Fractional Marketing, Sales, and Growth Strategy Leadership for B2B and B2C Show Organizers

30+ Years of
Experience

Entrepreneur background launching shows

B2B and B2C
Expertise

Led Top Tier Shows and Teams Across North America

Services

With over 30 years in the event industry, I provide fractional, senior-level leadership to help show organizers elevate their events, teams, and portfolios.

Whether you’re a show organizer, association, agency, corporate team, or media company, I can support growth through flexible engagements designed to meet your business goals, timelines, and resources.

Here’s how Arnott Events can support your success:

  • Event & Portfolio Strategy

  • Show and Event Management 

  • Sponsorship Development

  • Conference & Content Design

  • Marketing & Media Campaigns

  • Transition and Fractional Support

  • Repositioning & Rebranding

  • Event Execution Support

  • Event Strategy & Portfolio Growth

    I work with organizations to launch, scale, or reposition B2B and B2C events, from large-scale trade shows to niche activations.

    I help define strategic objectives, assess portfolio gaps, and design scalable, future-forward event plans that align with your brand and business goals.

  • Event Repositioning & Rebranding

    I lead and/or assist in rebranding and repositioning strategies from messaging and marketing to programming and customer journeys to ensure your event remains relevant, competitive, and profitable.

  • Transition Support, Event Integration & Interim Leadership

    I step in during leadership transitions, organizational changes, or times of rapid growth to provide interim guidance, continuity, and momentum.

    My experience includes both buy-side support and post-acquisition execution. I’ve supported associations, private companies, and media brands through restructuring, succession, and launch phases.

  • Sponsorship & Feature Development

    I create and implement high-value sponsorship programs that are 360 omni-channel. From pricing strategy to partner deliverables, I help increase revenue, deepen brand engagement, leading to better customer experience and measurable ROI across live and digital platforms.

  • Event Marketing & Campaign Strategy

    I help design targeted marketing strategies that drive exhibitor sales and boost attendee engagement. From pre-show promotions and media partnerships to social campaigns and on-site experiences, I help ensure your message and the journey your exhibitors and attendees take is consistent and on target to maximize satisfaction, brand alignment, and ROI before, during, and after the event.

  • Conference & Content Design

    I develop content strategies that align with goals and audience needs. This includes program architecture, speaker recruitment, session formatting, and more whether you’re designing a full conference or adding targeted content to an existing program.

  • Association Event Management

    I provide support across show management, content, marketing, and sponsorship for associations owned events and shows.

    I understand the nuances of working within member-driven environments while delivering successful events.

  • Team Development & Coaching

    I help build high-performing internal teams through structure reviews, coaching, training, and leadership mentoring within the event space. Whether you’re scaling fast or restructuring, I can help you shape a team ready to deliver excellence across every function of your events team.

 Experience

  • Brought in to build a dedicated show division at Newcom Media, I scaled the portfolio up to 12 properties and the team from 3 to 16 professionals across show management, operations, marketing, sales, and content. Established budgets, work flow and process and reporting systems. I led strategic repositioning of core events, launched new properties, oversaw third-party management contracts, and supported Newcom’s M&A initiatives.

    Core Event Portfolio:

    Transportation Sector:

    • Repositioned Truck World to feature merging tech and alt-fuel solutions; introduced a conference to support sector evolution.

    • Successfully led ExpoCam through forced venue changes, returning to Montreal in 2025 for the event’s 40th anniversary.

    • Consulted on Newcom’s partnership with Hannover Fairs to co-produce the North American Commercial Vehicle Show (NACV) in Atlanta, 2017 & 2019.

    • Launched community-focused Job Fairs targeting Ontario’s South Asian population to support Road Today magazine readers.

    HVAC Sector (on behalf of HRAI):

    • Revitalized CMPX post-COVID with a full strategy refresh, growing profits by 12%.

    • Introduced a new sponsorship model that added a new and significant revenue stream.

    • Launched the Heat Pump Symposium series across Canada, with high engagement from national sponsors and regulators.

    Meetings & Incentives:

    • Rebranded IncentiveWorks to Canadian Meetings + Events Expo, Canada’s largest event for meeting and event planners.

    • Integrated the conference directly into the show floor and created CMEE Select to attract high-value senior planners.

    • Launched CMEE News, a quarterly digital publication focused on industry trends and voices.

    Retail & Fashion:

    • Co-led the acquisition of MODE, and strategically repositioned it into Toronto Market Week, expanding its scope beyond boutique accessories to include giftware, housewares, and apparel categories.

    • Established a high-impact marketing partnership with SHOW TO permanent showrooms at the Toronto International Centre, creating a paid collaboration to manage and deploy year-round marketing initiatives.

    • Launched RetailStyle, a quarterly B2B print magazine designed to deepen engagement and offer additional value to national retailers.

    Insurance & Financial Services:

    • Produced B2B conferences including Top Broker, Women in Insurance, Women in Finance, and the EFT Summit for financial advisors.

    • Designed targeted content strategies to align with advertiser and sponsor goals while growing delegate satisfaction.

    M&A and Strategic Growth:

    • Supported Newcom’s mergers and acquisitions review strategy by evaluating expansion opportunities in Canada and the US including wedding shows, food shows, kitchen & bath, security, dental and more.

  • After selling my business to CNSS, I consulted on the integration of The BabyTime Shows, the digital magazine, and our broadcast series. I supported the transition of Canada’s leading consumer parenting show while also advising on CNSS’s flagship events including The Toronto, Calgary, and Vancouver Sportsman Shows, The Ski Show and The Abilities Show.

  • I launched The BabyTime Shows in 2005 as a start-up with just 65 exhibitors, and over the next decade, built it into Ontario’s leading consumer parenting event expanding to two annual shows and over 300 exhibitors per edition before successfully selling the business in 2015.

    • Built partnerships with leading consumer brands including Pampers, BMW, Tide, UPPAbaby, Rogers Publications, Lululemon, Nestlé, Spin Master, and more.

    • Created experiential spinoffs like Mom’s Day Out with Sephora and BabyTime Pop Ups at BabiesRUs to deepen the brand and attendee connection.

    • Expanded the brand into a digital magazine and on-line television series to support year-round engagement and marketing.

  • Before launching my own company, I built a deep foundation in operations, sales and marketing, with roles at:

    • Reed Exhibitions – Operations & Audience Development (Woodworking Expo, The Clearance Show, NACFE Accounting, Canadian Manufacturing Week)

    • dmg Home & Garden Shows –Metro Toronto Home Show; Show Manager

    • Creative Show Productions – The Golf Shows (Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver), Travel Show, Cottage Life Show, LifeFest – Operations; Sales & Sponsorship; Marketing

    • Toronto International Boat Show – Marketing & Media Promotions

    • Metro Toronto Convention Centre (1997–2000) – The venue’s first Marketing Manager, leading early brand strategy and client development.

Articles

SALT, SUPRISE AND ROI: A TRADE SHOW STRATEGY THAT WORKS

About Melissa

I’m Melissa Arnott, founder of Arnott Consulting and a strategic leader in the trade and consumer show industry. I’ve produced top tier B2B and B2C events, rebranded legacy events, launched sponsorship programs, and built teams that scale.

My approach is equal parts strategic and hands-on designed to help organizations transform events into powerful tools for brand building and business growth.

A Proven Track Record in Building, Leading & Transforming Events.

Let’s connect

Interested in working together?

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We can’t wait to hear from you!

melissa@arnottevents.com