In this insightful episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox, hosts Chris Dunn and Dana Esposito are joined by Jessica Sibila, Executive Director of The Exhibitor Advocate—a nonprofit championing the voice of exhibitors.

With years of hands-on experience and data-backed insights, Jessica takes us inside the real exhibitor experience. From budgeting chaos to communication gaps with show organizers, she lays out the fundamental disconnects facing exhibitors—and what the industry can do to fix them.

You’ll hear practical advice and strategic takeaways for both exhibitors and event professionals looking to improve trade show ROI and attendee experiences.

🔹 Exhibitor Sentiment Is Still Positive—but Misunderstood

70% of exhibitors find value in trade shows, especially for brand awareness and customer connections—but it’s no longer just about leads. Many are shifting their event KPIs and need support that aligns with new expectations.

🔹 Budgeting Is Broken

Exhibitors aren’t just struggling with high costs—they’re struggling with unpredictable costs. Service manuals that arrive 60 days before a show (for booths contracted 18 months earlier) make accurate budgeting nearly impossible.

🔹 ROI Requires Reinvention

Data collection remains a weak spot. As leadership demands measurable ROI, exhibitors are stuck trying to justify intangible benefits like “face-to-face value.” Jessica advocates for a smarter split between revenue-generating and non-revenue spend.

🔹 Exhibits Are Getting Boring

With half or more of budgets going to non-visible services, booth creativity suffers. Attendees notice. Show organizers must recognize this spiral—costs → dull exhibits → poor attendee experience → lower turnout—and start reversing it.

🔹 Advocacy Is Everyone’s Job

Jessica calls on event marketers, exhibit houses, and show organizers to collaborate—and on exhibitors to speak up. She emphasizes the importance of contacting show operations (not just sales) and using tools like The Exhibitor Advocate to be heard.

If you’re an exhibitor, event marketer, or show organizer—this episode is for you. Share it with your team, your clients, or your show partners. Let’s raise the bar together.

👉🏼 Join us for more insightful discussions like this by tuning into 'Event Marketer's Toolbox,' where industry leaders share the tools, tactics, and trends driving success in the event world.

This Show is sponsored by Blue Hive

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In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox, hosts Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin sit down with Alison French, founder of JoinLTO.com, to unpack how event marketers can ditch reactive booth tactics and instead walk into trade shows with a plan that drives actual revenue.

Most brands show up hoping for the best. Alison shows up with a system—and helps her clients walk out with booked meetings and pipeline to prove it. From building pre-show prospect lists to post-show CRM automation, this conversation breaks down the real work behind successful in-person marketing.

🔗 Bonus: Learn how her tool, ShowScout, helps teams stay organized and accountable while working the floor.

🔹 Booth Traffic ≠ Pipeline

High traffic doesn’t always mean high value. Alison urges marketers to build pre-show outreach plans based on ICPs and decision-maker lists—whether or not those contacts plan to attend.

🔹 Sales & Marketing Must Align—Before the Show Starts

She details how successful teams meet weekly before events to assign key accounts, define CTAs, and align on messaging. “If sales and marketing aren’t speaking the same language pre-show, they definitely won’t post-show.”

🔹 Plan for the Follow-Up Before the Event Begins

Alison explains how post-show email flows and CRM automations should be built before hitting the show floor. No more “we’ll follow up later” disasters.

🔹Video Is Underused—But Critical

Whether it’s matched audience ads or on-site storytelling, video can significantly boost engagement and pre-show visibility. You don’t need a full production crew—just focus and intent.

🔹 Accountability Drives ROI
Have your team track who they meet, what conversations happened, and which outcomes were achieved. “If you sent 5 reps to meet 40 people each, and nobody followed up, what was the point?”

This episode is a masterclass in turning your trade show investment into tangible pipeline.

Alison doesn’t just talk strategy—she offers a real blueprint. From campaign planning to team accountability and post-show execution, she reminds us that ROI isn’t just possible—it’s a choice.

Whether you’re a first-time field marketer or a seasoned CMO, this is one episode you’ll want to bookmark and share with your team.

👉🏼 Join us for more insightful discussions like this by tuning into 'Event Marketer's Toolbox,' where industry leaders share the tools, tactics, and trends driving success in the event world.

This Show is sponsored by Blue Hive

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In this episode of Event Marketer’s Toolbox, hosts Chris Dunn and Brendon Hamlin sit down with seasoned event strategist Marisa Nebosky to break down the realities of budgeting in today’s evolving event landscape. With 2,000+ events under her belt, Marisa brings the kind of real-world, field-tested insights every event professional needs.

From her signature “Good, Better, Best” framework to the need for confident stakeholder conversations, she explores how to plan smarter, reduce stress, and create brand moments that actually convert.

Whether you're trying to stretch a budget or convince leadership to invest more, this episode offers tangible strategies, clear mindset shifts, and valuable resources to elevate how you build and measure event success.

🔹 Good, Better, Best Isn’t Just About Price—It’s About Framing

Marisa shares how presenting multiple design tiers helps stakeholders understand what each dollar buys. By giving visual and experiential clarity to price points, marketers can make the value of each investment feel tangible.

🔹 You’re the Expert—Speak with Confidence

As Marisa puts it, "We do this every day." Knowing your stuff and being able to clearly and confidently communicate trade-offs, timelines, and ROI is what earns stakeholder trust—and bigger budgets.

🔹 Budgets Should Reflect Goals—Not Just Line Items

Are you building brand awareness or pipeline? Marisa stresses the importance of defining success early. Not all ROI is revenue; impressions, engagement, and share of voice are often just as valuable.

🔹 Sustainability is Strategic, Not Just Ethical

From re-using modular booth components to capturing content that has shelf life beyond one show, sustainability means smarter long-term planning and more value for your spend.

🔹 Trusted Partners Are Everything

Working closely with agencies, designers, and fabricators early in the process helps reduce surprises and increase creative solutions.

As Marisa says, “It’s all about open, honest conversations.”

Want to finally feel confident in your event budget conversations? Don’t miss Marisa’s practical tips and candid truths on how to bring clarity, confidence, and strategy to your event planning process.

👉🏼 Join us for more insightful discussions like this by tuning into 'Event Marketer's Toolbox,' where industry leaders share the tools, tactics, and trends driving success in the event world.

This Show is sponsored by Blue Hive

📅 Join us LIVE every Friday at 10 AM ET on LinkedIn

Follow Us on LinkedIn and YouTube

Subscribe to our Newsletter!