CHICAGO — Timothy Payne, Operations Manager at CloserStill Media, is a 2025 Trade Show Executive (TSE) Trailblazer.
Payne is described as the “unsung hero” of CloserStill’s Vet Show team and is the main operational point of contact, and responsible for the show features and venue costs, for Wild West Vet and New York Vet.
Last year, Payne was 10% under budget across all operational lines on the portfolio, which he achieved without sacrificing any part of the attendee experience.
TSE caught up with Payne to learn about his career, accomplishments and advice for events industry up-and-comers.
ANDREW: What brought you to the world of trade shows?
TIMOTHY: After years of sales experience in other industries, I was struggling to find a role where I felt fully comfortable. On a whim, I accepted a role in booth sales and immediately found the trade show industry to be incredibly interesting.
Over the next few years, I gravitated towards the inner workings of live events and ultimately decided to make the move to operations.
ANDREW: How do you balance budget concerns with the attendee experience in the events you work with?
TIMOTHY: Fully understanding attendee expectations and their on-site goals allows me to run shows in the most efficient way possible while retaining the most important aspects of any given event.
This starts with having transparent conversations with event directors to identify key areas of investment and savings, not only in the initial budgeting phase, but also through multiple reforecasts.
ANDREW: What do you enjoy the most about your work?
TIMOTHY: I love the energy of being on-site. It’s always great to see all of the pre-show planning fall into place.
But even more than that, it’s the excitement of solving unforeseen problems on the fly and being able to pivot on the spot to find a solution to an immediate issue with no room for error.
I also really enjoy looking at the bigger picture to find new and creative ways to solve long-standing problems. It’s always gratifying to find a solution that nobody has thought of or implement a new process and see it lead directly to a better show experience for not only the attendees, but also for our own show team.
Related. Meet the 2025 TSE Trailblazers: Kathryn Holabird
ANDREW: What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
TIMOTHY: My proudest moment was this past fall, when a series of shifting team priorities put me in a position where I had to run two full scale events [Wild West Vet and New York Vet] within three weeks of each other, without any operational support.
It was a sink or swim moment and I was able to fully execute both events, support our on-site staff and contractors, and come in under budget.
It was certainly a learning experience and wasn’t without its pitfalls, but it gave me an incredible amount of confidence in my abilities and is something that I’ll take with me into the next phase of my career.
ANDREW: What are your keys to success?
TIMOTHY: Understanding that everything is a learning experience. This includes successes, but even more importantly, failures.
Being self-aware enough to know when I need help and humble enough to ask for it [is another key to success]. I’ve also been incredibly lucky to have been surrounded by people that I trust and who have empowered me to trust myself.
ANDREW: How do you stay motivated and avoid burnout?
TIMOTHY: I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of a team that, even in the most stressful of times, tries to keep things light and have fun. We’re all very close, so I find motivation in knowing that my hard work helps alleviate their stress, and in turn, their hard work allows me to catch my breath when needed.
A culture has been established that if you need help, all you need to do is ask for it. Knowing there’s a safety net of non-judgmental support allows us to be open about the onset of burnout without feeling like they’re letting down the team.
ANDREW: What advice would you give to an events industry up-and-comer?
TIMOTHY: Find people you trust and lean on them. Nobody can do this alone and building a network of trusted allies who can offer new perspectives is incredibly important.
It’s also crucial to understand that no department operates in isolation. Be interested in what your colleagues are doing and how their role fits into the larger framework of an event.
Sales, marketing, operations and conferences are all different sides of the same coin, and being able to tap into each individual teams’ needs and pain points will help you see the bigger picture. Fully understanding how a show operates from top to bottom is the most important information to have.
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