Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast

Trade shows and events are back!

But most still miss the point. If you're not walking away with real relationships and revenue potential, you're doing it wrong.

Hey there, I'm Kerry Curran—B2B Revenue Growth Executive Advisor, Industry Analyst, and host of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast.

In this episode, Pipeline in Person: How Relationship-First Events Drive Real ROI, we’re diving into how the smartest B2B brands are getting off the expo floor and into curated conversations that actually convert.

I'm joined by Jon Whitfield, Chief Operating Officer at MediaPost, who has spent over 20 years perfecting the art of high-impact, face-to-face marketing. Jon isn’t just running another event company—he’s building a reputation for delivering summit experiences that sponsors rebook year after year because they drive pipeline, not just visibility.

And here’s the surprising truth: smaller, niche gatherings with the right ratio of buyers to sponsors consistently outperform massive trade shows—if you get the format right. Jon breaks down why most conferences fail to deliver ROI—and how to fix it.

We cover:

• The one customer value metric sponsors should use to justify their spend
  
   
• How curated experiences like golf, axe throwing, and roundtables deepen buyer trust
  
   
• What brand-side marketers actually want from events in a post-remote world
  
   
• And how to build stronger sponsor-attendee matchmaking and content alignment
  
   

Picture this: instead of awkward badge scans, you're having real conversations over dinner, sharing challenges in closed-door roundtables, and walking away with warm leads who already know, like, and trust you.

Stay to the end, where Jon shares his one non-negotiable rule for evaluating event ROI—and how to spot a conference worth investing in before you spend a dollar.

If you're investing in events this year, this episode is your edge.

Hit follow, drop a rating, and share it with your field marketing or partnerships lead—because pipeline starts before the pitch.

Let’s go!

Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:02.296):
So welcome, Jon. Please introduce yourself and share your background and expertise.

Jon Whitfield (00:07.832):
Well, hello, Kerry. Thanks for having me on. My name is Jon Whitfield. I'm the Chief Operating Officer over at MediaPost. I've been there for a long time—I didn’t realize you could be at a place for as long as 22 years. Apparently, there are other places you can work. I didn’t know that. No one ever told me. I just learned that you can get other jobs at other places.

Yeah, I’ve been at MediaPost for 22 years. I’ve seen a lot of things change over the years, and yeah, we’re thrilled just to still be kicking and doing our thing.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:46.176):
Excellent. Well, I know you've become the expert at events, and in my own experience with MediaPost, you’ve curated a really valuable experience for both brands, attendees, and sponsors. I want to dive into your expertise and help marketers and sponsors get more out of their conferences—and really think about what that investment looks like.

We’re seeing more and more value put into face-to-face relationship-building and brand-building. Conferences offer that, right? Talk about how you've seen the industry evolve and what you're seeing today.

Jon Whitfield (01:38.716):
Yeah, I mean, it's funny. When I first started out in this business, you had real tentpole events—like the ad:techs and the SESs of the world—that had 300 exhibitors and thousands of attendees. These were real, large gatherings that happened several times a year. If you weren’t at those—whether as an exhibitor or an attendee—you kind of didn’t exist. It was like, “We’ve got to be there.”

So in the early 2000s and through the first decade of the new millennium, those large shows were really commonplace and important.

We participated not only as exhibitors but also by launching our own conference series called OMMA Global, which had a couple of thousand people, 150 exhibitors, and was a two-day, multi-track content event. It was a big lift. It wasn’t easy to put together or manage.

But after five or six years of doing that, we realized it was really difficult to go back to our sponsor pool and guarantee them the ROI they were looking for. Because with large events, you're not really in control of the experience. You're kind of leaving it to chance: maybe someone good stops by a booth, maybe there's a follow-up, maybe someone connects at the cocktail party, maybe someone attends the sponsored presentation.

Sometimes you get four people in the room, sometimes 50—you’re just not in control. Over time, we learned that the more control you have over the experience—and the more you're involved in it—the more satisfied everyone will be: sponsors, attendees, everyone.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:28.800):
Right.

Jon Whitfield (04:15.984):
Exactly. And so, we just evolved. You’ve still got the big tentpole events like CES that serve a purpose. But I don’t know many people in advertising or marketing who come back from CES saying, “I got a ton of business from that.”

You want to be seen there, like at Cannes. These large shows are viable, but as a business, we found we couldn’t deliver on the experience we promised. That’s why we transitioned to smaller settings, like our Summit Series.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (05:15.244):
Yeah, and I’ve been to a number of your events as well as the big shows. I agree—both as a sponsor and as an attendee—with the smaller, more niche, intimate events, relationship-building becomes much more organic. You’re on the bus to dinner, at happy hour, or even horseback riding. There’s so much more opportunity to build meaningful relationships.

Jon Whitfield (05:46.884):
Yeah, in a smaller setting, you really get to know people. It's almost like dating. They’re testing you out, seeing how you are in different environments, and you’re a direct reflection of the business you're there to represent.

When the event ends, they have a pretty good sense of, “Do I want to work with this person?” Or maybe, “That didn’t really work out.” You don’t get that level of intimacy when you're just scanning badges at a big conference. You’re not getting that.

So we value time spent in different environments—not just in a conference room, but also on the bus, during a golf round, throwing axes, horseback riding, whatever it is. You really see people’s true selves in those environments, and that translates into better business relationships. At least, that’s what we think.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (07:04.492):
Yeah, no—and again, I’ve loved it. I often describe your events as almost like destination weddings. By the end of three days, you’re best friends with everyone. You’ve cultivated a really unique culture within your events, where the sponsors all get to know each other, and everyone’s been so willing to have conversations and learn from each other.

Jon Whitfield (07:43.888):
Absolutely. It’s something we’ve tinkered with for years. It’s never perfect. Things happen—weather, logistics—that can muddy things up. But if you have the basic formula down and you’ve tried it enough times, you can predict, “This is going to be a good one.”

We’ve been doing our Email Summit for 19 years, twice a year. We’ve been doing our Performance Marketing Summit (formerly Search & Performance) for 19 years. These are tried-and-true programs.

And I always ask our sponsors: What’s a customer worth to you? What do we need to do to deliver not just one, but two, three, four customers? We want to knock it out of the park. If a customer is worth more than their investment, that’s great—I can deliver that. But if the customer value is low and the investment is high, that’s a math problem.

So we work backward from that. How do we get each supporter to a place of success? That’s how we approach it.

Jon Whitfield (09:11.312):

That’s great—because I can deliver that. But if they’re investing a ton and their customer value is very low, then there's a math problem, right? So it’s about figuring out how we get those individuals who support our events to a place of success. That’s how we approach it. We start kind of backward and move forward—and then do our best to deliver on the promise.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (09:35.087):

Yeah, no, that makes so much sense. And it's smart to think of it that way. Everyone needs ROI on their investments. So when you're talking to sponsors—say a new ad tech, martech, or agency reaches out and wants to sponsor—what are they usually looking for in a conference experience?

Jon Whitfield (09:58.756):

Well, it kind of depends on what the product is. Some of our sponsors have a more technical platform or need more time to explain their value—they might need a visual or demo. So they might want to sponsor a presentation where they get 10 minutes to show and educate everyone on who they are, what they do, and why they matter in the overall ecosystem.

Others don’t need that much time. They’re like, “Here’s what we do, here are a few of our customers, and we’d like to sponsor the brewery tour,” or “Let’s take everyone on a cool boat ride.” It’s more about creating a memorable experience and attaching your name to something we’ve built—where all boats rise. You mentioned competitors—at our events, sponsors often become frenemies. They all understand they’re there for the same reason. So we keep it positive. Let’s all try to win. There’s no reason to make it awkward.

So yeah, it really depends on what the sponsor is trying to achieve. We just recommend what we know works, based on years and years of doing these.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (11:28.674):

Yeah, and I like what you pointed out about branding and associating your brand with the audience. Especially in B2B, that’s such a challenge. So many brands I talk to are focused on lower funnel—"I just need the sales"—but they forget their audience has to have heard of them and liked them first. The conference environment is a really effective and efficient way to do that.

Jon Whitfield (11:59.534):

Exactly. You also asked me earlier about how things have evolved over time—and, of course, we had this little thing called COVID in between. We were doing fine leading into it, but coming out of COVID was rough. We couldn’t do in-person events, so we pivoted to virtual—Zoom events, video panels. They were fine for keeping the community connected, but nothing compares to in-person relationship-building.

In 2021, 2022, and 2023, I’d start each show by asking the audience, “Raise your hand if this is your first summit.” A lot of hands would go up. Then I’d ask, “Are you still primarily working remotely?” And again—almost everyone raised their hands.

And if I asked today, I’d still get a majority. So when we talk about the viability of events—how are you going to meet people if no one's in an office anymore? Are you going to go to their house? Meet at a local Starbucks? At some point, it lands back on events. And yeah, we’ve been fortunate to benefit from that shift.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (13:15.752):

Yeah.

Jon Whitfield (13:25.592):

I still think there’s this broad shift away from full-time, in-office work. And that really emphasizes the value of in-person gatherings—big or small.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (13:41.239):

I completely agree. And vendors can't do lunch-and-learns like they used to, either—not if the agency or brand team is fully remote or just more dispersed. So conferences become a valuable way to introduce your brand, tease interest, and build toward a deeper sales conversation or demo.

Now, we've talked about sponsors. But the other critical audience is the attendees. Your target audience is brand-side marketers across different industries and verticals. From their perspective, what are they looking for in a conference? What do they find at MediaPost?

Jon Whitfield (14:41.604):

When brands come together at our events, they’re looking for like-minded individuals going through similar challenges. You might have someone who runs email for American Airlines sitting next to someone managing email for a restaurant chain—and they’re facing the same problems.

It might be deliverability. It might be creative. It might be open rates. That’s just one example, but a lot of marketers want a platform where they can share ideas, collaborate, trade war stories, and ask questions—even what they think might be dumb questions—in a safe environment where they’ll get real help and honest answers.

So when they get back to the office on Monday, they’re equipped with real insights and action items. That’s the big thing.

The sponsors—the vendors and platforms—provide the tools. They’re the ones building solutions to help marketers do their jobs better.

I always say this at our conferences: MediaPost doesn’t really provide a takeaway in the traditional sense—no binders, no decks. The takeaway is the connection. It's the chance to meet tech solution providers who are working hard to make marketers' lives easier and more effective.

We create the space for those connections to happen—in an intimate way, where people can really spend time together, share ideas, riff off each other, and see where it goes.

I think that’s what our buyers—the marketers—really want. And here’s the thing: they get calls all the time from our sponsors before the event and they never answer the phone. They’re busy people. But then they come to the event and say, “Oh my god, you’ve been calling me for months. I never picked up. But I watched your presentation—it was amazing. Let’s set up a test next week.”

We hear that story over and over again. It’s not that marketers don’t want to learn about these technologies—it’s that their day-to-day is packed. So events give them the breathing room to explore.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (17:08.846):

Yeah, definitely. And to your point, it’s so important for marketers to stay on top of the latest technology, platforms, publishers. You give them an environment to learn from peers and providers. You also do a great job balancing content and networking. Talk a bit about your approach to content and the roundtables.

Jon Whitfield (17:56.014):

Yeah. All of our content is built for the marketer—the buyer, the brand-side attendee. Our panels, our keynotes, anything that’s not sponsored is programmed with that in mind.

We want to highlight best practices and challenges from the main stage so that people can identify with what’s being shared. That content sets the stage for deeper conversations later—whether it's during an activity, a reception, or dinner. It plants seeds that grow over three days.

These aren’t one-day fly-in events. You’re invested. You’re present. You’re there to grow. From a content perspective, we always ask the marketer or agency side: What are your struggles? What are your wins? What lessons can you share?

Kerry Curran, RBMA (18:53.730):

Yeah.

Jon Whitfield (19:23.664):

And then, when it’s a sponsor’s turn—okay, you’ve got 10 minutes—riff on what you heard. Build on it if you want. But mostly, tell us who you are, what you do, what value you offer. We want a pitch. Show us the dashboard. Show us who your customers are. Be clear.

That’s how we do it. We don’t cross-pollinate the content. You’ve spoken at our events—you know we keep it church and state. We program the editorial content. And we expect sponsors to bring equally valuable content that’s insightful and impactful.

That’s how we create a full, engaging morning of sessions.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (20:28.556):

Absolutely. And you do a great job curating senior-level speakers and timely themes that reflect what marketers in those verticals are really facing.

I’ve always found that valuable. And one of my favorite parts? Your roundtables. Like you always say—mics off, real talk. That’s when people ask the questions they’re afraid to ask on stage. And it’s just as valuable for the sponsors—they get to hear firsthand what their audience is struggling with and start a meaningful conversation right then and there.

Jon Whitfield (21:51.652):

Yep.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (21:56.417):

It’s all about building real, mutually beneficial relationships—and you’ve created a space that does that so well.

Jon Whitfield (22:05.208):

Thanks. And yeah—we’ve had feedback that if we could run an entire summit with just roundtables, people would love it. They’re so impactful. You turn off the cameras, and people get honest.

Unfortunately, there are only so many hours in the day, but those roundtables consistently get top marks in our post-show surveys.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (22:41.484):

I believe it.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (22:41.484):

I definitely agree. Jon, this has been incredibly helpful. I think it's important for everyone listening to be reminded just how valuable event investments can be—from education to relationship-building to, ultimately, driving sales.

So for those tuning in who want to ramp up their event strategy—or need to build a business case for budget from their CFO—what’s your recommendation for getting started?

Jon Whitfield (23:18.244):

Start by comparing the costs. What’s your total investment going to be to sponsor an event? It’s not inexpensive. There’s travel, hotels, time. If you’re a vendor or sponsor, it’s not the cheapest thing in the world.

So go back to that question: What’s a customer worth to you?

How are you currently getting customers? Are you converting through digital-only channels? Maybe you're just selling widgets and don’t need in-person interaction. Fine. But if you’re in a consultative or technical sale where FaceTime matters, then events are going to pay dividends.

If you're trying to decide which events to support, here’s what I tell people: Look at whether the sponsors from two or three years ago are still coming back. If they’re not, run for the hills. That’s a red flag. It means the experience didn’t deliver.

Look at our Email Insider Summit. We’ve been running it for 19 years. And for at least the past 10, you’ll see many of the same companies sponsoring over and over. That doesn’t happen by accident. It takes hard work. You have to care deeply about the experience and the investment people are making—your sponsors, your ticket buyers.

That’s something we believe in strongly. Maybe that’s why we’re still around. But yeah—do your homework. Know what a customer is worth to you. Run the numbers. You have to get ROI from these things. That’s just the bottom line.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (25:36.471):

I totally agree. And one thing to level-set with your CFO is: you're probably not going to see ROI immediately. Depending on what you're selling, it might be three to six months down the road.

If you come home without a signed contract, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t a success—it just means you’re playing a longer game.

And I know you also do a great job customizing sponsor opportunities at your events.

Jon Whitfield (26:18.788):

Yeah, it’s all about knowing who you are as a company. What do you want to be known for? Is it education? Is it fun? Is it gifts?

Every brand has its own playbook. That’s why we offer a variety of sponsorship options—because everyone has a different goal when they come to an event.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (26:59.630):

Exactly. There’s so much flexibility. One-on-one meetings. Content partnerships. Webinars. Lots of ways to extend the experience beyond the event.

And one more thing we didn’t touch on—brand attendees. You have some great senior-level VIP opportunities, right?

Jon Whitfield (27:21.668):

Absolutely. For this model to work, we need a strong brand-side presence—decision-makers, people with media and marketing budgets, people who want to network and learn.

That’s the lifeblood of our business. And we’re always looking to bring in new marketers doing interesting things.

That’s part of what keeps this exciting. Even something as “old” as email is constantly evolving. There are always new tools and trends—whether it’s AI, chatGPT, TikTok, or whatever else is coming.

So yeah, we need marketers who want to tell their stories, who want to improve, and who want to meet others doing the same.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (29:21.070):

And that’s how you pitch it to your boss. “Yes, I’m going to Amelia Island—but look who else will be there. Look at the brands and tech providers I’ll be learning from.” You come back with insights and a full notebook, and your higher-ups will be glad you went.

Jon Whitfield (29:47.044):

Exactly. And yes—senior marketers can qualify for our VIP passes. We have a set number of those for each event. Once they’re gone, they’re gone.

We also cap the total audience to keep the buyer-to-seller ratio balanced—usually around 1:1. It’s typically 90–100 people: half brand-side, half sponsors. That way, everyone gets time to connect. And if by day three you haven’t met who you need to meet—you stayed in your room too long!

Kerry Curran, RBMA (30:48.834):

Well, I can say I’m still close with many of the marketers and vendors I’ve met at your events. I always recommend your summits because they’re high-value, well-structured, and genuinely productive.

So, Jon—if someone wants to get in touch to learn more, how can they find you?

Jon Whitfield (31:29.036):

Well, not that I need more email—but you can reach me at [email protected]. If you're interested in sponsorships, my right-hand man Seth Oilman is your guy—[email protected]. He’s our CRO and runs the sponsorship side.

Reach out, and I’ll point you in the right direction.

Kerry Curran, RBMA (31:54.624):

Excellent. We’ll include all of that in the show notes—and make sure everyone mentions they heard you here!

Jon Whitfield (32:02.552):

Thanks again, Kerry. You've been such a great supporter and advocate for years. We appreciate all you’ve done—and don’t stop!

Kerry Curran, RBMA (32:17.550):

Thanks, Jon. I believe in what you’re doing and love being part of it. Can’t wait to see you again soon!

Jon Whitfield (32:30.884):

You got it. Can’t wait.

Thanks again to Jon Whitfield for pulling back the curtain on what makes events actually drive results. Here’s what we’re walking away with: big expos can generate visibility, but intimate events create trust and conversions. ROI starts with one question—what’s a customer worth to you? 

Events should be evaluated not just on cost, but on continuity, brand fit, and customer alignment.

If this sparked ideas for your event or sponsor strategy, share it with your team—and let us know what resonated. Don’t forget to subscribe, review, and follow Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast. To learn more, visit revenuebasedmarketing.com and follow me, Kerry Curran, on LinkedIn.

Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast.
Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine.

🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube
⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics
📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea

👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

“It’s never been harder to be a CMO—and never more important to get it right.”

Pressure is mounting for go-to-market leaders. Budgets are shrinking. Shortlists are tightening. AI is changing the game before most teams can even catch up. And yet, CMOs are expected to lead with confidence, deliver revenue, and evolve strategy—without burning out.

If that sounds familiar, this episode is your blueprint for navigating the storm.

In this episode of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast, host Kerry Curran sits down with Kathleen Booth, SVP of Marketing & Growth at Pavilion, to unpack what the most resilient, high-performing marketing leaders are doing differently right now—and why peer collaboration is the competitive advantage most execs overlook.

✅ Why CMOs must stop trying to “do more with less” alone

✅ The 3 GTM capabilities every modern marketing leader must build:

   • Profitable, efficient growth

   • AI-augmented GTM execution

   • Executive resilience and personal transformation

✅ How cross-functional collaboration beats siloed expertise—every time

✅ What Pavilion’s GTM25 Summit is revealing about the next generation of go-to-market leadership

Stay to the end where Kathleen shares the #1 strategic muscle every CMO must build this year—and how to develop it before your next board meeting.

If you get value from this episode, hit follow, drop a rating, and share it with a marketing or sales leader who needs to hear it. Let’s scale smart.

Flat or slowing revenue? Let’s fix that—fast.
Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast gives you proven plays, sharp insights, and “steal-this-today” tactics to power your revenue engine.

🎧 Follow on Apple, Spotify, YouTube
⭐ Rate 5 stars if these insights move your metrics
📅 Fresh episodes drop often—don’t miss a pipeline-popping idea

👉 Visit revenuebasedmarketing.com to start your growth audit—or DM me directly.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.