Event Marketer's Toolbox

A packed event doesn’t mean much if the right people aren’t in the room—or if your team doesn’t know how to turn those interactions into meaningful conversations. In Episode 69 of The Event Marketer’s Toolbox , Chris Dunn and first-time co-host Zaadia Spencer sit down with Joe Fontana to talk about sales and marketing alignment, human connection, AI, and where events really fit into the buyer jour...

Interactive screens, games, digital content, and new technology can attract attention on the trade show floor—but attention alone isn’t the goal. In Episode 68 of The Event Marketer’s Toolbox , Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin sit down with Zaadia Spencer   to talk about creating interactive event experiences with a purpose. Zaadia shares why event marketers should start with the objective before cho...

What does it really take to turn an empty convention hall into a functioning trade show—and why do some of those seemingly simple services cost what they do? In this episode of The Event Marketer’s Toolbox , Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin sit down with Marc Ghafoori , SVP of Client Experience at Heritage , for an “Ask Me Anything” conversation about the role of the General Service Contractor (GSC)...

The trade show floor Robert Laarhoven entered in 1984 looks very different from the one event marketers know today. Exhibits were largely divided between traditional custom builds and portable displays. Graphics were produced through processes that now feel almost unimaginable. Modular systems had yet to reshape the industry, and the role of an exhibit house was far more focused on building the ph...

Event marketers have believed in the power of face-to-face experiences for decades. But as budgets grow and leadership asks tougher questions about marketing spend, belief alone is no longer enough. In Episode 65 of Event Marketer’s Toolbox , hosts Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito sit down with Dax Callner , Founder and President of the Event Marketing Measurement Association (EMMA) , and Christopher...

Trade shows remain one of the most effective channels for building relationships and generating pipeline—but a successful event program is about much more than having the biggest booth on the show floor. In this episode of Event Marketer's Toolbox , hosts Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin welcome back Kayla Drak e , field marketing advisor, speaker, and event career coach, for a practical discuss...

Trade shows have always been one of the most powerful channels for building pipeline—but success doesn't happen by chance. In this episode of Event Marketer's Toolbox , Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito welcome back returning guest Alison French , founder of Lead to Opportunity (LTO) and creator of ShowScout, for a practical conversation about sales activation, accountability, and how exhibit...

The events industry powers experiences, drives economic impact, and employs millions of people worldwide. Yet for decades, many of the careers behind those experiences have remained largely invisible. In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox, Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin welcome Laura Palker, President of the Events Education & Workforce Development Federation (EE-WDF), and Al Mercuro , St...

The trade show industry continues to evolve, but one challenge remains at the center of nearly every exhibitor conversation: cost. In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox, Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito welcome back Jessica Sibila, Executive Director of The Exhibitor Advocate, for a timely discussion about rising exhibition costs, exhibitor advocacy, education, and what it will take to create a...

What keeps someone passionate about live events after 35 years in the industry? In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox , Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito sit down with industry veteran Dave Brown for a candid conversation about career growth, exhibit systems, problem-solving, and the evolution of experiential marketing. What began as a discussion about modular exhibits quickly turned into a broad...

In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox , host Chris Dunn sits down with Bethany Murphy , Head of Events at SentinelOne, for a practical conversation about the evolving role of event marketing. With nearly 25 years of experience across brands like LogMeIn, Drift, Akamai, SixthSense, and SentinelOne, Bethany shares how modern event teams are moving beyond logistics and becoming key drivers of p...

In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox , hosts Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito sit down with Lee Ali , Founder of ExpoStars , to unpack one of the most overlooked drivers of trade show success: your people. Companies spend thousands—sometimes hundreds of thousands—on booth design, technology, and giveaways. But as Lee makes clear, most are missing the one factor that determines whether that inve...

In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox , hosts Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin sit down with John Dubil , Chief Strategy Officer at Ice 9 Productions, for a deep, real conversation about what actually makes live experiences work. This isn’t about gear. It’s not about bigger screens. It’s about how message, environment, and technology come together as one . From 35+ years in the industry — spann...

In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox , Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin sit down with David T. Stevens to explore a topic that is often misunderstood in the events industry: wellness . But this conversation is not about surface-level perks. It’s not about adding a massage chair to a lounge, offering goat yoga because it looks good on Instagram, or checking the “wellness” box because it feels t...

In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox , hosts Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito sit down with Christopher Dorn , Managing Director of Idea International, to explore what it really takes to produce trade show programs across the Asia-Pacific region. With nearly three decades in the industry and over half his career spent living and working in Japan, Dorn brings a rare perspective on global exhibit...

In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox , Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito sit down with Mark Johnson , Founder & CEO of Star Exhibits and former owner of ExhibitorLIVE, to discuss leadership, legacy, and the evolving power of live events. Mark shares the inside story of how ExhibitorLIVE was at risk of shutting down — and why he stepped in to preserve it for the industry. The conversation exp...

Trade shows are evolving — not just in scale, but in structure, sponsorship models, attendee behavior, and global execution. In Episode 53 of Event Marketer’s Toolbox , hosts Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito sit down with international trade show consultant Stephanie Selesnick , President of International Trade Information, for a wide-ranging conversation on what she’s seeing across major global shows...

In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox , hosts Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin sit down with Marc LeDuc , a conference innovator with over three decades of experience building large-scale B2B and technical conferences. Marc brings a rare, behind-the-curtain perspective on how conferences are actually created — from identifying real audience gaps to architecting content that fuels engagement lon...

Season 2 is officially here — and EMT kicks off 2026 with a deep dive into AI, automation, and what “real ROI” can look like when you capture the conversations happening on the show floor . Chris Dunn (BlueHive Exhibits) and Brendon Hamlin (Hamlin Creative) are joined by Jordan Walker and Hunter McKinley , co-founders of Backtrack , an AI note-taking tool built specifically for live events.  You’l...

Episode 50 marks the Season One finale of Event Marketer’s Toolbox . Hosts Chris Dunn , Brendon Hamlin and Dana Esposito come together for a special recap episode, reflecting on the ideas, conversations, and guests that shaped the show’s first year. Instead of introducing a new guest, this episode revisits standout moments from across the season, reacting to key insights and sharing what they’ve l...

In this episode, Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin sit down with Katie Wengenroth , Founder of KVT Events , to explore the mindset, structure and strategy behind building high-impact events. With 15+ years across agencies and SaaS giants — HubSpot, LogMeIn, Outreach — Katie breaks down how intentional planning, strong relationships and clear goals shape better outcomes long before production begins. F...

Events are full of powerful moments — but only the teams who capture them intentionally turn those moments into long-term value. In this episode, Chris Dunn sits down with co-host and guest Brendon Hamlin , Founder of Hamlin Creative , to break down how brands can transform trade shows, conferences, activations, and corporate events into content engines that live far beyond show days. Brendon shar...

Episode 47 of Event Marketer’s Toolbox is a clear, practical breakdown of what it really takes to exhibit across the U.S. trade show landscape. Guest Bill Watson , who leads labor operations for Lime IND, joins hosts Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito to unpack the biggest challenges exhibitors face: labor rules, union jurisdictions, venue restrictions, scheduling pressures, and the realities behind ris...

How IPME Is Redefining Event Design Through Sustainable Innovation In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox , hosts Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin sit down with Craig Rapoza , President of Built Rite and Co-Founder of IPME , to explore how shipping containers are transforming the way brands build, move, and scale experiential environments. From high-impact activations for Audi and Volkswagen to...

In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox , hosts Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito sit down with Stephen Benedetti , International Business Development Director at Heilmayer Messe Design in Munich, Germany, to discuss what it really takes for American exhibitors to succeed in Europe. Stephen has lived and worked on both sides of the Atlantic, helping brands translate their trade show strategies for...