EVENT ABOUT IT: Event Marketing, Strategy & Business Growth

Have you ever poured your soul into an event and still wondered… did anyone actually learn anything? If that question feels too real, this episode is a must listen. Megan Martin sits down with Dr. Kristin Malek , the architect of curiosity who mixes neuroscience with name badges to design events that shift hearts, minds, and behavior. From her Las Vegas executive director days to the moment she re...

If you’ve ever wondered how your early event jobs shaped the way you plan today, this one’s for you. In this “Dynamic Dialogue After Show”, host Megan Martin and guest Jessie Smith rewind to where it all began. Starting on the venue side, learning the ropes from restaurant sales offices to full-scale corporate programs, and how those “learn-it-on-the-fly” lessons built a 20-year career in events f...

If you’ve ever had an event day spiral into chaos and somehow still pulled off magic, this one’s for you. Host Megan Martin sits down with Jessie Smith, Event Manager at Enterprise Events Group, who’s known for delivering high-stakes programs with poise, precision, and serious production chops. Together they laugh about the real life chaos of event planning like sprinklers going off in the middle...

If you’ve ever felt like running your business feels more like chasing cars than driving them, then you’ll relate to this episode. This week on the Event About It Dynamic Dialogue After Show , Megan Martin sits down with Marc Ghafoori , CEO and founder of AlphaTooth , for a real and raw conversation about entrepreneurship, innovation, and what it means to build something that lasts in the events w...

If you’ve ever felt like your event lineup is running on repeat, this episode is your wake-up call. Megan Martin sits down with Marc Ghafoori , a creative event strategist who’s built a career helping brands transform tired conference formats into experiences that actually inspire people to care.  Together, they talk about the all-too-familiar chaos that happens when plans go sideways and how to b...

If you’ve ever felt like your event lineup is running on repeat, this episode is your wake-up call. Megan Martin sits down with Marc Ghafoori , a creative event strategist who’s built a career helping brands transform tired conference formats into experiences that actually inspire people to care.  Together, they talk about the all-too-familiar chaos that happens when plans go sideways and how to b...

Behind the disco-ball energy and champagne sparkle, Neen James is on a mission to prove that luxury is a mindset, not a price tag. In this After Show , Megan Martin and Neen James dig deeper into Exceptional Experiences . What does that mean? It means exploring how to create personalization at scale, giving attendees behind-the-scenes access, and how contagious confidence can elevate your event cu...

If your attendee check-in feels more like standing in line at the DMV than stepping onto a red carpet, you NEED this episode. Host Megan Martin sits down with Neen James, leadership strategist, keynote speaker, and author of her brand-new book Exceptional Experiences .  Neen is known for teaching the world that attention pays and that pink goes with everything . She spills her luxury mindset secre...

What do CEOs really want from event professionals—and how do you stay sane when you’re the one delivering it? In this After Show , host Megan and Johnnie White dig into the unfiltered truth: why planners need to show up with strategy (not just logistics), what data leaders actually care about, and how to balance vision with daily operations. You’ll hear what Johnnie learned as the only man on the...

What happens when your boardroom politics collide with your convention center ballroom chaos? Host Megan Martin sits down with Johnnie White to unpack how event pros can level up from managing logistics to shaping strategy in the C-suite. From translating data into decisions to treating annual conferences like mini organizations, this episode is packed with real-world lessons every planner should...

If you think flashy graphics and a catchy tagline are enough to sell out your event—you’re missing the mark. This week, Megan Martin sits down with Joe Federbush, President & Chief Strategist of EVOLIO Marketing , who’s been behind some of the most successful event marketing campaigns in the industry. Joe doesn’t just crunch numbers— he shows how data and creativity can work together to transf...

Behind every slick campaign is a lot of caffeine, chaos, and last-minute curveballs. In this After Show, Megan and Joe Federbush swap real stories about the behind-the-scenes moments that never make the case study slides. From awkward client requests to the stress of proving value in real time, Joe reveals how he keeps perspective when everything’s on the line. They also dive into the lighter side...

If you think your event software is just there to sell tickets then you’re leaving serious growth (and sanity) on the table . This week, Host Megan Martin sits down with Cat McDevitt, VP of Marketing at Eventeny . She’s also a recognized speaker, strategist, and champion for event organizers who want less chaos and more control. From sponsorships that actually sell to the hidden ways your tech can...

What do you do when your LED wall drops a Tetris-sized hole mid-show, your keynote shows up with 47 slides for a 10-minute slot, and the fire marshal shuts down your haze machine ten minutes before doors?  Megan Martin sits down with Steve Evans, founder of Show Imaging and the guy who can turn a dusty cattle ranch into a Rolling Stone–recognized music festival, to talk about why saying “yes” (mos...

Ever wondered how you turn a Montana cattle ranch into a full-scale music festival with 20,000 people, two stages, a rodeo, and enough power to run a small city? Host Megan Martin hops in a cart with Mark Lopez , Chief Experience Officer at Show Imaging, for a behind-the-scenes ride through Under the Big Sky Festival. From mapping out roads on raw land to building docks for semi-truck load-ins, ad...

What’s the point of saying “people first” if your event strategy still starts with forms, friction, and five follow-ups? In this Dynamic Dialogue After Show , Megan Martin and Mark Kilens take a sharp turn into the future of martech, event tech, and the big missing piece in most GTM strategies: the human behind the data. They dive into why alignment is dead , how AI will overhaul the attendee expe...

What happens when your keynote speaker goes rogue and the whole audience walks out? Megan Martin is joined by Mark Kilens , creator of HubSpot Academy, Drift’s former VP of Content & Community, and current VP of Marketing at EasyLlama. They unpack what to do when events go sideways... and how to bounce back. They play “Funnel Vision,” a high-stakes game of GTM tactics and event chaos, and talk...

If your event awards show feels like a low budget Oscars and your panel session is just three people nodding at each other in agreement, it’s time to tune into this episode. This week on Event About It, Megan Martin sits down with Sarah Soliman , powerhouse content creator and Founder of Soliman Productions, to say what we’re all thinking: the events industry keeps talking about innovation, but it...

The heels are off (or are they?), and we’re getting into the real talk. In this Dynamic Dialogue After Show, Megan Martin and her guest Sarah Soliman go beyond the stage and the sizzle reels to talk about what happens when the work gets personal. Sarah shares the backstory of walking away from a toxic professional relationship, building her business before age 30, and staying poised when it would...

You can’t buy authenticity and Julie Mullins is here to prove it. In this After Show , Megan Martin and Julie dive into the sharp contrast between high-volume, group-heavy destinations like Chicago and small, leisure-first towns like Whitefish, Montana. They unpack how to preserve identity while growing events, why destination meetings need to stay human-centered, and how leaders can mentally navi...

If you've ever booked a city-wide, dodged political landmines, and still closed the deal, this one’s for you. This week, Megan sits down with Julie Mullins, a 35-year hospitality veteran who’s led high-stakes sales in major metros like Chicago and now serves as Executive Director of Explore Whitefish in Montana. From navigating union drama to managing naked customers on a fam trip (yes, really), J...

If you think lifecycle marketing ends after your event wrap-up email, you’re doing it wrong. This week, Megan is joined by Ashley Faus, Head of Lifecycle Marketing Portfolio at Atlassian and author of Human-Centered Marketing , to explore how events power long-term strategy and trust-driven campaigns. Ashley breaks down the difference between industry vs. user conferences, how to repurpose event c...

The funnel is dead, MQLs are out, and your networking events aren’t as human-centered as you think. In this After Show, Megan and Ashley go off the record and into the real stuff: AI myths, event design fails, personalization at scale, and why you should probably stop serving bagels at every conference. What You’ll Learn in This After Show: Why AI isn’t replacing marketers—but marketers who ignore...

If you send emails to your customers, you will want to listen to this episode 🎧 This "After Show" is packed with game-changing email marketing insights from our guest Jay Schwedelson who brings the receipts. With over 15 million subject lines tested and 40,000+ campaigns executed annually, Jay doesn’t just talk email strategy he lives it. Jay Schwedelson is the founder of SubjectLine.co...

Welcome to the Dynamic Dialogue After Show, where the real tea gets spilled! Host Megan Martin is back with entrepreneur and tech guru Adam Saad for an unfiltered, no-holds-barred conversation you didn’t know you needed. Adam left the corporate grind at Salesforce to build his own “rocket ship”, and he’s telling us exactly why (and how) he did it. We’re breaking down: The burnout that pushed him t...