By Mary Tucker | Senior Communications and Content Manager | IAEE

What actually drives someone to go from registrant to active participant? Why do some exhibitors feel like true partners in an event while others feel like they simply showed up? The answer, more often than not, comes down to communication – not just what you say but when you say it, to whom and how intentionally it was designed.

IAEE’s upcoming webinar, The Role of Communication Strategy in Event Success, will pull back the curtain on the communication strategies that shaped one of the industry’s most respected events: Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition. This real-world case study on Expo! Expo! 2025 reveals how deliberate, well-timed messaging influences behavior before, during and after an event. From registration through post-show follow-up, every touchpoint is an opportunity to deepen engagement, deliver exhibitor value and set the stage for long-term success.

To give you a preview of what’s in store, we sat down with the two IAEE experts leading the session: Nicole Bowman, MBA, CEM-AP, Vice President of Marketing and Communications and Beverly Elliott, CEM, Account Manager of Exhibitions and Sales.

With more than 20 years of experience in event and marketing management, Nicole oversees all marketing functions at IAEE from corporate branding to the comprehensive strategic marketing plans that power IAEE’s events, membership, councils and advocacy initiatives.

A cornerstone of the IAEE team since 2005, Beverly specializes in fostering strong partner relationships and optimizing the exhibitor experience through her expertise in floor plan logistics, digital portals and cross-functional operations.

Both bring decades of hands-on experience shaping the attendee and exhibitor journey at IAEE. Here, they share why most event communication strategies fall short and what it takes to get them right.

NICOLE: Many event organizers treat communication as a logistical checklist rather than a strategic tool. What does “intentional communication design” actually mean in practice, and what makes it such a powerful asset?

Intentional communication design considers how well you know your audience, not just from a CRM data-driven perspective (when they open emails or what webpages they click on, for example) but what is happening in your audience’s daily lives. Are there holidays to consider? How much digital noise does one need to cut through? What other events are deploying their own messaging, and how does that compete with ours? Is the time of year that we are marketing Expo! Expo! conflict with when a member’s show is ramping up? Taking these perspectives into account compels one to take a step back and really think about what you are trying to convey and how you are going to convey it.

BEVERLY: Exhibitors are a critical part of the event ecosystem, but they often feel like an afterthought in communication plans. How does a well-designed communication strategy change the exhibitor experience and what does that mean for their long-term partnership with an organization like IAEE?

A well-designed communication strategy shifts the exhibitor from a vendor to a strategic partner. By integrating exhibitors into the planning process from day one, a communication strategy evolves them from mere vendors into invested strategic partners. Here is how it transforms the relationship:

From Logistics to ROI: Moving beyond booth manuals to share attendee insights and marketing tools empowers exhibitors to focus on measurable success rather than just setup. While seamless logistics define the attendee experience, exhibitors in the current market demand robust data to quantify their return on investment and demonstrate measurable success. This data must be communicated throughout the pre, during, and post-show communication.

Reduced Friction: Proactive, transparent updates eliminate the afterthought feeling, building the trust necessary for a seamless show floor experience.

Long Term Loyalty: Strategic communication is the cornerstone of long-term loyalty for IAEE. By ensuring exhibitors feel heard and valued, we transition them from one off participants into lifelong stakeholders who are actively invested in our organization’s collective growth. For IAEE, clear communication drives higher retention and brand advocacy. When exhibitors feel seen, they transition from one off participants to long term stakeholders who co-invest in the organization’s growth.

NICOLE: What specific communication decisions made for Expo! Expo! 2025 yielded measurably stronger attendee engagement, and what stood out to you the most about the results?

This is tough to answer. We deployed a multi-faceted campaign that was built off several different initiatives. The biggest win each year is when we have our attendees, exhibitors and sponsors talking about the event and what they are excited about. Our use of social, specifically with word-of-mouth campaigns through Snöball, yielded a high level of engagement on LinkedIn and contributed to a greater volume of brand awareness about the show.

BEVERLY: You work closely with exhibitors on floor plan logistics and digital portals – areas where unclear communication can quickly create friction. Can you walk us through how pre-event communications and timely nudges were used at Expo! Expo! 2025 to reduce confusion and improve exhibitor readiness?

At Expo! Expo! 2025, our strategy was to replace last-minute friction with predictable, high value touchpoints. We focused on three key areas to ensure exhibitor readiness:

Consistent Rhythm: Starting five months out, we launched a monthly newsletter. This wasn’t just information; it was a roadmap that prevented exhibitors from feeling overwhelmed by the scale of the logistics.

Centralized Resources: We eliminated the search for info by housing all documentation and an exhaustive FAQ within a single Exhibitor Service Center. This gave partners a 24/7 source of truth for floor plan and portal questions.

Financial & Creative Guidance: We provided a Deadlines Checklist & Reminders document specifically designed to help exhibitors avoid late fee price increases saving them money while ensuring our timelines were met. To move them beyond just logistics, we also shared our 12 Steps to Stand Out guide, shifting their focus from simple setup to active engagement and ROI.

By providing these timely nudges, we turned a potentially stressful portal experience into a structured, supportive journey.

NICOLE: When building a strategic communication framework for an event, where do most organizations go wrong and what is the single most impactful change they could make to improve outcomes across the entire event lifecycle?

Most marketers assume that people WANT to hear from their organization. While this may be true for some audience members, the rest must be convinced to even open an email. I use email as the example because that is still what most marketers rely on. And it’s not wrong, it’s simply recognizing that email is only ONE LANE used to create a holistic view of your event. You have to meet people where they’re at, and no one channel will get the job done. This is in my opinion, the biggest mistake that marketers make.

BEVERLY: Your diverse background gives you a uniquely cross-functional view of event operations. How does a communication strategy that serves both internal teams and external exhibitors help an organization hit its broader goals beyond a successful show floor?

My background across membership, accounting and sales has taught me that a unified communication strategy is the glue that connects event day wins to our long-term bottom line. Here is how it hits those broader goals:

Financial Alignment: By syncing sales and accounting communications, we ensure contract fulfillment is seamless and collections are faster. This eliminates the silo friction that often frustrates exhibitors and hurts cash flow.

Actionable Data: When internal teams speak the same language, data doesn’t get trapped on the show floor. Insights from exhibitors flow directly into our CRM, allowing us to tailor membership retention and future sales strategies based on real-world feedback.

Institutional Trust: Consistency is key. When an exhibitor receives the same professional, informed voice from every department, it builds the confidence necessary to move them from a one-time vendor to a lifelong organizational partner.

Click here to register for The Role of Communication Strategy in Event Success and learn more about upcoming IAEE webinars here.

The post Stop Blasting, Start Guiding: How Strategic Communication Drives Event Success appeared first on IAEE.