Event Marketing: Redefined

Matt Kleinrock
  • 4.5 (16)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Welcome to the go-to resource for event marketers. With each episode, we dive deep into the world of event marketing, bringing in industry leaders to discuss trends, strategies, and success stories. We're not just talking about creating trade show booths; we're exploring how to craft success stories that drive tangible results. We believe trade shows and events are not just a cost of doing business but an essential sales and marketing strategy, and have the potential to propel your brand growth and significantly impact your bottom line.We understand the industry can be complex, with challenges around under-resourced staff, budget allocation, and much more. That's why we're here—to provide guidance and expertise so you can do better, be better, and expand your career. Join us on this journey to get results, grow your brand, and experience the revolution of event marketing!“Event Marketing: Redefined'' is hosted by trade show and event marketing expert, Matt Kleinrock, CEO of Rockway Exhibits + Events. 

  1. EP 181 | RFPs for Event Agencies: How to Ask Better Questions and Choose Better Partners

    3D AGO

    EP 181 | RFPs for Event Agencies: How to Ask Better Questions and Choose Better Partners

    How do you know if the event agency you hired is actually a strategic partner? Or just a middleman?  Choosing the right agency partner can shape the success of an entire event program, yet many teams still rely on RFP processes that miss what truly matters. In this episode, Matt Kleinrock sits down with event strategist and fractional Head of Events Gianna Gaudini to unpack how organizations should rethink agency selection from the start. Together, they explore how event leaders can run smarter RFPs, ask better questions, and evaluate agencies based on strategic value rather than surface-level proposals. You’ll learn: ✅ Why many RFP processes fail to reveal whether an agency can truly be a strategic partner ✅ What questions event leaders should ask agencies to uncover real capabilities and alignment ✅ Red flags that signal when an agency relationship may create more friction than value With experience spanning Google, AWS, and Airtable, Gianna brings a unique perspective from both brand-side and agency-side roles.  Tune in to rethink how you choose agency partners and how better questions can lead to better event outcomes. ----------------------------------  Connect with Gianna Gaudini LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/giannagaudini/  Connect with Matt Kleinrock  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/ Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/ 🚨 Register for the show: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

    46 min
  2. EP 180 | Micro-Events as Closers: The Playbook Behind 15,000% ROI

    MAR 18

    EP 180 | Micro-Events as Closers: The Playbook Behind 15,000% ROI

    Most event programs are built around visibility: booths, sponsorships, brand presence For years, that approach was considered the safest way to drive pipeline. But what if the deals you care about aren’t won on crowded show floors? And your highest-value buyers respond to something far more intentional? In this episode, Matt sits down with Bronwen Gregg, who leads event strategy from inside sales enablement, not marketing. After seeing diminishing returns from large trade shows, her team shifted toward curated micro-events designed specifically for executive decision-makers.  The result: hosted experiences functioning as late-stage deal accelerators, with activations reporting ROI in the five-figure percentage range. Instead of treating events as lead generation tools, they built a program where each experience has a defined role in the buyer journey and micro-events are engineered to close. Here’s a look inside the playbook: ✅ Why micro-events outperform large trade shows for executive audiences ✅ How to design experiences that move deals forward instead of just starting conversations ✅ What changes when events are owned by revenue leadership, not just marketing If your events create activity but not outcomes, this conversation offers a blueprint for turning intimate, high-signal experiences into real business results. ---------------------------------- Connect with Bronwen Gregg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bronwengregg/  Connect with Matt Kleinrock LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/   Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/    🚨 Register for the show: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

    53 min
  3. EP 179 | Why Most Event Strategies Never Make It to Revenue

    MAR 4

    EP 179 | Why Most Event Strategies Never Make It to Revenue

    Most event teams are doing everything they’re supposed to do: booking the booth, training staff, showing up with the right materials. And yet, the results rarely match the effort. The issue usually isn’t poor execution. It’s that the event was never designed to drive revenue in the first place. In this episode, Matt and Coty break down the thinking behind the session they’ll be bringing to EXHIBITORLIVE 2026… and why so many event strategies stall long before pipeline is even possible. Instead of tactics or checklists, this conversation focuses on the decisions that shape everything downstream: ✅ Why events fail when emotional outcomes, strategic intent, and revenue goals aren’t aligned ✅ What actually needs to be true before a show starts and after it ends for revenue to follow ✅ How to treat events as a revenue accelerator within your go-to-market strategy, not a standalone moment This is a zoomed-out, strategic look at what separates busy event teams from effective ones, and why most execution never gets the chance to work. --------------------  Connect With Us  Matt Kleinrock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/   Coty Adams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cotykadams/   Our Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/ 🚨Register for the show here: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

    53 min
  4. EP 178 | How a 10×10 Booth Booked 116 Meetings (And Why Pre-Show Is Everything)

    FEB 18

    EP 178 | How a 10×10 Booth Booked 116 Meetings (And Why Pre-Show Is Everything)

    The event didn’t start on the show floor. By the time Accelevents showed up with a 10×10 booth, much of the pre-show groundwork was already in motion—accounts targeted, meetings scheduled, and conversations planned. The result? 116 meetings driven by intentional strategy, not booth size or blind hope for foot traffic. In this live conversation, Matt is joined by Jonathan Kazarian, CEO of Accelevents, and Michael Burns, CRO, to walk through a real case study.  They’ll break down the pre-show strategy behind that outcome: ✅ Why booth size had nothing to do with meeting volume ✅ How targeted outreach and community plays drove qualified conversations ✅ What changes when sales and marketing co-own pre-show strategy ✅ How pre-booked meetings should influence booth design and on-site experience If you want your next event to work BEFORE you arrive and not after, this episode will show you how to rethink your approach. ---------------------------------- Connect with Jonathan Kazarian LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkazarian/  Connect with Michael Burns  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-burns-0208/  Connect with Matt Kleinrock LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/ Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/  🚨 Register for the show: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

    44 min
  5. EP 177 | Inside Lenovo’s Event Strategy: Partnerships, Scale, and Standing Out

    FEB 4

    EP 177 | Inside Lenovo’s Event Strategy: Partnerships, Scale, and Standing Out

    Have you ever looked at a big brand’s event partnerships and wondered what actually makes them work... beyond the logos and budgets? In this episode, Matt is joined again by Jon Wolff and Mandy Glenwright to take you inside how Lenovo thinks about event strategy through the lenses of partnerships, scale, and standing out in crowded environments. Hear them unpack: ✅ Why most partnerships default to logo placement and what differentiates the ones that feel genuinely collaborative ✅ How Lenovo approaches partner-led events as long-term strategic levers, not one-off collaborations ✅ How large-scale activations (including sponsorships like FIFA) are evaluated for relevance not just reach If you’ve wondered how big brands avoid becoming bloated, unfocused, or overly tactical with events, this episode offers a grounded, inside look at what intentional event strategy really looks like in practice. ----------------------------------  Connect with Jon Wolff LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondwolff/ Connect with Mandy Glenwright LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandy-glenwright/ Connect with Matt Kleinrock  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/    Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/     🚨 Register for the show: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

    53 min
  6. EP 176 | Integrating Events Into Sales & Marketing Without Treating Them as One-Offs

    JAN 21

    EP 176 | Integrating Events Into Sales & Marketing Without Treating Them as One-Offs

    Events are one of the few channels where sales and marketing can show up together, face-to-face, and create real trust. And yet, many event programs are still planned and measured like isolated moments. So it’s no surprise they struggle to earn long-term credibility. In our first live episode of 2026, Matt sits down with MacKenzie Grant (Senior Director of Marketing, Experiences at Enverus) to unpack what changes when events are designed as part of a broader go-to-market strategy—one that supports the full buyer journey, aligns teams, and connects creativity directly to business outcomes. Rather than focusing on aesthetics or one-off wins, the conversation explores: ✅ How event programs gain momentum when they’re integrated across sales, marketing, and customer teams ✅ Why creativity thrives when accountability is shared, not imposed ✅ Where AI actually helps event teams extend impact (without stripping away trust or human connection) This isn’t about adding more to your plate. It’s about finally making sense of how events fit into the work you’re already doing. Join us live to rethink how events support growth—before the next show gets planned the same way as the last one. ---------------------------------- Connect with MacKenzie Grant LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackenziemgrant/ Connect with Matt Kleinrock LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/ Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/  🚨 Register for the show: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

    46 min
  7. EP 175 | How to Turn Complex Products into Tangible Event Experiences

    JAN 7

    EP 175 | How to Turn Complex Products into Tangible Event Experiences

    Some products are easy to show on a show floor. AI isn’t one of them. When your product is abstract, powerful, and sometimes intimidating, the challenge isn’t just explaining what it does—it’s helping people feel why it matters. That’s where this conversation goes. In this episode, Matt sits down with Chelsea Sparrow, Go-To-Market Manager at Microsoft, to unpack how her team brings AI tools like Copilot to life at events where demos alone fall flat and trust has to be earned. Instead of defaulting to laptops and feature walkthroughs, Chelsea shares how Microsoft designs experiences around audience mindset, cultural context, and emotion. Learn about: ✅ Designing experiences based on who the audience is and what they care about, not a one-size-fits-all playbook ✅ Why story, trust, and cultural relevance matter more than polished demos—especially for AI ✅ How brand partnerships and community voices help tech brands show up without feeling tone-deaf or salesy If you’re responsible for marketing complex products in a world where skepticism is high, this episode will change how you think about experience design. ---------------------------------- Connect with Chelsea Sparrow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-sparrow/ Connect with Matt Kleinrock LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/ Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/  🚨 Register for the show: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

    34 min
  8. EP 174 | What 2025 Taught Event Marketers (And How to Win 2026)

    12/31/2025

    EP 174 | What 2025 Taught Event Marketers (And How to Win 2026)

    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 all year long. You’ll get a mix of reflection, clarity, and forward momentum, including: 🎁 The core lessons 2025 made impossible to ignore (and why they’ll shape every smart event marketer’s 2026 playbook) 🎁 A grounded look at the state of B2B events 🎁 The validation and perspective event pros rarely get If you want a thoughtful wrap-up to the year—and a strategic head start on 2026—this is the one to show up for. ---------------------  Connect With Us: Matt Kleinrock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/ Coty Adams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cotykadams/ Our Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/ 🚨 Register for the show here: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

    50 min
See All (200)

4.5
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

Welcome to the go-to resource for event marketers. With each episode, we dive deep into the world of event marketing, bringing in industry leaders to discuss trends, strategies, and success stories. We're not just talking about creating trade show booths; we're exploring how to craft success stories that drive tangible results. We believe trade shows and events are not just a cost of doing business but an essential sales and marketing strategy, and have the potential to propel your brand growth and significantly impact your bottom line.We understand the industry can be complex, with challenges around under-resourced staff, budget allocation, and much more. That's why we're here—to provide guidance and expertise so you can do better, be better, and expand your career. Join us on this journey to get results, grow your brand, and experience the revolution of event marketing!“Event Marketing: Redefined'' is hosted by trade show and event marketing expert, Matt Kleinrock, CEO of Rockway Exhibits + Events. 

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Kleinrock
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Event Marketing: Redefined
  • Show Website
    Event Marketing: Redefined

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