CHICAGO — Amanda White, Conference Content Director at Informa Markets, was recognized as a 2025 Trade Show Executive (TSE) Trailblazer.
She is an impactful change-maker and helped reorganize the conference content process at Informa’s SupplySide events to create a seamless, effective experience.
TSE spoke with White about her start in the events industry, how she revolutionized the SupplySide conference content process and more parts of her impressive career.
ANDREW: What brought you to the trade show industry?
AMANDA: I had previously worked as an exhibitor and always loved the energy and buzz of a trade show, so when I saw an opening at SupplySide, applying was a no-brainer.
That said, I quickly learned that organizing a trade show is a whole different world than exhibiting at one! What drew me in — and continues to motivate me — is the incredible collaborative effort that goes into every detail, all year long.
Then, when we arrive on-site and see it all come to life, it’s both thrilling and deeply rewarding. There’s something powerful about watching months of hard work translate into real-time connection, learning and impact.
It’s a moment that never gets old.
ANDREW: What do you enjoy the most about your work?
AMANDA: I love being creative and trying new things. As I’ve grown in my role, I’ve developed a real appreciation for using data to point me in the direction of my next fun idea — testing new things, seeing what resonates and refining our approach along the way.
What I enjoy most is the opportunity to surprise and delight our customers. I love to nerd out on satisfaction scores and survey results.
That challenge — creating moments that are thoughtful, unexpected and impactful — is what motivates me to show up each day and give my best.
ANDREW: Why was reorganizing the conference content process at SupplySide an important priority for you and how did you accomplish this?
AMANDA: When I joined SupplySide in June 2023, it quickly became clear that reorganizing the conference content process needed to be a top priority.
Creating a seamless experience for speakers, attendees and colleagues is essential to the success of our events — and I noticed that the absence of clear systems and consistent processes was leading to avoidable complications and frustration.
I started with foundational updates to improve organization and communication, then gradually introduced more comprehensive changes to streamline workflows, clarify roles and eliminate bottlenecks. Over time, this has helped reduce stress on our team, improve the speaker journey and elevate the overall attendee experience.
Ultimately, my goal has been to create a content planning process that’s not only more efficient and scalable but also aligned with the high standard of quality that SupplySide is known for.
ANDREW: What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
AMANDA: It’s still early in my trade show career, but one of my proudest moments so far has been the speaker satisfaction scores from my last two SupplySide shows. In our post-show surveys, 100% of speakers indicated they would want to speak at a SupplySide event again.
As we all know, pleasing everyone (and sometimes, anyone) feels like an impossible feat, so that result meant a lot to me. I put great effort into making sure our speakers feel supported, informed and appreciated throughout the entire process, and seeing that reflected in their feedback was incredibly rewarding.
It tells me the work behind the scenes is making a real impact. That feedback also motivates me to keep raising the bar — to continue refining systems, improving communication and building an experience that makes speakers feel valued and excited to return.
Related. Meet the 2025 TSE Trailblazers: Ashley Van Der Stuyf
ANDREW: What are your keys to success?
AMANDA: Collaboration and coffee! (Kidding — sort of.)
In all seriousness, one of the biggest keys to success I’ve learned is the power of true teamwork. Pulling off a great show with great results takes every team member working at full capacity and, more importantly, leaning into each other’s strengths and needs.
When we work in silos, even the best individual effort can fall short. But when we collaborate, we multiply what’s possible.
I’ve also learned the importance of staying flexible and solution-oriented, especially when unexpected challenges arise (which they always do in events). And yes, a few strong cups of coffee help fuel the energy and focus required to do this work well.
ANDREW: What challenges have you encountered in your career, and how have you overcome them?
AMANDA: One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced has been learning a completely new industry while also being tasked with improving systems and processes. I came in wanting to hit the ground running — make an impact quickly, know all the answers and be great at my job right away.
But the reality was that I had to start from square one and learn the basics before I could build anything meaningful. That felt frustrating at times, especially when I wanted to move faster.
The hardest part was learning to be patient with myself. I had to let go of the pressure to “have it all figured out” and embrace the learning curve.
Over time, I found my rhythm by asking questions and focusing on steady progress rather than perfection. That mindset shift has made all the difference and now I’m able to make smarter, more sustainable improvements because I took the time to understand the foundation first.
ANDREW: How do you stay motivated and avoid burnout?
AMANDA: I’ll be honest, avoiding burnout hasn’t always been my strong suit. But in 2025, I’ve made a real effort to protect my weekends and avoid working unless it’s a true necessity.
Taking that time to rest, be with my family and fully disconnect has been a game changer. I’ve also learned how important it is to take care of myself during the week.
I eat well, exercise daily and make it a point to get outside and soak up the sunshine — which is one of the reasons I love living in Arizona. Those habits help me reset both mentally and physically, and they give me the energy I need to show up fully at work.
It’s easy in this industry to stay in overdrive, but I’ve found that prioritizing wellness and rest actually makes me more motivated, more focused and way more effective.
ANDREW: What advice would you give to an events industry up-and-comer?
AMANDA: Be curious, be humble and don’t be afraid to ask questions. This industry moves fast, and no one expects you to know everything on day one, but you do need to be willing to learn, adapt and keep a good attitude through the chaos.
Stay organized, take notes and look for ways to make things better — not just for yourself, but for the team and the customer experience. And lastly, give yourself some grace.
You’re going to make mistakes (we all do), but how you respond and grow from them is what will set you apart.
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