Badge scans tell you if a trade show booth failed. They don't tell you why, and Nick Borelli's building a business on that gap.

Nick Borelli works in vision AI for the event space, applying facial analysis technology (via Zenus) to measure attendee sentiment, dwell rates, and engagement at trade shows, keynotes, and activations. He also teaches an AI certification course for PCMA called "Enhancing Events with AI." The conversation covers what ethical facial analysis actually measures, why badge scans are a poor proxy for event success, and how he thinks about AI as an "engine of perspectives" rather than an answer machine.

What You'll Learn

• Aggregate sentiment analysis: Facial analysis tools can measure crowd-level sentiment and dwell rates without collecting biometric data on individuals.
• Badge scans are a binary trap: Judging a show as good or bad off a single scan target ignores impressions, dwell rate, and sentiment data that tell a fuller story.
• Exhibitor trust builds over time: First-year exhibitors should expect high bounce rates and should be coached to measure awareness, not conversion.
• A/B testing works within a single booth: Multiple sensors in one space can test layout, session format, and messaging changes in real time.
• AI produces average output by design: Asking AI to "do the task" returns competent mediocrity because it's trained on the average case.
• AI works better as a perspective generator: Asking AI what's often overlooked or who gets forgotten in a design produces more value than asking it to execute.
• B2C events outperform B2B on experience: Because B2C shows aren't transactional, they're forced to focus on belonging and experience rather than lead capture.
• Curiosity is the differentiator going forward: The gap between people who ask AI follow-up questions and those who take the first answer will define career relevance.

Time-Stamped Highlights: 

•   (00:00) Welcome and background in event technology
•   (01:00) Life on the road: 60+ trips a year and travel realities
•   (02:59) Podcasting history and the metaverse hype cycle
•   (05:29) Joining Zenus and selling "ethical facial analysis"
•   (07:37) How the technology works: aggregate math, not biometrics
•   (09:35) Badge scans vs. impressions, dwell rates, and sentiment
•   (11:19) A/B testing booth design and session formats
•   (13:10) Who belongs in a trade show booth (and why not salespeople)
•   (14:49) Real-time dashboards and the culture shift needed to use them
•   (20:08) Year one vs. year two: coaching exhibitors on trust and metrics
•   (22:22) Why video testimonials land better than data pitches
•   (25:03) Teaching AI certification for PCMA
•   (27:48) AI as an engine of perspectives, not an execution tool
•   (30:30) Agentic builds and staying "in the loop"
•   (36:21) Favorite events: World of Concrete, CES, and Fanatics Fest
•   (38:22) B2C vs. B2B experience design
•   (40:18) Closing thought: curiosity as the future differentiator

Guest bio Nick Borelli has worked in events since the late 1990s across hospitality, venue sales, marketing, and event technology, including roles at venues like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He now works in the vision AI space at Zenus, applying facial analysis to attendee behavior insights, and has taught PCMA's "Enhancing Events with AI" course for three and a half years. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickborelli/

About the Podcast Eventapalooza features conversations with event industry professionals on production, technology, and the forces reshaping how events are planned and experienced.

Host bio Tim Arthur has over 20 years of experience producing video around the globe. A film and video production professional with a background spanning marketing, technology, and event coordination, he approaches every project with a focus on increasing his clients' reach and value through creative, discerning production.