How Trade Shows Make Millions

Brent Davidson built a 500-person trade show for HVAC contractors from scratch — and in this episode, he breaks down the business model behind it: how exhibitors and sponsors pay the bills, how to design attendee flow, and why in-person marketplaces are more durable than anything algorithm-dependent. Matt and Kolby dig into the operational side of running a trade show — from booth pricing and venue logistics to speaker strategy and influencer relationships. If you're thinking about events as a media business model, this is the blueprint.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction & What Is the US Heat Pump Summit02:12 Why Build a Trade Show 05:15 Trade Shows vs. Conferences07:03 Ticket Pricing, Booth Costs & Revenue Model09:39 Balancing Attendee Tickets With Exhibitor Value11:29 Vendor Tickets13:13 The Role of Media & Content in Growing the Event17:41 How Brent Sells Tickets19:26 Post-Purchase Surveys 21:27 HVAC Influencers 24:28 Should Influencers Attend the Event to Drive Tickets?26:34 Promo Codes, Measurability & Implied Endorsement28:35 Audience-Event Fit30:29 Getting Your First Sponsors & Exhibitors32:35 Proving ROI to Sponsors 35:02 What Other Trade Show Opportunities Exist Right Now37:35 Hosted Buyer Programs & The Hidden Revenue Model38:16 How Big Can the Heat Pump Summit Get?41:24 Exit Strategies & Building an Event Conglomerate43:52 Private Equity in the Trades & the Blue Parachute Idea44:10 Mike Rowe & the Role of Celebrity at Trade Events47:23 Final Advice🔗 Connect with Brent Davidson:LinkedInUS Heat Pump Summit🐝 Looking for the best newsletter and email marketing platform? Beehiiv is what I use and recommend: Click here to get a discount through my referral link.

In today’s episode, we sit down with Matt Ragland to break down how top creators actually build leverage, grow audiences, and scale sustainable media businesses. We dive into frameworks that make you memorable, the reality of plateauing on YouTube, and how to evolve from solo creator to true operator. Matt also shares lessons from working behind the scenes with some of the biggest names in newsletters and creator education.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction to Matt Ragland03:42 Why Every Creator Needs a Framework07:19 The Gap & Wrap System Explained10:34 What Makes a Framework Actually Work13:48 How Frameworks Drive Content & Growth16:36 Types of Frameworks (Acronyms, Visuals, Mental Models)20:05 The Real Shift: From Creator to Operator25:55 Why Growth Plateaus (And What Changes Next)31:28 The Truth About YouTube Growth Today36:41 The Substack Trap (And Why Most People Get It Wrong)🔗 Connect with Matt Ragland:MattRagland.comMatt's YouTube Channel🐝 Looking for the best newsletter and email marketing platform? Beehiiv is what I use and recommend: Click here to get a discount through my referral link.

In today’s episode we break down four media companies including Breaking Points, Starter Story, Lenny's Newsletter, and Colin and Samir's creator summit, pulling out what's working, what's being left on the table, and what every media founder should take notes on. Plus, we get into the AI slop debate and what it actually means for creators trying to build something real.Timestamps:00:00 Overview of Topics01:04 Breaking Points: A Case Study in New Media Success13:39 Starter Story's Acquisition by HubSpot24:15 Lenny's Newsletter: A B2B Creator's Journey33:30 Colin and Samir's LA Creator Summit35:03 The Importance of Marketing for Creators37:14 How To Make A Great Event43:17 Monetization Strategies for Events49:58 The Rise of AI-Generated Content57:02 Navigating the Future of AI in Media🔗 Resources Mentioned:Breaking Points Starter Story Lenny's Newsletter Colin and Samir's LA Creator Summit🐝 Looking for the best newsletter and email marketing platform? Beehiiv is what I use and recommend: Click here to get a discount through my referral link.

Welcome to the first episode of the New Media Podcast with Matt McGarry and Kolby Hatch. In this episode, we break down the business of media—from newsletters and YouTube to events and monetization strategies. We also dive into lessons from New Media Summit, building profitable media companies, and what’s actually working right now. If you’re building in the creator economy, this is the behind-the-scenes conversation you don’t usually hear.🍿 Watch on YouTube here.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to New Media Podcast02:19 Inside the New Media Summit04:08 How Event Businesses Actually Make Money06:32 Sponsorships & Revenue Streams Explained08:23 Why Audience Engagement Matters More Than Ever10:47 The Truth About Growing a Podcast13:15 Why Most Content Fails (And What Works Instead)16:01 Where New Media Is Heading27:25 How Storytelling Shapes Media Success28:10 Lessons From Past Media Trends31:44 Gated Content: Smart Strategy or Bad UX?39:07 Email Growth Hacks & Automation Strategies44:59 Sponsorships Are Changing—Here’s How52:42 Is Email Marketing Still Worth It?55:31 Why Organic Subscribers Are 10x More Valuable57:40 The Real Business Models Behind Newsletters58:29 Are Newsletters Dead or Evolving?01:02:45 Why Conferences Are a Massive Opportunity01:04:11 IRL > URL: The Power of In-Person Networking01:06:54 Why Big Events Are Declining01:12:11 Building Community Through Local EventsCheck out Dylan's newsletter here!🐝 Looking for the best newsletter and email marketing platform? Beehiiv is what I use and recommend: Click here to get a discount through my referral link. 

In this episode, I share an important update about the future of the podcast as we relaunch with a new name and direction. While the show started focused on newsletters and email marketing, the new version will expand into helping you build an independent media, education, or creator business. We'll be covering audience growth, newsletters, monetization, and the strategies behind modern media companies. Subscribe to the video version of the podcast and our YouTube channel here. 

Get the slides and resources mentioned from this episode linked here. In this video, I break down the 5 frameworks that helped my clients generate over $100 million in sales from email. These are the exact strategies top media, education, and creator businesses use to grow their email list, boost open rates and click-through rates, and drive more sales. Timestamps:00:00: Introduction01:16: Framework #1: The MAGIC Formula (turn social followers into email subscribers)15:22: Framework #2: First-Party Data & SMS19:11: Framework #3: The WE-PAC Welcome Email25:56: Framework #4: The Deliverability Detox30:37: Framework #5: The Newsletter FlywheelOther Resources:🎤 Purchase recordings from our conference with speakers like Codie Sanchez, Ryan Deiss, and 15+ more: https://recording.newmediasummit.com/🐝 Looking for the best newsletter and email marketing platform? beehiiv is what I use and recommend: https://www.beehiiv.com/?via=matt-mcgarry

Learn more about Uscreen https://www.uscreen.tv/In this episode, I sit down with Allison Yazdian, CEO of Uscreen, to break down how creators can build scalable, recurring revenue with video-first memberships. We cover what makes a compelling offer, how to price and tier it, and the features that drive engagement and retention. Allison shares real examples of creators generating millions through subscriptions, live streams, and community. If you want to own your audience and turn content into predictable monthly revenue, this is a must-watch.Connect with Allison on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonyazdian/Timestamps:00:00: Meet Allison Yazdian (CEO of Uscreen)01:20: What Uscreen Does04:00: How Creators Make Money with Memberships06:00: Big Creators Using Uscreen 09:00: Why Memberships Beat Ads & One-Off Products12:00: What Makes a Great Membership Offer16:00: Free Tiers, Trials & Entry Offers18:00: Pricing Strategy & Benchmarks22:00: Structuring Your Membership Tiers24:30: Must-Have Features (Community, Live, Challenges)27:30: How to Market & Sell Your Membership31:30: Onboarding New Members the Right Way33:30: Reducing Churn & Increasing Retention36:00: One Thing That Improves Retention Fast38:00: Who Uscreen Is Best For + How to Get StartedOther Resources:🎤 Pre-order recordings from our conference with speakers like Codie Sanchez, Ryan Deiss, and 15+ more: https://recording.newmediasummit.com/

Learn more about Ezoic: https://www.ezoic.com/I sit down with Gavin Bechtold (Ezoic) to reveal how publishers, creators, and newsletter operators are leaving serious money on the table by ignoring website monetization. We break down programmatic ads, first-party data, and how sending traffic back to your site can dramatically increase subscriber lifetime value. If you run a newsletter or media business, this episode will change how you think about traffic and revenue.Connect with Gavin directly: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavinbechtold/Timestamps:00:00: Intro & why website traffic is overlooked05:47: Website vs. newsletter monetization12:50: What RPMs can you actually expect?16:46: Myth busting: Do ads hurt user experience?29:21: How first-party data increases ad revenue36:56: Who Ezoic is a good fit forMore Resources:🎤 Pre-order recordings from New Media Summit with speakers like Codie Sanchez, Ryan Deiss, and 15+ more: https://recording.newmediasummit.com/📧 Join my free newsletter here: https://www.newsletteroperator.com/subscribe

🐝 Join beehiiv here and use code GROWLETTER for 20% off:https://www.beehiiv.com/I sit down with Tyler Denk to break down how he built Big Desk Energy into a 120k+ subscriber newsletter—while still working a full-time job as Beehiiv's CEO. They get tactical on weekly workflow, “night-before / day-after” social promos, email-gated posts, referral rewards that cost $0, and how paid growth (Meta + Beehiiv Boosts) helps scale past 50k. Tyler also shares how he monetizes with sponsors, Boost revenue, and a high-ticket Costa Rica mastermind—and why founder-led marketing and trust matter more than ever in the AI era. If you’re building a newsletter as a side hustle (or scaling one fast), this episode is packed with actionable playbooks you can copy.Tyler's newsletter Big Desk Energy: https://www.bigdeskenergy.com/Tyler's media kit HERE >>Timestamps:00:00 Intro00:59 Building a 120K Subscriber Newsletter on the Side02:01 Managing Time While Working Full-Time07:45 Launch Strategy & Early Growth Tactics14:49 Leveraging Social & DMs for Growth17:38 Scaling with Paid Ads & Beehiiv Boost21:17 Referral Programs That Actually Work29:01 How Tyler Monetizes (Sponsors, Boost, Ads)34:36 $10K Mastermind Strategy41:57 The Future of Beehiiv48:21 AI & The Future of Email55:49 Beehiiv vs. Other Platforms

Traditional online courses are dead. People don’t need more information. They need execution. In this video, I break down why live cohort-based programs are the fastest way to turn your expertise into a $100K+ offer and eventually a $1M/year business. You’ll learn how to craft your cohort in 8 simple steps, even if you have no audience, testimonials, or teaching experience. Get the full guide and next steps here.Timestamps:01:35 Introduction 3:00 Why courses are dead5:25 The execution problem5:48 Why cohorts win7:22 Step 1: Pick the outcome10:45 Step 2: Structure it14:22 Step 3: Homework plan15:06 Step 4: Build the system16:11 Step 5: Gamify + track19:40 Step 6: Track results20:43 Step 7: Scarcity21:22 Step 8: Social proof26:58 Step 9: Cohort outline30:15 Step 10: Build anticipation31:17 Step 11: Always sell, then build31:55 Step 12: Marketing scheduleWant to learn what's working in media right now? New Media Summit brings together 500+ founders in Austin Feb 26-27 with Codie Sanchez, Ryan Deiss, Matt Paulson, and more. Get tickets here!