Event Marketing: Redefined

2025 was a loud year for event marketers—big wins, tough lessons, shifting expectations, and an industry that moved faster than anyone planned. So before we step into 2026, we’re slowing down to make sense of what actually mattered this year. In this year-end live show, Matt Kleinrock and Coty Adams look back at the themes, pressure points, and breakthroughs that kept resurfacing in conversations...

Event marketers have spent years being asked to execute flawlessly—booths built, shows staffed, leads scanned. But the conversations Matt Kleinrock and Coty Adams keep having tell a different story: execution alone is no longer enough. Strategy exists… it’s just not being consistently applied. This special compilation brings together the most defining moments from Matt and Coty’s conversations thi...

Last year’s “best of” episode became the most downloaded in the history of the show for one reason: it gave event marketers a framework that actually changed how they worked. 2025 took that conversation further. This special compilation pulls together the ideas Matt and Pablo hammered on all year—the ones that challenged how events are positioned inside organizations, how experiences are executed...

Event marketers spent 2025 juggling pressure from every angle—proving impact, planning smarter, and building experiences grounded in what audiences actually want. With time shrinking, expectations rising, and noise everywhere, it became harder to know which strategies genuinely mattered and which ones were just… loud. This special Best-Of 2025 compilation brings together the episode moments that d...

If you’ve ever been handed a booth brief with zero strategy … or chased down sales to follow up on hundreds of “leads” … or been asked to “do more shows next year” with the same budget, you know the pain. That old model? It’s broken. But the fix isn’t a bigger booth or a cooler activation. It’s a shift — away from chasing attention and toward driving revenue. In this episode, Justin Keys (Sr. Mana...

The future of event marketing feels noisy—AI headlines, shifting attendee behavior, sustainability pressure, and a role that keeps expanding faster than the job description. Most event pros are expected to keep up, even as expectations rise and clarity doesn’t. Is AI a threat or a tool? Are hybrid experiences still relevant? What skills matter now? And how do marketers prepare when the answers kee...

Every event marketer has a moment they’d go back and redo — a decision, a mindset, a chance to think bigger. At EXHIBITORLIVE 2025, Coty Adams and Mollie Stahl hit the floor to ask one powerful question: “What advice would you give your younger event-marketing self?” The answers were raw, funny, and surprisingly universal. From learning to breathe through chaos to embracing bold ideas, every story...

Every brand wants the next big experiential idea. But too often, what gets delivered is safe, predictable, and easy to forget. Audiences are craving creativity. They want experiences that surprise them, move them, make them pause. And behind every “cool idea” that actually worked is a deeper story—why it mattered, how it connected, and what made it resonate long after the lights went down. But wha...

Venue sourcing takes an enormous amount of time and most event marketers have even less of it than ever before. Between skyrocketing pricing, surprise fees, and increased pressure to deliver inclusive and sustainable experiences, venue sourcing is more complex than it’s ever been. Yet event pros are still expected to “just figure it out” on their own. In this episode, Michael Hudson shares 30+ yea...

Event marketers are some of the most capable professionals out there. They juggle strategy, logistics, leadership expectations, and ROI goals all at once. But the truth is, there’s only so much they can control. Leadership decisions, last-minute changes, and competing metrics often leave them reacting instead of leading. And that constant pressure? It’s what pushes even the best to the edge of bur...

Every year at EXHIBITORLIVE, the conversations go deeper than booth design and swag trends. This year, the question that stopped people in their tracks was simple: “What’s the biggest challenge event marketers are facing right now?” And the answers said a lot. Event pros from every corner of the industry opened up about the real pressures behind the scenes. From proving ROI and fighting for execut...

Most exhibitors spend nearly half their budget just getting to the show floor—booth space, travel, shipping, services. By the time the event starts, there’s almost nothing left for strategy or measurement. That’s how event marketing gets stuck in the “cost of doing business” trap. The result? Overbooked schedules, flat ROI, and event teams that feel more like order takers than growth drivers. In t...

Events don’t work like they used to. Back then, great speakers and flashy venues were enough. Today? Audiences expect connection, conversation, and clarity of purpose. But most event strategies still haven’t caught up. That’s why in this episode, Matt Kleinrock and Pablo Gonzalez go rapid-fire through the “new laws of events”—from connection over content, to why five-week registration windows chan...

Event marketers talk about personalization a lot. We slap a name on a badge, segment an email list, and call it a day. But attendees want more than that. They want to feel seen: from the first invite, to the way a session is designed, to the follow-up that lands after the show. That’s the kind of personalization that creates loyalty, accelerates deals, and turns an event into something people don’...

Most giveaways end up in the hotel trash. Most booths blur together. Brian Burkhardt thinks it’s time to change that. In this conversation, the Co-Founder of Oliver Patch Project shows how to turn event swag and booth design into something people actually remember. He and Matt Kleinrock dig into creating emotional reactions, weaving brand purpose into every touchpoint, and taking creative risks th...

You can have the biggest booth, flashiest tech, and sleekest design. But if your audience doesn’t feel something, you’ve missed the mark. And right now, too many brands are still playing it safe, checking boxes, or overdesigning without purpose. That’s why we’re zooming in on experiential creative direction: how it’s evolving, what matters more than ever, and why storytelling, empathy, and smart c...

Events aren’t just about logistics anymore. They’re about results. And while event planners know how to deliver flawless execution, companies now need marketers who understand pipeline, customer journeys, and human connection. But too many organizations still treat events as one-off experiences instead of demand engines. That gap costs opportunities, slows deals, and misses the chance to build loy...

The season’s almost wrapped. Budgets are in. And for many event marketers, that means it’s time to shift into prep mode for 2026. But where do you start? And how do you plan with intention, not just habit? While every company is approaching things a little differently, seasoned event pros know this moment sets the tone for next year’s success. But too often, planning gets lost in spreadsheets, sil...

Sloppy seams. Sagging walls. Zero strategy. If your booth looks like you don’t care, that’s exactly what your audience will believe. Too many companies treat trade shows like a checkbox, not a channel. They work with order takers, cut corners to save costs, and focus on the wrong things… then wonder why the event didn’t deliver. But on the floor, it shows. Dull design. Generic messaging. An experi...

The post-event handoff to sales is where so many event programs lose steam. Leads get cold. ROI disappears. And all that effort on the show floor doesn’t translate to results. But it doesn’t have to be this way. In this fourth installment of our “Back to the Basics” summer live series, Matt Kleinrock and Coty Adams (Director of Sales + Marketing at Rockway Exhibits + Events) break down the musts f...

Whether you’re collaborating with external partners, internal teams, or cross-functional stakeholders—shared events come with shared pressure. And if you’re not careful, your strategy can get lost in the noise. Suddenly, you’re managing 20 different opinions, 5 conflicting goals, and a booth space that feels more like a compromise than a campaign. The event might still “run,” but it rarely deliver...

Too many event programs are spread thin, under-resourced, and missing the mark. Budgets get diluted, sales handoffs break down, and strategy never makes it past the slide deck. When that happens, even the best-looking booth or smoothest show can’t deliver meaningful results…. and event teams get stuck in a cycle of “just execute.” At CEMA Summit 2025, Matt Kleinrock, Coty Adams, and Mollie Stahl s...

Job loss, career pivots, and the quiet in-between—they’re not talked about enough in our industry. But nearly every event marketer has faced them. That’s why for this second episode in our 2025 summer live show series, we’re going there—with honesty, empathy, and some real talk from two pros who’ve lived it. Join Matt Kleinrock as he brings back two familiar voices: Matt Bohn, Field Marketing Mana...

You want your event to connect. To be remembered. To make people feel something. And most importantly, you want it to work. But too many event marketers skip the hard part: crafting a story that actually moves people. This episode peels back the curtain on what it really means to build a strategic event narrative—one rooted in customer insight, emotional resonance, and purpose. Matt Kleinrock and...

Trade shows are back in full swing and at InfoComm 2025, the energy was real. The booths were bigger, the tech was smarter, and the stakes felt higher for event marketers trying to drive business and make their brand stand out. But the truth is, success doesn’t come from flashy screens or clever activations alone. It comes from alignment, authenticity, and a whole lot of behind-the-scenes strategy...