Videos
# Artificial Intelligence
# B2B
# B2C
# Data monetization
# Digital Strategy
# Media
# Value Creation
Branded or Buried: Pete Pachal on Why AI Will Expose the Real Value of Media
In this episode of Revenue Room™, Heather Holst-Knudsen sits down with Pete Pachal, founder of The Media Copilot, veteran tech journalist, and former Chief of Staff at CoinDesk. Together, they unpack how AI is not just transforming media operations—but redefining the business models behind them.
Pete shares why the real disruption of AI isn’t flashy tools, but ruthless transparency. As generative AI becomes more adept at surfacing, ranking, summarizing, and even creating content, the question for media companies becomes: do you offer real brand value, or are you just content?
They dive into a revealing case study of Reuters vs. Dotdash Meredith—one respected for its journalism, the other engineered for performance. The contrast reveals a fundamental truth: AI will reward content that performs, not just content that’s credible.
Heather and Pete also explore:
-How AI forces media brands to clarify their strategic value
-The tension between editorial integrity and search-driven survival
-The future role of human editors in an AI-curated media ecosystem
-Why brands need to lead with distinctiveness, not volume
This is a must-listen for media executives, content strategists, and revenue leaders rethinking their competitive edge in an AI-first world.
Pete Pachal · Jul 29th, 2025
Samantha Skey · Jul 18th, 2025
In this episode of *Revenue Room™, Samantha Skey, CEO of She Media, shares her bold, human-centered take on leadership, AI disruption, and the future of digital publishing. From reframing imposter syndrome as a systemic issue to building a diversified media model grounded in authenticity, Samantha offers a masterclass in leading with courage, clarity, and purpose in a time of massive change.
Key Topics Discussed:
-How Samantha approaches leadership with a focus on ethics, empathy, and long-term impact—not just short-term performance.
-The tension between AI as an operational asset vs. existential threat to publishers.
-Her prediction of a new industry for authenticity verification in content.
-Samantha redefined imposter syndrome as a systemic issue, not a personal flaw.
-A call to redesign environments to be more inclusive of non-traditional leaders.
-She Media’s three-pronged business model: owned brands, creator monetization, and immersive brand partnerships.
-The importance of leveraging both quantitative and qualitative inputs to drive business decisions.
About Samantha Skey
Samantha Skey is CEO of SHE Media, a top 10 media company reaching 80 million monthly unique visitors through brands like SheKnows, Flow Space, StyleCaster, Soaps, and TVLine. Acquired by Penske Media Corporation in 2018, SHE Media also operates one of the largest networks of independent lifestyle publishers and creators in the U.S. via the SHE Media Collective, which Skey launched in 2016 to support underrepresented voices. The Collective contributes millions in revenue annually to women- and minority-led publishers.
In 2021, Skey launched Meaningful Marketplaces (MMP), enabling advertisers to scale media buys across the Collective while directly supporting premium independent media. That commitment to equity continued with the 2023 launch of Flow Space, a digital and live media platform focused on women’s health, which won both Anthem and Viddy Gold Awards. Skey also led the debut of the SHE Media Co-Lab Whole Life Health at SXSW, earning accolades from Fierce Pharma and the Anthem Awards.
With over 25 years in digital media and tech, Skey previously held leadership roles at CNET, Disney, and RecycleBank, and joined SheKnows in 2013. She’s been recognized with numerous industry honors, including Ad Age’s “Women to Watch,” Folio’s “Corporate Visionary Award,” and DM News’ “Hall of Femme.” Skey serves on the boards of The Ad Council, World Surf League, and Acast, and is an advisor to Digital Ascendant and Let’s Talk Menopause. She lives in Princeton with her husband and two children and coaches girls’ lacrosse on weekends.
# Artificial Intelligence
# Leadership
# B2B
Laura Davidson · Jun 30th, 2025
What do hamster photos, AI-powered marketing, and global event domination have in common? In this episode, Heather Holst-Knudsen sits down with Laura Davidson, CEO and co-founder of Tag Digital, to uncover how she turned a scrappy startup into a global performance marketing powerhouse for events. From their first client win with UBM to building AI-powered digital twins and tackling the zero-click future, Laura shares bold insights on data, creative, authenticity, and the leadership grit it takes to grow in a rapidly changing market.
Key Topics Covered
-How Tag Digital went from local web agency to global event marketing leader
-The hamster photo dispute that sparked their pivot to events
-Why clean, segmented data is non-negotiable for ROI
-AI, automation, and the rise of the zero-click economy
-Why emotional creative and authenticity drive true event success
-How AI will change attribution—and why media mix modeling is your new best friend
-Building confidence, adaptability, and humor as leadership superpowers
About Laura Davidson
Laura Davidson is currently the CEO and Director at Tag Digital, a company specializing in paid media across various platforms exclusively within the events sector. With over 2500 event campaigns run annually in 40 countries, Laura has a wealth of experience in this field. Prior to her role at Tag Digital, Laura worked as a Lecturer at the Digital Marketing Institute, teaching courses in SEO, PPC, ecommerce, and analytics. She also worked as the Communications Director at Moviecom.tv and as a Contributing Writer at LiPulse Magazine. Laura holds a 2:1 degree in Law and English from the University of Strathclyde.
# Artificial Intelligence
# B2B
# Events
Michelle Troop · Jun 25th, 2025
With over 35 years of experience scaling trade shows and conferences, Michelle shares how she’s built, grown, and sold events like InsureTech Connect, Mobile Apps Unlocked, and LeadsCon—and how she helped transform Ai4 from a 300-person event into an 8,000+ attendee global platform.
In this episode, you'll learn:
-How to scale event revenue beyond the booth
-Why full-cycle sales teams outperform legacy models
-The smart way to use AI tools like ChatGPT in sales
-How to build acquisition-ready event brands
-What leading indicators tell you it’s time to sell
-Why curiosity and customization are your revenue superpowers
Whether you're in events, media, tech, or B2B revenue leadership, Michelle’s insights will help you rethink how you build and monetize communities at scale.
About Michelle Troop
Michelle Troop is the Chief Revenue Officer of Ai4, the world’s largest AI event, recently acquired by CloserStill Media. With over 35 years of experience across trade shows, consumer events, and conferences, she has built and scaled industry-leading brands including InsureTech Connect (ITC), Mobile Apps Unlocked (MAU), and LeadsCon—all of which reached critical mass and were acquired by Clarion and Access Intelligence. Earlier in her career, she helped launch the original PlayStation globally and rebuilt top shows into Trade Show Top 35 events. At Ai4, she helped transform the event from 300-person gatherings into an 8,000+ attendee global platform. Michelle is passionate about building not only great events but also high-performing teams. She lives in Dallas with her husband and is dedicated to animal rescue and good wine.
# B2B
# Leadership
# Artificial Intelligence
# Sales Strategy
Brian Weaver · Jun 17th, 2025
In this episode, Heather sits down with Brian Weaver, the innovative mind behind Chronicle, MEDQOR's proprietary data platform that is redefining how B2B media companies deliver performance and prove ROI.
Brian shares the story of acquiring MEDQOR in 2009—then a traditional print publisher—and turning it into a data-powered marketing engine that delivers buyer intelligence, real-time leads, and measurable outcomes. He pulls back the curtain on how Chronicle combines AI, CRM integration, and predictive analytics to create a completely new value proposition for healthcare marketers—and how it’s scalable across verticals.
This is a masterclass for any media, events, or B2B leader looking to move beyond impressions and into the era of performance-proofed media.
Key Takeaways:
-Why media companies need to evolve from content sellers to strategic growth partners
-How Chronicle turns passive media engagement into revenue-driving buyer signals
-What it takes to build proprietary platforms that deliver guaranteed performance
-The power of first-party data in transforming advertiser relationships and revenue models
-Why today’s marketers demand proof—and how media companies can rise to meet it
About Brian Weaver
Brian is the Chairman of MEDQOR, a healthcare intelligence media company and CEO of Torch.AI, an AI-powered data infrastructure platform. He’s an expert in behavioral data science and enterprise-grade machine learning and an endurance athlete who brings that same mindset to business transformation.
# Artificial Intelligence
# B2B
# Business Transformation
Heather Holst-Knudsen & Anne Lafère · May 1st, 2025
Join Heather Holst-Knudsen, CEO of H2K Labs & Reveue Room™ Connect, as she interviews Anne Lafère, Group CEO of Easyfairs, about her journey from initially not liking trade shows to becoming a visionary leader in the events industry. In this insightful conversation, Anne shares how Easyfairs has built a data-driven business model that enhances both exhibitor and visitor experiences.
Key topics covered:
Anne's 26-year career growth at Easyfairs
- The transition from family-owned to private equity partnership
- Their innovative co-CEO leadership model with Matt Benyon
- Data-driven strategies including AI-powered recommendations and predictive analytics
- Creating 365 community engagement beyond physical events
- Talent management through data visualization and heatmapping
Discover how Easyfairs has positioned itself for global growth while maintaining operational excellence and a people-first approach to technology.
#EventTech #DataDrivenBusiness #TradeShows #RevenuePodcast #EventManagement #LeadershipInsights
# Business Transformation
# Data
# Digital Strategy
# Events
# Leadership
# Value Creation