Event Marketing: Redefined

You have a new product or service to launch, the team is set, and the budget approved. But when it's time to execute, all you hear is crickets. You find yourself stuck - clueless about how to proceed. We are all too familiar with this reality in our industry, which is precisely why we brought Mollie Stahl—Senior Account Executive at Rockway Exhibits + Events—back to discuss a project that ins...

Remember at the beginning of 2022, there was real excitement to jump back into face-to-face events? Well stats show that once exhibitors went back, they got sticker shock from how much it was all costing—from shipping materials to paying for labor. That’s why “Event Marketing Redefined” is excited to bring on Jessica Sibila to help break through those barriers! Not only is she a seasoned marketer...

With all the noise and clutter people are exposed to on a daily basis, the right messaging can get lost or diluted. But lately, an empathetic and compelling movement has taken center stage as brands and companies are now incorporating diversity and inclusivity into their strategies. Adopting this approach may be a gamble, but when the result is a more potent, more meaningful bond between you and y...

Unpopular opinion: Experiential marketing is a term that's loosely thrown around. It makes us wonder-  do people understand everything that goes into this marketing strategy? Is the constant fixation on going viral or doing the bare minimum to make customers happy a disservice to the core of what "experiential" is supposed to be? To get the answer to this question: we've invite...

Storytelling builds a powerful and emotional connection between brands and customers, but HOW is it done right? We answer this question (and more) in this knowledge-packed episode of “Event Marketing Redefined”, by speaking with Aiyana Parks from Condé Nast, a global media company that publishes GQ, Vanity Fair, and Architectural Digest, among other publications. Join Matt Kleinrock, CEO of Rockwa...

Trade shows are changing rapidly. The event space too. It's not uncommon to see people fail because they use a 2019 playbook in the year 2022. That's a bit of the harsh reality. Trade show methods and strategies, or at least the ones most people use, are still living in the past - we can thank COVID for that. It's time to invent a new way of doing tradeshows (because the old way fra...

I've got a story to tell (*in my best "Biggie Small" voice*). It's a tradeshow story about one of our first opportunities to work with a major, up-and-coming brand for their tradeshows. 20x20 booth, big idea, uniquely themed concept, plenty of budget. Sounds great right? Well, there are some lessons in this story that I think all event marketers can learn from when managing the...

A recent study on event marketing shows: "91% of consumers reported they would be more inclined to purchase the brand's product or service after participating in a brand activation or experience... and 40% felt they become more loyal to the brand!" That's why Experiential Marketing has gone from a niche part of the marketing world to an industry projected to grow like crazy in...

There is a huge argument to be made out there that trade show marketing is a waste or misuse of money for most B2B companies. But contrary to popular belief, trade shows ARE still as prevalent as ever- from busy conventions, expanding shows, to cities investing millions into convention centers for the future, companies are turning to trade shows to get face to face with their most desirable custom...

Outdoor events, pop up activations and experiential marketing campaigns are taking off 🚀  in the post covid world. However, unlike before, the outdoor events of the roaring 2020s and the times beyond will have to be more creative, more immersive, and look far different than the ones we used to see In other words, event marketers need to brush up on their skills! To help you navigate this new land...

A while ago one of our customers, Publix, asked us to help with them outdoor brand activation. They wanted to do something different, meaningful, and impactful. What followed was one of our most ambitious projects and biggest lessons for the team at Rockway. This episode is the first place where we'll chat in detail about it. If you want to learn: - How we built a 5,6k ft brand activation for...

 A majority of people in the industry aren’t actually taking many steps to stand out and create an IMMERSIVE experience. There is a difference between “I went to that thing” and “I just EXPERIENCED a thing”. Too many marketers are rushing the process and not considering their intent and planning out their event strategy.   We often just go through the motions for our events and are focused on gett...

A bad RFP will deter good companies from bidding on your business. A good RFP and an understanding of how to navigate the process will lead you to finding the right tradeshow partner and elevate your tradeshow marketing. On this episode, we breakdown the do's and dont's of creating an RFP for your next tradeshow booth. - How do you find the right partner? - How do you put yourself in a p...

Everyone craves creativity and wants incredible design, but how does creativity really come about for a project? But more importantly, once you get there, how do you make an immersive and memorable experience for your brand or event? Design is subjective, but great design is not. Great design takes process, listening, vision and talent. While creativity and ideas are important, having a solid stra...

Sponsorships AND brand activations have to be customer centric. Why? We need to understand why the customer is there, what they need, what they value, positioning it around these questions. Most companies don’t know if their brand activations actually solved a common customer problem. But not American Express! AMEX reserved and opened up 10,000 reservations for their card holders only, in partners...

Introducing the world premiere of Event Marketing Redefined! Face-face marketing is not taught. Brands create events based on what they want, instead of what their customers want. This forces event marketers, like you, to figure out what running a successful trade show or event is like. We are brand experience creators that share one thing in common: we’re committed to changing the way businesses...

People often think of brand activations as complex, multi-faceted affairs that require a lot of planning and coordination. But the truth is, they can be quite simple! At its core, a brand activation is just marketing to your buyer persona in person, solving their problems, and appealing to their emotions. But of course, none of that is possible without a strong foundation.  As an event marketer, y...

Brands create events based on what they want, instead of what their customers want. There is no foundations, principles, or best practices for face-face marketing success. This forces event marketers, like you, to figure out what running a successful trade show or event is like.  Trade shows and event marketing are often the biggest line item in marketing budgets. Yet many companies have no idea i...