Your booth traffic looked good. Badge scans were high. Leadership wants ROI numbers. But none of that fully explains whether your event actually moved deals forward.

In this episode, Matt talks with Cynthia Montalvo (Regional Field Marketing Manager at Steno) about the growing gap between event metrics and actual event influence.

Cynthia, an event strategist known for pushing teams beyond surface-level reporting, explains why signals like stakeholder expansion, deeper conversations, follow-up meetings, and peer validation can tell a far richer story than lead volume alone.

Together, they explore how event teams can become more intentional about designing experiences that create momentum across the customer journey—especially in complex B2B sales environments.

Learn:

✅ Why conversation quality often matters more than booth traffic

✅ The signals that reveal trust, deal acceleration, and buying intent

✅ How to design events around influence instead of activity metrics

Listen in for a practical conversation on how modern event teams can better understand what’s really happening at their events and how to prove the value of it.

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Connect with Cynthia Montalvo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-montalvo/

Connect with Matt Kleinrock
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/
Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/

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

Most event teams are still measuring trade shows by booth traffic, badge scans, and “good vibes.”

But when budgets tighten and leadership wants answers, those metrics stop meaning much.

Bethany Gustafson leads events at ACTIVE Network, where her team manages everything from small pop-up trade shows to large-scale flagship exhibits across multiple markets and products.

In this episode, she joins Matt Kleinrock to break down what it actually takes to run a high-volume event program strategically—not just operationally. They get into the pressure event marketers face to prove impact, why clean attribution is harder than executives think, and how strong teams build scorecards, feedback loops, and sales alignment around real business outcomes.

Learn:

✅ How Bethany structures Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 event strategies across 75–100 shows a year

✅ The leading indicators she watches before ROI is fully visible months later

✅ Why operational systems and sales alignment matter more than flashy booths

If you’re being asked to prove the value of your trade shows while managing more events with fewer resources, this episode will probably feel very familiar.

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Connect with Bethany Gustafson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethany-gustafson/

Connect with Matt Kleinrock
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/
Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/

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

Most trade show booths are still being designed for the render. Not the person walking a crowded aisle deciding in seconds whether your booth is worth their attention.

Recorded live from EXHIBITORLIVE 2026, Matt Kleinrock and Coty Adams break down what they’re noticing on the show floor right now: bigger structures, tighter aisles, shorter attention spans, and event teams trying to balance nonstop execution with pressure to deliver better ROI.

✅ Why some of the “best-looking” booths still fail to pull people in

✅ How immersive, eye-level design impacts dwell time and engagement

✅ What burnout is doing to strategy, creativity, and event performance

This episode goes beyond booth aesthetics. Matt and Coty dig into why many exhibits are blending into the noise, why themed experiences tend to stick with attendees longer, and why connection still matters more than spectacle. They also talk openly about the reality many event marketers are facing right now: running at full speed while still being expected to think strategically, innovate constantly, and prove results.

If your team is trying to create more meaningful event experiences without burning out in the process, this conversation will probably feel very familiar.

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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