So much happens behind the scenes at events: Securing a unique venue, curating an engaging agenda, snagging all-star speakers and planning after-hours events. And that’s all before the event even takes place! To make this all happen, it takes an army — and in the case of the B2B Marketing Exchange (#B2BMX), that army takes the shape of the Demand Gen Report (DGR) team. Across editorial, sales, design and marketing, the small-but-mighty DGR team works around the clock to deliver a show-stopping event.
To pull back the metaphorical curtain, this blog series will highlight the key players and teams powering the #B2BMX event series. Next up are our dynamic designers… so without further ado, let’s meet this team:
#B2BMX: Who are you and what is your current role?
Rhiannon Collazo: Hi! I’m Rhiannon Collazo, Sr. Design Lead at Demand Gen Report (and our sister brand, Retail TouchPoints). I’ve been with the team for more than three years and currently lead the charge on all our designs, which span from internal reports to event prospectuses. I love seeing how digital designs can really come to life at events like #B2BMX! Using creative to help tell our story is one of the most exciting parts of my job.
Roman Aguila: Hi, I’m Roman. I am a Web Developer and Interactive Designer. I help create the flashy emails and keep the podcasts rolling. If you’re an avid listener, you may have even heard my voice a few times.
John Genzo: I am the Vice President of Creative at EmeraldX, the parent company of Demand Gen Report and the #B2BMX event. I lead the Creative Services department, which consists of a team of 35 amazing design directors and production managers. Together, we design 145 events, 16 publications, 50 directories and more than 5,000 content assets annually.
#B2BMX: What’s your favorite part of the B2B Marketing Exchange?
Collazo: In my first year on the job, I got a taste of how designing for events works, which is something I never had the chance to experience before! It’s a huge task to understand where signage should go and how we can make the event all-encompassing for the attendees. My favorite part is seeing how everyone engages with our designs and what we can do to make it even better for the following year! Looking back at how #B2BMX has evolved allows us to mix things up in a positive/effective way for future events.
Aguila: Since I live on the digital side of the event, seeing design concepts come to life from scraps of papers and meeting notes is my favorite part. One day it’s Fantasy Football, and the next we’re exploring Web3 integration.
Genzo: While it may be one of the smallest events I work on at Emerald, #B2BMX is the most intimate event of them all. The sponsors, attendees and staff are passionate, accessible and engaging. The sessions are smart and relevant.
#B2BMX: What’s the last TV show you binged or book you read?
Collazo: I binged the show “Wednesday” on Netflix recently; it’s a coming-of-age supernatural comedy horror with a dark aesthetic undercut by humorous dialogue and a sleuthing storyline. I’m a big fan of Tim Burton and couldn’t wait to see his interpretation of my favorite character from “The Addams Family”! The characters, wardrobe and set designs were so compelling and well thought out — I highly recommend it!
#B2BMX: How do you spend your time outside of work?
Aguila: I’m usually found at my Muay Thai gym either training, teaching or coaching. I also freelance as a sports and portrait photographer.
#B2BMX: What album do you currently have on repeat?
Genzo: When you say “album,” I think of a vinyl long playing record. I collect vintage vinyl record albums from every genre of music, including the late 70’s, 80’s and early 90’s, and play them on a 1978 Marantz Symphonic Stereo system. I currently have 600 albums and counting.
#B2BMX: Can you tell us about your favorite creative campaign?
Collazo: Cards Against Humanity! If you haven’t played this twisted card game with your friends yet, it is a must. It uses a form of anti-marketing, which just makes the buyer want their product more. They’ve branded themselves as “a party game for horrible people” and use this brutally honest humor to sell their game and expansion packs.
With straightforward and hilarious language, the company can sell products like its Design Pack, which includes cards illustrated by some of the world’s best graphic designers, such as Milton Glaser, Susan Kare and more. The description they use is, “30 weird, illustrated, full color cards — basically unplayable but still pretty cool” — and yet I had to have it!
Aguila: I’d say the Tony the Tiger becomes a VTuber campaign. It was such an odd crossover with Twitch that I really enjoyed watching.
Genzo: There are so many that I can spend hours down each rabbit hole, so I’ll focus on the one I continuously referenced last year: “The Verge,” a technology news website operated by VOX Media. The content is a must-read wrapped in cutting-edge design and engagement.
