Kathryn Frankson is the Director of Event Marketing at Informa, the global leader in specialized events and event intelligence. After 48 straight quarters selling exhibition space and custom event sponsorships, Kathryn launched Informa’s sales marketing team, modernizing demand generation. Kathryn now leads the event and digital marketing efforts for Informa’s content led events in the architecture, event planning and foodservice space.
How long have you worked in the events industry?
I’ve been in the event industry for 15+ years. I started with selling exhibition space and custom sponsorships for conferences and tradeshows with a heavy hand in operations. I then made the move into marketing as I wanted to impact all the channel’s our audiences interact with (websites, social, email etc). With every new role and challenge has come great learning and perspective which is exciting.
What have been the stand-out moments of your career?
I’m incredibly proud of the work we accomplished these past two years. The event landscape changed so dramatically, and navigating the changes required an unprecedented level of resilience and creativity. To be able to lean heavily into new event formatting, new event technology and share as much of that as possible with the industry was very gratifying.
What do you love most about the Event Industry?
The people. This industry attracts the hardest workers and those with the biggest heart because they believe in doing everything possible to create magical experiences for others to enjoy. It doesn’t get much better than that.
What was the last event on which you worked?
We are consistently running virtual events as we move into 365 models of content creation. The last in person event was in San Diego in November of ‘21 and now we are in the midst of planning in person and hybrid events for Spring ’22.
Who has inspired you in your career?
I’ve been fortunate to have some fantastic mentors and leaders throughout my entire career. I’m also endlessly inspired by those building for the future now in terms of products, services, and platforms because the rate of innovation is unparalleled.
What do events, such as the ETAs, mean to you?
ETA and similar events are extremely important. It’s always been true that teams are working hard to create special experiences but the demands on #eventprofs these past two years have been higher than ever. To recognise and reward the heart and soul that people put into scaling tech, advancing our industry, and creating connection has never been more paramount.
What would you like to see in this year’s entries?
I’m most excited to see true innovation that solves real business problems and also creates deeper connection points with audiences.
What is the one piece of technology you can’t afford to live without?
Aside from my smart phone, I’d say I can’t live without my air pods. As a new mom, to be able to take calls and voice text hands free means I’m able to get a lot done, efficiently.
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