Venue sourcing takes an enormous amount of time and most event marketers have even less of it than ever before.

Between skyrocketing pricing, surprise fees, and increased pressure to deliver inclusive and sustainable experiences, venue sourcing is more complex than it’s ever been. Yet event pros are still expected to “just figure it out” on their own.

In this episode, Michael Hudson shares 30+ years of sourcing expertise—debunking the biggest myths in venue sourcing and showing what to watch for, how to negotiate, and how to choose partners that protect both your budget and your attendee experience.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn:

✅ How to see total value—not just room rate—by evaluating concessions, flexibility, and hidden fees

✅ When it’s worth outsourcing sourcing (and how to stay in control when you do)

✅ How sustainability and accessibility are now core sourcing requirements, not box-checking

If you’re anxious about making venue decisions, this episode can save you time, money, and a whole lot of stress.

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Connect with Michael Hudson
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-hudson-b1420a7/

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

Event marketers are some of the most capable professionals out there. They juggle strategy, logistics, leadership expectations, and ROI goals all at once.

But the truth is, there’s only so much they can control. Leadership decisions, last-minute changes, and competing metrics often leave them reacting instead of leading. And that constant pressure? It’s what pushes even the best to the edge of burnout.

In this episode, Princess Castleberry, CEO of Castleberry Global and creator of the Live, Lead, and Build Leverage™ Framework, joins Coty Adams to help event marketers reclaim their clarity and capacity. Princess breaks down how to identify your triggers, manage stress before it manages you, and lead with more confidence—even when you can’t control every variable.

Learn how to:

✅ Recognize the triggers draining your capacity and turn them into data that drives better decisions

✅ Build discipline and self-alignment when demands feel nonstop

✅ Protect your energy and clarity so you can lead teams (and yourself) through high-pressure cycles

Join us live to learn how to stop running on fumes and start leading with leverage.

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Connect with Princess Castleberry
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/princesscastleberry/

Connect with us

Coty Adams: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cotykadams/

Matt Kleinrock: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-kleinrock-9613b22b/

Our Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/

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

Every year at EXHIBITORLIVE, the conversations go deeper than booth design and swag trends. This year, the question that stopped people in their tracks was simple: “What’s the biggest challenge event marketers are facing right now?”

And the answers said a lot.

Event pros from every corner of the industry opened up about the real pressures behind the scenes. From proving ROI and fighting for executive buy-in, to balancing endless stakeholder opinions, to adapting to a new generation of attendees who expect authenticity, purpose, and sustainability in everything they experience.

Hosted by Coty Adams (VP of Sales & Marketing) and Mollie Stahl (Senior Account Executive) from Rockway Exhibits + Events, this compilation captures honest, unfiltered insights straight from the show floor.

You’ll hear how marketers are:

✅ Redefining ROI and KPIs to finally earn a seat at the table with leadership

✅ Navigating stakeholder overload while staying grounded in strategy that actually works

✅ Tackling sustainability and generational shifts with creative, practical solutions

Listen in for a pulse check on where event marketing really stands in 2025—and what today’s challenges say about where it’s headed next.

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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/

Mollie Stahl: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molliestahl/

Our Company: https://rockwayexhibits.com/

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

Most exhibitors spend nearly half their budget just getting to the show floor—booth space, travel, shipping, services. By the time the event starts, there’s almost nothing left for strategy or measurement.

That’s how event marketing gets stuck in the “cost of doing business” trap. The result? Overbooked schedules, flat ROI, and event teams that feel more like order takers than growth drivers.

In this conversation, Matt Kleinrock and Pablo Gonzalez break down the numbers, the hidden inefficiencies, and the bigger picture. They share how to rethink events like a business unit, not a checkbox, so every dollar is tied to real value, pipeline, and progress.

You’ll learn how to:

✅ Rebalance your event spend to prioritize what actually drives results

✅ Make your case internally for fewer, better events that deliver measurable ROI

✅ Turn data and alignment into your biggest budget levers

Listen in for a no-BS breakdown of where event money really goes and what to do about it.

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Connect with Pablo Gonzalez
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablotheconnector/

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

Events don’t work like they used to.

Back then, great speakers and flashy venues were enough. Today? Audiences expect connection, conversation, and clarity of purpose. But most event strategies still haven’t caught up.

That’s why in this episode, Matt Kleinrock and Pablo Gonzalez go rapid-fire through the “new laws of events”—from connection over content, to why five-week registration windows change everything, to how matchmaking, negotiation, and follow-up drive real ROI.

You’ll learn what’s really driving successful events right now:

✅ Why connection trumps content and how the best events mix both to create community

✅ How to adapt when people commit later and planning windows keep shrinking

✅ Why the real ROI happens after the show once data and follow-up kick in

Listen in for a no-fluff conversation that challenges everything you thought you knew about running events.

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Connect with Pablo Gonzalez
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pablotheconnector/

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

Event marketers talk about personalization a lot. We slap a name on a badge, segment an email list, and call it a day.

But attendees want more than that. They want to feel seen: from the first invite, to the way a session is designed, to the follow-up that lands after the show. That’s the kind of personalization that creates loyalty, accelerates deals, and turns an event into something people don’t forget.

That’s why on this episode, Jody Hall (Director, Global Event Management at Labcorp) and Michelle Khair (Event Coordinator at Argen Corporation) get real about what’s working.

Join them as they talk about:

✅ How intentional design keeps personalization clear and focused

✅ What it means to “architect moments that matter”

✅ Where AI supports personalization without replacing the human touch

Listen in for a conversation that cuts through the noise and shows what true personalization looks like in practice.

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Connect with Them
Jody Hall: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodyahall/
Michelle Khair: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-khair-766066169/

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 giveaways end up in the hotel trash. Most booths blur together.
Brian Burkhardt thinks it’s time to change that.

In this conversation, the Co-Founder of Oliver Patch Project shows how to turn event swag and booth design into something people actually remember. He and Matt Kleinrock dig into creating emotional reactions, weaving brand purpose into every touchpoint, and taking creative risks that make attendees stop, look, and talk.

You’ll learn:

✅ How to replace throwaway swag with purpose-driven giveaways that carry your story home

✅ How to design for feelings first, so every detail reinforces your message

✅ How to push past safe ideas and create experiences worth talking about

Hear how to make your next event unforgettable for all the right reasons.

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Connect with Brian Burkhardt
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-burkhardt/

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

You can have the biggest booth, flashiest tech, and sleekest design. But if your audience doesn’t feel something, you’ve missed the mark.

And right now, too many brands are still playing it safe, checking boxes, or overdesigning without purpose.

That’s why we’re zooming in on experiential creative direction: how it’s evolving, what matters more than ever, and why storytelling, empathy, and smart constraints lead to better outcomes.

In this conversation, we’re joined again by Stuart Fingerhut, an experiential creative director with 20+ years of experience across tech, automotive, gaming, and entertainment. He’s helped brands like AWS, Google, and Hyundai build experiences that not only impress, but connect.

Tune in to hear:

✅ How AI tools like Krea can enhance (not replace) the concepting phase of experiential design

✅ Stuart’s real-world process for pulling references, training visual styles, and unlocking faster creative development

✅ Why smart prompts are only powerful if they’re grounded in story, strategy, and emotion

This is the episode for marketers, designers, and strategists who care about meaning, not just metrics.

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[[View the deck here]]

Connect with Stuart Fingerhut
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuartfingerhut/

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