“Experience equals perception. Your event is your brand in action, and every detail tells a story. If your event isn’t memorable, connected, and aligned to your goals, it’s a missed opportunity to deepen loyalty and accelerate the pipeline.” - Emily OlsonHi there, I’m Kerry Curran, B2B Revenue Growth Executive Advisor, Industry Analyst, and host of Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast.In every episode, I sit down with top experts to bring you actionable strategies that drive real results. If you’re serious about growth, hit subscribe and stay ahead of your competition.In Your Brand in Real Life: Event Strategies for Lasting Brand and Revenue Impact, I sit down with Emily Olson, President and Executive Producer at Arrow Event Management. With over two decades of experience producing brand launches, executive summits, and global conferences, Emily breaks down exactly what it takes to turn a live event into a high-ROI marketing channel.Be sure to stay tuned until the end, where Emily shares how homegrown talent shows became one of the most surprising—and most effective—community-building tools in her event playbook.Let’s go!Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:01.774)So welcome, Emily. Please share your background and expertise.Emily Olson (00:06.952)Thanks, Kerry. I'm Emily Olson, President and Executive Producer at Arrow Event Management. I’ve been producing events for almost 25 years, and I think I’ve done just about everything at this point—conferences, galas, brand launches, roadshows. I’ve worked all over the U.S. and internationally, and I’m really excited to be here today to talk about events and brand strategy.Kerry Curran, RBMA (00:38.2)Well, thank you, Emily. I'm very excited to have you on today. We first met when you were producing some events for my agency many years ago, and you definitely raised the bar when it came to delivering a polished and valuable experience for guests. I’m excited to dive in and hear your recommendations.When you typically start speaking with someone who wants to do an event for their company, how do you begin ideating what it will look like or how they should approach it?Emily Olson (01:19.016)That’s a great question. We start by understanding the goal of the event. Why are they hosting it? Who are they trying to reach? How are they measuring success? What do they want their attendees to think, feel, and do? That’s always how we start the conversation. From there, my team puts together a strategy to help achieve those goals.Kerry Curran, RBMA (01:51.406)Mm-hmm. So talk about the typical audience for you and your events. How does that play into the event plan and strategy?Emily Olson (02:27.794)Many of our audiences are different—it almost feels like a unique audience for every single event. Sometimes it’s internal, sometimes B2B, sometimes B2C. I did a sports-related event this week targeting fans of women’s sports. The fan base changes for every event, so there really isn’t a template. For each one, we look at the goals and determine how to best reach that specific audience.Kerry Curran, RBMA (02:58.594)Mm-hmm. Excellent. So what research do you and your team do to understand the audience and come up with ideas?Emily Olson (03:13.084)We look at who they are and what’s been done before. Maybe the organization has hosted this event before—what worked, what didn’t, what was a mess. In many cases, we put together different personas and walk through each one. Persona A might have one experience, Persona B another. We use that approach to figure out how best to reach each audience member or category.Kerry Curran, RBMA (03:49.216)That’s great. You’ve talked before about making events feel special for each attendee. Can you give examples of how your team creates unique, memorable experiences?Emily Olson (04:13.948)Yes—walking away with memories is key. What do you want them to think, feel, and do? Post-COVID, virtual events pushed us to engage people through every step. While we've moved away from most virtual experiences, attendees still expect engagement across all touchpoints. They want unique experiences. They want something they can post on Instagram—something they haven’t seen before. Everyone wants to be first. So, if we create an experience that drives attendees to think, feel, and act in alignment with the event goals, that’s a win. That’s how we create the magic.Kerry Curran, RBMA (05:45.440)I love that. Especially in the era of Instagram, social proof becomes part of the experience. One thing I loved was your example of taking over a department store and turning it into an interactive experience. Talk about how that idea came to life.Emily Olson (06:20.540)That store was in the client’s industry, so it aligned with their audience and created a strong foundation. The event’s goal was to reinforce a sense of community, so we brought in local vendors and restaurants to provide food stations. We tapped into the existing in-store experiences and added our own to connect attendees to both the client and the experience.Kerry Curran, RBMA (07:27.628)It’s such a creative example—rather than a typical hotel ballroom, you created something immersive and aligned with the brand’s goals. I love it.Emily Olson (07:57.542)Thanks! One of my favorite things is creating a venue out of a non-traditional space. In this case, it was a retail store that wasn’t licensed to host events, so we had to figure out permitting and logistics for a private event serving alcohol. It was challenging, but also really fun—and a big part of what I love about this work.Kerry Curran, RBMA (08:37.573)Absolutely. So when you're working with more traditional B2B or networking-focused events, how do you bring in that same creative approach? Especially when you’re working with hotel ballrooms or less distinctive venues?Emily Olson (09:36.198)It’s about creating interactive moments—whether that’s with technology or between attendees. I like shared experiences: hands-on workshops, tasting stations, creative lounges. Even a small detail like a ribbon on a name badge that says “Ask me about...” helps people connect. Whether in a ballroom or a retail store, those moments help bring the human experience to life.Kerry Curran, RBMA (10:40.718)Yes, fostering conversations is so important. Branding also plays a major role—how do you help B2B clients promote their brand and values through events?Emily Olson (11:26.780)Events are more than logistics; they’re experiential brand storytelling. The experience becomes the brand. Attendees’ perceptions are shaped by every moment. Today, brands extend the event’s impact across time—pre-event content, on-site community-building, and post-event amplification. You have to think holistically and use the event as one piece of the overall brand ecosystem.Kerry Curran, RBMA (12:41.194)That’s such an important point. How do you help clients amplify their events before and after?Emily Olson (12:53.272)Often, it's about reminding them that pre- and post-event content is critical. Events aren’t standalone moments. You have to look at your full brand ecosystem—social plans, collaborations, even simple “before you go” emails. Strategy matters beyond the day-of logistics.Kerry Curran, RBMA (13:49.006)Absolutely. One thing I always appreciated when we worked together was your attention to detail. Even small misses—like lack of parking info or no name tags—can really impact the experience. That level of thoughtfulness matters so much.Emily Olson (14:54.332)Yes! I’m that person who organizes my life in Excel. It’s how my brain works, and it’s why I love this job.Kerry Curran, RBMA (15:12.366)Exactly. And when it comes to sponsorships—how do you help clients build creative, valuable sponsor packages?Emily Olson (16:04.828)Today, engagement is expected at every step. Sponsorship isn’t just logo placement anymore. It’s branded activations, speaking opportunities, curated lounges, wellness zones—even introvert spaces. The best sponsorships are interactive and 3D, not just static branding.Kerry Curran, RBMA (17:26.830)I’ve even seen booths with puppies to attract traffic! Partnering with shelters to bring rescue animals is such a smart idea.Emily Olson (18:24.198)I’m all in for puppy yoga—goats, kittens, any animal, I’ll be there.Kerry Curran, RBMA (18:39.086)Are there other creative networking ideas you’ve seen?Emily Olson (18:53.640)Yes—anything tied to values or purpose is trending. People want meaning: DEI, sustainability, mental health, community building. These aren’t side topics anymore; they’re front and center.Kerry Curran, RBMA (19:54.254)Agreed. Branding, values, and relationship-building are key in today’s buying journey. You mentioned ideas you thought might flop that actually worked. What’s an example?Emily Olson (21:06.824)Internal talent shows! I first did one for a utility company’s 100th anniversary. I thought it would be cringey—but it was amazing. Employees supported each other, showed off real talent, and it built community. We then did it at a retail brand’s leadership conference, and it killed. I’m officially a fan.Kerry Curran, RBMA (22:55.502)I love that. Community and authenticity—so powerful. I’m now thinking about what my own talent would be…Emily Olson (23:27.260)I can draft an Excel spreadsheet faster than anyone!Kerry Curran, RBMA (23:30.478)Amazing. Any final advice for people planning events?Emily Olson (23:48.708)Stick to your goals. Put them on a Post-it next to your screen and revisit them constantly. Event planning is hard—herding cats, managing chaos. But if what you’re doing doesn’t support the goal, don’t do it.Kerry Curran, RBMA (24:44.396)That’s great advice. So, for people listening who want to reach you, where can they find you?Emily Olson (26:48.052)Visit our website: arrow-events.com, or email us at [email protected] Curran, RBMA (27:02.528)Thank you so much, Emily. Best of luck with all your upcoming events!Emily Olson (27:11.580)Thanks, Kerry. This was so much fun.Thanks for tuning in to Revenue Boost: A Marketing Podcast. If you enjoyed this episode with Emily Olson, be sure to subscribe and leave a review—it helps more growth-minded marketers like you discover the show.And if you’re planning an event soon, remember: your brand isn’t just what you say—it’s what they experience. Make it memorable.For more insights, visit revenuebasedmarketing.com, or connect with me, Kerry Curran, on LinkedIn.  We’ll see you next time.
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