This is the podcast designed to help trade show exhibitors succeed internationally, hosted by Jeff Hannah. You will hear perspectives from many of the most experienced international experts in the industry - each with specific areas of focus, covering a broad range of topics including international marketing strategies, cross-cultural engagement challenges, experience design, communication tips, protocol recommendations, negotiation approaches, logistics help, and many others.
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Inside Live Events with Carrie Freeman Parsons (Part 2)
Season 5 · Episode 11
Wednesday, May 14, 2025 • Duration 26:45
Inside Freeman's Transformation: Leadership, Culture, and the Future of Events
In Part 2 of this Global Exhibitor Podcast interview, Jeff Hannah continues the conversation with Carrie Freeman Parsons, Chair of the Board at Freeman. Carrie shares powerful insights about Freeman's organizational transformation, the lessons learned through crisis, and her deep passion for leadership grounded in human dignity and flourishing.
From reflecting on the post-recession pivot to reimagining the company during COVID, Carrie explains how Freeman has become more consultative, nimble, and mission-driven — without losing sight of its culture-first values. Carrie also discusses her recently co-authored book, Inside Live Events, and why it serves as a vital guide for both newcomers and seasoned professionals navigating the changing landscape of face-to-face marketing.
Reinvention at the Core: Staying Relevant in a Changing Landscape
Freeman's staying power — 98 years and counting — is no accident. Carrie outlines a three-pronged approach to staying agile:
"First and foremost, we are healthily paranoid… There's always a healthy paranoia around like, what if we're disrupted?"
That mindset is paired with a relentless customer focus and a "learning mindset" embedded in Freeman's culture. From embracing design thinking to proactively studying emerging trends like AI, Freeman is constantly reinventing itself to stay ahead.
Vision 2025 and a Strategic Shift
A key turning point came after the 2008 recession — the first time the trade show industry had taken a real economic hit. Freeman recognized that just delivering logistics wasn't enough anymore.
"It sort of smacked us in the head… if we don't help our customers solve these problems, then we're not going to have work to produce."
In response, they launched Vision 2025 — a bold initiative to evolve Freeman into a strategic, consultative partner, not just an executional one. That vision included investing in creative and strategic services, enhancing efficiency, and redefining how Freeman delivers value.
How COVID Accelerated Change
While devastating, the pandemic forced Freeman to put transformation into overdrive.
"We had no business to produce… so we used that time to reimagine operations, reduce costs, and help our customers rethink their events."
The crisis pushed clients to rely more heavily on Freeman's strategic services — and allowed the company to emerge leaner, smarter, and better positioned for the future.
Culture Is the Engine
At the heart of everything Freeman does is its culture — one Carrie fiercely protects and nurtures.
"There is not a moment that we take our eye off the ball… If you take your eye off that ball, bad things can slip in."
She reflects on the evolution of Freeman's explicit values, the importance of appreciation, and how good leadership is ultimately about creating an environment where people thrive.
"What if everybody went home feeling valued — and that made their families stronger? That's the ripple effect we want."
Advice to Newcomers: Events as a Human-Centered Industry
To those just entering the events world, Carrie offers encouragement and inspiration:
"This industry is human-centric. It's about creating meaningful connections — and if you do your work well, you're part of something that has real impact."
She emphasizes the diverse opportunities the industry offers — from lighting design to marketing strategy — and the importance of joining a team-oriented, dynamic environment.
Final Takeaway: Events Are a Team Sport
As Carrie says, live events are "a team sport." The energy, challenge, and impact of the industry are powered by collaboration — and by leaders who care deeply about people.
Inside Live Events with Carrie Freeman Parsons (Part 1)
Season 5 · Episode 10
Wednesday, April 30, 2025 • Duration 27:26
Featuring the Chair of the Board at Freeman
In this episode of The Global Exhibitor Podcast, Jeff Hannah sits down with Carrie Freeman Parsons, third-generation leader and Chair of the Board at Freeman, one of the world's largest and most influential event production companies. Carrie shares her deep insights into the evolution of the trade show and live events industry — and why today's environment demands faster innovation, more strategic thinking, and a deeper commitment to audience needs than ever before.
Carrie also discusses her recently co-authored book, Inside Live Events, and why it serves as a vital guide for both newcomers and seasoned professionals navigating the changing landscape of face-to-face marketing.
Why Inside Live Events Matters Right Now
The pace of change in the events industry has accelerated dramatically. Carrie notes that in the past, professionals had the luxury of years of hands-on learning, mentoring, and apprenticeship. Today, that model simply doesn't fit.
"In today's world, you don't have the luxury of time to learn all the nuances of the business," Carrie explains.
That's one of the reasons she and co-author Bob Priest-Heck felt compelled to put their ideas and practices into a book — to provide a faster, more effective way for people at all stages of their careers to understand how to create successful, impactful live events.
Three Generations in Mexico with Francisco Collazo (Part 1)
In this fascinating conversation, Francisco Collazo shares his extensive journey into the exhibition industry, tracing the evolution of his career from its inception as a young boy working with his father. More than 40 years later, Francisco's company is now well into its third family generation and has established an outstanding reputation for themselves globally in the industry.
Host Jeff Hannah asks Francisco to share the transformative shifts he has witnessed in the Mexican exhibition landscape over the years, offering valuable insights into the dynamic nature of the industry in Mexico. Nowadays, most of the exhibits are custom-built, wooden exhibits versus system exhibits; many are still build and burn (one time use).
Francisco highlighted his knowledge of system exhibits, shedding light on the diverse range, some of the history, and how he became an expert in this area. He mentions his past interactions with historical system influencers, such as Hans Bruder (global leader of for over 50 years). Some of the systems they discussed are , , , , and ,
Inside the Mind of Digital Genius Mazi Farzam
Season 5 · Episode 1
Wednesday, May 31, 2023 • Duration 30:32
In this episode, host Jeff Hannah interviews digital genius, Mazi Farzam, CEO of Inhance Digital, an agency based in Los Angeles, California. Mazi is focused on the intersection of science, technology, and storytelling. Under his leadership, Inhance has built a global reputation for content generation, user experience creation, visual effects, and immersive storytelling. Inhance works across a wide range of industries where their work finds application in museums, trade shows, executive briefing centers, and other types of experiences.
Mazi is from the Middle East, but is an American now, having worked and traveled extensively around the world. He has a fantastic understanding of cultural differences and how those impact business, interpersonal relationships, and the design of experiences. He is passionate about technology, experiences, and entertainment.
Jeff and Mazi talk about how culture plays into design of interactives and storytelling. They take a deeper look at the differences between basic translation and localization. Mazi stresses the importance of having locals to help craft the story – understanding the connotations of the local language, colloquialisms, and sensitivities to various topics and issues. He explains how most of their projects are designed to be used across a spectrum of different cultures.
How Mark Johnson is Shaping the Exhibition Industry
Season 4 · Episode 4
Friday, December 2, 2022 • Duration 30:00
Industry veteran Mark Johnson is re-shaping the world of exhibitions with his deep passion, foresight, and encompassing vision for the future. Mark has garnered significant attention with his recent acquisitions of EXHIBITOR Group, as well as Featherlite Exhibits. In this episode, host Jeff Hannah asks Mark about his acquisition of EXHIBITOR Group, and how he is re-imagining the future of it. Mark introduces Dan Raynak as the new CEO/President of EXHIBITOR Group, and talks about the unique and ongoing mission for the company. Mark's fiery passion for the exhibition industry can be felt as he discusses a more inclusive future for EXHIBITOR – with the introduction of additional tools and resources. Mark also discusses the outlook for EXHIBITORLIVE 2023 and beyond, including future potential show locations.
EXHIBITOR is widely recognized as a producer of educational conferences – and is exploring ways to build upon this globally recognized brand – including potential international expansion of educational programming and CTSM Certification. EXHIBITOR and the have recently formed a partnership to provide ongoing professional education to EDPA members through EXHIBITOR's program.
Perspectives from an Industry Legend: Benedict Soh
In this episode, host Jeff Hannah and Bendict Soh discuss the return of the industry since the COVID-19 pandemic brought the exhibition industry to a complete halt over two years ago. Shows and events are recovering well, with a number of large corporations hosting their own private customer events and product launches. Ben talks about the importance of face-to-face marketing, and the need as an industry to demonstrate excellent ROI for the client stakeholders.
Ben talks about how the trade show industry has evolved over the years, and has excelled at integrating all of the other aspects of technology and marketing. He also talks about how business has changed due to the blending of cultures globally.
Jeff asks Ben about the challenges of running a large corporation with offices in many countries. Jeff asks Ben to give advice to people considering a career in this industry. He talks about mentors, sources of inspiration, and about how he got started in this industry. He also talks about the concepts of work/life balance and work/life integration. And, he talks about what he feels is his greatest achievement.
Bendict Soh is internationally known across the Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) industry and amusement park industry segments. Benedict has been awarded the prestigious , as well as the for Outstanding Contribution to Tourism by the . Benedict co-founded over 45 years ago, and is also Chairman. has now gown to 21 offices across major cities in Asia, the Middle East, and the USA, with global headquarters in .
This is one of the most fun, exciting, and inspirational episodes that we've had on The Global Exhibitor Podcast! In this interview, hosted by Jeff Hannah, you can experience Han's electric personality, and magnetic passion through his dynamic, engaging, and direct (Dutch) style. The primary focus of this episode is the importance of booth staff selection, training and engagement.
In this episode, Jeff asks Han to differentiate between the Dutch culture and mindset in comparison to other countries in Europe. Han talks about what Americans might not understand when working with the Dutch. They talk about the direct communications style, and the importance of being authentic and genuine.
Han emphasizes the importance of booth staff training and what the process generally looks like – involving both pre-show training as well as on-site coaching. He talks about setting goals for the show and how to measure where those goals are met.
Han elaborates on how asking the "right" questions is an important step in learning how to engage with people you have never met before. The right questions help to quickly qualify your potential leads and determine where to take the conversation. Han is a firm believer in being bold, taking risks, and stepping out of your comfort zone – which is what it takes in order to be really successful in trade show marketing.
As a side note, Jeff and Han briefly discuss perspectives on the war in Ukraine, as well as how Dutch DJ's compare to others in the world! You don't want to miss that!
is an internationally acclaimed author, keynote speaker, trainer, and coach in the trade show industry. Han is the author of , a book focused on the best ways to engage with people on the trade show floor, in conjunction with an effective exhibit. He is also the author of , which is focused on open-ended, thought-provoking questions which can be used to effectively engage with others on the show floor. Han owns , a training and coaching firm based in .
This is one of the most fun, exciting, and inspirational episodes that we've had on The Global Exhibitor Podcast! In this interview, hosted by Jeff Hannah, you can experience Han's electric personality, and magnetic passion through his dynamic, engaging, and direct (Dutch) style. The primary focus of this episode is the importance of booth staff selection, training and engagement.
Han is focused on outcomes! But, far too many get it wrong! As part of his consultative, training, and coaching initiatives, Han works globally with brands to help establish and reach goals for their trade show participation. With clearly defined goals in mind, you can then work to achieve those goals - and recognize when you have or haven't. Having the goals is important, but is not everything. Making the most of show floor interactions can make or break any trade show participation. Staff training is the next, hugely important component. Much of the booth staff training can happen in the planning phases, but some of it must happen on the show floor, in the actual physical environment in order to fully utilize the exhibit in the way it was designed to be used.
Jeff asks Han about his views on staffing a booth with marketing team members vs. sales vs. technical staff. Han talks in detail about how to select the right people to fill the various roles required on the show floor. Han gives his recommendations on the ideal mix of profiles for the roles, and how to play to people's strengths. He focuses on the importance of booth staff attitude and outlook on working on the show floor. It is critical for them to understand their purpose, as well as the best ways to approach people and start meaningful interactions.
Tradeshow Engagement Optimization with Lee Ali (Part 2)
Season 3 · Episode 11
Saturday, April 9, 2022 • Duration 29:16
This is Part 2 of an interview with Lee Ali of Expo Stars Interactive, based in Manchester, England. Host Jeff Hannah asks Lee about the Five E's of Engagement, booth staffing recommendations, and getting the right people in the right places in an exhibit.
Lee and Jeff discuss various outlooks regarding the attendee experience model in the post-COVID world. How have expectations of engagements and interactions changed during the past couple of years? What problems are we seeing now? And how are expectations continuing to change? It is more important than ever to staff your booth in the right way in order to achieve more successful outcomes.
A key insight that Lee has is that booth staffers tend to do too much talking and not enough listening as they are working an exhibit. Additionally, Lee makes some somewhat controversial statements about whether or not exhibiting is a marketing activity or a sales activity. Jeff asks Lee about how to find the right mix between sales, marketing, product or technical specialists, and senior executives.
Lee Ali is an international speaker, entrepreneur, business coach, mentor, sales strategist and a qualified iMA practitioner. He is widely regarded as the go-to source for attendee engagement and lead generation at global tradeshow exhibitions, conferences and live marketing events.
Lee's passion from very early on in his business career has been understanding what makes people buy and how to truly connect with them so that they are deeply engaged with what you do.
As well as contributing his valuable insights to industry press and media, Lee has been invited to speak at various conferences across the world on audience engagement including; in Malaysia, in Dubai, in LA, in London, in Las Vegas, in Las Vegas, in London and more. Lee also hosts the "" podcast interviewing experts from the tradeshow industry.
Tradeshow Engagement Optimization with Lee Ali (Part 1)
Season 3 · Episode 10
Thursday, March 17, 2022 • Duration 24:51
In this episode, host Jeff Hannah interviews Lee Ali of Expo Stars Interactive, based in Manchester, England. In this episode, Jeff asks Lee about several unique aspects of his work and business model. This is part one of a two-part series with Lee.
Lee discusses his Remote Exhibiting Model, which is a new development born in the midst of the COVID-19 Pandemic, when companies were prevented from traveling due to restrictions of one kind or another. This Model allows companies to still participate in trade shows in a very real, legitimate, and effective way, even when their own staff members cannot attend IRL.
Lee also discusses his outlook regarding the attendee experience model in the post-COVID world. How have expectations of engagements and interactions changed during the past couple of years? And how do they continue to change? Due to show attendance still down from the previous era, exhibitors are spending similar (if not more) dollars but getting access to fewer attendees. So, what can and should exhibitors do to address that in the most effective way possible?
Lee shares insights on cultural differences and their relative importance in the exhibition world and on the show floor. And he talks in depth about a new phrase which he recently coined, "Tradeshow Engagement Optimization" – also known as TEO.
Lee Ali is an international speaker, entrepreneur, business coach, mentor, sales strategist and a qualified iMA practitioner. He is widely regarded as the go-to source for attendee engagement and lead generation at global tradeshow exhibitions, conferences and live marketing events.
The Four-Phase Methodology and Design Thinking at Freeman
One of the major frameworks discussed in the conversation is the four-phase methodology developed in partnership with renowned designer Bruce Mau.
Rather than simply reacting to client requests, Freeman developed a proactive, strategic model that starts with defining the opportunity, involving all necessary stakeholders early, executing with excellence, and critically — debriefing after every project to capture what worked and what could be improved.
"Debriefing isn't optional — it's essential. You have to ask what worked, what didn't, and why," Carrie emphasizes.
Freeman's adoption of design thinking principles has transformed not just how they build exhibits and events, but how they help clients solve the real, underlying problems they face.
Addressing the Workforce Challenge: The Retirement Cliff
Another important issue Carrie raises is what she calls the "retirement cliff" — a looming challenge where experienced professionals are leaving the industry faster than new talent can be trained and onboarded.
Freeman, like many organizations, is focusing heavily on workforce development, leadership training, and system transformation to make it easier for newer employees to ramp up quickly and succeed without the long apprenticeship periods that used to define the industry.
Meeting Evolving Audience Expectations
Carrie also highlights a major shift in audience behavior and expectations.
Where previous generations were content to simply walk the show floor and hope for serendipitous encounters, today's attendees — especially younger ones — expect highly personalized, curated experiences that are memorable and valuable.
Creating those meaningful face-to-face connections requires a much deeper understanding of both audience psychology and technological tools to enable smarter matchmaking and engagement.
Takeaway: Live Events Must Evolve, But Their Power Remains
As Carrie says, the live events industry still holds incredible power to connect, inspire, and drive business forward — but only if companies are willing to rethink how they design experiences, engage audiences, and foster continuous improvement.
Events are living, breathing connections. They demand strategic innovation, courageous creativity, and an ongoing commitment to adapting to a rapidly changing world.
Jeff and Francisco share their common bond of their pathways to becoming an industrial designer. Francisco shares how he is particularly passionate about giving back to future generations of designers and design programs at various universities. Francisco's heavy involvement in international and local industry associations underscored his commitment to fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing with others across the industry.
Francisco's international work experience is a key focal point, illustrating the intricacies and nuances of navigating business across borders – particularly in Latin America.
Francisco opens-up about the unique experience of collaborating with family members in the industry, providing a glimpse into the dynamics of working alongside loved ones. He shares his outlook on navigating some of those challenges – and well as the reward of working with his family in the formation of this third-generation business. They specifically mention the work that his son Paco Collazo is doing with Happy Projects, based in Atlanta.
Jeff asks Francisco about his legacy, where he emphasizes continuous innovation, building connections, and providing the highest level of service possible (beyond what is happening on the trade show floor).
Host Jeff Hannah summarizes this interview by stating, "good stuff to build a business on; good stuff to build a life around."
SISTEXPO are international exhibit and event builders, headquartered in Mexico City, Mexico. They are uniquely positioned to work across North America and South America, with a reach far beyond – into Europe and elsewhere around the world. SISTEXPO designs and builds exhibits for trade shows, works as a general contractor for entire exhibitions, provides international pavilions, and produces full-scale events. Well into their third family generation, SISTEXPO has a strong track record of over 40 years and continues to be heavily involved in international associations and works with many global brands. They are proud members of IFES, EDPA, ESSA, bePartner Network, MPI, OSPI, and AMPROFEC.
Mazi talks how the most effective experiences are those in which the digital and interactive elements are seamlessly integrated into the physical architectural spaces; some refer to this as phygital. Both elements are critically important. But they need to be fully understood, appreciated, and designed together to achieve this level of integration.
Looking into the future, Mazi talks about how the metaverse will change the way we go about our daily lives. He talks about how the technology itself may become more transparent in some ways: more integrated into everything but less obviously visible. He indicates that we are just on the precipice of an exciting new era in technology – one which has the potential to improve humanity in ways that we have yet to see. This could help us build a better world – improving communications, awareness, healthcare, and the environment, just to name a few!
Jeff asks Mazi about what makes Inhance truly unique in their work, as they have achieved an outstanding reputation in the past twenty-plus years. He notes that being in Hollywood helps them to attract some of the best talent in this world. Many of their team members work in feature films, visual effects (VFX), and as AAA game developers. They are distinctly client focused, nimble, and fast in their development.
Inhance Digital is an award-winning interactive agency that helps tell complex stories. Their services span content generation, visual effects, physical brand activation/immersive experiences, and virtual brand exhibits and events. Inhance is at the forefront of delivering custom, cutting-edge interactive experiences for both in-person brand activations as well as virtual and online customer engagement.
A leading global marketing solutions provider, Star Exhibits and Environments values a customer-intimate approach, lasting partnerships, powerful strategic direction, and consistent execution. Star's comprehensive design, fabrication, installation, and property management services support trade show, retail, corporate interior, event and selling environment initiatives.
Kingsmen are creators of experience, harnessing the power of creativity and design to tell engaging stories that bring brands to life. Kingsmen delivers seamless, innovative and engaging experiences that connect, engage and empower. From conception to completion, their integrated capabilities built over the last 45 years have enabled them to be the one-stop creative solutions partner, delivering memorable, successful campaigns around the world.
Respect for cultural differences is important for working across cultures. But, when looking for ways to engage with others, Han urges people to tap into the most basic and common human characteristics – those things we share in common – rather than focusing on our differences. Shaping questions in just the right way to capture a visitor's attention immediately is essential in the busy, distracting, and fast-paced show floor environment. Han is a master at engaging both individuals and audiences.
Han Leenhouts is an internationally acclaimed author, keynote speaker, trainer, and coach in the trade show industry. Han is the author of Sales & Pepper, a book focused on the best ways to engage with people on the trade show floor, in conjunction with an effective exhibit. He is also the author of Peppertalk 2.0, which is focused on open-ended, thought-provoking questions which can be used to effectively engage with others on the show floor. Han owns Sales & Pepper, a training and coaching firm based in The Netherlands.
Lee founded Expo Stars Interactive, an award winning exhibition engagement company, to support exhibitors worldwide to engage more attendees to their booth, convert them into qualified sales leads, raise their brand awareness, and deliver measurable results.
Lee is also passionate about health and well-being. He is a qualified Reiki practitioner and incorporates the power of positive energy into his unique 5 E's framework for personal, business, sales and marketing success.
Lee's passion from very early on in his business career has been understanding what makes people buy and how to truly connect with them so that they are deeply engaged with what you do.
Lee founded Expo Stars Interactive, an award winning exhibition engagement company, to support exhibitors worldwide to engage more attendees to their booth, convert them into qualified sales leads, raise their brand awareness, and deliver measurable results.
Lee is also passionate about health and well-being. He is a qualified Reiki practitioner and incorporates the power of positive energy into his unique 5 E's framework for personal, business, sales and marketing success.
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