The Event Marketer's Toolbox

What if some of the most valuable things at a trade show are the materials we throw away when it's over? Every event professional knows what happens when a show closes. The booths come down, the flooring gets rolled up, the graphics are removed, and dumpsters start filling up. But how much of that material actually belongs in the trash? In Episode 70 of The Event Marketer’s Toolbox, hosts Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito welcome Brandie Townsend, sustainability and waste management expert at Brum...

A packed event doesn’t mean much if the right people aren’t in the room—or if your team doesn’t know how to turn those interactions into meaningful conversations. In Episode 69 of The Event Marketer’s Toolbox, Chris Dunn and first-time co-host Zaadia Spencer sit down with Joe Fontana to talk about sales and marketing alignment, human connection, AI, and where events really fit into the buyer journey. Joe makes the case for getting back to some basic fundamentals: ask questions, understand the...

Interactive screens, games, digital content, and new technology can attract attention on the trade show floor—but attention alone isn’t the goal. In Episode 68 of The Event Marketer’s Toolbox, Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin sit down with Zaadia Spencer to talk about creating interactive event experiences with a purpose. Zaadia shares why event marketers should start with the objective before choosing the technology. Is the goal to educate attendees, generate leads, increase booth traffic,...

What does it really take to turn an empty convention hall into a functioning trade show—and why do some of those seemingly simple services cost what they do? In this episode of The Event Marketer’s Toolbox, Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin sit down with Marc Ghafoori, SVP of Client Experience at Heritage, for an “Ask Me Anything” conversation about the role of the General Service Contractor (GSC) and what event marketers should know about the work happening behind the scenes. Marc breaks down wh...

The trade show floor Robert Laarhoven entered in 1984 looks very different from the one event marketers know today. Exhibits were largely divided between traditional custom builds and portable displays. Graphics were produced through processes that now feel almost unimaginable. Modular systems had yet to reshape the industry, and the role of an exhibit house was far more focused on building the physical booth than on the broader marketing strategy surrounding it. In Episode 66 of The Event Ma...