Trade Show Talk Podcast

Micah Desforges on Jackalope, action sports tourism, and building a community brand   Micah Desforges , Founder of Jackalope and CEO of Tribu Experiential, speaks with Trade Show Talk host Danica Tormohlen about how Jackalope grew from a backyard idea into a multi-city action sports festival and community platform. Desforges explains how free events, destination partnerships, and athlete-led conte...

Trade Show Talk Host Danica Tormohlen sits down with Rich Askintowicz Jr. CEM, operations director at Fanatics , for a wide-ranging conversation about how a longtime trade show pro helps run Fanatics Fest , one of the fastest-growing fan events in the country. This month's episode is brought to you by Trade Show News Network and sponsored by Cort Event s .   He shares how he moved from exhibit man...

In this month's episode of Trade Show Talk , TSNN 's Danica Tormohlen speaks with Kate Spellman , Chief Commercial Officer of the newly combined Emerald and   Questex , which were both purchased by global alternative asset manager Apollo-managed funds with the sales officially closing July 14 . Spellman shares how she's approaching the integration, why she sees enormous growth potential in the mer...

  In this episode, Trade Show Talk Host Danica Tormohlen explores how Karen Chupka , Executive Vice President of Global Connections and Events at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), reveals how her team is transforming one of the industry's longest-running trade shows into a hub for innovation—where AI, creator economy, and sports media collide—by expanding its narrative beyond convent...

In this episode, Trade Show Talk host Danica Tormohlen explore s how the events industry is adapting to digital transformation, the strategic role of finance within global trade shows, and leadership insights with Michèle Tiley - Hill , CFO of RX , one of the world's largest trade show organizers .   Whether you're a show organizer, a marketing professional, or a business leader, her experience of...

In episode 74 of Trade Show Talk, Host Danica Tormohlen explores the New Zealand exhibition industry with Brent Spillane , M anaging D irector of XPO Exhibitions , the country's largest trade and consumer show organizer. Spillane is a true visionary in the exhibitions industry, with more than 15 years of experience at the helm of XPO, where he has been instrumental in shaping how industries connec...

In episode 73 of Trade Show Talk, host Danica Tormohlen explores the transformative GDC Festival of Gaming 2026 , highlighting innovative event strategies, sponsorship activations, and industry insights with Will Wise,  Vice President of Sales/Partnerships for the Gaming Vertical at Informa Festivals . Discover how the rebranding, global community, and creative activations are shaping the future o...

Episode 72: At the Helm: dmg events growth playbook with CEO Geoff Dickinson   In this episode of Trade Show Talk, host Danica Tormohlen engages in a comprehensive conversation with Geoff Dickinson, CEO of dmg e vents . They discuss Jeff's unique journey into the events industry, the impressive growth of dmg e vents post-COVID, and the importance of investing in the local markets where the company...

In this episode of Trade Show Talk, host Danica Tormohlen speaks with Peter Lewis, Chief Commercial Officer of South by Southwest (SXSW). They discuss Peter's journey from an administrative assistant to a key leader in one of the world's most influential cultural gatherings. The conversation covers the challenges and opportunities SXSW faces as it prepares for its 40th anniversary, including venue...

In E pisode 70 of Trade Show Talk, H ost Danica Tormo h len speaks with Ben Welgus , Head of Sustainability at Informa , about the evolving landscape of sustainability in the trade show industry. They discuss the successes and challenges faced in 2025 , the launch of the  Better Stands initiative , and the goals for 2026, including the importance of achieving net zero emissions. The conversation h...

In the 69 th episode of the Trade Show Talk podcast, host Danica Tormohlen interview ed Kinsey Fabrizio, president of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and producer of the Consumer Electronic Show (CES). They discuss what's  new for CES 2026, which is expected to welcome more than 140,000 attendees from 150+ countries to Las Vegas in January.     The 2026 tech extravaganza will debut the C...

"At RX, we celebrate failure, which is kind of a strange thing to say," said RX CEO Hugh Jones on the November 2 025 edition of Trade Show Talk.   Why?   "F ailure is actually a part of the executive process and making great choices ," he said In this episode,   Host Danica T ormohlen delves into this topic and more with Jones , who shares the company's recent growth and strategic bets in the trad...

"I spend a lot of time talking about customer obsession," Liz Irving, CEO of Clarion Events North America, said in this episode of Trade Show Talk with host Danica Tormohlen .   They discuss Irvings 's extensive career in the exhibition industry — from her beginnings helping her father to her current role leading the fourth largest independent trade show company .   She shares insights on Clarion'...

In this episode of Trade Show Talk, hosted by Danica Tormohlen and brought to you by Trade Show News Network, we engage in an insightful conversation with Greg Hitchen, Group CEO of Terrapin n , a global events company.   Greg shares his journey and the strategic moves, including acquisitions and industry diversification, which have propelled Terrapin n into the top 20 exhibition organizers global...

  In this episode of Trade Show Talk, host Danica Tor mohlen interviews Alice M athu , V P of Business Development and Partnerships at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA).   Mathu shares her remarkable career journey from Kenya to the U.S. and dives into IAAPA's global expansion, including their hig hly anticipated events in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. T...

Join host Danica Tormohlen on Trade Show Talk as she dives deep into the trade show industry with Lisa Malikow , Senior Vice President, Restaurant Show for Informa Connect Foodservice.   Malikow shares her impressive career journey, behind-the-scenes highlights from The National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, and innovative ideas that have shaped the event.   Also, don't miss...

In this episode of the Trade Show Talk podcast, Host Danica Torman engages in an insightful conversation with Fernando Fisher, President of the Americas for RX. Fernando elaborates on RX's growth strategies, focus on attendee and exhibitor experience, and the implementation of sales analytics and AI tools.   The episode also features an interview with Andy Conklin, Executive Vice President of Sale...

Advocating for the Trade Show Industry: Highlights from Legislative Action Day   In this episode of Trade Show Talk, hosted by Danica Tormohlen, trade show industry leaders share their experiences from the Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance's Legislative Action Day 2025 in Washington, DC.   The event saw record attendance with 170 industry leaders from 30 states advocating for key issues such as t...

In this episode of Trade Show Talk, host Danica Tormohlen interviews Chris Skeith, CEO and M anaging Director of UF I , the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, who started in this role in January 2025 I. Skeith shares insights about his career path, including his tenure at the Association of Event Organizers UK, and discusses his new role at UFI, aiming for evolution and not revolution....

After leading Tarsus Group through multiple decades of global growth and eventually a $940 million acquisition by Informa in 2023 , industry heavyweight Doug Emslie is back with a bold new move: investing in Belgium-based trade show organizer Easyfairs through his investment firm C uil Bay Capital .   In an exclusive interview with  TSNN , Emslie shares why Easyfairs ' tech-forward, exhibitor-frie...

Emerald's Strategic Acquisitions in the Luxury Travel and InsureTech Sectors   In this episode, Herve Sedky, President and CEO of Emerald, discusses the company's recent acquisition of This is Beyond, which adds several B2B luxury travel events to Emerald's portfolio. The acquisition bolsters Emerald's presence in the luxury market, which is known for its resilience to economic fluctuations.   Thi...

In this special episode of the Trade Show Talk podcast, host Danica Tormo h len celebrates the achievements of the 2024 King's Glove Award recipient, Bruno Giaccio, CEO of Metro Multimedia.     Recorded at the International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) Awards Luncheon at the Javits Center in New York, the episode features interviews with several industry leaders including Alan Stee...

Trade Show Talk Podcast Host Danica Tormohlen interviews Carina Bauer, CEO of IMEX Group , at the IMEX America 2024 event in Las Vegas. They cover Bauer's career journey from her first IMEX Frankfurt show in 2003 to overcoming challenges like digital transformation and sustainability. They discuss empowering teams to stay ahead of trends by attending various events, experimenting with new technolo...

In this episode of Trade Show Talk, host Danica welcome d Chris Griffin, President and CEO of CREW XP , a company that has been providing trade show labor and event services since 1994. He sh ared   his career journey—starting from his first job at Putnam Investments in college to becoming a sales executive at Skyline in Dallas and eventually a business owner. He talk ed about his company's specia...

Gaby Appleton joined Trade Show Talk to share her experience as Chief Digital Product Officer at RX , a public company that produces more than 400 events in 22 countries. In this newly created position that she's now held for three years, Appleton and her team have been building and commercializing digital products that enhance the value of RX events, by connecting buyers and sellers across 43 dif...