CHICAGO — As a Marketing Director at Informa Markets, Mathilde Le Borgne oversees a large team that spans the U.S. and U.K., and leverages a strategic approach to brand development and attendee engagement that has yielded impressive results for the organization’s Global Licensing Group, which includes Licensing Expo and Brand Licensing Europe.
We checked in with Le Borgne — who is one of Trade Show Executive’s 2025 Women to Watch — to learn about how she’s transformed Global Licensing Group’s marketing strategy and her predictions for the future.
ANDREW: Can you tell us how you landed in the trade show industry? Was it a straight path here, or was it unexpected?
MATHILDE: This was my first full-time job after university!
I studied marketing for three years and had attended a few trade shows in previous work experience, but really landed in this industry by happy accident and here we are, almost nine years later!
ANDREW: What are some of the skills that have helped you move up in your organization, and how do you refine those skills?
MATHILDE: The world of events is a high-pressure, unexpected environment.
From COVID disruptions to the Queen’s funeral coinciding with our U.K. event, from venue pipes bursting over our registration area on opening day to transportation strikes — live environments always bring unexpected challenges. Learning how to stay calm and develop a clear communication plan to pivot has been key.
Another crucial element is maintaining curiosity and hunger for continuous learning. Marketing constantly evolves, making it vital to stay current with emerging trends.
This means actively learning from industry peers, prioritizing conference attendance and remaining open to new approaches and technologies that can enhance our event experiences.
ANDREW: How have you worked to transform Global Licensing Group’s marketing strategy?
MATHILDE: Our most significant transformation has been the shift toward customer-centricity over the past three years. This was more than just a marketing initiative; it was a fundamental business evolution that required developing sophisticated audience strategies and implementing robust frameworks for continuous customer insight collection.
The collaboration between Marketing, Events and Digital teams was crucial to ensure seamless alignment from pre-show messaging through to onsite experience delivery. We’ve moved beyond traditional marketing to more advanced segmentation and messaging, allowing us to create more personalized, valuable experiences.
The results speak for themselves: We’ve achieved record-high Net Promoter Scores of +54 for attendees and +56 for exhibitors, alongside significant improvements in attendance growth and higher retention and conversion rates from first-time customers who have historically not engaged as much with our products.
ANDREW: Why do you think a collaborative, cross-departmental approach is important?
MATHILDE: It’s not just important — it’s absolutely critical. Our customer-first approach has created functional alignment around audience needs and goals, with each team owning a critical piece of the experience puzzle.
This holistic approach has enabled us to consistently exceed customer expectations and build stronger, more valuable relationships with both visitors and exhibitors. When marketing, sales, operations and digital teams work in silos, you create friction points that directly impact customer satisfaction and business outcomes.
True success happens when we break down those barriers and work as one unified team focused on delivering exceptional experiences.
ANDREW: What is your motivation to continue striving for excellence in your work?
MATHILDE: My team is my greatest motivation. I’m fortunate to work with exceptional individuals who challenge me daily to grow as both a professional and a leader.
There’s something uniquely energizing about the events industry: the tangible impact of bringing people together, facilitating business connections and creating moments that can transform careers and industries.
Knowing that our work directly contributes to innovation, networking and business growth across entire sectors keeps me passionate about continuous improvement and excellence.
ANDREW: How do you maintain a healthy work-life balance to avoid burnout?
MATHILDE: This is an area I’ve been actively developing, but I’ve learned to focus on impact over hours worked. I prioritize understanding where my efforts will drive the most meaningful results for both the business and my team.
It’s an ongoing journey — in our fast-paced industry, there’s always another optimization to explore or new tactic to test, which can make it challenging to step away.
To encourage balance in others, I model this behavior by being intentional about when I send communications, respecting boundaries and celebrating efficiency over long hours.
I also make it a point to check in with my team about their workload and help them identify what truly moves the needle versus what might just feel urgent in the moment.
Related. Meet the 2025 TSE Women to Watch: Sarah Hussein, CMP
ANDREW: How do you think women can support each other more in this industry?
MATHILDE: Events are a time-consuming industry with a lot of travel and time constraints which can be challenging when balancing professional ambitions and life obligations. What’s encouraging is seeing more women not only advancing into leadership roles but also speaking openly about how they navigate these challenges.
I’m incredibly lucky to be surrounded by exceptional women I’ve learned a lot from over the years, and to be mentored by some who have taught me so much. I think more of these opportunities around mentoring, giving back and sharing learnings is always welcome as we’re often faced with very similar challenges.
ANDREW: What do you think the next big thing in the events space is going to be?
MATHILDE: The convergence of AI, hybrid experiences and personalization at scale represents the industry’s next major evolution. As digitally native generations enter decision-making roles and remote work becomes prolific for many organizations, events are becoming increasingly valuable as platforms for meaningful in-person connection.
We’re moving toward seamlessly integrated technology that enhances rather than complicates the experience — the future lies in creating flexible, adaptive spaces that can accommodate diverse engagement preferences while maintaining the irreplaceable value of face-to-face interaction.
Our marketing approaches must also evolve beyond traditional trade show promotion to compete with the sophisticated, engaging experiences people expect from consumer brands and digital platforms.
ANDREW: What advice would you give to other up-and-comers in this industry?
MATHILDE: Stay up to date with customer trends, marketing trends and ways customers engage in everyday life. We are in the era where the physical and digital world are merging, and it’s critical that we understand what that means for our events and the world.
But also, and most importantly, understand your customers. Take any opportunity to speak to them [and] understand what makes them tick or excites them.
We’re all busy in our jobs, so creating a standout show experience or marketing piece that sticks is critical to develop brand awareness and loyalty.
ANDREW: What strategies have you found most effective for building a strong professional network within the trade show community?
MATHILDE: Attending events!
I’ve made it a personal goal this year to attend more conferences and events this year, and I cannot tell you how useful it is, which should be obvious to event professionals, but sometimes we need to remind ourselves to practice what we preach!
ANDREW: What role does mentorship play in your career development, and how can other women seek and cultivate these relationships?
MATHILDE: Mentorship has truly been critical to my development, as I love learning from others and understanding how they might approach a problem differently than I would.
I am so lucky to have an incredible mentor within our business who has challenged my ways of thinking and exposed me to more commercial strategies, and I’ve been able to bring these to our portfolio and help implement them for our team which has been incredibly rewarding.
ANDREW: How do you stay updated on industry trends and changes, and what resources do you recommend to your peers?
MATHILDE: I focus on B2B marketing innovation and consumer behavior trends, drawing insights from sources like mdg reports and maintaining an active presence on LinkedIn for industry discussions.
The key is looking beyond our immediate industry to understand broader shifts in customer expectations and engagement preferences. I also prioritize attending industry conferences and participating in peer networks where we can share challenges and solutions.
The events industry is uniquely collaborative and some of the best insights come from frank discussions with fellow professionals facing similar challenges.
ANDREW: What is your vision for the future of women in the trade show industry, and what steps can be taken to foster greater inclusion and diversity?
MATHILDE: I’m fortunate to work in an organization with strong female leadership, from our CMO to our portfolio SVP and Event Director. This representation matters because it demonstrates viable career paths and different leadership styles.
Looking forward, I envision greater flexibility around work-life integration. The industry’s traditional demands don’t have to be barriers to advancement if we’re creative about how we structure roles and measure success.
This flexibility will enable more women to pursue leadership positions while maintaining personal priorities and life goals.
To learn more about the 2025 TSE Women to Watch, click here.
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