EVENT ABOUT IT: Event Marketing, Strategy & Business Growth

Megan Martin
  • 5.0 (12)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Struggling to make events drive business growth? Welcome to Event About It, the podcast for event-led growth. Hosted by Megan Martin, we ditch surface-level logistics for the high-stakes event strategy and event marketing your CEO, CMO, and CRO actually cares about. We blend actionable tactics with wild, backstage stories to ensure your next activation is a strategic powerhouse, not just a party. Join us every Friday: • 1st/3rd: Event strategy, stories and “Vent of the Week.” • 2nd/4th: The Aftershow—unfiltered truths & Dynamic Dialogue Stop guessing. Start growing.

  1. 1D AGO

    The Business Side of Events Nobody Talks About with Stuart Ruff-Lyon

    It was the last day of RISKWORLD 2023. The show had been the best one yet. Danica Patrick was about to take the stage for the closing keynote. Then Stuart Ruff-Lyon got pulled from the show floor and walked, without explanation, to a room where the Chief of Police of Atlanta was waiting. Two miles away, there was an active shooter on the loose. Four hotels on lockdown. Two shuttle routes stopped. Nine thousand attendees in the building. In this Dynamic Dialogue After Show, Megan Martin and Stuart Ruff-Lyon go through the whole story, minute by minute, from the walk down that hallway to the decision to cancel the finale, to what RIMS did publicly afterward that the entire events industry should study and copy. But this episode is bigger than one incident. It is the full behind-the-scenes career of the person who turned a 60-year-old conference into a global brand, survived a ransomware attack on the morning of a show, led his professional association through a pandemic as board chair, and now oversees events, sales, and marketing for one of the most recognized societies in the world. This is what it looks like to go wide from the inside. What You'll Learn: What was happening in the RISKWORLD command center in Atlanta that 9,000 attendees never saw Why RIMS made their entire crisis after-action review public and what that decision cost them and gave them How Stuart went from Director of Meetings and Events to Chief Commercial Officer at the same organization and what he had to learn that no job description ever mentions The real story behind rebranding a 60-year-old conference, from the research and outside firms to the board conversation and the pandemic delay that almost derailed the launch What RIMS' 365-day strategy actually looks like in practice, from selling next year's show before this year's show closes to building community beyond the four days on the floor How RIMS thinks about event revenue as a percentage of total association income and what that accountability looks like for an event team What event professionals fundamentally misunderstand about the business they are actually in The one metric this industry is obsessed with that Stuart thinks tells us almost nothing (it is the room block and the reason will change how you think about destination ROI) What association leaders say behind closed doors about events that never makes it into the conference presentation Resources Mentioned: RIMS Active Shooter Resources and After Action Review — the full report Stuart references about the 2023 Atlanta incident, including the minute-by-minute after action review and RIMS' security enhancements Comprehensive Risk Management Guide: https://www.asaecenter.org/about-us/news_releases/2024-news-releases/asae-collaborates-with-industry-leaders-to-produce-comprehensive-risk-and-crisis-management-toolkit-for-associations https://associationsnow.com/2023/05/how-one-association-handled-an-active-shooter-incident-in-conference-city/ Adam Grant — Think Again — the book Megan references in conversation with Stuart about rethinking assumptions Connect with Megan Martin: LinkedIn | msquareddynamics.com | @M2Dynamics on social media Connect with Stuart Ruff-Lyon: LinkedIn | RIMS.org Have an event story or a Vent of the Week worth sharing? Submit it at eventaboutitpodcast.com for a chance to be featured on a future episode. Until next time, stay curious.

    46 min

  2. 3D AGO

    When Hackers Hold Your Conference for Ransom with Stuart Ruff-Lyon

    Everyone says celebrity keynotes are out. Data says audiences want practitioners, not personalities. So why is RISKWORLD, the world's largest gathering of global risk professionals, doubling down on names like Adam Grant and Michael Strahan? Because sometimes the data is right and your audience is the exception. And knowing the difference is exactly what separates an event operator from a Chief Commercial Officer. In this episode of Event About It, host Megan Martin sits down with Stuart Ruff-Lyon, Chief Commercial Officer at RIMS, the risk management society, to talk about what actually happens when you stop measuring the wrong things and start asking better questions of your event. They play The Debrief, a game where Stuart gives the one question every event leader should be asking in their post-show report but almost never does. From flat sponsor revenue to a 92% say-they'll-return survey rate, Stuart flips the script on the metrics this industry treats as wins. Plus, Stuart shares the story of the morning a hacker held every single PowerPoint and video from RISKWORLD's 150-session education program for ransom. The first day of the show. Before the first session opened. And yes, they got it all back. What You'll Learn: The one question hiding behind every post-event metric that nobody is asking Why cutting your closing reception to save $200K might be your most expensive decision How to think about social media engagement after your conference without counting selfies as a strategy What cybersecurity risk actually looks like for a large-scale conference and what RIMS did about it Why the data says ditch celebrity keynotes — and when to ignore that data entirely Connect with Stuart Ruff-Lyon: LinkedIn | RIMS.org RISKWORLD 2026: May 3-6 | Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia Register and learn more Resources Mentioned: RIMS Active Shooter Resources and After Action Review — the full report Stuart references about the 2023 Atlanta incident, including the minute-by-minute after action review and RIMS' security enhancements Comprehensive Risk Management Guide: https://www.asaecenter.org/about-us/news_releases/2024-news-releases/asae-collaborates-with-industry-leaders-to-produce-comprehensive-risk-and-crisis-management-toolkit-for-associations https://associationsnow.com/2023/05/how-one-association-handled-an-active-shooter-incident-in-conference-city/ Adam Grant — Think Again — the book Megan references in conversation with Stuart about rethinking assumptions Connect with Megan Martin: LinkedIn | msquareddynamics.com | @M2Dynamics on social media Got a Vent of the Week or an event story worth sharing? Head to eventaboutitpodcast.com to submit yours and get featured on a future episode. Don't miss the Dynamic Dialogue After Show with Stuart, where we go deeper on the RISKWORLD rebrand, the Atlanta active shooter incident, and what association event leaders say behind closed doors that never makes it into the conference presentation. Join the Squared Squad at eventaboutitpodcast.com for access to every After Show episode and exclusive bonus content. Subscribe, leave a review, and share this with someone who still thinks 92% say they'd attend again is a good metric.

    22 min

  3. APR 24 ·  BONUS

    Why "Great Exposure" Is the Biggest Lie in Events with Beth Nydick

    You asked your speaker to show up. They did. You offered them exposure. They smiled and said thank you. And then nothing happened for either of you. In this Dynamic Dialogue After Show, Megan Martin and media strategist Beth Nydick pull back the curtain on the unspoken agreement between event organizers and speakers that nobody is formalizing, the myth of exposure as compensation, and what it actually looks like to build a media strategy around your event that works for the other 362 days of the year. Beth brings her TV producer lens to the events industry and what she sees is not a logistics problem. It is a media problem. Events are the most powerful content machine in the world and most organizations have absolutely no plan for what happens after the carpet gets rolled up. They also get into BravoCon as the event strategy blueprint the B2B world refuses to study, why micro niche creators with 8,000 followers will outperform your celebrity keynote, and why the conversation you need to be having with your speakers starts the day they get booked, not the day they hit the stage. Plus a full Bravo break because they are both Bravo girls and they earned it. In this after show you will learn: Why "you'll get great exposure" is BS and what organizers should offer speakers instead How to apply the Mic to Millions framework to a live event before, during, and after Why your event content strategy needs to power 365 days not just 72 hours post show What BravoCon is doing right that every B2B conference organizer should be studying Why micro niche creators drive more engagement than big name celebrities at your event How to move your attendees from passive consumers to active participants in your event story What the unwritten contract between speakers and organizers should actually include This episode is essential listening for event organizers, conference producers, event marketers, speakers, and anyone responsible for making events drive real business growth beyond the show floor. Connect with Beth Nydick Website: https://bethnydick.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethnydick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethnydick Beth's Mic to Millions System https://bethnydick.com Clean Cocktails: Righteous Recipes for the Modern Mixologist by Beth Nydick https://a.co/d/07IK3eQv BravoCon https://www.bravotv.com/bravocon Giggly Squad Podcast https://www.giggly.com CEO School on Prime Video https://www.amazon.com/CEO-School/dp/B0CXYZ Connect with Megan Martin Website: https://msquareddynamics.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/M2Dynamics https://www.instagram.com/EventAboutIt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/MeganMartinCMP Subscribe to The Step and Repeat Newsletter https://msquareddynamics.com/stepandrepeatsignup Got a vent or an event story worth sharing? Head to https://eventaboutitpodcast.com to submit yours for a chance to be featured in a future episode. Until next time. Stay Curious.

    39 min

  4. APR 17

    What No One Tells Speakers About Surviving the Stage with Beth Nydick

    What do you do when someone steals your mic, your camera, and your clicker right before you walk out to a standing room only crowd? You scream. Literally. In this episode of Event About It, host Megan Martin sits down with Beth Nydick, former TV producer turned media strategist and creator of the Mic to Millions system, to talk about what actually happens when event speakers show up prepared and the event is not. Beth takes us inside the most chaotic speaker moment of her career and what it taught her about performing under pressure, building audience connection in real time, and why the events industry is leaving its most powerful content asset completely untouched. They also play The Upfronts, a game where real event content strategies get pitched like TV season lineups and Beth decides what gets a full season pickup, what becomes a limited series, and what gets canceled before it ever airs. Spoiler: most of what your team is doing right now is getting canceled. In this episode you will learn: Why celebrities at TRL were terrified before going on live TV and what that teaches us about event speakers What event content strategies are dead on arrival and which ones actually have legs Why a dedicated hashtag with no social strategy is a wasted opportunity and what to do instead How to think about your event like a TV producer before the doors ever open What the difference is between being known and being famous and why it matters for your event brand This is a must listen for event professionals, conference organizers, event marketers, speakers, and anyone trying to make their event work harder than the three days it lives. Connect with Beth Nydick  Website: https://bethnydick.com  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethnydick  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethnydick Beth's Mic to Millions System https://bethnydick.com Clean Cocktails: Righteous Recipes for the Modern Mixologist by Beth Nydick https://www.amazon.com/Clean-Cocktails-Righteous-Recipes-Mixologist/dp/1624143059 Alt Summit https://altsummit.com Connect with Megan Martin  Website: https://msquareddynamics.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/M2Dynamics https://www.instagram.com/EventAboutIt LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/MeganMartinCMP Subscribe to The Step and Repeat Newsletter https://msquareddynamics.com/stepandrepeatsignup Got a vent or an event story worth sharing? Head to https://eventaboutitpodcast.com to submit yours for a chance to be featured in a future episode. Don't miss the Dynamic Dialogue After Show where Beth and Megan get into why great exposure is the biggest lie in events, what a real media strategy for your event looks like, and the thing nobody inside this industry has the guts to say out loud. Until next time. Keep growing, keep laughing, and keep eventing about it.

    33 min

  5. APR 10

    The Missing Link Between Event Content and Sponsor Renewals

    The Attribution Conversation Event Teams Need to Have with Their CMO Most event reports are a PDF nobody reads. What if your post-event data told you exactly which VP-level executives engaged with your sponsor's content — by name, by title, and by intent signal? In this Event About It Dynamic Dialogue After Show, Megan Martin and Florentin Ngabitsinze go deep on what event attribution actually looks like when it's done right — and why most organizations are measuring the wrong things, at the wrong time, with the wrong data. Florentin breaks down how his team at Uchop tracks identity-level engagement data — not vanity impressions, but real signals: who reposted, who shared internally, which executives engaged, and how that data connects directly to sponsor renewals and audience pipeline for the following year. They also unpack: Stakeholder activation — what it means and why it's more powerful than "content creation" When to measure: the 48-hour, 7-day, and 30-day attribution windows that matter most Organic vs. paid: how real-time event content builds the organic signal that makes paid advertising actually convert UGC and IP ownership: who owns the content, who controls the message, and how smart event teams are navigating both Pre-purposing content: using last year's speaker highlights to build attendance momentum for this year's event Why attendees who post about your event are a pipeline signal — and should live in a CRM of their own What it will take for events to finally be treated as infrastructure, not a line-item expense This is the conversation CMOs, event directors, and sponsorship teams need to have before they build next year's event strategy. 🎧 Find this episode and all after shows at eventaboutitpodcast.com Connect with Florentin Ngabitsinze: linkedin.com/in/florentin-ngabitsinze Learn more about Uchop: linkedin.com/company/uchop Connect with Megan Martin: msquareddynamics.com Join the Squared Squad at eventaboutitpodcast.com for access to bonus content, after show episodes, and the conversations that don't make the main stage. Until next time — stay curious. event attribution, sponsor ROI events, event measurement strategy, B2B event data, stakeholder activation, event content distribution, sponsor renewal data, identity-level engagement, event pipeline, UGC event strategy, event media strategy, conference ROI, event about it after show, Florentin Ngabitsinze, Uchop, event marketing metrics, CMO event strategy

    44 min

  6. APR 3

    The Real Reason Your Event Content Never Gets Used

    Why Your B2B Event Content Disappears — and What to Do Instead You spend months planning the event. You fill the room. You film everything. And then... it all just fades. In this episode of Event About It, host Megan Martin sits down with Florentin Ngabitsinze, co-founder of Uchop, to unpack one of the biggest missed opportunities in B2B event marketing: what happens to all that content after the lights go off. Florentin's team operates like a live sports studio inside B2B conferences — delivering real-time personalized video highlights to speakers, sponsors, and attendees before they've even left the building. The result? Sponsor renewals. Measurable attribution. And events that function like the media engines they were always meant to be. They play Applause or Attribution — a fast-paced game where every event tactic gets sorted into what actually drives business outcomes versus what just makes people clap. (Spoiler: the logo on the step-and-repeat wall did not fare well.) What You'll Learn: Why event content dies — and how real-time distribution changes everything What "personalized content" actually means when 90% of speakers will share it Why sponsors who get personalized highlights renew at dramatically higher rates The difference between applause metrics and attribution metrics — and which ones your CMO actually cares about Why your event speakers are your most underutilized content distribution channel What "phygital" event strategy means and how it expands audience reach without losing the human experience Whether you're running a flagship conference or sponsoring a trade show, this episode reframes the event from a budget line to a media infrastructure investment. 🎧 Catch the After Show at eventaboutitpodcast.com — where Florentin and Megan go deeper on stakeholder activation, attribution models, and how identity-level engagement data is changing the renewal conversation. Connect with Florentin Ngabitsinze: linkedin.com/in/florentin-ngabitsinze Learn more about Uchop: linkedin.com/company/uchop Connect with Megan Martin: msquareddynamics.com Got an event vent or a story worth sharing? Submit it at eventaboutitpodcast.com and join the Squared Squad for bonus content, after shows, and exclusive guest access. Until next time — keep growing, keep laughing, and keep eventing about it. event content strategy, B2B event marketing, event ROI, sponsor attribution, real-time event content, event media engine, event content repurposing, sponsor renewal strategy, event video highlights, phygital events, stakeholder activation, event measurement, conference content strategy, B2B conference marketing, event about it podcast

    14 min

  7. MAR 27

    22 AFTER SHOW The Event Marketing Question CEOs Should Be Asking with Devin Bramhall

    Why do CEOs keep asking for content that doesn’t work? In the Event About It after show, Megan Martin, CMP and Devin Bramhall go deeper into the leadership side of content and event strategy—specifically the questions executives ask that unintentionally lead teams into busywork instead of growth. This conversation reframes content not as a marketing output, but as a business decision—and challenges leaders to rethink how they evaluate success from events, campaigns, and marketing teams. In this after show, we explore: The most common mistake CEOs make with content strategy Why “we need more content” is usually the wrong question How leadership decisions shape event and marketing outcomes What content is actually supposed to do for a growing business How events, marketing, and growth get misaligned at the top This after show is essential listening for CEOs, CMOs, event leaders, and marketers who are accountable for growth—not just activity. 👉 Follow Event About It for more episodes and after shows:Megan Martin, CMP — https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmartincmp Subscribe and Review and Follow: EventAboutItPodcast.com Connect with the Guest: https://www.devinbramhall.com/

    21 min

  8. MAR 20

    22 Why Event Content Fails (And What Actually Drives Growth) with Devin Bramhall

    Why does event content fail to deliver real business growth—especially in B2B? In this episode of Event About It, host Megan Martin, CMP sits down with Devin Bramhall, a longtime B2B marketing leader, to unpack why so much event content misses the mark and why the issue isn’t volume, platforms, or distribution. It’s context. As brands invest more in events, activations, and content creation, many teams find themselves producing more assets—but seeing less impact. This conversation breaks down why “we need more content” has become the default ask, how that thinking disconnects events from growth, and what actually makes event marketing work. In this episode, we discuss: Why event content often fails to generate ROI The difference between content creation and business outcomes How B2B event marketing loses effectiveness without context Why marketing activity gets prioritized over growth strategy What actually drives growth from events, content, and marketing If you’re responsible for event strategy, marketing performance, or growth—and you’re questioning why your content isn’t landing—this episode provides clarity, language, and a better framework to move forward. Subscribe and Review and Follow: EventAboutItPodcast.com 👉 Follow Event About It on LinkedIn: Megan Martin, CMP — https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganmartincmp 🎧 Don’t miss the after show for a deeper conversation on leadership, content strategy, and the questions CEOs should be asking instead. Connect with the Guest: https://www.devinbramhall.com/

    21 min
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About

Struggling to make events drive business growth? Welcome to Event About It, the podcast for event-led growth. Hosted by Megan Martin, we ditch surface-level logistics for the high-stakes event strategy and event marketing your CEO, CMO, and CRO actually cares about. We blend actionable tactics with wild, backstage stories to ensure your next activation is a strategic powerhouse, not just a party. Join us every Friday: • 1st/3rd: Event strategy, stories and “Vent of the Week.” • 2nd/4th: The Aftershow—unfiltered truths & Dynamic Dialogue Stop guessing. Start growing.

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