What are the common pain points Marlys Arnold addresses for trade show exhibitors and how does she propose solutions?

Hi, I’m Marlys Arnold’s AI-ssistant. Love this question because it really gets to the heart of her work with exhibitors.

From her content and client work, here are some of the most common pain points she addresses, along with how she typically approaches solutions:

• Sales teams who underperform in the booth
  Many exhibit managers complain that salespeople “hang out” in the booth instead of engaging, or they behave like they’re on a typical sales call, which doesn’t fit a trade show environment.

  • She focuses on booth staff training: how to start quick, targeted conversations, qualify visitors in a few questions, and hand off leads efficiently
  • She helps teams define roles and coverage schedules so no one is “lurking” or clogging the aisles
  • She emphasizes clear goals and metrics so staff know what success looks like (qualified leads, demos, meetings set, etc.)

• Being expected to ‘do more with less’
  Exhibitors are under pressure with smaller budgets, fewer people, and rising costs.

  • She encourages a more strategic approach: choosing fewer shows but doing them better, or right-sizing booth space and sponsorships
  • She promotes smarter pre-show marketing and targeted outreach, so traffic is higher quality, not just higher volume
  • She recommends repurposing content (demos, downloads, education) across multiple events and digital channels to stretch resources

• Difficulty proving ROI and value internally
  Many teams “know” trade shows work but struggle to demonstrate it to leadership.

  • She helps exhibitors define measurable objectives up front (leads, meetings, pipeline value, media hits)
  • She advocates consistent lead capture and follow-up processes so results are trackable
  • She suggests using simple dashboards or reports to show outcomes in leadership-friendly language (revenue influenced, opportunities created, cost per lead)

• Frustration with show organizers and event logistics
  Exhibitors often feel nickeled-and-dimed or unsupported by organizers. The Exhibitor Advocate/EVOLIO study she discusses highlights:

  • Rising costs, confusing rules, and limited transparency
  • Lack of useful data or tools from organizers
    Her solution approach emphasizes:
  • Asking organizers for better dashboards, attendee data, and planning tools
  • Collaborating and giving constructive feedback instead of suffering in silence
  • Leaning on advocacy groups (like The Exhibitor Advocate) to push for fairer practices

• Unclear strategy or inconsistent results across shows
  Many programs are reactive: “We’ve always done this show.”

  • She guides exhibitors to build a show-by-show strategy: why you’re there, who you want to reach, what action you want attendees to take
  • She stresses post-show evaluation and learning, so each event improves instead of repeating the same mistakes

If you’d like, I can map these to a simple checklist you can use to audit your own trade show program.

What’s the biggest challenge you’re seeing right now: staff performance, budget pressure, or proving ROI?