Event marketers want to stand out. They want to tell a story. They want ideas, themes, and creative experiences that resonate. But too often, the “big idea” gets lost in the scramble—buried under stakeholder pressure, budget constraints, and rinse-and-repeat tactics. That’s why in this episode, Matt Kleinrock teams up with Pablo Gonzalez to break down a simple, step-by-step framework to help event marketers come up with their next great idea. Whether you’re planning a trade show, SKO, customer s...
Jul 02, 2025•16 min•Season 1Ep. 148
Your events shouldn’t feel like they’re held together by duct tape. But when processes are unclear or inherited from chaos, it’s hard to know where to start—especially if you’re stepping into a new event marketing role or revamping an existing one. That’s where Matt Bohn comes in. Now Field Marketing Manager at Tines, he’s spent the past 20 years building scalable, structured event programs for brands like Walgreens and fast-growing tech companies. In this episode, he joins Matt Kleinrock to tal...
Jun 25, 2025•44 min•Season 1Ep. 147
You’re running events, but leadership still sees them as a cost center. You know events can drive real business results. But you’re stuck in the weeds: planning details, chasing RSVPs, and reporting on foot traffic. In this conversation, Kimberlee Kee, a Director of Event Marketing, talks about the real shift happening in the industry: event pros must become strategic marketers. She and Matt get into the nitty-gritty of how event marketers can plug into sales, contribute to pipeline, and speak t...
Jun 18, 2025•36 min•Season 1Ep. 146
You want your brand to be memorable, but most event experiences blur together. And while many marketers rely on flashy gimmicks, true impact comes from intentional storytelling. In this episode, Matt is joined by Theron Skees—Walt Disney Imagineering alum and founder of The Designer’s Creative Studio—to unpack how Narrative Experience Design can transform your events into immersive, emotionally resonant brand stories. You’ll learn how to build trust, deepen audience connection, and use experienc...
Jun 11, 2025•46 min•Season 1Ep. 145
Trade shows still dominate the event calendar and budgets, but are they delivering the same value they once did? Small-scale experiences are rising in popularity but many teams miss the mark when trying to replicate them. In this honest and tactical episode, Matt Kleinrock sits down with Aleksandra Panyukhina, Experience Marketing Director at Pixelz, to unpack what’s actually working right now—and what’s getting in the way. From her experience designing intimate, high-impact events to the realit...
Jun 04, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 144
You planned for your ICP. You shipped the booth. But the results? Flat. Because what no one tells you is that even the best events fall short when you don’t account for who’s actually at the show and what they’re there for. In this episode, Matt and Pablo break down the disconnect between static ICPs and dynamic show audiences—and how to bridge the gap with real strategy. Expect to learn: ✅ Why “ideal customer profile” thinking can actually hurt your booth strategy ✅ How to use audience behavior...
May 28, 2025•38 min•Season 1Ep. 143
Event costs are climbing. Expectations are higher. And marketers are being asked to do more—with less. In this episode, Rockway Exhibits + Events' CEO Matt Kleinrock and Director of Marketing Coty Adams break down what’s really going on in the events industry right now—using fresh data and trends Matt’s been tracking across the field. They’ll talk about: ✅ What today’s rising costs mean for your 2025 planning ✅ The metrics that actually matter (and how to align around them) ✅ Smart ways to refra...
May 21, 2025•51 min•Season 1Ep. 142
EXHIBITORLIVE 2025 brought together some of the smartest minds in event marketing—and we captured their thoughts straight from the show floor. Matt wasn’t there, but Coty Adams (Director of Marketing) and Mollie Stahl (Senior Account Executive) at Rockway Exhibits + Events were. And in this special compilation, you’ll hear direct insights from event pros on what’s shaping the industry now: AI, sustainability, CTSM education, workforce development, event design trends, and why this community stil...
May 14, 2025•15 min•Season 1Ep. 141
Everyone wants a booth that turns heads, but pulling it off takes more than just flashy lights and bold graphics. Matt teams up with Stuart Fingerhut, Creative Director – Events & Experiences at Production Club, an award-winning creative with two decades of experience designing immersive brand experiences for companies like Google, AWS, and Hyundai. They’ll break down what it really takes to design a booth that connects and converts: ✅ Common design mistakes that dilute your brand presence ✅...
May 07, 2025•56 min•Season 1Ep. 140
Event marketers rarely get to hear directly from the person whose opinion matters most when it comes to budget, strategy, and impact: the CMO. But without that insight, it's hard to know where your event program really stands—or how to level it up. Matt Kleinrock sits down with John Seeds, CMO at TTEC Digital, for a rare and candid look at how a top executive actually views events inside a go-to-market strategy. They unpack what CMOs care about, how event teams can align with business goals, and...
Apr 30, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 139
You’re great at planning events, but you want to make a bigger impact. Maybe even move up. And that means proving you’re more than logistics. In this episode, Sarah Gannon, Director of Corporate Events at MathWorks, shares the mindset and strategies that helped her grow from tactical planner to trusted business partner. With 25+ years in tech events and multiple industry accolades, Sarah breaks down what it takes to earn buy-in, align with sales, and show the true business value of events. You’l...
Apr 23, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 138
Event marketing is expected to deliver real business outcomes—and you want to lead with strategy, not just execution. But translating high-level goals into a measurable, aligned plan? That’s where most teams get stuck. In this live strategy session, Matt Kleinrock and Pablo Gonzalez bring the Event Success Framework to life—showing how to bridge the gap between ambition and action, one stage at a time. You’ll walk away with: ✅ A step-by-step breakdown of how to align stakeholders, goals, and KPI...
Apr 16, 2025•47 min•Season 1Ep. 137
Part 1 had people talking—and asking for more. You leave a trade show with a stack of business cards, a lead list, and big opportunities. But if your follow-up strategy isn’t airtight, those opportunities vanish. Most post-show outreach is slow, generic, and ineffective. Leads get cold. Follow-ups sound the same. And before you know it, you’re starting from scratch at the next event. In this highly requested Part 2, Matt Kleinrock and Doug Foley, President of Giant Goat, reveal the exact AI-powe...
Apr 09, 2025•54 min•Season 1Ep. 136
Sometimes you get 6 months to plan an event. Sometimes your VP drops a booth on your desk and says, “We need to be there in 30 days.” In this conversation, Matt and Pablo walk through how to make smart, fast decisions that still move the needle. It’s not about doing everything—it’s about doing the right things, fast. Expect to learn: ✅ How to avoid overspending (or underdelivering) when timelines are tight ✅ How to set realistic expectations (and when to skip the booth entirely) ✅ What to priori...
Apr 02, 2025•14 min•Season 1Ep. 135
Event marketers create incredible experiences, but too often, their role feels undervalued and stagnant. Promotions are unclear, budgets get cut first, and without a clear path to leadership, event marketing can feel like a dead end. If you’re not seen as a strategic player—driving revenue, influencing pipeline, and aligning with marketing and sales—you risk being sidelined. In this episode, Matt Kleinrock sits down with Pablo Gonzalez to tackle the real career potential for event marketers, bre...
Mar 26, 2025•15 min•Season 1Ep. 134
Most booths blend in, not stand out. Companies spend months preparing for trade shows but still end up with booths that fail to engage, generate leads, or create memorable experiences. You don’t need a bigger budget—you need a better strategy. The difference between a forgettable booth and one that attracts the right people, holds attention, and drives ROI? Smart design choices. And the best way to learn them? Seeing what works in action. In this episode, Matt Kleinrock and Coty Adams will walk ...
Mar 19, 2025•52 min•Season 1Ep. 133
Companies rely on events to drive pipeline and brand visibility, but too many hire event managers without a clear strategy. Without the right hire (or the right structure), events become a logistical nightmare instead of a pipeline-generating, relationship-building machine. And when budgets get tight, event teams are the first to get cut. In this episode, Matt Kleinrock and Pablo Gonzalez unpack everything you need to know about hiring and structuring an event role that actually moves the needle...
Mar 12, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 132
Most event marketing strategies stop at logistics. Booth design? Check. Speaker lineup? Done. But what about actually driving engagement before, during, and after the event? Without a structured approach, you’re leaving valuable connections—and revenue—on the table. Sales and marketing teams scramble to fill schedules last-minute. Booths are filled with unqualified traffic. Leads go cold because follow-up is inconsistent. AI can be your secret weapon, but only if you know how to use it. Enter Do...
Mar 05, 2025•53 min•Season 1Ep. 131
For too long, events have been seen as logistical line items rather than strategic revenue drivers. And when budgets tighten, they’re the first to get cut. The reality? Events amplify sales, marketing, and customer success but only if they’re aligned with company goals and measured effectively. Without clear data, leadership won’t see their value, and event marketers will struggle to prove impact. In this episode, Matt Kleinrock and Pablo Gonzalez tackle what event marketers need to know to make...
Feb 26, 2025•22 min•Season 1Ep. 130
Your trade show booth might be attracting visitors, but is it converting them into real business? Most companies rely on giveaways, flashy displays, and generic engagement tactics—but those aren’t enough. Your booth needs to do more than just look good—it must pull people in, create meaningful interactions, and drive real business results. In Part 2 of our Booth Design That Drives Results series, we’re going beyond the basics with innovative booth engagement strategies and tackling a major event...
Feb 19, 2025•55 min•Season 1Ep. 129
Event marketing success goes far beyond what happens at your booth. It’s about using data to drive smarter decisions, align stakeholders, and maximize ROI—but how do you get there, especially with limited resources or time? In this episode, Matt Kleinrock leads a discussion with industry experts Jon Wolff (Sr. Global Events Manager at Lenovo) and Joe Federbush (President at EVOLIO Marketing) to explore how data-driven strategies can transform event marketing. Here’s what you’ll take away: ✅ The ...
Feb 12, 2025•57 min•Season 1Ep. 128
Planning successful events in 2025 isn’t getting any easier. With tighter budgets, rising costs, and supplier negotiations that can feel like a minefield, even seasoned event pros face major hurdles. So, how do you deliver impactful events without breaking the bank? In another special compilation episode, we’re bringing together the best advice from past guests who’ve tackled these challenges head-on. ✅ Hollie Ashby (Manager, Senior Global Events at Akamai Technologies): Learn how to optimize bu...
Feb 05, 2025•29 min•Season 1Ep. 127
Crafting a brand story that connects and converts at events can feel overwhelming. From defining your core message to ensuring every team member communicates it consistently, where do you even begin? Without a clear story and unified strategy, your brand risks getting lost in the noise of the event floor—or worse, missing valuable opportunities to build trust and stand out. In this episode, Matt sits down with Laura McKinney, founder and CEO of StrataBrand, to uncover the fundamentals of effecti...
Jan 29, 2025•43 min•Season 1Ep. 126
Planning a standout tradeshow booth can feel overwhelming. Between aligning stakeholders, designing a booth that’s functional and eye-catching, and managing marketing before, during, and after the event, where do you even begin? Without a clear, tactical plan, your booth risks blending into the crowd—or worse, falling short of your goals. And let’s face it, tradeshow investments are too big to leave to chance. Start 2025 strong with the first “Event Marketing: Redefined” live show of the year, w...
Jan 22, 2025•58 min•Season 1Ep. 125
2025 is here, and you’ve got big goals. January is the perfect time to reflect, reset, and start fresh—and what better way to kick off the year than with advice from those who’ve walked in your shoes? This special episode is a compilation of some of the most thoughtful answers we’ve received to the question: “What advice would you give your younger self or a young event marketer?” Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll hear: • Carrie Davenport: Why asking questions is your ultimate career hack. • Garre...
Jan 15, 2025•14 min•Season 1Ep. 124
The RFP process—love it or hate it, it’s a staple in the events industry. But what if it’s fundamentally broken? Matt Kleinrock, CEO of Rockway Exhibits + Events, and Pablo Gonzalez dive deep into the challenges of traditional Request for Proposals (RFPs) and why it’s time to shift toward a Request for Results (RFR) mindset. In this episode, Matt and Pablo share why Rockway turned down two RFPs worth over $1.5 million in potential revenue and break down the flaws in the traditional procurement-l...
Jan 08, 2025•8 min•Season 1Ep. 123
The stakes for event marketers have never been higher: rising costs, tighter budgets, sustainability pressures, and the constant demand to prove ROI. So how do you measure success, stand out, and drive real impact? To kick off 2025, we’ve pulled together the top insights from 2024’s most powerful episodes featuring: ✅ Gerilynn Marburger, Global Events Director at Hewlett Packard Enterprise ✅ Kodi Morton, Marketing & Events Specialist at Bruker Scientific ✅ Mark Brewster, CEO and Founder of E...
Jan 01, 2025•47 min•Season 1Ep. 122
The world of event marketing saw some big wins and even bigger lessons in 2024, and as we head into 2025, the stakes (and opportunities) are higher than ever. But without reflecting on what worked and didn’t, it’s easy to fall into old habits that hold us back. Outdated playbooks and scattered strategies won’t cut it. That’s why, in this special year-end live show, Matt Kleinrock joins Coty Adams, Rockway Exhibits + Events’ Director of Marketing, to explore what’s next for event marketers. They’...
Dec 25, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 121
In Episode 117, Matt Kleinrock and Coty Adams discussed how AI is shaking up event execution and exposed a deeper issue: misalignment in event programs. Now, in this follow-up, Matt is back with Pablo Gonzalez to dig deeper into the question at the heart of it all: Who actually owns the strategy for your events? Here’s the reality: companies invest millions in trade shows, hosted events, and conferences, expecting sales and marketing results. But too often, event managers are handed the responsi...
Dec 18, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 120
Swag—love it or hate it, it’s everywhere in event marketing. But let’s face it: too much of it ends up as waste. What if we flipped the script on traditional giveaways and turned them into something truly meaningful? In this episode, Matt Kleinrock, CEO of Rockway Exhibits + Events, and Pablo Gonzalez tackle the swag conundrum. From ditching cheap, mass-distributed tchotchkes to creating intentional, story-driven, and sustainable swag strategies, they share insights that will transform how you t...
Dec 11, 2024•12 min•Season 1Ep. 119
