We've all attended offsite events that fell flat — low turnout, awkward vibes, and missed opportunities. So how do you make sure your offsite event actually works?In this episode of Trade University, Jim welcomes food and wine expert Michael Green to break down how to create unforgettable offsite experiences that drive real connections and reinforce your brand. From crafting immersive experiences like Italy in a Glass to simple yet impactful tips like offering Uber vouchers and themed follow-up emails, this conversation is packed with practical advice.🧠 What You’ll Learn:How to boost attendance at offsite eventsWhy food and drink are powerful tools for connectionHow to align your event theme with your brand messageTips for choosing the right venue and event flowHow to use follow-up communication to convert connections into business🍷 Whether you're planning your first offsite or looking to level up your next event, this episode is a must-listen.🔗 Connect with Michael Green:Website: https://michaelgreen.comEmail: [email protected]🔗 Connect with Jim Cermak & Trade Show University:Website: https://tradeshowu.bizEmail: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimcermak/Mentioned in this episode:Exhibitor Expert Review - exclusively from Trade Show UniversityReady to exhibit at your next Show? Don’t make the mistake of waiting until you get to the show to learn lessons on what you can do better and tweaks you can make for next time. You can do that BEFORE this next show and accelerate your results! I can help you get locked in for Success with an Expert Review! • Having a professional set of outside "eyes" is important because You Don't Know what You Don't Know! • 30+ year Trade Show expert will review: o Design o Messaging o Goals & Metrics o Engagement Questions o Attendee journey • Identify the Gaps and Opportunities you don’t even know exist! • And get you capturing more Qualified Leads than ever before • Visit Tradeshowu.biz/services

Planning for Trade Shows is stressful enough, let alone when you are overwhelmed by stress at home. Because that stress follows you to work. So in this different episode of Trade Show University, join host Jim Cermak as he interviews financial coach, Joel Bromley, who received the blessing of Dave Ramsey to launch his Financial Reset package!Are you feeling overwhelmed by financial stress? In this episode, we dive into the journey of Joel and Caitlin Bromley, founders of Bromley Financial Coaching. They turned their own financial struggles into a mission to help others achieve financial independence and peace of mind.***************************Get your FINANCIAL RESET package here: https://www.bromleyfinancialcoaching.com/2025-financial-reset-bundle?linkId=lp_087032&sourceId=jim-cermak&tenantId=bromleyfc***************************Want More LEADS, More SALES and More PROFITS at your next Trade Show? Book a free 15-minute strategy call here: https://calendly.com/tradeshowu***************************Joel shares how their personal experiences with debt, property management, and full-time jobs led them to seek a better way to handle money. They began by leading a small finance group at their church, which eventually evolved into a full-fledged coaching service. Inspired by principles from Ramsey Solutions, they crafted their own program tailored to help people understand and manage their finances without the pressure of sales pitches for investments or insurance.Throughout the discussion, Joel highlights common financial pitfalls, like the trap of comparison, unintentional spending, and the fear of facing financial realities. He emphasizes the power of knowledge, intentionality, and the impact of small, consistent changes—like re-evaluating insurance plans or meal planning—to free up cash and reduce anxiety.The Bromleys also introduce their comprehensive 2025 Financial Reset package. It’s packed with over 40 pages of resources, including financial audits, goal-setting tools, budgeting strategies, and essential questions for financial advisors. This toolkit is designed to help you build a solid financial foundation, prepare for tax season, and plan for the future, whether you're in Canada or beyond.If you’re ready to flip the script on your finances and start living the life you truly want, this episode is a must-watch. Learn practical tips, gain valuable insights, and get inspired to take control of your financial future with confidence and clarity.Connect with Joel Bromley:Website: https://www.bromleyfinancialcoaching.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joelbromley/Get your FINANCIAL RESET package here: https://www.bromleyfinancialcoaching.com/2025-financial-reset-bundle?linkId=lp_087032&sourceId=jim-cermak&tenantId=bromleyfc

You're an exhibitor working a trade show or conference when all of a sudden, the traffic stops. What happened to the Attendees? Where is everyone? What do you do? I'm going to give you 8 TIPS you need to make the most of the slow times! 8 of them to be exact!** Please SUBSCRIBE to the Channel - https://www.youtube.com/@tradeshowuniversity **So when the show gets slow, what i see is people pulling out their phones and start scrolling. Please stop that! When attendees start coming around again, they won't want to stop at your booth.So here's what you do - create a strategy!So that means before you go to the show, you have to do your research and figure out what you are going to do when the show is slow. And for those of you at larger shows in the end aisles and the back corners, that means when the show opens! You may not see anyone for a while! So before I go into the 8 things I recommend being prepared to do when the show is slow, you have to find and research the show floor layout. This is NEEDED for the first 3 Tips:#1 - Look for booths that can be potential customers#2 - Look for competitors - spy on them#3 - Look for potential vendors or suppliers - reach out to purchasing and see what their needs are.#4 - What breakout sessions should you attend?Anything else you do before the show? Drop that in the comments. And please subscribe if you're getting value!#5 - Have someone walk the floor and take pics of other booths for ideas - design, activations, more#6 - Review with your team goals, scripts, and roles#7 - Make time to network!#8 - Give people breaks!** Want More LEADS, More SALES and More PROFITS at your next Trade Show? Book a free 15-minute strategy call here: https://calendly.com/tradeshowu#strategy #tradeshows #events Mentioned in this episode:Subscribe to the new Trade Show University YouTube channel!Check out the new Trade Show University YouTube channel where we feature a growing number of training videos to help businesses get More Leads, More Sales and More Profits through the power of Trade Shows! Many videos are exclusive to YouTube and not found on the podcast. Visit, Subscribe and Binge! https://www.youtube.com/@tradeshowuniversity

How do you monetize a virtual event? You’re still putting in a lot of time, money, energy and resources, and now in a new platform that you’re not completely familiar or comfortable with. So you may need to recoup some of those costs or how about even making a profit?? Some of you considering a virtual event may be a single company looking to reach out to your audience. Others of you may be trade show organizers trying to make the change to virtual events. But talking with some folks who are going virtual for the first time, they are having a really tough time getting vendors and companies that were sponsors in the past for live events to sponsor virtual events. Some just don’t understand what they can get for their money, what kind of exposure they will have – and its up to you as the event organizer to educate them on this. That is your only chance. 1.      Show value to the sponsor 2.      Make the amounts appropriate. Your costs are probably going to be considerably less, so if you charged a sponsor $5000 last year to sponsoring a networking event, maybe bring the total down to something more reasonable. You can still make the same profit from your event! 3.      Appeal to continuity of long-term sponsors. Important to continue building relationships – especially during this time 4.      Consider bartering, trading in-kind services With the world and business landscape changing, Companies all over are looking for new ways to reach out to new customers. Make it easy for them! So what can you offer to potential sponsors? Many of the traditional sponsor opportunities aren’t available – or are they. Things Like lunch, lanyards, tote bags and more may seem unavailable but I’m hoping to get you to think in new ways today! So here’s 9 Creative ways to offer sponsorship opportunities for your Virtual event. Many of these are creative takes on what is done at live in-person events. So be sure to not stop at just these 9 – grab your team or reach out to your vendors and past sponsors and brainstorm new ways and opportunities to make this a powerful event for all! 1.      Mail out an event Program – this can be extremely powerful! At in-person events, there typically is an event program handed out to everyone. Many of these never get read, or maybe just skimmed over. But with a virtual event, having a physical program arrive in the mail will grab people’s attention! Not only will they read through it prior to your event, but you can reference it often during your event. Love this! 2.      Mail out sponsored gifts – use your creativity to send out logo’d items that meet the theme of your event or bring value to your attendees. Or can be special ones just from your sponsors. 3.      Event Swag Bag – you know the tote bag or backpack full of literature and promo items you get when you show up at an event. You can do this! And you can do it physically or digitally. ·        To do it physically would be how show organizers do it today. Have sponsors pay to have their literature or giveaway items put into a special event bag – and that bag would be mailed out to all attendees. Again – having something show up in the mail can have tremendous impact.  ·        To do it digitally means that everything your sponsors would include in the swag bag would be digital or electronic. Things like pdfs of literature, access to white papers or exclusive videos and training, discount offers, e-gift cards and more. Get creative and offer value to your sponsors AND attendees! 4.      Sponsored...

Head with me to Charleston, SC to Hall’s Chophouse! Hall's Chophouse is a 5-star, family-owned and operated restaurant in downtown Charleston. They are known for their steaks, service and overall great food. So how did this amazing restaurant teach me so much about getting better results at Trade Shows and in Business? Let me go through my experience again and tell you some powerful takeaways you can use. Waiting in line outside when one of the owners – a member of the Hall family – popped out of the door and greeted every single person in line.   --- How are you greeting people at your exhibit? Do they feel special? Or like just anyone else? Or like they’re bothering you? Be happy and excited! If you knew that this was going to be your best customer ever, how would you greet them? ---  If you’re running a promo like a prize wheel or something that causes a line of people to form, send someone out to greet each person and thank them for coming. Also get them qualified and ask them questions while they’re standing there. ---  Think about it – at Hall’s, it was my first time being there and I’m waiting in line outside. My first thought was, maybe we should go somewhere else. But when someone came out and greeted me and sincerely thanked me for being there, there was no way I was getting out of line. Inside there was a jazz trio playing right by the door, and A lot of talking, a lot of laughing, smiles, people all around having a great time.   ---  So how are you setting the tone at your booth? ---  What’s the atmosphere you’re setting at your booth? The lighting, the mood of your staff, the messaging, the colors. Is it inviting? Does it draw people in?  ---  How about this question – if you were walking by your booth, would you want to walk up to it? Once seated, had two people serving our table. Again – setting the tone that this would not be average service.  --- Do your customers know more than just you at your company? Brought out a cutting board with several steaks and our Main Server went through their specials describing each dish in a way that made your mouth water.   ---  How are you describing your products and services? Are you separating yourself from your competitors, or fitting right in with the pack? ---  Think about it – you may have the best product on the market, but if you’re just using generic terms to describe it, then you’re now a commodity. And you’ll be fighting on price instead of getting a price you deserve. Everything that arrived at our table was a feast for the eyes!   ---  Are you putting your best foot forward? Does your booth look good? Is your literature neat and filled? Are your giveaways neatly placed out? Did someone leave a coffee cup in the middle of your counter? Be sure to have someone in charge of getting the booth straightened up and keeping it looking the best at least a couple of times during the show. And of course, the food tasted as good or better than expected.   ---  Make sure if you’re doing product demos that your product works! I have seen things go wrong a couple of times over the years. One time the product which was sent out to do demos was defective. So frustrating! Another time saw a company with a software product and they were relying on their own internet hotspot to run their demos. However in the hall the internet reception was horrible. So they kept getting stuck. Not a good look and can be avoided!  ---  Here’s a Pro Tip – if you are going to be relying on internet service, go with the service the trade show is offering. So many convention centers and halls have bad cell reception, so be sure to make the right...

Welcome to TSU. This is going to be a different kind of episode, but we are in different times right now!  I’m going to give you a quick update on what is happening out there in the Trade Show and Live Event industry, share some comments from one of the industry leaders, and then give you some words to help fuel your results. If you’ve been listening to some of my episodes over the past few months, you know I am a big proponent of getting back to live events. I’m also a big proponent of getting results! I understand that right now for the vast majority, virtual is where its at. That’s why I have been featuring tips and techniques for getting better results from your virtual events. And I’ll continue to be doing that and featuring new platforms and initiatives in the upcoming months. However, I want to point out once again how critical it is to get back to live events. There are so many jobs affected and so much economic impact not gained whenever a live event is cancelled. It starts with the event venues and their staffs, the marketing and planning companies, the printing and display companies, everyone involved in travel – including airlines, rental cars, uber and taxi, hotels, parking, restaurants, catering, and the list goes on and on. Not to mention all the tax benefits an influx of cash does for the host cities.  Back in Episode 41 I had on 3 leaders of the Go Live Together initiative including the CEO of IAEE, CEO of CEIR (Center for Exhibition and Industry Research) and Sr. VP of Strategy for Freeman. They talked about the over $1 Trillion impact live shows and events has on the world economy. $1 Trillion! Think about that number. And over 1 million jobs affected.  So virtual is great, and it’s getting more effective. And you gotta take advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. But it’s never going to completely replace the opportunities and impact of live events! Here’s the kicker – and it was brought up in the Go Live Together episode. Think about those serendipitous opportunities – those chance encounters that just happen. Someone you sat next to at lunch or at a workshop or wherever. Those simply don’t happen virtually. And how about the small company you never heard of that lands a huge account because they were at the show and did something to grab the attention of an attendee. Or the huge account was that person they sat next to at lunch! All these opportunities pretty much disappear. Health and safety is the main hurdle right now. Show organizers around the world, and organizations like Go Live Together, are working with each other and with government leaders to make these venues and events as safe as possible so we can get people working again, get that $1 Trillion back into the economy, and get the opportunities back for everyone. In a research study just done recently by Enigma Research and Exhibitor Magazine they state that 89% of people who have traveled to a live event in the past 2 years would travel to another event in the future. So the desire is there! I encourage you to go back and check out Episode 41 on Go Live Together – such an important episode! And if you are doing Virtual trade shows, I have several episodes with tips and tricks to get the most out of these events. Before we go on to the next topic, let’s talk about something that plagues so many exhibitors out there – and that is having results that underperform and are underwhelming. You know the #1 reason companies underperform at shows?  The #1 Reason why companies don't get the results they want from these events is that they don’t set good solid GOALS! I’m here to help IMPROVE YOUR RESULTS! 👈 Get my exclusive Ultimate Goal Setting Workbook for Trade Shows, Events and Expos at NO CHARGE!! 🔥 This Workbook takes you through the SMART Goal setting process for:...

Eddie Thomason is a best-selling author and inspirational speaker who helps empower youth and young adults to shed self-limiting beliefs to pursue a life that they’re passionate about living. He is a connector of people, and knows all about the importance of mindset. Eddie's Top Tips: - To best engage with your audience, share Your Story. Your story helps start the relationship building which is critical to sales. - Products Tell – Stories Sell! - You don’t get what you Want in life…You get what you Expect! At Trade Shows, if you expect to have a bad show, you’ll have a bad show. Expect greatness!! - Always be thinking, “How Can I Serve?” - Leave A Legacy! What is your brand??   Get Eddie’s Book Unlock Yourself:  Go get Eddie’s book: Unlock Yourself: How to Earn the Success You Were Born to Create  bit.ly/unlockyourselfbook Also, there’s a free workbook to download @ https://eddiethomason.com/unlockyourself (https://eddiethomason.com/unlockyourself) where they can APPLY the knowledge they learn inside of the book. Contact Eddie and to learn more: Call or Text: (607) 624-4168 Email: [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) LinkedIn: Eddie Thomason (https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddiethomason/) Instagram @eddiethomason_ (https://www.instagram.com/eddiethomason_/) Facebook: @thomasoneddie (https://www.facebook.com/thomasoneddie/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel&eid=ARA-tl8y32xeU9HOj9Io-15Gj51Bo2Zi-1jjo-bZ1C3EGjej5_9ournT0iA3VEoip52tIuROtsHoqu7G) YouTube: Eddie Thomason (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuJnwPFuwU4su9t869moN7g?view_as=subscriber)

Go Live Together is a critical and growing initiative which has the potential of over $1 Trillion in Economic Impact, plus positively impacting literally millions of jobs around the world who are part of what they are calling the Live Events Ecosystem. Honored to have these 3 leaders as my guests today: Cathy Breden - CEO, Center for Exhibition Industry Research Foundation (CEIR) – Exec Vice Pres/Chief Operating Officer at International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) In her work over the past 12 plus years with CEIR, she has been leading the primary research studies that prove the effectiveness and efficiency of exhibitions as a marketing medium. She and her team then incorporate those findings to promote the image, value and growth of exhibitions. Sue Sung – Senior Vice President of Strategy at Freeman, a global brand and leader in the live events industry. If you have any experience at all in planning exhibits for any period of time, you most likely have worked with Freeman in some aspect. In her role, Sue works with senior executives to set the strategic direction for the company. She partners with business leaders to identify, develop, and execute programs that drive performance in support of Freeman’s overall goals. Sue has extensive experience in strategy consulting across a broad range of industries, and is making a difference in the trade show and live events industry. David DuBois is the President and CEO of the International Association of Exhibitions and Events® (IAEE). As IAEE’s president, DuBois is responsible advocating for the industry and the organization’s members, providing organizational leadership and strategic counsel to the board. Also, he serves as the association’s representative with industry coalitions, partner organizations and strategic alliances. In other words, he’s going out every day sticking up for all of us in the industry! In 2019, DuBois was inducted into the Events Industry Council’s “Hall of Leaders,” one of the industry’s most prestigious honors. WATCH THIS VIDEO: https://www.freeman.com/insights/what-the-future-of-events-will-look-like (https://www.freeman.com/insights/what-the-future-of-events-will-look-like) How did the idea of Go Live Together come about? We knew we had a responsibility to the live events industry (and to the economy at large) as we navigated the unprecedented impact of COVID-19. We wanted to do what we could to prepare for and accelerate recovery post-pandemic, and knew that our collective impact and message would be greater than individual ones. From there, we formed the coalition and have seen an outpouring of support across the industry.  Why is this initiative so important for the industry? Go LIVE Together has assembled leaders from across the diverse and vibrant live events ecosystem to drive local, state, and federal legislative actions that will not only be critical to our ability to put millions of people back to work, but also for our country’s economic recovery. The beauty of the coalition is that it is not anchored to any one company, but truly represents our collective industry.  How did you get such key industry associations and partners to get involved? We engaged with leaders across the events industry, and word spread quickly across social media as well. People believed in our message and goals and were eager to get involved.  Go LIVE Together now has over 1,500 organizations representing tens of thousands of companies and millions of jobs, and over 2,500 members.  What are the main goals of Go Live Together? Go LIVE Together focuses on safety, impact and legislation and have developed task forces for each.  Safety- We understand that ensuring exhibitors and attendees feel safe returning to events will be a critical first step in our ability to get back to work. Several of our partners are actively working on this issue and have created recommendations to serve our industry.

Ben Thomas currently serves as the Sr. Director of Publishing for MarketScale, a B2B publisher and strategic marketing firm, overseeing 16 publications. He has over a decade of award winning experience in visual direction and media creation for large scale events, Over The Top & live streaming platforms, marketing, network television, and social media. Ben decided on his career path at the age of 7, and to date has led some of the most influential brands in the world to billions of content interactions. Ben's Top Tips: - Think about what your audience wants to see or learn. - Remember to Educate, Inform and Inspire! - Try going LIVE! Grab your phone, do a Zoom call live, or if you are too apprehensive to go Live, record a video and then work the chat during the "live" broadcast - Don't replicate what you do at Traditional Trade Shows. This looks like you're not making any effort. Have to do more to Engage with your audience! - Own your channel!   Learn more about BrandLive:  Visit: https://www.marketscale.com/solutions/live-video/ (https://www.marketscale.com/solutions/live-video/) Contact Ben and to learn more: Email [email protected] Visit: https://www.marketscale.com/ (https://www.marketscale.com/)

The Trade Show industry is moving toward Hybrid Trade Shows and Events, but what are they? And could they be our Future? Welcome to Trade Show University! I am your host Jim Cermak and we continue to talk virtual as the entire trade show industry continues to morph and reinvent itself. Ultimately we will get back to live events – we need to get back to live events! So much of the economy relies on live events happening.  In fact – there is a new effort happening called Go Live Together (https://www.golivetogether.com/ (https://www.golivetogether.com/)) which is being spearheaded by leadership from some of the largest trade show industry associations! I am super excited and honored to bring you a special episode in a few weeks featuring an interview with some of the people behind Go Live Together – you will not want to miss that very important episode! So be sure to subscribe to Trade Show university on iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to this podcast! Also please stay tuned to later in this podcast where I’m going to give share a story of how an organization put on a successful trade show in the middle of Covid! You will learn so much about what you can possibly do right now. Before we dive in to today’s main topic, let’s talk about something that plagues so many exhibitors out there – and that is having results that underperform and are underwhelming. You know the #1 reason companies underperform at shows?  The #1 Reason why companies don't get the results they want from these events is that they don’t set good solid GOALS! I’m here to help IMPROVE YOUR RESULTS! 👈 Get my exclusive Ultimate Goal Setting Workbook for Trade Shows, Events and Expos at NO CHARGE!! 🔥 This Workbook takes you through the SMART Goal setting process for: ✅ Creating your Main Metrics ✅ Pre-Show Goals ✅ In-Show Goals ✅ Post-Show Goals ✅ Individual Goals ✅ And more! ⭐️ Plus a BRAND NEW section on Must-Do’s for VIRTUAL Trade Shows & Events! This will be a tremendous resource for your company that will help you Improve Your Results. Plus you get it absolutely Free! 💥 Just go to www.TradeShowU.biz (http://www.tradeshowu.biz/?fbclid=IwAR1FNsDYLn6jXj9Rd-nrEYLHuh8yZx_b09KUGiT_37LhyzKAS0DJiAJji6I) to get your copy!! Get it today because this is the kind of information that can literally double your results! So pause this right now, and get over to tradeshowu.biz! Okay so in today’s episode we’re going to be talking about a fairly new trend that is popping up in the trade show world, and that is something called Hybrid events. Like I said we need to get back to live events, and as cities are starting to open up organizers are looking to schedule their in-person events. But as they begin planning, here’s the million dollar question – will anyone come? Will they get the number of exhibitors they have previously? What will the attendance numbers be?  So many unknowns as many companies have decided to not exhibit for the foreseeable future, and many attendees aren’t going to take the risk. And even those who are open to exhibiting are asking if its worth it if the attendees don’t show up and vice versa.  So here’s what’s going on. Since Covid started, we have all seen a switch to virtual online events. They’re getting more doable, new software platforms and new capabilities are coming on line.  They have quickly become the norm. Plus just because attendees aren’t comfortable with or question the value of attending doesn’t mean they don’t WANT to attend! So the transition to Live events has become a mix of live and online – or a hybrid of the two. So what we are starting to see is a live event happening – and of course they will look different with health and safety protocols in place. Plus these events in...