Scott Schenker publishes book on purposeful events

Scott Schenker, a veteran experiential marketing executive, released his first book on Aug. 11, 2026, examining why events shape trust, identity and action. The book aims to give business leaders, marketers and event professionals a clearer framework for creating gatherings that matter.

Why it matters: - Business events generated $1.3 trillion in direct spending in 2025, according to the Events Industry Council and Oxford Economics. - The sector was large enough to rank as the world’s 16th-largest economy if it were a country. - The book targets a broad group of people who plan, host, sponsor or attend events and want a better framework for doing them well.

What happened: - Scott Schenker released his first book, Acts of Humanity: The Power of Purposeful Events, on Aug. 11, 2026. - Morgan James Publishing published the book, which Schenker wrote with Bryan Rutberg. - Schenker built his career at Jack Morton and George P. Johnson before leading global events at SAP, Microsoft and ServiceNow. - The book is available to order now at the book’s website.

The details: - The book examines why some gatherings matter, why others fail, and what makes events memorable. - Schenker argues that events shape relationships, trust, identity, action and the stories people carry. - The book draws on more than 35 years of Schenker’s experience at agencies and large organizations. - It includes candid interviews with 17 leaders, including John Donahoe, former CEO of Nike and ServiceNow, and Chris Meyer, CEO of Project Worldwide. - Chris Capossela, former chief marketing officer at Microsoft, wrote the foreword. - Kevin Haverty, former chief revenue officer at ServiceNow, called it “a must-read for anyone who wants to deliver or play a key role in a world-class event.” - The book is designed for business leaders running sales kickoffs, customer summits and leadership retreats. - It also speaks to marketers, communicators, early-career professionals and event practitioners. - Schenker says the book fills a gap for people who have to ask groups for time and attention or who attend events and want to understand their impact.

Between the lines: - The launch positions events as a serious business discipline, not just a logistical task. - By combining executive interviews, practitioner stories and Schenker’s own background, the book appears aimed at giving the field more language and credibility. - The focus on purposeful events suggests a response to the pressure on companies to make in-person gatherings deliver measurable value.

What's next: - Schenker is using the book’s launch and early endorsements to reach readers through actsofhumanitythebook.com. - The book’s audience spans corporate hosts, marketers and event teams, which could help it circulate across multiple parts of the business-events industry. - Further promotion is likely to build around the book’s release, its foreword from Capossela and its use of senior executive interviews.

The bottom line: - Schenker’s book tries to turn event planning into a more intentional, strategic practice at a time when live gatherings remain a massive economic force.