EVENTASTIC Conference registration is now OPEN! The world's largest event about EVENTS! Free + Virtual! Save your spot! https://www.eventastic.com/

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🔗 Links & Resources

1. Brandt Krueger on LinkedIn

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Should your event advertisements send people directly to a registration form? Host Kristin Nagle asks industry veteran Brandt Krueger to weigh in on this common debate. Brandt breaks down why "cold" traffic often bounces when hit with an immediate ask and explains his strategy for warming up potential attendees first.

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They discuss the difference between injected ads versus host-read endorsements and why the "vibe" of an event matters before a user clicks buy. Later, things get controversial when Brandt explains why he would kill Spotify in a round of "Kiss, Marry, Kill."

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👤 Guest Bio

Brandt Krueger is a technical producer and educator with over 20 years of experience in the meetings and events industry. He is a globally recognized voice in event technology, advocating for a "human-first" approach to production. Brandt co-hosts the Event Tech Podcast and teaches the "Virtual Event and Meeting Management" certificate course for PCMA and the Event Leadership Institute.

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✅ The Event Question

Stacy from North Carolina asks:

"Should event ads lead directly to registration or to content first, like a highlight reel or agenda teaser?"

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📌 What You’ll Learn

1. Avoid cold asks: Do not send ad traffic straight to a registration form unless the user is already very familiar with the event.
2. Massage the decision: Use content to "warm up" the audience before asking for a commitment.
3. Focus on the funnel: Recognize that ad clicks are usually top-of-funnel actions where the user is just curious, not ready to buy.
4. Leverage personal influence: Host-read ads or personal endorsements often carry more weight than generic injected ads.
5. Provide context: Give potential attendees a chance to understand the "vibe" and details of the association or event before forcing a sign-up.

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🎭 The Ridiculous Question

The Question: "Kiss, Marry, Kill: Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube."

The Answer: Brandt kills Spotify (he prefers owning his music and dislikes their AI stance), kisses Netflix (it’s a flirtatious, dip-in-and-out relationship), and marries YouTube (for the utility and learning content).

EVENTASTIC Conference registration is now OPEN! The world's largest event about EVENTS! Free + Virtual! Save your spot! https://www.eventastic.com/

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🔗 Links / Resources Mentioned

1. Connect with Stania Antoine on LinkedIn
2. Eventastic (Next event coming June 2026)
3. GURU Conference

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Post-event communication often feels like an afterthought. You spend months planning the main show, but the follow-up strategy determines if attendees stick around. Host Kristin Nagle sits down with Stania Antoine to answer a critical question from Azi in Los Angeles: is writing that recap email actually worth the effort?

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Stania reveals why the clock starts ticking the second your event ends. She shares specific timing strategies to hit the inbox while positive vibes are high. You will learn why these emails often outperform your best promotional campaigns and how to structure them for maximum impact.

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👤 Guest Bio

Stania Antoine is the Conference Director at GURU Media Hub. She oversees the production of some of the world's largest virtual marketing events, including the GURU Conference. With a background in integrated media and account management at Worldata and Outcome Media, Stania focuses on creating high-energy, data-driven event experiences that prioritize actionable advice over fluff.

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✅ The Event Question

Azi from Los Angeles, California, asks: "Do people still read post-event recap emails, or is that effort wasted?"

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📌 What You’ll Learn

1. The 30-minute rule: Send your first post-event email within 30 minutes of the event ending to ensure it sits at the top of the inbox when attendees check their phones.
2. Pre-planning is mandatory: Draft your follow-up content before the event starts. The window of attention is too short to write copy after the fact.
3. Leverage high engagement: Post-event emails can see up to a 25% higher open rate than your final promotional email. Use this attention wisely.
4. Drive the next action: Do not just say thank you. Use the positive momentum to tell attendees exactly what is coming up next or what they should do now.
5. Understand the journey: View the recap as a continuation of the attendee journey rather than a separate administrative task.

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🎭 The Ridiculous Question

Q: What is a skill that you are weirdly elite at that has nothing to do with your job?

A: Stania picks up new languages very quickly and has a hidden talent for drawing (and singing, according to Kristin).

EVENTASTIC Conference registration is now OPEN! The world's largest event about EVENTS! Free + Virtual! Save your spot! https://www.eventastic.com/

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🔗 Links / Resources Mentioned

1. Adam Parry LinkedIn
2. Event Tech Live
3. Confex (UK Event)

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When trade show booths get busy, exhibitors often lose potential leads who are not willing to wait ten or fifteen minutes to speak to a staff member. Host Kristin Nagle discusses this missed opportunity with Adam Parry, the founder of Event Tech Live. They address a specific listener's question about whether QR codes are effective tools for engagement or merely a "techie" aesthetic choice.

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Adam argues that while many people use them incorrectly, they are vital for capturing the attention of passersby. He explains why linking a code to a generic homepage is a waste of time and proposes a better strategy using curated content. Listeners will learn how to use digital tools to act as a safety net for engagement when the booth is crowded.

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👤 Guest Bio

Adam Parry is the co-founder of Event Tech Live (ETL) and the editor of Event Industry News (EIN). With over 15 years of experience in the sector, he moved from print media to become a leading voice on digital innovation. Adam also co-founded the Event Technology Awards and Event Sustainability Live, working to connect organizers with technology providers to support the "long game" of ROI and relationship building.

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✅ The Event Question

Felicia from Las Vegas asks: "Have QR codes actually improved booth engagement or do they just look techie?"

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📌 What You’ll Learn

1. Why a busy booth is often a missed opportunity for attendees who want quick answers.
2. How to use QR codes to provide immediate value without requiring a staff conversation.
3. The major mistake exhibitors make is linking codes to general websites or landing pages.
4. Examples of "curated valuable content" to offer, such as industry reports or cheat sheets.
5. How to use high-value incentives like holiday sweepstakes to encourage a scan.
6. Strategies to capture attendee data and build a pipeline through digital forms, even when staff are occupied.

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🎭 The Ridiculous Question

Question: What is your favorite controversial food opinion?

Answer: Adam puts salt and vinegar on his pancakes, a savory twist on the traditional British style.

EVENTASTIC Conference registration is now OPEN! The world's largest event about EVENTS! Free + Virtual! Save your spot! https://www.eventastic.com/

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🔗 Links / Resources Mentioned

1. Tahira Endean LinkedIn
2. Accessible Disruption (Podcast)

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Sharon Washington from The P3 Solution asks the big question: How do event professionals innovate year after year when the competition is fierce, and innovation feels impossible?

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Host Kristin Nagle discusses this challenge with Tahira Endean, Head of Program at IMEX Group. Tahira explains why "innovation" may be the wrong goal if you aren't first anchoring your event in what people actually need right now. She explains that attendees don't just show up as professionals; they bring their families, work stress, and cultural norms. The conversation covers how to design for different ages and learning stages by iterating rather than reinventing the wheel each time.

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👤 Guest Bio

Tahira Endean is the Head of Program at IMEX Group, where she curates educational content for IMEX Frankfurt and IMEX America. A leader in "intentional design," she focuses on how neuroscience and human behavior impact event experiences. She is also the author of Intentional Event Design and her latest book, Our KPI is Joy.

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✅ The Event Question

Sharon Washington (The P3 Solution): How do event professionals innovate year after year when innovation seems totally difficult to maintain against so much competition?

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📌 What You’ll Learn

1. Anchor in human needs: Focus on what your attendees need now (post-digital, post-COVID) rather than chasing trends.
2. Iterate constantly: You do not need to invent a new event every year, but you must evolve based on participant feedback.
3. Respect cultural norms: Adjust your design based on the location and the cultural expectations of the majority of your attendees.
4. Acknowledge the whole person: Attendees bring their personal lives, family issues, and office stress to the venue. Create space for them to manage these outside pressures.
5. Design for variety: Build learning environments that cater to different ages, career stages, and preferred learning styles.

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🎭 The Ridiculous Question

Question: What celebrity would you want to sit next to on a plane?

Answer: Beyoncé or Taylor Swift. Tahira wants to ask them how they review their own show tapes every night to refine their craft and refuse mediocrity.

EVENTASTIC Conference registration is now OPEN! The world's largest event about EVENTS! Free + Virtual! Save your spot! https://www.eventastic.com/

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1. Ghazwan Almoazen on LinkedIn
2. DocuSign

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Rick from the MPI Mexico Chapter asks a critical question about how to increase registrations in the final two weeks before an event. Ghazwan Almoazen warns against the common mistake of "going macro" and blasting every contact in your database. He explains why this strategy fails and offers a more targeted approach to drive pipeline value.

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Host Kristin Nagle discusses these strategies with Ghazwan to help marketers avoid wasting efforts on the wrong audience. Ghazwan breaks down how to use geography and sales data to fill seats with the right people, not just warm bodies.

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👤 Guest Bio

Ghazwan Almoazen is the Director of Global Events Demand Generation and Communications at DocuSign. He brings over 12 years of experience in the events and technology sectors, having previously held leadership roles at VMware, Oracle, and Yahoo. His philosophy centers on integrating human empathy with data-driven demand generation to create meaningful "event experiences" that move beyond simple logistics.

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✅ The Event Question

Rick from the MPI Mexico Chapter asks: "What is the biggest mistake people make when trying to increase registration in the final two weeks before an event?"

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📌 What You’ll Learn

1. Stop "going macro": Avoid the temptation to invite everyone in your database just to fill seats in the final weeks.
2. Target the locals: Focus your marketing on prospects and customers in the venue city.
3. Partner with sales: Identify top accounts and opportunities within a 100-mile radius of the event to drive relevant attendance.
4. Retarget registrants: Don't assume registration equals attendance. Market to your existing registrants to ensure they attend.

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🎭 The Ridiculous Question

"Would you rather never watch TV ever again or never listen to music again?"

Ghazwan chooses to keep the TV. He admits that binge-watching shows on weekends is his primary escape and way to recharge.

EVENTASTIC Conference registration is now OPEN! The world's largest event about EVENTS! Free + Virtual! Save your spot! https://www.eventastic.com/

1. EventMobi.com
2. Bob Vaez LinkedIn

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Sponsors usually want one thing: leads. But when Jenny from Brighton asks how to prove ROI beyond simple impressions, Bob Vaez (CEO of EventMobi) flips the script. He joins host Kristin Nagle to explain why you should treat sponsorship exactly like a marketing funnel.

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Bob breaks down the three stages of the sponsorship funnel: brand exposure, trust building, and conversation. He shares specific tactics to move sponsors through this journey, from using competitor FOMO to close deals to restructuring how logos are displayed onsite. Instead of chasing vanity metrics, Bob argues for creating "demo sessions" and off-floor experiences, such as food tours, to build genuine relationships. It is a fresh look at delivering value that goes beyond the badge scan.

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👤 Guest Bio

Bob Vaez is the Founder and CEO of EventMobi, an end-to-end event management platform used by over 30,000 planners globally. A computer engineer by training, Bob launched EventMobi in 2010 to replace paper guides with mobile apps. He recently led the acquisition of the virtual platform Run The World and focuses on integrating event data into the wider marketing stack.

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✅ The Event Question

Jenny from Brighton, UK, asks: "How can event organizers prove ROI to sponsors? Beyond impressions."

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📌 What You’ll Learn

1. Apply the Marketing Funnel to Sponsorship: Break your sponsorship opportunities into three clear buckets: Awareness (Brand Exposure), Trust, and Conversion (Conversation).
2. Leverage Competitor FOMO: Tell potential sponsors whether their direct competitors are attending or attended last year. This simple tactic can significantly increase sponsorship sales.
3. Rethink Logo Placement: Instead of a single massive logo wall that goes ignored, split sponsor logos into 20-30 smaller banners. Place them along the main walkways between the hotel and the venue to ensure every attendee passes them.
4. Build Trust with Demo Sessions: Create low-commitment "pitch sessions" in which 4-5 vendors present back-to-back, each for 5 minutes. This allows attendees to qualify vendors before visiting a booth.
5. Facilitate Off-Floor Networking: Move beyond the trade show floor with activities like scavenger hunts or city food tours. Informal settings often lead to stronger relationships and higher response rates than a cold badge scan.

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🎭 The Ridiculous Question

Question: What is your go-to song for karaoke?

Answer: Bob recalls a disaster singing "Walk Like an Egyptian" where the mic was cut off. He now exclusively sticks to EDM because you don't have to sing; you just have to fist-bump.

EVENTASTIC Conference registration is now OPEN! The world's largest event about EVENTS! Free + Virtual! Save your spot! https://www.eventastic.com/

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🔗 Links / Resources Mentioned

1. Connect on LinkedIn: Nicole Osibodu
2. Follow on LinkedIn: Club Ichi Company Page
3. Instagram: @WeAreIchi
4. Event: Secret Family Reunion

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Michelle from Orlando asks how to ensure attendee feedback surveys are not a chore. Host Kristin Nagle sits down with Nicole (Kline) Osibodu to discuss why standard forms fail and how to fix them. Nicole explains why gift cards are better suited to dental offices than to events and suggests specific creative prompts to improve data quality. She shares tactics such as asking attendees to "spill the tea" about secrets the organizers missed or creating their own awards for sponsors. The conversation focuses on making questions more engaging, so attendees look forward to answering them next year.

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👤 Guest Bio

Nicole (Kline) Osibodu is the Co-Founder of Club Ichi and The Community Factory. Formerly the President of Haute Dokimazo, she is known for her "Neurosparkly" philosophy and for creating "human-first" events. She champions the "XOXO" credential as a commitment to genuine connection and pioneered the "Secret Family Reunion" un-conference format.

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✅ The Event Question

Michelle from Orlando asks: "How can you make attendee feedback surveys not feel like a chore?"

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📌 What You’ll Learn

1. Invite attendees to "spill the tea" on secrets or things the organizers missed.
2. Request photo uploads of the most fun moment from the event.
3. Reuse submitted photos for social media content after the event ends.
4. Allow attendees to award prizes to other participants or sponsors.
5. Avoid generic gift cards because events are not dentist offices.
6. Vary your prompts so people are curious about what you'll ask next year.

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🎭 The Ridiculous Question

Kristin asks which reality show Nicole would join tomorrow. Nicole invents a show in which she, Liz Lathan, and Melissa McCarthy travel the world without a script or story arc, figuring it out as they go.

EVENTASTIC Conference registration is now OPEN! The world's largest event about EVENTS! Free + Virtual! Save your spot! https://www.eventastic.com/

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🔗 Links

1. Jihan Donawa LinkedIn
2. Swoogo on Instagram
3. Swoogo Website

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Charlie from New Jersey asks the big question: how do exhibitors stand out when every booth looks identical? Host Kristin Nagle brings in Jihan Donawa to break down exactly how to stop blending in. Jihan shares why "play" is the missing ingredient on the trade show floor and how to transform a boring 10x10 space into a destination.

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She explains why you must train your staff to stop hiding behind laptops and how to use pre-show attendee lists to fill your schedule before you even arrive. Whether it is a hardware store theme or useful swag like mini toolkits, this episode covers the tactics you need to make your next sponsorship worth the investment.

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👤 Guest Bio

Jihan Donawa is the Senior Growth Marketing Manager at Swoogo. With 18 years in the event industry, she started her career as a registration coordinator and now helps event marketers utilize their data effectively. She is a central figure in community engagement strategies and frequently serves as the Master of Ceremonies for Swoogo's user conferences.

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✅ The Event Question

Charlie from New Jersey asks: "How can sponsors or exhibitors stand out when everyone's booth looks the same?"

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📌 What You’ll Learn

1. Lean into play: Use whimsy and fun to draw attendees in rather than just setting up a standard branded backdrop.
2. Commit to a theme: Design your booth intentionally, such as Swoogo's "hardware store" concept, which visually represented a tool in a planner's toolbox.
3. Work the pre-show list: Do not wait for foot traffic; contact attendees in advance to get your booth on their tentative agendas.
4. Rethink your swag: Invest in items people actually use and keep, such as mini tape measures, toolkits, or paint scratch-off cards.
5. Train your staff: Ensure team members stand up, close their laptops, and actively greet people rather than chatting among themselves.
6. Engage everyone: Pull people in with compliments or conversation, even if they are not the buyer, as you never know who they are connected to.
7. Verify your intent: Adopt the mindset that if the execution isn't a "hell yes" for your budget and brand, it should be a "hell no."

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🎭 The Ridiculous Question

Q: What are you embarrassingly good at that would never show up on your resume?

A: Jihan is excellent at puzzles, possesses great balance from her time as a Pilates instructor, and admits to being a high-functioning multitasker.