Featuring the Chair of the Board at Freeman
In this episode of The Global Exhibitor Podcast, Jeff Hannah sits down with Carrie Freeman Parsons, third-generation leader and Chair of the Board at Freeman, one of the world’s largest and most influential event production companies. Carrie shares her deep insights into the evolution of the trade show and live events industry — and why today’s environment demands faster innovation, more strategic thinking, and a deeper commitment to audience needs than ever before.
Carrie also discusses her recently co-authored book, Inside Live Events, and why it serves as a vital guide for both newcomers and seasoned professionals navigating the changing landscape of face-to-face marketing.
Why Inside Live Events Matters Right Now
The pace of change in the events industry has accelerated dramatically. Carrie notes that in the past, professionals had the luxury of years of hands-on learning, mentoring, and apprenticeship. Today, that model simply doesn’t fit.
“In today’s world, you don’t have the luxury of time to learn all the nuances of the business,” Carrie explains.
That’s one of the reasons she and co-author Bob Priest-Heck felt compelled to put their ideas and practices into a book — to provide a faster, more effective way for people at all stages of their careers to understand how to create successful, impactful live events.
The Four-Phase Methodology and Design Thinking at Freeman
One of the major frameworks discussed in the conversation is the four-phase methodology developed in partnership with renowned designer Bruce Mau.
Rather than simply reacting to client requests, Freeman developed a proactive, strategic model that starts with defining the opportunity, involving all necessary stakeholders early, executing with excellence, and critically — debriefing after every project to capture what worked and what could be improved.
“Debriefing isn’t optional — it’s essential. You have to ask what worked, what didn’t, and why,” Carrie emphasizes.
Freeman’s adoption of design thinking principles has transformed not just how they build exhibits and events, but how they help clients solve the real, underlying problems they face.
Addressing the Workforce Challenge: The Retirement Cliff
Another important issue Carrie raises is what she calls the “retirement cliff” — a looming challenge where experienced professionals are leaving the industry faster than new talent can be trained and onboarded.
Freeman, like many organizations, is focusing heavily on workforce development, leadership training, and system transformation to make it easier for newer employees to ramp up quickly and succeed without the long apprenticeship periods that used to define the industry.
Meeting Evolving Audience Expectations
Carrie also highlights a major shift in audience behavior and expectations.
Where previous generations were content to simply walk the show floor and hope for serendipitous encounters, today’s attendees — especially younger ones — expect highly personalized, curated experiences that are memorable and valuable.
Creating those meaningful face-to-face connections requires a much deeper understanding of both audience psychology and technological tools to enable smarter matchmaking and engagement.
Takeaway: Live Events Must Evolve, But Their Power Remains
As Carrie says, the live events industry still holds incredible power to connect, inspire, and drive business forward — but only if companies are willing to rethink how they design experiences, engage audiences, and foster continuous improvement.
Events are living, breathing connections. They demand strategic innovation, courageous creativity, and an ongoing commitment to adapting to a rapidly changing world.
Part 2 of my interview with Carrie.
LinkedIn: Carrie Freeman Parsons
Website: Freeman
