Podcast Summary

Podcast: Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson (Presented By Marigold)
Episode: How to Really Maximize Events 🤝 w/Bob Vaez, CEO at EventMobi | Ep. 426
Date: October 9, 2025
Host: Jay Schwedelson (A)
Guest: Bob Vaez (B), CEO of EventMobi

Main Theme

This episode uncovers how to truly maximize value from in-person events, conferences, and exhibitions—whether you’re an attendee, an exhibitor, or a sponsor. Jay Schwedelson and Bob Vaez, CEO of EventMobi, share rapid-fire tips, pitfalls to avoid, and actionable strategies for making events more productive, memorable, and ROI-positive in today’s digitally saturated world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bob Vaez’s Origin Story & EventMobi’s Evolution

• Background: Bob started as a self-proclaimed “boring engineer” at Nvidia, found value in attending conferences, and noticed early pain points for attendees (planning, networking, event guides).

• Creation of EventMobi: Born out of a desire to improve event experiences, EventMobi now serves 30,000+ planners in 90 countries. Initially focused on attendee engagement, they’ve grown to offer end-to-end solutions for corporate conferences and trade events.

  “I love going to conferences... it was my jam from a networking point of view, from education point of view. ...I kind of approached it from an attendee pain point. And that was kind of the beginning.” —Bob [02:04]

2. Attendees: Making the Most of Your Event Experience

• Key Principle: Networking isn’t just serendipitous—be intentional, especially outside official programming.

• Practical Tip: Ask others about post-event plans (dinner, city exploration), as the most valuable connections are often made at informal gatherings.

  “The number one thing I think people should do is when they meet someone is like, what are you doing for dinner?... The best sort of relationships I've had has been in sort of excursions outside the event.” —Bob [05:07]

• Action Step: Don’t overthink pre-event planning. Extend connections fast—send LinkedIn requests the same day.

  “Speed to LinkedIn is so important. I'm all about that... you cannot wait.” —Jay [07:45]

3. Sponsors & Exhibitors: Making Your Budget Count

• Pitfall: Don’t get fixated on minor brand visibility items (lanyards, small banners)—they have some value but limited impact.

• True Impact:

  • Major effectiveness lies before the event, in targeted outreach to attendees.
  • Pre-event emails aren’t spam if relevant; they help attendees plan who to see and increase booth engagement.

  “The thing that really, really matters for a sponsor going to an event is actually not at the show... It’s the promotion before the show.” —Bob [10:14]

• Tactical Insight: Analyze event sponsorship history—if companies sponsor repeatedly, it’s likely ROI-positive.

  “We look at sponsors... see if the same companies have been sponsoring for like three plus years. Because our theory is that that means that those companies got a lot of value.” —Jay [11:21]

  “That is ingenious. I love it. And especially with these AI tools, so easy to do a lot of this stuff.” —Bob [11:57]

4. Event Logistics: The Badge Revolution

• Badge Hassles: Badges are a surprisingly big pain point—costly, time-consuming, and prone to design mistakes that impact event navigation and networking.

• Innovation: EventMobi simplified badges—easy design, wireless printing, quick delivery. The badge is crucial for quick, clear identification, but can be an overlooked bottleneck for planners.

  “We were known as the event app company...but badges are one of those things that...event planners hate...You can simplify it...A lot of them planners...have to do the badge as part of their job.” —Bob [13:59, 15:38]

• Business Lesson: Reimagine even "boring" physical elements (like badges) with technology for industry-changing results.

  “Badge seems like such a relic, but it’s so critical, and you add new spins to it, new technology, and you can really have a fantastic business.” —Jay [17:57]

5. The Future of Events & Human Connection

• Enduring Value: In a world increasingly dominated by AI, authentic content and relationships flourish at physical events.

• Encouragement: Attend events, even if local and small; run your own—starting simple grows networks and results.

  “In the world of AI, the only thing authentic and original these days from people to content is at events...As human beings, we need to connect with other human beings and have trust and relationship...Go support your local event or your favorite event in your industry.” —Bob [18:44]

  “If I had to start all over again in today's world, I would want to be in the in-person event industry. There's nothing more AI proof...human connection is everything.” —Jay [20:05]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Building EventMobi:
  • “I actually started [EventMobi] at my birthday when I turned 30th, I’m like, no, I need to start my company. And that was kind of the beginning.” —Bob [03:22]
• On Networking:
  • “The real networking is being intentional about creating relationships.” —Jay [05:57]
• On Event Badges:
  • “If you talk to a very experienced conference organizer...you say, what's your biggest hassle? Their badges. They hate badges.” —Bob [13:58]
• On Pre-event Promotion:
  • “The promotion I think is like the thing that I would argue 90% of sponsors don’t do. Isn’t that crazy?” —Bob [11:05]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Time | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:26 | Bob’s background & the founding of EventMobi | | 03:36 | Attendees: top pitfalls and how to optimize event experiences | | 04:11 | Intentional networking and after-hours relationship building | | 07:43 | Speed to LinkedIn: immediate follow-up strategies | | 08:25 | Exhibitors/sponsors: where to spend money for true ROI | | 10:14 | The critical value of pre-event outreach | | 11:21 | Evaluating event ROI with sponsor history and AI | | 12:45 | The secrets (and headaches) of event badge management | | 13:58 | Badge design: common mistakes and how to innovate | | 17:57 | Business lesson: "boring" problems can be huge opportunities | | 18:44 | Why events will thrive in the age of AI | | 20:05 | Jay’s take: Being “AI proof” and the power of in-person events |

Final Takeaways

• Attendees: Don’t just show up—plan to connect intentionally, especially outside the conference agenda. Follow up quickly to cement relationships.
• Exhibitors/Sponsors: Focus on targeted pre-event promotion and study event history for value verification. Don’t let swag overshadow personal outreach.
• Event Planners: The simplest, most overlooked pain points, like badges, offer opportunities for big impact if streamlined with tech.
• Everyone: Events are more critical than ever for authentic connection—in a world of automation, in-person trust and relationship-building stand apart.