The Experience Economy
A returning favorite, "The Experience Economy" by James "Jim" Gilmore and B. Joseph Pine remains as relevant as ever thanks to an updated edition with a new preface and timeless insights into how businesses can connect with consumers.

How would you summarize Gilmore and Pine's "thesis" regarding experiences and their importance to business?
The authors focus on foundational principles of experiences that are robust, cohesive, personal, dramatic, and transformative. It's important to recognize that people more highly value experiences that engage them in personal and memorable ways.

Chapter 9 is titled "The Customer is the Product." What's that about?
Via transformation, the customer is the product. People increasingly want companies to produce experiences that change them. And what we once sought for free, we are now willing to pay for. For example, many hotel brands are increasingly working on transforming travelers into well-rested road warriors via experiences, and they're charging a premium for it.

Was there a quote or passage in this book that particularly resonated with you?
Understanding that "time is the currency of experiences." Whereas services are about time well saved, experiences are about time well spent. Failing to offer a compelling experience will cause customers (i.e., booth visitors) to leave instantaneously. Competition for attendees' free time is fierce, so it's crucial to captivate them with experiences worthy of attention.

Coming from the nonprofit space, what takeaways from this book do you plan to use in your own program?
From a trade show perspective, it was helpful when I replaced the words customer/consumer with "booth visitor." By doing so, I could see how the various principles apply to my particular environment. We must design the time our booth visitors spend with us. Although our exhibits don't have a product sales component, we are always seeking ways to build relationships. This book has proven to be an inspiration and an essential resource.

22 Talk SHIFTs
In "22 Talk SHIFTs: Tools to Transform Leadership in Business, in Partnership, and in Life," former tech tycoon Krister Ungerböck makes the case that changing how you communicate will lead to myriad benefits.

Say you want to recommend this book to a colleague in an elevator. What's the pitch?
This is the first leadership book I've read that I found beneficial from start to finish. This book is as much about communication and improving professional and personal relationships as it is about being a leader – but perhaps that's the point.

And what makes this a recommended read for your exhibit- and event-marketing peers?
As face-to-face marketing professionals, we have highly stressful roles with immense responsibilities. I think the tools in this book are great lessons (or reminders) that will help when communicating to super-visors, contractors, vendors, and co-workers. The nice thing about this book is that, unlike others in the genre, it doesn't require both parties to read it to "speak the same language." Rather, the reader alone can make the difference.

The book promises 10 statements that will make one a better partner, parent, and boss. Which one resonated with you the most?
My favorite is, "With my words and actions, I build you up rather than tear you down." I've found in my professional and personal life that it's very easy to offer criticism and expect perfection from yourself and others. But it's much more difficult – and sadly less common – to help build people up. As marketers, many of us have a naturally competitive nature. We want our booth to be the best, our marketing efforts to be highly successful and praised, our lives to be fulfilling, etc. While striving to achieve all these points, we sometimes sacrifice kindness along the way.

Did anything in the book surprise you?
There are many techniques I've implemented and deployed in my professional life, but what I hadn't expected were the excellent examples and suggestions for personal relationships. More than just a book about business, this is truly a book about real life.

Fans First
Written by Jesse Cole, founder of the Savannah Bananas cult baseball team, "Fans First: Change the Game, Break the Rules, and Create an Unforgettable Experience" outlines how marketers can inspire loyalty and true evangelism among their customers.

How did this book come to your attention?
I first heard of the Savannah Bananas minor league baseball team about five years ago. When Cole released this in 2022, I had to get it the first day it was out. Everything about this book appeals to me: fan experiences, sports, innovative thinking, and how to make a guest's experience an unforgettable one.

And what made you want to recommend this title?
We as event managers need to make sure guests get what they want out of their experience with us, that they are enticed to remember us, and that they feel the need to come back. This is the same mission as the Savannah Bananas. While event managers may not incorporate flaming bats and dancing umpires into our booth experience, this book reminds us that taking risks and thinking about how to elevate the guest experience can pay off big time.

What was your biggest takeaway from this book?
My biggest takeaway was how rewarding it can be when an organization embraces innovative thinking and stakeholders are challenged to view things differently. Does everything the Bananas do work? Absolutely not. But Cole has created a culture that does not fear failure and instead positions misses as "discoveries." I also found it interesting how the team has completely taken "sales" out of its lexicon and is instead 100 percent focused on the experience. Guests don't want to be sold; they want to be served. That shift in thinking relieves the pressure of getting bottom-line results, but those results seem to follow anyway because guests are getting what they want.

Who would benefit most from reading this book?
Anyone who wants to find inspiration and motivation to think differently. The payoff for this big thinking is a better experience for guests, which ultimately benefits everyone involved.

Bossed Up
Women face unique challenges in any industry, and face-to-face marketing is no exception. "Bossed Up: A Grown Woman's Guide to Getting Your Sh*t Together" by Emilie Aries combines research and first-person stories to help readers cultivate their boss identities.

What prompted you to read this book?
I heard Emilie on another podcast years ago before discovering she hosts her own podcast, "Bossed Up." It was a time when I was feeling burned out from my own job and truly looking for solutions rather than throwing in the towel. I thought she gave sound, practical advice.

Chapter 1 is titled "The Martyrdom Mindset." What is explored in those pages?
Emilie writes that high achieving women often go through high school, college, and the start of their careers thinking that they have to achieve more and can't say no. Not surprisingly, they get burned out and want to leave it all behind.

What was this book's most valuable lesson?
The most valuable lesson for me is the idea that success is not just about achieving career goals, but also about maintaining a healthy work-life balance and taking care of oneself both physically and emotionally. The book provides practical tips for managing stress, building greater resilience, and staying focused and motivated.

Would men also benefit from giving this a read?
Absolutely! In fact I recommended it to my husband.Women can sometimes get caught up in the trap of not wanting to speak up and ask for help, but there is solid advice for all professionals in this book and on the accompanying podcast.

How do you plan to apply what you learned in this book to your own program?
After I read this book, it made me realize that no one is coming to "save me" if I am overworked or need to adjust some boundaries. I am the one who has to come forth and work with my manager to create a more positive and balanced work life. If you communicate this in a sound and reasonable way, the conversation isn't as scary as you think it's going to be. You have to be the one to call for help!