Surround Sound Marketing Webinar
Speaker
Heather Holst-Knudsen is a distinguished figure and expert in the events, media, marketing and technology sectors. Using her extensive experience, she guides clients in adapting to structural economic and market changes, seizing the chance to innovate and evolve. She specializes in digital and data disruption and opportunity, exploring how these overarching factors can impact revenue growth,customer-centricity, operational efficiency, profit margins, and the overall valuation of companies in both public and private markets. Her journey began at her family business, Thomas Publishing Company, where she honed her skills. She further expanded her expertise by holding positions at early industry giants Miller Freeman, Reed Elsevier, and IDG. Returning to Thomas Publishing, Heather founded and spearheaded Manufacturing Enterprise Communications, an integrated media portfolio connecting buyers and sellers in the manufacturing and technology sectors. Starting in 2015 and spanning the next seven years, she leveraged her expertise as a revenue and business leader in various SaaS businesses, including Feathr, Gleanin, Brella and Edflex. Heather is deeply passionate about digital innovation, data monetization, and AI and how these strategies fuel revenue growth, profitability, and company valuation. To serve and create value for clients in these areas, she launched H2K Labs, dedicated to generating and leveraging value through data for media, business information, events, and adjacent technology and service markets.
SUMMARY
This webinar introduces Surround Sound Marketing as a strategic shift from selling isolated event sponsorships or media placements to delivering integrated, omni-channel marketing solutions that engage buyers throughout their full purchase journey.
Heather Holst-Knudsen argues that event organizers and media companies must reposition themselves from “landlords of square footage” to data-driven matchmakers who connect advertisers with highly qualified audiences using the right message, channel, audience, and timing. By leveraging first-party data, AI, and continuous engagement before, during, and after events, organizations can increase wallet share, improve customer ROI, strengthen audience trust, and build sustainable competitive moats.
The session outlines practical frameworks, revenue opportunities, sales enablement requirements, and phased implementation strategies to operationalize surround sound marketing at scale
TRANSCRIPT
[00:00–00:02] Introduction & Background
Heather Holst-Knudsen opens the webinar, introduces herself, and outlines her experience across media, events, SaaS, and multi-sided marketplaces. She frames the session around evolving from selling square footage to delivering omnichannel, multi-touch marketing experiences .
[00:02–00:05] What Is Surround Sound Marketing
Surround sound marketing is defined as delivering coordinated messages across multiple channels, formats, and stages of the buyer journey. The concept emphasizes consistency, relevance, and timing, ensuring buyers receive the right content wherever and however they prefer to engage .
[00:05–00:07] The Four Rights Framework
The strategy is anchored in four principles: right message, right audience, right time, and right channel. Heather explains how different channels map to different funnel stages and buying team members, stressing the importance of understanding the full buying committee .
[00:07–00:10] Funnel Mapping & ROI Expectations
Organizations must help customers generate and track awareness, MQLs, SQLs, and opportunities. A critical requirement is defining success metrics upfront, including what qualifies as a marketing- or sales-qualified lead for each customer .
[00:10–00:14] Market Forces Driving the Shift
Heather highlights rising ROI scrutiny, increased competition, AI disruption, non-linear buying journeys, and growing numbers of decision-makers. She emphasizes the importance of first-party data and intent signals in navigating these changes .
[00:14–00:18] What Organizers Should Sell
Event organizers should sell access to a deeply engaged, pre-qualified audience rather than booths or sponsorships alone. Surround sound marketing enables year-round engagement, stronger customer relationships, and smarter campaign optimization .
[00:18–00:27] Revenue Opportunities by Effort Level
Heather outlines four buckets of offerings:
- Table stakes: email, newsletters, website ads, microsites
- Quick wins: content marketing, webinars, pre-show planners
- Strategic builders: AI matchmaking, marketplaces, enhanced lead data
- Long-term bets: AI concierge, predictive journey modeling, ABM automation Each bucket balances effort, impact, and revenue potential .
[00:27–00:29] Post-Event Monetization
Post-event strategies include enriched lead data, follow-up webinars, digital resource hubs, AI-driven nurture campaigns, and predictive scoring to extend value beyond the show floor .
[00:29–00:36] Sales Transformation Required
Sales teams must shift to consultative discovery, learning how customers win and lose deals, how buyers research, and how AI is reshaping go-to-market motions. Proposals should map customer challenges to tailored surround sound solutions .
[00:36–00:39] Organizational Roadblocks
Common challenges include siloed sales teams, lack of training, insufficient data infrastructure, and weak reporting. Heather recommends dedicated sales enablement, ongoing coaching, and real-time analytics .
[00:39–00:42] Pilot and Test-to-Sell Strategy
Heather explains how to pilot surround sound marketing with select customers, focusing on low-risk, high-impact offerings, aligned sales processes, and clear reporting before scaling across brands or accounts .
[00:42–00:46] Measuring Success
Success metrics extend beyond closed revenue to pipeline velocity, engagement breadth, lifetime value, and net revenue retention. Dashboards and frequent communication are essential, with an emphasis on pivoting rather than abandoning initiatives .
[00:46–00:49] Case Studies
Examples from Questex, PMMI Media Group, and RX Global demonstrate how surround sound marketing drives higher lead volume, improved conversion, and stronger value-based selling using AI and predictive insights .
[00:49–00:52] Final Takeaways & Next Steps
Heather reinforces the need for strong digital foundations, customer success, sales enablement, and data maturity. She closes by outlining upcoming Revenue Room programs and invites attendees to continue the conversation .
