Experience Builders cover art

Experience Builders

Experience Builders

By: Khalil Benalioulhaj
Listen for free

Summary

 Exhibitors and experiential design agencies just want to put on amazing events for their clients. We know that events always present challenges, but one many of us didn’t see coming was the pandemic. We started this podcast to share processes and systems to help you bounce back and future-proof your business against storms we may face down the road. We cover topics like how to access capital and funding, why and how to outsource, why and how to build a brand, creating a strong company culture, and much more. With more knowledge at your fingertips, you’ll be able to put on powerful events and build a strong business that can weather any storm.Khalil Benalioulhaj Economics Leadership Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • 071 - How BlueHive Structures Account Managers and Project Managers with Chris Dunn

    071 - How BlueHive Structures Account Managers and Project Managers with Chris Dunn
    May 1 2026
    If account management and project management really are two separate skill sets, what does that actually look like inside an exhibit house that's still scaling? Chris and Khalil bring Chris Dunn, VP of Sales and Business Development at BlueHive Exhibits, onto the show to unpack how a three-pronged team of account executives, account managers, and project managers actually runs.Chris walks through BlueHive's flexible pool of eight AEs, eight AMs, and four PMs, why they merged the estimator and project manager roles, who really owns the client relationship after the sale, and how to measure capacity now that hybrid and rental booths build from scratch every time.Key Topics & Timestamps00:56 - Episode Intro02:29 - Meet Chris Dunn05:50 - AM vs PM Split08:30 - Hunters, Farmers, Trappers11:00 - When AM Makes Sense13:03 - BlueHive Team Structure14:50 - Pooling And Bandwidth17:49 - Client Journey Workflow25:06 - Handoff And Role Duties30:17 - AM vs PM Responsibilities30:58 - AE Staying in the Loop32:02 - Meeting Mix and Overwatch33:27 - AM-PM Friction and Culture35:55 - Capacity and Scaling Roles37:38 - Small Company to Three Roles40:10 - Estimating and Proposal Workflow41:55 - Client Touchpoints and Expectations52:54 - Good Cop Bad Cop Deadlines57:46 - Wrap Up and Key TakeawaysMemorable Quotes"Account managers are forward-facing, customer-facing. They're the voice of the customer inside the org." — Chris Dunn"That account manager has been through that entire process. They were in discovery, they were in the pitch. They heard the client go, “I freaking hate that color.” — Chris Dunn"You're either the hunter, or you're the farmer, the nurturer. The hybrids really are what I would call the trappers." — Chris Griffin"As you grow, what ends up happening is that there's drift in the context. That's really what you're trying to solve with your three-pronged model." — KhalilKey TakeawaysAccount management and project management have become two distinct skill sets, even at smaller exhibit houses. Where one person used to cover both for repeat exhibits, hybrid and rental builds now make every project closer to starting from scratch.BlueHive runs a three-pronged team. The AE leads the sale, the AM owns the client relationship as the voice of the customer inside the org, and the PM runs vendors, labor, trucking, and shop production.AMs and PMs work from a flexible pool, not fixed pairs. The Director of Client Services watches bandwidth and matches AMs to AEs based on availability, industry fit, and client continuity.Merging the estimator and project manager into a single role keeps pricing context with the person who runs the project. When BlueHive split those roles, gaps opened up between the proposal and the build.Capacity is no longer measured in dollars. With more hybrid and rental booths in the mix, BlueHive tracks volume of projects per month per AM rather than the old monetary benchmark.Setting expectations on day one keeps the relationship clean. The client knows the AE introduces the work, the AM owns the day-to-day, and the PM stays mostly internal during production.More from Chris DunnBlueHive ExhibitsEvent Marketer Toolbox podcastChris Dunn on LinkedInResourcesNeed Help With An Event? Get in touch with CrewXPWatch On YouTubeFollow Us On Social: LinkedIn, FacebookHave Questions? Email usMore from ChrisCrewXPEmail ChrisChris on LinkedInMore from Khalilbenali.comEmail KhalilLinkedInInstagramConnect With UsReady to future-proof your experiential business? Subscribe to Experience Builders for more strategic insights that help agency owners build bulletproof businesses. Share this episode with fellow industry leaders navigating their busiest season.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 5 mins
  • 070 - Account Manager vs. Project Manager: When One Person Can't Do Both

    070 - Account Manager vs. Project Manager: When One Person Can't Do Both
    Apr 16 2026
    What happens when the same person managing your biggest client relationships is also buried in project deliverables? If you run an experiential agency, you've probably lived that tension firsthand.Chris and Khalil break down what separates account management from project management, why those roles demand different skill sets, and how to recognize when your team is stretched too thin to do both well. Using real examples, they get specific about what great account managers actually do, how they're measured differently than project managers, and the warning signs that tell you it's time to split the roles.Whether you're a one-person shop wearing both hats or managing a team that's outgrowing the dual-role setup, this conversation gives you a practical framework for deciding when and how to make the change.Key Topics & Timestamps00:43 - Catching Up with Chris!02:58 - What Makes a Great Account Manager?04:08 - A Real-World Example: The HubSpot Account Manager06:59 - Account Manager vs. Project Manager10:17 - The Point Guard Analogy: Mastering the Handoff13:41 - When One Person Does Both Roles16:01 - When to Separate the Roles22:29 - Account Management in Action: The Insurance Story26:58 - What Our Best Partners Say About Great AMs30:01 - Signs Your People Are Stretched Too Thin33:17 - Friction Between Account Managers and Project Managers35:37 - Key Takeaways40:06 - Wrap-Up & What's NextMemorable Quotes"Clients can forgive you for problems. They don't forgive you for surprises or for silence." — Chris"An account manager has to be the master of the handoff." — Khalil"Magic Johnson wasn't a point guard. He was an account manager." — Chris"People don't leave companies, they leave people." — Chris"The account manager is maximizing the lifetime value of that client." — KhalilKey TakeawaysAccount managers own the relationship and focus on long-term retention and growth; project managers own execution and focus on timelines, budgets, and deliverables.Great account managers put the relationship first, listen beyond what's said, lean into accountability, and serve as the client's internal advocate.Look for warning signs that your team is stretched: project-side delays and defects, clients using competitors for services you offer, and missed upsell opportunities.Before hiring a dedicated account manager, forecast what that role would recover in revenue and retention to justify the expense.The tension between process-oriented PMs and relationship-oriented AMs is natural; the key is making exceptions transparently so clients know when you're going above and beyond.Invest in multi-layered relationships with clients (executive, account management, and field operations) so no single departure risks the account.ResourcesNeed Help With An Event? Get in touch with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CrewXP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch On ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Us On Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have Questions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Chris⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CrewXP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Chris⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect With UsReady to future-proof your experiential business? Subscribe to Experience Builders for more strategic insights that help agency owners build bulletproof businesses. Share this episode with fellow industry leaders navigating their busiest season.
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
  • 069 - Why Community Is Your Biggest Competitive Advantage

    069 - Why Community Is Your Biggest Competitive Advantage
    Mar 26 2026
    How do you stay ahead when everything in your industry is changing at once? Chris and Khalil dig into why the smartest agency owners are investing in associations and industry relationships, and how that investment pays off in ways you can't get from a webinar or a LinkedIn post.COVID proved something the experiential industry always felt but never tested: you can't build a business in isolation. After 19 months of lockdown, the rush back to in-person gathering wasn't just social. It was strategic.From “coopetition” on the show floor to ecosystem events that replace transactional booth encounters, Chris shares what he's learned from decades of active association involvement and why community has become a real competitive advantage.Key Topics & Timestamps00:47 - Episode Intro01:39 - Tampa Events and Leadership Talk03:44 - Post COVID Community Lessons14:54 - Coopetition and Industry Challenges21:21 - Beyond the Show Floor21:43 - Relationships in the AI Era23:53 - Ecosystem Events and Immersive Experiences31:38 - Fixing Conferences Through CommunityMemorable Quotes"I don't think community's just a nice thing to have anymore. I actually believe it's a real competitive advantage." — Chris"I'll tell you what hasn't changed is the value of relationships, which is community." — Khalil"If you're gonna give up one or two nuggets in a group conference, but gonna pick up 37 more because everybody's willing to share, trust me, that's a much better return." — Chris"The only real IP is execution. If knowledge was all that it took, we'd all be skinny, rich, and happy." — Khalil"If you're not at the table, you're on the menu. Decisions get made by those that show up." — ChrisKey TakeawaysJoin industry associations for the intelligence, not just the networking. That's where current data, perspective, and innovation actually live.Embrace “coopetition.” Your competitors sharing resources and knowledge at industry events strengthens the entire industry's reputation, and yours with it.By 2030, 75% of the global workforce will be under 30. These younger decision makers want shared experiences and trust-building activities, not 10-minute booth encounters.Only 30% of trade show attendees return with any regularity, which means 70% of your audience acquisition cost resets every year.Shift from passive attendance to active contribution. The return on sharing your knowledge at conferences compounds over time.ResourcesBlue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee MauborgneThe One Minute Manager by Spencer Johnson and Ken BlanchardEDPA (Experiential Designers and Producers Association)EACA (Exhibitor Appointed Contractor Association)SISO (Society of Independent Show Organizers)The Exhibitor AdvocateNeed Help With An Event? Get in touch with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CrewXP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Watch On ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Us On Social: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Have Questions? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email us⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Chris⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CrewXP⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Chris⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠More from Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠benali.com ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Email Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Meet With Khalil⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Connect With UsReady to future-proof your experiential business? Subscribe to Experience Builders for more strategic insights that help agency owners build bulletproof businesses. Share this episode with fellow industry leaders navigating their busiest season.
    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
No reviews yet