One thread that's been pulled through the majority of episodes since we began this podcast is the need to acquire and keep (or bring back!) talented people in the industry. Our guest on this episode is a great marketer, she hires people who are -- or develop into -- great marketers, and she keeps them! Or they boomerang back. "There is something inherently sexy about an agency and working in the events business, so we have developed a lot of our interns, and we transform them into full time employees." Without question, providing great services to clients is essential to maintain a successful ..read more

If you are in the meetings and events industry, you have heard of our guest on this episode. She can talk about ALL things in our space AND she is a key thought leader in the association world. KiKi L'Italien founded "Association Chat", which is one of the first Twitter chats EVER. She then evolved it into a live broadcast, and then a podcast. She knows her stuff, there's no question!  On this one we talk through the changes and strategies we've seen in EventTech over the last three years, and how boards and executives of associations, particularly, are approaching their EventTech stack n ..read more

Our guest on this one is front and center, representing us in DC and beyond. Most folks know we've had the Meetings Mean Business coalition since the events of 2008-2009, and now we also have the organization Tommy Goodwin represents, Exhibitions & Conferences Alliance, advocating for our industry. On this episode we talk about the challenge of getting Visas to enter the U.S. and the impact that has had on our industry, the Kentucky legislature (failed) attempt to tax space rental for exhibitors and sponsors, the entry of the Exhibitor News Network onto the scene, and MORE.  "While th ..read more

Mindfulness is something we can all do to improve our personal and professional lives. If you're not sure where to start or think you might need a refresher, our guest on this show is the perfect person to set us all on the path of mindfulness -- or awarefulness, as she mentions. Centering, examining, being intentional, and grateful are just a handful of practices we can do. We named this one "Mindful Leadership," but it all applies to all of us, whether in leadership or not. "You know, as you're taking one actionable nugget from this podcast, maybe that's the one: I'm going to take mindful us ..read more

The word "image" can mean different things to people. When thinking about improving your trade show image, this can be viewed from the organizer level, the exhibitor level, and the attendee level. Marlys helps us understand the importance of focusing on how to improve our image from each of these perspectives. Who are the best people to work your booth, for example? "Sometimes some of the best people to be in the booth are the customer service representatives, because they're the ones who field all the questions." We can all make improvements, and Marlys literally wrote the book on the topic ..read more

There are hidden gifts in volunteering. I've heard it said we can improve our lives through "addition by subtraction," and it hit me recently that volunteerism is "addition by addition." By giving back, as some would call it, we also receive. Of course, volunteerism doesn't just show itself in professional arenas, but when we do step up and into these roles for our professional associations, magic can happen. Our guest on this show is proof that getting involved won't only improve our professional lives (it does), but also has a positive impact on our personal lives. She has shot up through th ..read more

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and BELONGING… All things that are important with regard to how and why conference organizers select their speakers. Troy does a great job of helping us understand his perspective as a Black man and Megan adds gender equity into the conversation. We talk about speaking up about diversity on stages – solidarity also enters the chat.  While we absolutely need more women and people of color on stages at our events, it’s important that you have them talking about what they are subject matter experts on, and not just about DEI (Troy talks about this towards the en ..read more

The last few years have brought plenty of change, and trade shows have especially had challenges! Our guest on this episode has a ton of experience around helping exhibitors and show organizers alike tackle ways to make their trade shows better experiences. "Relationships are the currency of business" is one of the many quotes Jeffferson gave from many sage business people. Relationships ARE at the center of everything we do, and we should keep that as the focus as we build commerce and community around our trade shows. Our guest Jefferson Davis - President of Competitive Edge Jefferson has be ..read more

With this episode, we kick-off season two of Trade Show Talk! We speak with two industry leaders on this one about the state of the exhibitions industry -- we talk about where we have been and we look at where we're headed. "We just got the third quarter results. And what we have found is that about 14% of those shows that were held in the first - third quarters of this year (2022) have surpassed their pre-pandemic levels." -Cathy Breden The industry is recovering, but we do have a way to go. IAEE and CEIR are two industry-leading associations, so who better to hear from than their leadership ..read more

It's easy to either get swept up in the "new year resolution" thing OR to be caught-off-guard by a new year approaching without any goals or plans set for the new year. Our guest on this episode has a very easy, logical, and thoughtful way to tackle planning for the new year that she shares with us.  "I think it's really important that we take time to reflect. And that's really the first step in my process of looking forward is looking back."  Looking back before you look forward -- seems like a simple idea, but one we likely don't do! Courtney teaches us not just about how to plan ..read more