TSNN Podcast: Trade Show Talk

Trade show TalkTrade Show News Network is excited to share our ‘Trade Show Talk’ podcast which features two episodes each month focusing on hot-button topics. Each episode kicks off with a news round up before host Megan Powers leads discussions with trade show and events industry leaders. If you'd like to be a guest or you have a topic to suggest that we cover, please let us know by emailing podcast@tsnn.com. If you would like to sponsor a podcast series, please contact jrice@tsnn.com 

Subscribe for all the latest episodes on Apple, Deezer and Spotify. 

Listen to all previous podcast episodes HERE

Current Episode - Ep. 27  - Improve Your Trade Show Image With Marlys Arnold

The word "image" can mean different things to people. When thinking about improving your trade show image, this can be viewed from the organizer level, the exhibitor level, and the attendee level.Marlys helps us understand the importance of focusing on how to improve our image from each of these perspectives.

Who are the best people to work your booth, for example? "Sometimes some of the best people to be in the booth are the customer service representatives, because they're the ones who field all the questions."

We can all make improvements, and Marlys literally wrote the book on the topic. As always, we'd love to hear your perspective on our conversation!

Our guest

  • Marlys Arnold
    With experience as both an exhibitor and show organizer, Marlys Arnold
    has a unique perspective on trade show exhibiting. Over the past two decades, she's consulted and taught workshops for events ranging from local consumer expos, to some of the largest trade shows in the U.S.
    She's written two books on the subject: “Exhibit Design That Works” and “Build a Better Trade Show Image” (the updated edition just debuted). She's the founder of the Exhibit Marketers Café and Exhibit Marketers Academy, an online education community. In addition to being a familiar industry voice in various publications and podcasts, she also hosts the Trade Show Insights blog and podcast.

Podcast Host: Megan Powers

Megan Powers

Megan Powers is a creator and strategist who thrives on driving conversations and helping people learn. She has spent the majority of her career working in meetings and events, primarily serving in planning, sales, and marketing roles. Working for software companies, in a venue, in event production, and then running her own marketing agency have all led her to this very satisfying point of her career. 
 
Megan has especially loved hosting and producing podcasts since 2016–she thrives on hearing stories and lessons from guests who get us all thinking in a different way. Her podcast Making a Marketer has been going strong since 2017, and she is delighted to be hosting Trade Show Talk for TSNN.

 

Thank you to our sponsors! 

 SMT Expo Logo

The industry’s number one full floorplan fabric booth system. All of our booth models are engineered to be cross-system compatible, allowing each of our systems’ components and accessory options to be used together or individually within our product offering.

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Content Marketing Membership with a Community approach. Enjoy premium marketing services and educational content by joining our unique community membership to gain knowledge, and monthly creative assets to thrive in your industry.

 

Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.