Ever thought about what trade show marketers could learn from reality TV?

How is pitching abstract concepts to studio execs like promoting intangible services on the show floor?

I invited an Emmy-Award winning media advisor and visibility strategist to answer those questions and more.

Drawing from decades of experience developing iconic TV franchises, Vinnie Potestivo shares valuable lessons for exhibit marketers.

Whether you need to sell an idea, inspire your team, or amplify your own visibility, Vinnie offers practical strategies and unique perspectives from the world of reality TV, like how to:

• Build relationships for long-term success
• Showcase intangible ideas with creativity
• Speak in your audience’s language
• Be a trendspotter vs a trendsetter
• Create context, not just content

Prepare for a wealth of backstage wisdom to help you turn an expense-generating department into a revenue-generating collaboration!

Trade Show Insights is turning 20 and you're invited to join the celebration!

Our live event featured:

00:00 - Intro & History of Trade Show Insights

04:35 - 1st Episode & Mission of TSI

07:55 - Getting in a Groove & 1st Guest

10:01 - Life Has Changed … but Topics Haven’t

11:55 - Questions from the Panel

17:51 - Topics Over the Years

23:11 - Top 10 Episodes

34:06 - Ideas for Topics & Questions About Books

36:19 - TSI Around the World

37:55 - Favorite Episodes

42:56 - Thanks & Season 20 Action Guide

“Create an immersive experience.”

You’ve heard that a lot when it comes to trade shows and events. It’s something I talk about in my exhibitor workshops, books, and podcast.

But here’s the thing: Creating an immersive experience is not about LED screens, VR headsets, or other assorted flashy tech gadgets. In fact, all that glitz & spectacle may actually be driving attendees away instead of drawing them in.

What if immersion was about something much simpler … and far more powerful?

Let’s flip the script on this and uncover the key to creating genuine connection.

Ever had a conversation in the booth that feels more like a monologue than a dialogue?

Have you ever been “that person”?

There’s an art to creating a balanced, brief conversation in the booth. And ... spoiler alert! ... it doesn’t happen by “winging it.”

Communication strategist Rebecca Pierce Murray returns to Trade Show Insights with tips for polishing up conversation skills before your next show. You’ll learn how to:

• Make a conscious effort to practice Voice Equity
• Stop being afraid of the pause
• Interrupt with intention and finesse
• Use key phrases to deal with chronic interrupters
• Gracefully wrap up conversations with attendees

My husband and I just took our first vacation in 15 years! We covered a bit shy of 2000 miles in 8 days, checking off a bunch items on our wish list.

We got to experience cranberry harvest in Wisconsin and spent time exploring the North Shore of Lake Superior. And of course as a trade show & event professional, I couldn’t help but notice a few lessons along the way.

It’s time to say goodbye to “gold, silver, bronze” and hello to smarter, more impactful sponsorships! 

In this episode, Wendy Porter joined me for a dive deep into the broken state of sponsorships – and how you can be part of the reinvention.

What’s Inside This Episode?

• Why Traditional Sponsorships No Longer Work: Learn why logos on lanyards or banners in the lobby aren’t moving the needle, plus what sponsors and organizers should focus on instead.
• Custom Collaborations Over Cookie-Cutter Packages: Discover how bespoke, experiential activations can create value for sponsors, organizers, and attendees.
• Align Sponsorships with Your Goals: Understand why you need to choose opportunities that truly match your objectives – whether that’s lead generation, awareness, or thought leadership.
• Creative Solutions & Real Examples: From white-glove airport pickups to curated VIP dinners, you’ll be inspired with inventive sponsorship activations that build relationships (not just impressions).
• Make Sponsorships Work Year-Round: Find out how sponsors can remain engaged and visible beyond the main event, with ideas like an educational series, small group dinners, and more.

Plus ... Wendy and I are introducing our new partnership offering a full range of support – from auditing your current sponsorship program with Your Sponsorship Map to hands-on white-glove activations with SponsorLink.

This episode is for two kinds of people: those who run trade shows, and the marketers who exhibit at them.

No matter which one you are, we've got a shared playbook you can implement at your upcoming shows.

There are three paradigm shifts that can help both exhibitors and show organizers achieve better quality leads, fewer headaches, and clearer proof of value.

Let’s start with the number-one gripe I hear: “We didn’t get enough leads.”

Exhibitors say it … organizers dread hearing it.

Here are a few smart plays to overcome it.

If you’ve ever tried to find key information on a trade show or event website, you know how frustrating it can be. 

Recently, I posed the question on LinkedIn: “What can trade show organizers do to make the event website more helpful & user-friendly?” 

That sparked a lively discussion of common website problems and practical solutions. So I want to share what exhibitors and attendees are saying, and offer a few tips to help event organizers improve their websites to better serve everyone.

Exhibit managers often come to me with a similar story: their sales team comes to the show, hangs out in the booth, and becomes more of a handicap than an asset. They want to know how they can turn that situation around.

Unfortunately, this is a common problem because the very things that make a sales person great at what they do can often create a challenge in the trade show environment.

Here are specific steps you can take to overcome this situation.

Everybody says trade shows are all about the ROI …

Yet most exhibit marketers aren’t doing enough to measure or prove it to their accounting department.

So I invited my friend Rich Vallaster to join me for a candid conversation that puts ROI in context for both exhibitors and show organizers. Listen in as we break down what needs to change in both metrics and mindset:

• Why it’s so important to measure ROI (before someone else does it for you!)
• What show organizers can do to help exhibitors get better results
• How shows can add value for exhibitors
• What some shows are doing to blur the line between education & the show floor