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.

----------------------------------

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.

----------------------------------

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.

----------------------------------

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