EM Editors Take San Diego Comic-Con 2025

What does it take to be a brand ambassador? In the first installment of our Brand Ambassador Spotlight series, Vanessa Leiva shares how she discovered the BA scene in Orlando and has built a career representing spirits, attractions and supplement companies across trade shows and retail pop-ups. She takes us through a typical event week and talks about how networking, f&b server certifications and outgoing personality traits are crucial for landing gigs. Plus, Leiva digs into common misconceptions around the role and current brand engagement trends, while also offering advice for aspiring brand ambassadors.

After nearly 17 years in the trade show industry, Robyn Davis has picked up countless insights from advising exhibitors, and now, she's sharing actionable tips and frameworks in her new book, "Exhibit Smarter: A Step-by-Step Guide to Trade Show Success." In this episode, Davis reveals how exhibitors can avoid common booth mistakes, measure what truly matters and apply her four strategic questions to get better results. Davis also discusses the value of swag and the essentials in her trade show survival kit.

Liz Lathan and Nicole Osibodu, co-founders of Club Ichi, have found that the most powerful, successful events build community through casual conversation, playful experiences and peer-to-peer exchanges. In this episode, they delve into the origin story of their social club and membership community that was designed to tear down the networking practice of scanning badges to see who's most worth your time. Plus, they open up about the "Secret Family Reunion" trip to New Zealand that surprised 50 member attendees at the airport with the bucket-list destination.

Creative director and experiential storyteller Dr. Ilana Gilovich-Stossel takes us behind the scenes of immersive theater experiences like "Sleep No More" and Hendrick's Gin's "Anotherland," revealing the art and science of turning a brand story into an extraordinary world. She shares her journey to becoming chief storyteller at Emursive Productions, and how she creates environments that seamlessly blend symbolism, mystery, personalization and human connection. Plus, Gilovich-Stossel breaks down the core elements of immersive design for narrative-driven events.

Mentorship has played a big role in Anna Nicholson's career, and now, she's giving back to the next generation, as a mentor in the Experiential in Color Mentorship Program. In this episode, the senior event manager at Yahoo talks about how she's imparting her most-impactful learnings, including the importance of betting on yourself and managing chaos with calmness. Plus, she takes EM inside Yahoo's recent SXSW activation, the AI-powered Yahoo Scout Inn, breaking down the importance of authenticity, community-driven moments and staying agile in a competitive experiential landscape.

Melissa Vilders, director-events strategy and experience for SAP Global Events, has figured out the work-life balance formula that fits her life and encourages fellow marketers to lean into self-care and "enjoy the boring moments." In this episode, she reveals the key mindset shifts that can create more impactful, inclusive events, without sacrificing one's personal well-being. Plus, Vilders shares practical tips for managing the post-event blues, elevating the attendee experience and fostering a supportive team environment.

In this special editors-only episode, join Event Marketer's Juanita Chavarro Arias, managing editor, and Kait Shea, senior editor and manager-digital content, as they recap their experiences covering San Diego Comic-Con 2025. Standout moments included dodging machete-wielding clowns in "Twisted Metal" bumper cars, rocking out at Peacefest and reliving school days at "Abbott Elementary." Plus, tune in for insights on Comic-Con's evolution, activation trends, swag must-haves and the value of live actors in engaging pop-culture fans.

Justin Breton is all about embracing the unknown and taking a chance on new technologies. As head of brand marketing innovation at Walmart, he oversees content-to-commerce initiatives that engage with customers in meaningful ways and get them thinking differently about Walmart—not just as a retailer, but also as a digital destination. In this episode, Breton shares how the brand has evolved its digital strategy by venturing into shoppable livestreams with Walmart Live and launching activations in gaming platforms Roblox, Spatial and Zepeto. He also offers insights into how brands can explore the intersection of physical and digital as they look to add virtual extensions to marketing campaigns and scale community engagement.

In part two of our look back on the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we go inside Canada Olympic House, one of 30-plus hospitality houses organized by National Olympic Committees that popped up in the city to support athletes, their families and friends, brand partners, sponsors and fans. Greg Wamsley, vp-operations and sustainability lead at Mosaic North America, shares insights on the agency's work with the Canadian Olympic Committee to design and produce Canada Olympic House, while Alyson Walker, svp-brands and properties at Wasserman, delves into Air Canada's multifaceted Paris 2024 campaign and activations.

The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games took the world by storm this summer. We spoke with Jeff Handler, vp-Olympic and Paralympic clients, and Dennis Jenders, executive strategy director, from GMR, an experience agency headquartered in Wisconsin, to share their experiences from being on the ground in Paris during this exciting time. They discuss the city's best-in-class brand activations, their favorite sporting events, and their predictions for the 2026 Winter Olympics and 2028 Summer Olympics.