Events are evolving—and fast. But many marketers are still stuck in rinse-and-repeat mode, defaulting to outdated formats, shallow experiences, and one-size-fits-all ideas.

And that’s exactly why Bibi Brown, Senior Vice President Business Development at GES, kicked off our 2025 Summer Live Show Series with a much-needed reality check (and roadmap forward).

Because if we want our events to connect, convert, and inspire today’s audiences—we’ve got to break up with the old playbook and design with more purpose.

In this episode:

✅ What to retire from your event strategy ASAP—and what to try instead.

✅ Real-world examples of how brands are rethinking networking, swag, and content with modern audiences in mind.

✅ How to sell leadership on newer strategies that still align with business impact.

Tune in to get inspired, take notes, and start rethinking your own approach—because “Back to the Basics” doesn’t mean boring. It means getting intentional again.

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Connect with Bibi Brown
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bibibrown/

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 want to stand out. They want to tell a story. They want ideas, themes, and creative experiences that resonate.

But too often, the “big idea” gets lost in the scramble—buried under stakeholder pressure, budget constraints, and rinse-and-repeat tactics.

That’s why in this episode, Matt Kleinrock teams up with Pablo Gonzalez to break down a simple, step-by-step framework to help event marketers come up with their next great idea. Whether you’re planning a trade show, SKO, customer summit, or internal event—this approach helps you build creative concepts that actually stick.

You’ll learn:

✅ How to use brand truth + audience insights to shape your event theme

✅ Real examples of standout concepts—and why they worked

✅ What not to do when brainstorming (like copying cool things without context)

Stuck on where to start with something new this year? Hit play on this one.

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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

Your events shouldn’t feel like they’re held together by duct tape.

But when processes are unclear or inherited from chaos, it’s hard to know where to start—especially if you’re stepping into a new event marketing role or revamping an existing one.

That’s where Matt Bohn comes in. Now Field Marketing Manager at Tines, he’s spent the past 20 years building scalable, structured event programs for brands like Walgreens and fast-growing tech companies.

In this episode, he joins Matt Kleinrock to talk about the real (and often messy) work of creating better systems:

✅ The first steps to take when inheriting (or overhauling) an event marketing program

✅ How to streamline cross-functional collaboration with legal, sales, and ops

✅ The small things that make a big difference—like naming conventions, templates, and intake forms

Tune in if you’ve ever thought, “There’s gotta be a better way to do this.”

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Connect with Matt Bohn
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjbohn24/

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’re running events, but leadership still sees them as a cost center.

You know events can drive real business results. But you’re stuck in the weeds: planning details, chasing RSVPs, and reporting on foot traffic.

In this conversation, Kimberlee Kee, a Director of Event Marketing, talks about the real shift happening in the industry: event pros must become strategic marketers.

She and Matt get into the nitty-gritty of how event marketers can plug into sales, contribute to pipeline, and speak the language of growth.

Key takeaways you won’t want to miss:

✅How to shift your role from event planner to integrated marketer

✅Tactical ways to track deal velocity, pipeline impact, and customer expansion

✅How to make your voice heard—especially when no one’s asked for it (yet)

Real talk, clear advice, and a better way forward. This episode will change how you show up at work.

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Connect with Kimberly Kee
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyakee/

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 want your brand to be memorable, but most event experiences blur together. And while many marketers rely on flashy gimmicks, true impact comes from intentional storytelling.

In this episode, Matt is joined by Theron Skees—Walt Disney Imagineering alum and founder of The Designer’s Creative Studio—to unpack how Narrative Experience Design can transform your events into immersive, emotionally resonant brand stories. You’ll learn how to build trust, deepen audience connection, and use experience as a strategic business tool—not just a visual one.

Here are a few takeaways from the conversation:

✅ Why story-first thinking builds emotional equity and brand recall

✅ The difference between decoration and transformation

✅ What Theron learned from leading $1B+ projects at Disney—and how you can apply the same principles

Tune in to learn how to create brand experiences people don’t just visit—they remember.

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Connect with Theron Skees
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theronskees/

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

Trade shows still dominate the event calendar and budgets, but are they delivering the same value they once did? Small-scale experiences are rising in popularity but many teams miss the mark when trying to replicate them.

In this honest and tactical episode, Matt Kleinrock sits down with Aleksandra Panyukhina, Experience Marketing Director at Pixelz, to unpack what’s actually working right now—and what’s getting in the way. From her experience designing intimate, high-impact events to the realities of expensive trade shows with unclear ROI, Aleksandra breaks down the choices every event team is facing in 2025.

✅ What defines a “good” trade show—and why so many fall short

✅ The overlooked power of small events (and why size isn’t the strategy)

✅ A framework for evaluating where to invest time, money, and creative energy

Join us live to learn how to future-proof your event strategy and make smarter bets with every show.

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Connect with Aleksandra Panyukhina
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/apanyukhina/

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 planned for your ICP. You shipped the booth. But the results? Flat.

Because what no one tells you is that even the best events fall short when you don’t account for who’s actually at the show and what they’re there for.

In this episode, Matt and Pablo break down the disconnect between static ICPs and dynamic show audiences—and how to bridge the gap with real strategy. Expect to learn:

✅ Why “ideal customer profile” thinking can actually hurt your booth strategy

✅ How to use audience behavior (not just titles) to drive engagement, messaging, and budget allocation

✅ A 3-step framework to build better big ideas and tie them directly to business outcomes

Before you plan your next show, listen to this episode and learn how to design for results, not just attendance.

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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 costs are climbing. Expectations are higher. And marketers are being asked to do more—with less.

In this episode, Rockway Exhibits + Events' CEO Matt Kleinrock and Director of Marketing Coty Adams break down what’s really going on in the events industry right now—using fresh data and trends Matt’s been tracking across the field.

They’ll talk about:

✅ What today’s rising costs mean for your 2025 planning

✅ The metrics that actually matter (and how to align around them)

✅ Smart ways to reframe your strategy—even if your budget’s been slashed

If you're tired of recycled playbooks and ready for a clearer, more creative path forward, this one's for you.

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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