CHICAGO — This year’s Trade Show Executive (TSE) Trailblazers are a group of innovative, impactful industry professionals, who are making significant contributions to their organizations. TSE caught up with Adam Horne, Digital Marketing Manager at Informa Markets, to learn more about his career journey, lessons he’s learned and what he’s looking forward to for the trade show industry.
Q: How did you get your start in the trade show industry?
I originally worked in the academic publishing side of Informa at Taylor & Francis and heard about an opportunity to work in Informa Markets from a colleague who already made the transition. I was looking for a new opportunity at the time to grow my skillset, so I applied for the position as a Digital Marketing Manager and got my start working on WWETT and WasteExpo.
Q: What appealed most to you then, and what appeals most to you now about your work?
At first, the opportunity to work in a new industry while being fully focused on digital marketing is what enticed me. Now, I enjoy working in a digital marketing role where I can strive to reach new goals each year that correlate directly with an event that I get to experience in person. Plus, I work with a great team!
Q: What has been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned in your career?
It is important to strive to do your best every day, but failures and mistakes happen to the best of us.
Related. Meet the 2024 Trailblazers: Lindsey Hall.
Q: What or who inspires you to strive for excellence?
My family and continued faith in God.
Q: What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
One of the proudest moments of my career was to be nominated for an internal Informa award in 2023. I was surprised and overjoyed that my colleagues nominated me and felt my impact in the business.
Q: How do you define success?
Success for me is knowing that I put in my best effort to be a better person today than I was yesterday.
Q: What are some things about the future of this industry that excite you? Why?
The isolation that many experienced during COVID, along with an increased number of professionals working from home, placed an additional need for face-to-face interaction that our industry helps to provide. Coming fully out of the pandemic, I am excited that we can serve an increasingly valuable role in the market, while ensuring that our business is healthy for years to come.
Q: Advice for other up-and-comers
Don’t be afraid to ask questions or admit when you are wrong. You will have good days and you will have bad days, but continue to put your best foot forward.
Nominator Quote: “As our team’s Digital Marketing Manager for WasteExpo and WWETT, Adam has demonstrated exception problem-solving skills and remarkable accomplishments within the industry,” said Meg Estevez, Vice President of Marketing, Infrastructure and Construction, at Informa. “Through his expertise in region-focused paid digital marketing, continually updated and engaging organic social media content and tailored email marketing campaigns, Adam successfully secured an additional 3,257 registrants for WWETT 2024 in only three weeks. Adam’s leadership and adaptability were truly commendable during the redesign and transition of the WasteExpo website. His tireless efforts ensured the success of both the attendee and sales marketing initiatives for both shows, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to our team’s success.”
Find out more about all the Trailblazers in the June edition of TSE.
