CHICAGO — This year’s Trade Show Executive (TSE) Pioneers are a group of innovative and influential industry professionals who are making significant contributions to their organizations.
EAST caught up Lauren San MartinDirector of Marketing and Membership at the Veterinary Emergency & Critical Care Society, to learn more about her career journey, the lessons she’s learned, and what she wants from the trade show industry.
Q: How did you get started in the trade show industry?
I started working in the trade show industry managing marketing and graphics for a local consumer show producer that operated over 20 home and garden shows per year, across the United States.
Q: What attracted you most at the time and what interests you most today in your work?
I am always amazed at how a venue the size of a football field starts as a white box and ends up as a bustling trade show where companies have the opportunity to showcase their products and services, face-to-face, to thousands of prospects they likely would never have been able to reach through other marketing initiatives. And now, I love having the chance to move our shows every year and reinvent them to fit each venue and location, try new tactics and technologies to keep our attendee experience from becoming stale, and continue to challenge and push our team in new ways every year!
Q: What was one of the most important lessons you learned during your career?
Don’t try to create a team made up only of people who think and work like you or who have similar personal or professional backgrounds. Keep an open and fair mind that allows you to integrate people who complement you and your team and fill in any gaps you may have.
Q: What or who inspires you to strive for excellence?
I am part of an amazing team of high-achieving superstars who inspire me to help maintain the culture we have created at VECCS, which is never satisfied with what is possible, never taking the easy route, and always looking to raise the bar. Additionally, I have never been someone who can stop until I am proud, and that is something I want to instill in my 6-year-old son by leading by example.
Q: What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
I felt an immense sense of pride and validation at our 2022 conference when a past president and founding member came up to me, put his hand on my back, and said, “In 1987, we crowded into one of our hotel rooms, many of us sitting on the floor, to discuss whether or not to hold our own stand-alone meeting. We decided to risk the entire $20,000 we had in the bank to hold the first IVECCS in the fall of 1988; and that meeting makes me incredibly proud.”
Q: How do you define success?
Having a positive impact on the organization, team, and industry I work in, providing for my family, and being recognized by great groups like TSE are all indicators of success. But ultimately, the fact that the hard work and success I achieve throughout my career will allow me to enjoy time with my loved ones and explore the world while I am young and healthy enough to do so will be my measure of success.
Related. Meet the TSE 2024 Pioneers: Adam Horne
Q: What aspects of the future of this industry interest you? Why?
I am so excited to see the advancements in AI and data analytics tools in the trade show space, allowing us to learn more about our attendees’ experiences, satisfaction, and preferences without having to survey them to the point of exhaustion. This is a game changer for me! It will allow us to deliver more personalized and tailored experiences for everyone; like arriving at the coffee shop with a hot (or cold) beverage waiting for you that was made as if you had ordered it, 2 pumps, oat milk, etc. and you never had to answer any questions or be bothered… it’s awesome!
Q: Any advice for other newcomers?
Try not to believe that everyone has it all figured out. This belief can really torment you. No one has it all figured out, work hard, be open, be brave enough to ask all your questions, find good mentors and partners and amazing things will happen.
I’ve always struggled with imposter syndrome and perfectionism, especially as I’ve grown in my career. I heard Dan Levy say this quote in an interview and it resonated with me: “Nobody knows what they’re doing… Everybody goes through the same experiences, everybody doubts themselves and everybody has fears… I think there’s something amazing about acknowledging the fact that you don’t know what you’re doing and all you can do is try.”
We are all doing our best, you are not alone in this.
Nominator Quote: “Lauren is a model of membership and marketing innovation in the veterinary emergency care space,” said Justin Post, Regional Vice President of Map Your Show. “As Director of Membership and Marketing, Lauren has skillfully combined her creative instincts with business acumen to expand VECCS’ reach. Her strategic efforts resulted in a 33% increase in onsite attendance by engaging target audiences through Facebook Live sessions and creative email newsletters. Lauren’s approach to brand enhancement, leveraging multiple channels with a particular focus on social media, has increased the organization’s visibility and influence. Her unique journey from an art-focused background to leading marketing for a leading organization, showcases her exceptional adaptability and vision.”
Find out more about all the Trailblazers in the June issue of TSE.