Sandra O’Loughlin

Your trade show presence is a huge investment. You spend big bucks on the exhibit space. Then there’s airfare cabs meals. You need to increase sales and wow the competition. One way to do that is by capitalizing on the trade press for increased—and positive—coverage.

How can you achieve the kind of coverage you want? We checked with insiders at an automotive giant a hip apparel brand and a construction company for tips.

In the not so distant past women draped themselves on new cars like shiny hood ornaments and worked behind the scenes to help their bosses take credit for the perfect corporate event. But thanks to a few decades of cultural transformation the roles that were once the only choices for women in the event marketing industry have become relics of the past. From booth babes to the boardroom and from event planners to global event strategists—women today have become a formidable force in experiential marketing. Yes indeed they’ve come a long way baby.

Who she is: With 32 years on the job at HP 19 of them in trade shows and events Brungardt is an exception in a world where people usually jump from one company to another as they climb the corporate ladder. She strategizes with counterparts in corporate and other business units to set the framework for the company’s approach to events assessing cost effectiveness and the best ways to communicate messages while meeting corporate and brand objectives.

EVENT SPONSORSHIP is an effective and efficient way for brands to reach their target audience—racecar fans via NASCAR baseball lovers via Major League Baseball. But sponsoring a regional event or a small team of people with specialized interests can offer a more laser focused consumer connection.