From Burnout to Booth ROI: Why Adam Saad Says Events Are Worth Every Penny
Summary of the Conversation
In this episode of Event About It, Megan Martin welcomes Adam Saad, ex-Salesforce sales leader turned founder of Tech Stack Advising. Adam shares how he went from sales burnout to building a tech advisory firm that uses events as a growth engine. Though he’s not from the events world himself, he’s got a front-row seat thanks to his wife, a seasoned event marketer.
From hurricanes to sound machines, Adam opens up about ROI-driven event sponsorships, the value of niching down, what exhibitors really think of follow-up emails, and why he’s more interested in meaningful interactions than logo placements. It’s equal parts spicy, strategic, and surprisingly sentimental.
5 Key Themes and Takeaways from the Episode
1. Event Sponsorships Need to Be Strategic, Not Showy
Adam doesn’t chase flashy booths or mega expos. In fact, the best ROI his company has seen—17X and even 28X—came from small, focused, tech-user-group events. Big-name expos? Zero return.
🔑 Takeaway: Niche events with the right audience > mass exposure. If your buyer’s not there, your brand shouldn’t be either.
2. Think Like a Scientist—Test, Measure, Repeat
Adam treats his event marketing like a lab: form a hypothesis, test it, refine, and scale what works. He started with cold calls and digital marketing but shifted gears after advice from a PE firm: “Do trade shows.” The results? Game-changing.
🔑 Takeaway: Event marketing is an experiment. Run small tests, measure outcomes, and double down on what delivers pipeline.
3. Exhibitor Pet Peeves (And What to Do Instead)
What frustrates Adam most? Nonstop sales emails and badge scans that lead nowhere. And he’s not alone. The biggest turnoff post-show? Being treated like a number, not a lead.
🔑 Takeaway: Quality over quantity. Stop spamming and start segmenting. Follow-ups should be relevant, respectful, and relationship-focused.
4. Make Sponsorship Easy (and Actually Useful)
Adam wants event teams to come with a POV, not a menu. Don’t ask what he wants—instead, suggest proven packages and best practices. Bonus points for letting sponsors swap unused perks for higher-value tactics (like room drops or 1:1 meetings).
🔑 Takeaway: Be consultative, not transactional. Curated options and flexible packages lead to more renewals—and happier sponsors.
5. Don’t Be Afraid to Brand the Swag
One of Adam’s most talked-about event tactics? Branded white-noise sound machines as room drops. They weren’t just memorable—they drew attendees to the booth in droves.
🔑 Takeaway: Good swag solves a problem and sparks conversation. Bonus points if it’s branded and useful beyond the event.
Final Thoughts
Adam’s story is a crash course in how small teams can think big with the right event strategy. His candid take on trade shows, sponsorship ROI, and how to treat your exhibitors like humans (not data points) is exactly what the events industry needs to hear.
For event planners looking to attract—and retain—sponsors like Adam, the formula is simple: make it relevant, measurable, and ridiculously easy.
🎧 Listen to the full episode of Event About It to hear more from Adam on post-show attribution, sales burnout, and how to turn trade show chaos into business gold.
👉 Subscribe to Event About It and catch the After Show for a deeper dive on sales strategy, burnout recovery, and building a rocket ship of your own.