Clarity, Impact and Momentum: How the Right Room Changes Everything
The right 40 people can alter a trajectory. The right 400 can influence a market.
In June, Giant proudly launched Signal House: a new events and media company built for the founders, executives, and investors who move markets. Born from the minds at Giant, with long-time events guru Becky Ekstam at the helm as Director of Operations, the company provides a premium platform for executive convenings, industry forums and high-authority media, operating on the belief that business deserves better rooms.
We sat down with Becky to learn how her team is delivering.
Becky Ekstam
Director of Operations
Madeline Kinziger
Account Assistant
What is Signal House?
Signal House is a high-impact events and media company for the changemakers who know that curation is respect, execution is credibility and alignment is leverage. When these changemakers are building something that matters, we help them cut through the noise in environments designed for real outcomes:
- Executive Roundtables: Private, facilitated discussions for decision makers.
- Industry Leadership Forums: High-caliber gatherings spotlighting projects, companies and ideas shaping markets.
- Private Corporate Events: Invitation-only gatherings built around specific strategic objectives.
Who’s in the audience?
We’re not in the business of gathering crowds, because this isn’t about scale. Whether there are 40 people in the room or 400, I’m working with the host to cultivate audiences that drive maximum impact, clarity and momentum—founders and CEOs, corporate leaders, executive operators, strategic advisors, investors, capital partners, policymakers and high-growth companies.
Signal House operates on the belief that business deserves better rooms. What does that look like in practice?
Building better rooms starts with the people. Each event has a different purpose, whether that’s to move policy forward, expand into a new market, evoke organizational change or something else entirely. To achieve that purpose, we have to be intentional about who’s in the room—inviting people who are passionate about the conversation at hand and giving them a safe space to speak clearly, ask questions that matter and build on each other’s knowledge, without fear of having their voices misunderstood or misconstrued in the media or among industry peers.
Why is it important to have that safe space in today’s business environment?
In our experience, effective change doesn’t happen in an echo chamber. The people on your invite list may not see eye to eye, and rarely is the goal to sway them one way or another—but they can almost always find common ground. By providing rooms that welcome honest, judgment-free conversation and connection, we aim to help participants build relationships that expose them to other viewpoints and allow them to voice concerns, questions and ideas in a responsible and respectful manner, so they can operate on shared knowledge rather than emotion or assumption.
How do you demonstrate value to hosts, speakers, sponsors and attendees alike?
Every event presents a new learning experience, and we’re always seeking creative and thoughtful ways to maximize the participants’ return on investment. Whether it’s carefully considering traffic flow to position our vendors and sponsors in the highest-impact areas, helping attendees make intentional, face-to-face introductions or giving people the chance to share stories through podcast and social media opportunities—even if they aren’t taking the stage as a speaker or panelist—my team wants to know what makes an event worthwhile for each group and cater to that in a natural and effective manner.
How do you measure that value?
As our team sources panel experts, creates agendas, organizes room layouts and more throughout the planning process, we’re continually returning to the original event goals, objectives and key messaging to ensure we’re on track. During and after the event, I often rely on participant feedback as a key source of truth for evaluating our success and identifying areas for improvement.
Across our past events, we’ve achieved nearly 100% satisfaction, consistently welcomed high-level repeat attendees, facilitated countless strategic introductions and delivered measurable business outcomes.
How does media come into play?
We aim to position the changemakers—the leaders and organizations who have something impactful to say—at the forefront of industry conversations. That means providing strategic opportunities to showcase their expertise, elevate brand awareness and extend industry influence far beyond the event space through targeted content, outreach and exposure.
To make this happen, Signal House is creating a dynamic portfolio of media and advertising opportunities, and we’re developing a strong, industry-specific content platform as we expand into digital publications and emerging channels.
Even the best-planned events encounter bumps in the road. How do you adapt to keep participants focused on what matters?
Room management and a trustworthy, capable team. Before the event starts, we’re reviewing the run-of-show, communicating with vendors and triple-checking that everyone on our team is clear on their roles and responsibilities. And from the moment doors open, I’m constantly aware of what’s happening in the room, keeping a close eye on the food and beverage service, AV crews, speakers, elected officials and registration tables.
Because we operate with a full staff who knows the event inside and out, if something goes haywire, I can tap anyone on my team for coverage—and often find a solution before attendees even notice.
Finally, what excites you most about the future of Signal House?
I’m genuinely excited to strengthen the relationships we’ve already built through Giant, while opening the door to new industries and conversations. There are many sharp, thoughtful people who are looking for meaningful ways to connect and make progress beyond crowded event rooms, and I’m energized by the opportunity to help bring these connections to life.
If you have something to say, send the signal. We’ll make sure it cuts through the noise.
Learn more about Signal House at www.signalhouseevents.com.