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 Explori

These industry heavyweights tackled the biggest challenges facing event professionals—and delivered practical, actionable strategies you can’t afford to miss.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

🔑 How to Evolve Your Role: Gerilynn shares how to shift from reactive planning to becoming a strategic event marketer who thrives under pressure.
🎯 Maximizing Small Budgets: Kodi breaks down her three-step framework (Goals, Budget, Message) to make even small booths and sponsorships unforgettable.
📊 Proving ROI: Mark explains why event measurement is no longer optional and how to build a data-driven case for your events—before rising costs and carbon mandates force the issue.

The takeaway?
The event game has changed. If you want to create impact, stand out, and prove your value in 2025, this episode gives you the tools to make it happen.

Connect with Gerilynn
On her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerilynnmarburger/

Connect with Kodi:
On her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kodi-morton-97820613a/

Connect with Mark
On his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-brewster-09931221/

Connect with Me
On my LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/
On my Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/

🚨 Register for the show here: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

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Outdated playbooks and scattered strategies won’t cut it.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’re ready to tackle the biggest lessons from 2024, sharing key insights to help you build smarter, more strategic event plans for the new year.

Sleigh your next event with these takeaways:

🎁 What 2024 taught us about pipeline-driven metrics, show strategy, and audience engagement

🎁 Fresh strategies for making a big impact in 2025.

🎁 Why the new event playbook is all about relationships and experiences.

Pour yourself a drink (holiday flair optional) and join us as we unpack the best of 2024 and get ready to crush it in 2025. Don’t miss this one—it’s your strategy session wrapped in a bow.

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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

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 responsibility to execute without the resources, time, or authority to drive strategy.

In this episode, Matt and Pablo cover:

✅ Why strategy gets lost when event pros are stuck in execution mode.

✅ The gap between executive expectations and the infrastructure needed to deliver results.

✅ A call to CEOs, CMOs, and VPs: If events are a sales and marketing channel, who owns the strategy?

✅ How event managers can push upward—asking the right questions to align goals and execution.

✅ Why empowering a “strategic owner” for events can transform your event program into a true revenue driver.

This episode builds on the insights from Matt and Coty’s conversation in Episode 117, offering a practical roadmap to close the misalignment gap and ensure events deliver on their full potential.

Listen to Episode 117: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2035112/episodes/16183106

Connect with Pablo:

On his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablo-gonzalez-4333b42/

Connect with Me:

On my LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/

On my Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/

🚨 Register for the show here: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

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 think about giveaways.

You’ll learn:

✅ Why understanding your audience is the foundation of swag success.

✅ How to blend creativity, sustainability, and storytelling to create giveaways people actually value.

✅ Real-world examples: From personalized charity donations to digital trees that grow with attendee participation.

This episode is packed with actionable tips to level up your trade show booth engagement and maximize word-of-mouth impact. Whether you’re giving away hats, planting trees, or commissioning custom artwork, it’s all about aligning your swag with your brand story—and your audience’s values.

Connect with Pablo:

On his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablo-gonzalez-4333b42/

Connect with Me:

On my LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/

On my Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/

🚨 Register for the show here: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

You’ve spent years perfecting your craft and leading the charge, but what happens when it’s time to step back and help others rise?

The pressure to keep control while ensuring everything runs smoothly can leave you feeling torn. How do you prepare someone to take the reins without compromising the success you’ve worked so hard to achieve?

Christine Sionne, Senior Marketing Manager, Trade Show at Hunter Industries, joins Matt Kleinrock to talk about embracing transition with purpose. From mentorship to career-defining lessons, Christine shares her hard-won advice on leadership, balance, and the art of stepping into the next chapter with grace.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ Candid advice on making yourself indispensable—and then learning to let go.
✅ What training a protégé taught her about leadership and legacy.
✅ Why taking risks (and letting others fail) can lead to breakthroughs in growth.

Don’t miss this insightful conversation on turning the page without losing the story.

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Connect with Christine

On her LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-sionne-5660718a/

Connect with Me

On my LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/
On my Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/

🚨 Register for the show here: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

Events can be powerful tools for engagement, but too often, misaligned goals and a lack of support hold back event teams from delivering their best. On top of that, AI is opening up new possibilities—if you know how to use it.

From leadership’s high expectations to real-world resource challenges, it’s easy to feel like you’re in a tug-of-war between what’s possible and what’s expected. And with AI evolving so fast, there’s a lot to figure out.

In this episode of Event Marketing: Redefined, Matt Kleinrock teams up with Rockway Exhibits + Events’ own Director of Marketing, Coty Adams, to break down the latest AI tools changing the events industry and share strategies for bridging those pesky alignment gaps.

Learn:

✅ How AI tools can make your life easier (and which ones to watch).
✅ What to do when leadership wants big results without giving big resources.
✅ Simple steps to bridge gaps and make your event team unstoppable.

Ready to align your team and leverage AI for real results? Tune in today!

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

Life’s too short to work for leaders who don’t understand event marketing. In this episode, Matt Kleinrock, CEO of Rockway Exhibits + Events, is joined by Pablo Gonzalez to unpack the frustrating reality that many companies fail to align their event marketing with strategic goals.

Matt and Pablo break down the red flags that signal your company doesn’t “get” events and share what event marketers can do to shift the narrative—or recognize when it’s time to move on.

Here’s what they cover:

✅ How companies’ expectations clash with their actual approach to events.
✅ The three levels of misalignment: leadership goals, empty metrics, and overworked event teams.
✅ Why event marketers need clarity and alignment to grow their careers.

Bonus: Learn about a proven framework to help you align your event strategy with real results. Reach out to Matt or Pablo to get your hands on it!

If you’ve ever felt stuck in execution mode or wondered if your company is the right fit, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you take control of your event marketing career.

Connect with Pablo:

On his LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablo-gonzalez-4333b42/

Connect with Me:

On my LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/
On my Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/

🚨 Register for the show here: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined

As an event marketer, you have a lot of responsibility on your plate and a whole company counting on you, but you can only do so much!

That's why everything from working across complicated company matrixes to getting executives to engage in your event program are crucial to your success.

So we’ve gathered a panel of past superstars from the show who have years of success under their belts: Nancy Touhill (Director, Global Event Marketing at LexisNexis Risk Solutions), Brittany Lindquist (Director, Marketing Strategy at 8x8), and Hollie Ashby (Manager, Senior Global Events at Akamai Technologies).

Together, they’ll bounce around what has and is working for them when it comes to:

✅ Pushing things forward through heavily matrixed orgs
✅ Getting executives to buy in and actually engage in event programs
✅ Winning the trust of partners to drive engagement and amplification

In this episode, Matt and this powerhouse panel of brilliant women dive into the tactics, tools, and tough questions shaping event marketing today.

Tune in and get ready to bring fresh ideas back to your team!

Connect With Them:

Nancy Touhill: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nancy-touhill-2a419831/
Brittany Lindquist: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-elizabeth-lindquist/
Hollie Ashby: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollieashby/

Connect With Me:

On my LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/
On my Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/

🚨 Register for the show here: https://tinyurl.com/EventMarketingRedefined