experience strong temporal variability in environmental conditions; yet, a clear picture of how niche and neutral processes operate to determine community assembly in temporally variable systems remains elusive. In this study, we constructed neutral metacommunity models to assess the relative importance of neutral processes in a spatially and temporally variable ecosystem.
Oakland Artist's Guffaw-Worthy Political Caricatures Are Spot On
Like most Bay Area residents, Oakland artist Woodrow White sunk into a depression after November's election results. "What's the point of anything?" the 24-year-old CCA graduate said to himself. "I've always drawn, but I found it difficult to create." Slowly, he found his dawdling turn to doodling as he began doing simple sketches in crayon and marker of members of the incoming administration and its enablers. "I had brief moments of elation breaking through a sense of listlessness," he said.
How Patty Hearst Went From Sympathetic Victim to Gun-Toting Bank Robber, New Book Tells All
Author Jeffrey Toobin's new work, American Heiress, follows the true story of Patty Hearst's kidnapping from her Berkeley apartment, her conversion to the beliefs of her kidnappers, their ensuing crime spree, and her conviction after capture.
16 Destination Festivals Better Than Coachella, Burning Man and Outside Lands
The summer festival has become de rigueur. Hell, even Gap and Bloomingdales are sporting mannequins adorned in what’s become known as festival attire (short shorts, something crocheted, a reusable water canteen, a piece of cultural appropriation—you know the drill).
Neglected horses seized in Clatskanie - The Chief: News
OHS, working with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, served a search warrant on the property on Colvin Road in Clatskanie on the morning of March 14. A total of 15 horses were removed from rural property. OHS is working with Sound Equine Options, a Gresham-based nonprofit, to provide ongoing medical care for the horses as needed.
Smart Arts: SF's Classic Cultural Institutions Get Hip to the Next Generation
San Francisco's most venerated arts establishments are connecting with the next generation of audiences through modern, electrified programming, interactive events, and plenty of booze. If you were to take your little black dress or your best suit out for a Saturday-night date at one San Francisco's most venerable arts institutions—we're talking the opera and the theatuh—you will most likely find yourself sipping chardonnay amongst the over-50 set.
These SF Sketchfest Shows Still Have Last-Minute Tickets Available
SF Sketchfest—a nearly month-long festival celebrating comedy in all its shapes and forms—descends upon San Francisco each January with an overstuffed roster of performances and panels to choose from. Each show usually sells out as soon as the festival’s full lineup is announced, but, with less than a week to go before it ends, we discovered available seats for some surprising performances. Here are the best of the rest.
2015 Hot 20: Vinnie Hobbs, Special Effects Wizard for Kendrick Lamar
Vinnie Hobbs is the wizard behind some of this year's most iconic music videos, including Kendrick Lamar's "Alright" and Nicki Minah's "Anaconda." Born and raised in Okinawa, Japan (his parents worked as Instructional Systems Specialists for The Department of Defense Education Activity), Hobbs spent his teenage years shooting skateboard films and editing them the old school way with two VCRs connected together.
2015 Hot 20: Scott Wiener, The Supe + Underdog for Senate
San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener has no problem standing out in a crowd. The District 8 supe (representing the Castro, Noe Valley, Duboce Triangle, as well as parts of the Mission and more), who stands at an impressive 6-foot-7-inches, graduated from Duke, went to Harvard Law, and earned a Fulbright scholarship, all before bringing his distinct political style of quiet efficiency to San Francisco.
2015 Hot 20: Scott Gatz, King of LGBT Media
Q.Digital founder Scott Gatz—publisher of Gay Cities, The Bilerico Project, Queerty, LGBTQ Nation, and more—has amassed a stunning LGBTQ audience with 7.5 million readers monthly. Chicago native Scott Gatz has a knack for turning his passions into jobs. The avid news junkie’s first gigs were as a television producer for NBC, Good Morning America, and the Lifetime channel.
2015 Hot 20: Anne Wojcicki, Biotech’s Comeback Kid
The story of Anne Wojcicki’s genetic testing service 23andMe is destined to become a classic in the epic tale of how libertarian, fast-paced, entrepreneurial Silicon Valley clashes with the slow grind of regulatory Washington. Cofounded in 2006 by San Mateo native Wojcicki with her business partner, Linda Avery, 23andMe has become well known for its personal genetic testing kits that are as easy to get and use as a click of the mouse and a jaunt to the post office.
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