EP 186 | If Your Trade Shows Aren’t Driving Pipeline, What Are They Doing?

Most event teams are still measuring trade shows by booth traffic, badge scans, and “good vibes.” But when budgets tighten and leadership wants answers, those metrics stop meaning much.Bethany Gustafson leads events at ACTIVE Network, where her team manages everything from small pop-up trade shows to large-scale flagship exhibits across multiple markets and products. In this episode, she joins Matt Kleinrock to break down what it actually takes to run a high-volume event program strategically—not just operationally. They get into the pressure event marketers face to prove impact, why clean attribution is harder than executives think, and how strong teams build scorecards, feedback loops, and sales alignment around real business outcomes.Learn:✅ How Bethany structures Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 event strategies across 75–100 shows a year✅ The leading indicators she watches before ROI is fully visible months later✅ Why operational systems and sales alignment matter more than flashy boothsIf you’re being asked to prove the value of your trade shows while managing more events with fewer resources, this episode will probably feel very familiar.---------------------------------- Connect with Bethany GustafsonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethany-gustafson/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