CHICAGO — As Event Director at CloserStill Media, Joe Kowalsky leads end-to-end operations for large trade shows across North America.
Joe was named a Trade Show Executive (TSE) Trailblazer at the 2024 TSE Fastest 50 Awards & Summit in recognition of his significant professional achievements.
TSE caught up with Joe to see what he has learned about networking throughout his already illustrious career.
Andrew: Why is networking important?
Joe: The old adage is true: it’s all about who you know.
But, it really is important just because expanding your network opens you up to new ideas, [and] new viewpoints of things that you may not have thought of, especially in our industry, where you can borrow, beg and steal a bunch of different concepts from other shows and industries that you can plant in yours — the only way you’re going to get that is if you have those conversations with colleagues in the industry.
Andrew: Have you changed your approach to networking throughout your career?
Joe: I’m sure it’s evolved, but, really, it’s just like ‘be yourself’… your approach to networking will change based on how you change and develop as a professional, but really, I think I’ve just realized more as I’ve been in the industry longer, just because someone’s older than me, or more well-known than me, or has all kinds of experience over me, that’s all more of a reason to go talk to them, not to be intimidated by them, and our industry is really welcoming for that too.
I mean, going to the SISO conferences and Trade Show Executive’s, and all of those other ones … it’s opened me up to so much more.
Andrew: If someone has never networked before, where should they start?
Joe: Within your own organization, for sure. At least that’s where you can be comfortable about it and kind of hone your approach … for someone that’s a bit more introverted, or really just starting out and hesitant, expand your network within your own company, [and] really start realizing it doesn’t matter what department someone’s in or honestly what their title is. Just feel free to have conversations when the opportunity arises.
Andrew: Are there some networking approaches that you have found work better than others?
Joe: We’re the events industry — in-person is always best. I mean, I’ve been a sales guy and an Event Director, so going up on a trade show floor to someone and just introducing yourself, [and] being able to hear what they’re passionate about immediately makes it more warming and inviting, and everyone just can kind of get on that same page … Identify, really, networking events or groups — it doesn’t necessarily need to be like this huge, big trade show industry thing … start attending those kinds of things, and then that may lead to your leadership seeing you’re a person in the industry and wanting to put you in more of those positions to go talk, to put you up for Trailblazer recommendations and things like that.
Andrew: What are some tips for networking on the show floor?
Joe: Always come in and understand that people have things they want to share and talk to you about.
Also, don’t mislead people into thinking you’re a potential customer … it’s really just more questions and letting people talk about themselves … just let people talk.
Related. Meet the 2024 TSE Trailblazers: Joe Kowalsky
Andrew: Do you incorporate networking into your day-to-day schedule?
Joe: I do from a perspective of keeping up with people I know.
I started at Emerald, [and] I’m at CloserStill Media now, so I have a lot of friends still that are at Emerald or honestly, that I made friends with through like the NGL [Next Generation Leadership] program that I did with UFI, so it really is keeping up with those people as part of the everyday too.
I see a lot of them as friends, like people I knew for eight to nine years. So, I don’t know if I call it networking as much as I do just like keeping up and in-touch with people I know or love, but it definitely is an aspect of it all.
In terms of the event pieces and everything like that, I still go to ones that I feel apply to me. I felt like, when I was starting off, I went to anything that said ‘event planner’ in it … while I got to meet some interesting vendors and got some cool ideas and different perspectives on things, they didn’t always apply to me.
So, I feel like now I’ve attended less and looked for more community-specific things for me. So that’s where Trade Show Executive gets involved and all of these other global and national get-togethers.
Andrew: Do you have a highlight or example of how a specific networking opportunity has benefited you?
Joe: I was at a little, random event and someone that was producing swag and things like that for shows was interested in exhibiting with us, but us talking more led down a road of things he was doing with other events: producing all of their swag at no cost to them … so it allowed me to add this whole other product category, this whole other revenue stream [and] this whole other advertising opportunity to my audience, and it didn’t cost me anything, and it was because I talked to him about it … you can call up any company, you can go online and place your orders, but if you have a little conversation, you might find out there’s a better opportunity there, something they don’t talk to everyone about, but you have a valuable product too, so it’s really just playing that game and understanding you have something to give too, and when you’re looking for partners, networking can be at the crux of all of that.
Andrew: Are there any other tips you would like to add?
Joe: Really, for someone starting out … be unapologetically yourself. Genuinely, you’re going to resonate with certain people, you’re going to not resonate with others. You’re going to find that out when networking, and you’re going to find your group of people, and then your community is going to be able to support you.
So as long as you’re getting all of that for yourself, [and] you’re setting yourself up, you don’t need to pretend to be someone else so that you can network with a group.
