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If there is a term called "event entrepreneur," that certainly best describes my last 15+…
Articles by Jay
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To Accept or Not to Accept That Is the Question
To Accept or Not to Accept That Is the Question
Everyone has their own strategy when it comes to LinkedIn and the role it plays for them. As one who brings people…
18 Comments -
The Mourning After: We Reject the President-Elect
The Mourning After: We Reject the President-Elect
As I sit in the Library of my in-law's condo building, I’m overhearing talk of the Electoral College taking place…
17 Comments -
Should Net Worth Be about Your Worth or Your Worth to Others?
Should Net Worth Be about Your Worth or Your Worth to Others?
One of the many things that has struck me about Donald Trump is the quickness and frequency with which he likes to say,…
8 Comments -
Are You a Singer or a Juggler?
Are You a Singer or a Juggler?
I’ve been a huge fan of America’s Got Talent ever since it came out a decade ago. Now in its 11th season, the show…
5 Comments -
Tech Didn’t Invent Growth Hacking—It Just Popularized It
Tech Didn’t Invent Growth Hacking—It Just Popularized It
Though it might have been called something different back in the day, growth hacking has been around for quite some…
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Putt-ing Golf’s Most Famous Saying To Use
Putt-ing Golf’s Most Famous Saying To Use
“Drive for show and putt for dough” This famous maxim, familiar to all golfers and golf enthusiasts, was coined by…
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How Much Are You Worth, Really?
How Much Are You Worth, Really?
Bottom line: making money is hard. Because building something people want to pay for is hard.
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Do You Hire the Person Who Will Surely Leave or the One Who Never Will?
Do You Hire the Person Who Will Surely Leave or the One Who Never Will?
The world is seemingly run (perhaps overrun) by "ex-'s." Ex-Googler, Ex-Facebook, Ex-LinkedIn, Ex-Starbucks.
9 Comments -
Just How Bad Does LinkedIn Want You to Use Their App?
Just How Bad Does LinkedIn Want You to Use Their App?
In an prior piece I lamented LinkedIn's decision to effectively abolish how we could use email to converse with our…
4 Comments -
Nice versus Ruthless: Can They Coexist?
Nice versus Ruthless: Can They Coexist?
Yesterday, I had the chance to catch-up with a well known VC who I first met upwards of seven, if not eight years ago…
17 Comments
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13K followers
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Jay Weintraub shared thisI was first bitten by the event bug almost 20 year ago. Since the launch of LeadsCon, which is still going strong 18 editions later, we have continued to hone our craft across some of the most interesting and critical industries. There have been many milestones along the way (ahem Caribou Honig), including our six exits. One of those milestones was in 2017 when we convinced Josh Grossman to join us on the ITC journey. Today, I am excited to share things have come full circle. Not only are we launching our latest show - Protectors - but Josh Grossman has once again decided to join us. Protectors Vegas debuts November 9th - 11th, and its creation is heavily influenced by two forces. The first is not surprising - Medicarians. We launched Medicarians in 2022, having taken over a 12 year old Medicare Supplement event run by Jesse Slome. Five years on, that event grew from 500 people to now over 5,000. The second influence is less intuitive - Viewpoint Viewpoint's founder, Drew Aldrich was not only instrumental in helping ITC, but his knowledge and passion have shaped my love for and desire to serve industries where people are the conduit for trust, information, and ultimately purchases. Powered by NAIFA, Protectors serves those who help us with some of our most important financial and protection decisions - the agents, advisors, and carriers in the life and annuity industry. It also serves the IMOs, FMOs, BGAs, and index providers, as well as audiences for which we are also known - capital providers and innovative startups. Protectors would not be what it without the support of John W. Wheeler, CFP CLU ChFC CRPC LUTCF CLTC LACP CPFA, Kevin Mayeux, and Dan LaBert along with Chris Orestis, CSA who suggested we meet. Last but not least, a big thanks to Kent Jacquay, whose unrivaled love for annuities motivated us to take over his National Index Forum as part of our Protectors journey. It takes a village, and I have only named but a few. I am sure I am forgetting way too many people who are and have helped us (Ori Ben-Yishai, Sam Melamed, Tyler End, CFP®, James Wong, Paul Tyler, Laura Dinan Haber, Paul Feldman, Pam Sheehan) as the journey continues.
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Jay Weintraub shared thisMy kids like to tell me it isn't that deep. In this case, it is! Specifically, Deep Tech Momentum. (Clever? Dad joke? I know which my kids will say.) Getting back on track... As many know, the event industry has changed my life, and few things give me as much joy as helping others on the same journey. While I have reached a place where I am able to commit capital as an investor, when my knowledge can help is the most meaningful. That is why I would like to thank Martin Schilling and Isabelle Simon (Flanagan), founders of the world's pre-eminent gathering for the Deep Tech ecosystem - Deep Tech Momentum. I am excited for the opportunity to join an amazing group who now call themselves investors and advisors to their platform. None of which would be possible without Events Venture Group.
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Jay Weintraub shared thisFor some reason, and perhaps it is because of our CTO's love of Britney Spears, I find myself wanting to say (with some license), "Oops. We did it again." I am incredibly honored and thrilled to announce that Manifest: The Future of Supply Chain & Logistics has officially joined the Hyve Group family of events. It is hard to imagine a better home and fit for the next stage of its evolution including the launch of Manifest Europe. This milestone wouldn’t be possible without our phenomenal team - both at Manifest and Connectiv, our amazing partners, and the incredible community that believed in us from day one. Your support, passion, and collaboration helped build something truly special, and is only going to get better. Congratulations and thank you again to so many including: Pam Simon Courtney Muller Dan Reiss Tanzil Uddin Katie Date Leo Squatrito Babs Baxter Jessica Taylor Robert Pfeiffer Mark Shashoua
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Jay Weintraub shared thisImmensely shocking, disturbing, and simply tragic news just up the road from us today. Words will never be sufficient, but on behalf our teams allow me to contribute our condolences to the family of Brian Thompson and his work family of more than 100,000 at UnitedHealth Group on his profound passing.
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Jay Weintraub shared thisBig news from Team Blueprint: The Future of Real Estate. What began with a spark in late 2018 turned into reality in early 2020 thanks to Vik Venkatraman and David Hirschman and our first Blueprint Vegas in 2021. Four shows later, along with the inclusion of now President Martin Kelly and Jeffrey Jones, it is time for the next and even better chapter to begin. There are so many people to thank assaf wand Sam Landman Tigre Wenrich Caribou Honig Drew Meyers Matt Knight Dave Garland Thomas Maguire Eliot Sackler Emily Paquette Lockhart Steele I wish I could list everyone here. Thank you to all at team Connectiv, and congratulations on exit number 5!
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Jay Weintraub shared thisGreat seeing so many friends while at HLTH Inc. including ones I had not see in 12 years Rami Weiss. Congrats to Jonathan Weiner on his best one yet. All of which has me rooting for and looking for the next generation of events and event tech.Jay Weintraub shared thisJoin Events Venture Group for “The Big Break: Events in Motion” on 11/11 at 11 AM ET! 🚀 Experience our new pitch event spotlighting breakthrough projects from the brightest minds in the event industry. Our savvy industry veterans Board and Members, are ready to hear your boldest, most innovative ideas. Don’t miss this opportunity! Apply here: https://lnkd.in/erAYvEkC #EVG #TheBigBreak #EventsInMotion #Entrepreneurship #Innovation
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Jay Weintraub shared thisTurns out this was sent to an ex-employee's email address (and as the wildcard recipient, I saw it, i.e., ego crisis averted). In any case, I probably expected some error checking to exist so as not to send a null set email.
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Jay Weintraub posted thisWhile potentially late to the game, I am starting to finally realize the value of AI note taking assistants integrating with Zoom, and I presume Teams meetings. Observationally and via super limited pings (for smb budgets), our to test list includes: * Firefly * Fathom * Granola * Read Zoom in particular has such an inherent advantage - no phantom participant, but I have not hear anything product wise to makes up for the advantage. Any others we should consider? I am sure there are 100's. Best practices, tips, hacks also welcome!
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Jay Weintraub posted thisSimilar to most people, I like when someone says, "I liked that post you did." In this case, a friend said, "I found that calendar post helpful, what else do you have?" Here goes: * It is Daylight Savings in the U.S. The timezone is now PDT, CDT, EDT, etc. Don't write EST. (Confusingly, in Britain, their summer time is BST, so don't write BDT.) * If it is Thursday, don't write, "Can we find some time this week to connect." * Personal preference - I really don't like requests for 15 minutes of time (from non-colleagues); if a 30 minute slot ends early, that's a win, but I don't want to give 15 minutes to see if we need 30. (Said from someone who unfortunately has 29.5 hours of calls / meetings per week.)
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Jay Weintraub liked thisJay Weintraub liked thisThis journey is now complete! After building a company from nothing to over $100 million in revenue, with over 200 incredible people driving the company forward through hard work and innovation, to being acquired by a public company and being asked to stand up a new organization to drive growth, I am now moving on. None of this would have happened without my fantastic co-founder Brett Rossmann and an incredible cast of so many great people and leaders like Tanya Bustamante, Kelly Macdonald, Beta Haney, Joy Au, Jay K., Jennie Bui, Sarah (Barone) DiCara, Katie Wudel, Luke Pollok, Julia Di Berardo, Caitlin Barber, Lilivyn (Diputado) Waratuke, Molly Gaines, Kelly Elwood (now Cotto), Caren Fukushima, Connie Lundegard Hansen, Peter Trerotola, Carey H., Michelle de Leon Anna Islamova, Faith DePietro and so so many more including critical advisors Michael Soenen, Don Lavoie, Brian Pio, David Subar, David H. Sands and my strongest supporter Dr. Desiree Bartlett CPT ERYT and my sons, Cruz and Rocket. There are too many special people to thank and recognize. It would take me forever to list them all. The leasons that I have learned have helped shape me as a person and leader. What gets often forgotten in the success of any company in this new world of AI and corporate culture is that it will always be about the Team. No company has ever or will ever be great without an amazing group of leaders and passionate employees that care about each other and are passionate about what they do everyday. ConsumerTrack and our award winning personal financial site GOBankingRates may not live on forever, but the incredible people that were responsible for the success will continue to do great things and have immense success. I will miss the great days together along with the really hard ones. The hard ones built character and connection in much different ways than the fun and successful days that we could celebrate together. This has been a 20+ year celebration of what great people working really well together can accomplish from 2 naive guys in a small office, to building one of the leaders and innovators in the financial space. Special partners ushered us down our journey like Bella A. and Geraldine Russell as well as John Danaher and leaders from Experian, Discover, Citi and Capital One to name a few. The list of meaningful partners, clients and renegades that helped build this digital industry during my career have been guides for our business and success like Bruce Cook, Jay Weintraub and so many founders that launched what email marketing, media buying, lead generation and online customer acquisition are today. I wouldn't trade a single day of the journey for anything in the world! www.gobankingrates.comGOBankingRates | Personal Finance Site To Help You Find More Ways To Save Money And Make MoneyGOBankingRates | Personal Finance Site To Help You Find More Ways To Save Money And Make Money
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Jay Weintraub liked thisJay Weintraub liked thisLast week, I closed out an incredible chapter at the Cardiovascular Research Foundation. I will always be grateful for the experiences I’ve had, the skills I’ve gained, and the friends and impactful people along the way. A special thank you to Stephanie Gutch for always making herself available as a sounding board and for her unwavering support of me and my goals. This week, I am officially thrilled to start my new role as Project Manager at Connectiv. I’ve already been welcomed with open arms—literally (hey Tigh Buckles!). I’m especially thankful to be joining another group of hardworking and kind people. A big shoutout to Ben Falloon for making this happen, and for patiently putting up with my many “Does Connectiv like me as much as I like them?!” messages. This already feels like a great fit, and I’m so grateful for the village that helped get me here. Thank you - onward to the next chapter.
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Jay Weintraub liked thisJay Weintraub liked thisThe world's biggest thank you to every attendee and sponsor who supported Medicarians this year 🩵 It was our biggest show yet with 5,500+ attendees, 300+ speakers, and 200+ sponsors. The Expo Hall alone was over 105,000 square feet -- incredible! Medicarians drives meaningful business growth. It warms my heart to see the brands built, deals negotiated, partnerships formed, and jobs found. It's the magic of in-person. When you bring the entire ecosystem together, it takes one big leap forward. We're already working with teams to help them show up even bigger and better for 2027. (Or, if you don't want to wait that long and are in life/annuities, check out our newest show Protectors!). If you want to get involved, give me a shout! #medicarians2026 #medicarians
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Jay Weintraub liked thisI am usually a "behind the scenes" kind of gal, so I am incredibly humbled by this honor. I can't thank Trade Show Executive Magazine and Madison Riley enough for the lovely experience and recognition. Throughout my entrepreneurial journey, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside so many talented, brilliant people to build and scale exciting events—and each of those experiences has helped shape the path that brought me here today. That includes my incredible Ai4 - Artificial Intelligence Conferences team, who make this latest chapter such a joy. It’s an honor to work with each of you, and I’m deeply grateful to be on this journey together.Jay Weintraub liked thisThis month’s issue of Trade Show Executive (TSE) features Michelle Troop, Chief Revenue Officer at Ai4 - Artificial Intelligence Conferences. Troop is leveraging her experience and focus on curation to help position the growing event as the AI industry’s premier convening point. With an entrepreneurial background that spans major brands such as InsureTech Connect, MAU Vegas and NextCustomer, Troop’s insights on building events are a masterclass in identifying market needs, growing revenues in dynamic cycles and leading teams into uncharted territory. Also, we looked at the 2026 edition of RacquetX, which hosted a record-breaking crowd and engaged fans with its blended trade show, conference and festival format. The event combines B2B programming with fan-facing experiences, ranging from a club summit and startup pitch competition to brand showcases and live play. For Co-Founder and CEO Robyn Duda, this convergence has been the vision from the start. Next, we look “beyond the plate” to discover what flavors, sourcing approaches, F&B experiences and audience performances are driving menu decisions at B2B events. We learned about a wealth of new, exciting ways to wow attendees while fueling them up, including F&B storytelling, non-alcoholic beverages and “High/Low” pairings. Finally, we spotlight Savannah, Georgia, which is living up to its nickname of “The Hostess City.” The Savannah Convention Center completed a $276-million expansion last year and the city offers one of the most beautifully preserved downtown districts in the U.S. Read all of these articles and so much more in this month’s edition of TSE: https://bit.ly/4efVD0y A huge TSE thank you to Michelle Troop and everyone else who contributed to this month’s issue. To subscribe to TSE Magazine in print, click here: https://lnkd.in/gdQbTC5Z #tradeshows #events #Ai4 #RacquetX #FandB #Savannah #SavannahConventionCenter
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Jay Weintraub liked thisJay Weintraub liked thisJust got back from Medicarians 2026 in Las Vegas—one of the largest gatherings the industry has seen. Despite clear headwinds in Medicare Advantage and broader policy shifts in ACA, the level of participation across plans, regulators, agencies, and tech platforms was striking. A few themes stood out that point to where the industry is headed next.What I Saw at Medicarians 2026: From Hypergrowth to Discipline, the Rise of Tech-Enabled Platforms, and the Evolving Role of the Insurance AgentWhat I Saw at Medicarians 2026: From Hypergrowth to Discipline, the Rise of Tech-Enabled Platforms, and the Evolving Role of the Insurance Agent
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Jay Weintraub liked thisJay Weintraub liked thisIt was great to chat with Mark Bertolini , the CEO of Oscar Health, at Medicarians. We discussed ICHRA and marketplace stability, the changing role of the broker, the shifting sands of healthcare policy, Oscar’s new platform Lucie and how to stay positive in the challenging healthcare landscape.
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Jay Weintraub liked thisJay Weintraub liked thisAi4 had the honor of being nominated as a Fastest 50 and won a "Perfect Balance" Award! Thank you TSE for hosting an awesome Awards Gala! #TSEFastest50 #Ai42026
Experience
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Honors & Awards
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Event Innovators 2015: Most Innovative People in Events and Meetings
BizBash
Each year, BizBash selects a group of industry professionals who are using innovative thinking to push the boundaries of live experiences. I was fortunate enough to be selected for 2015.
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Executive of the Year
LeadsCouncil
Each year, LeadsCouncil members vote on an individual to recognize as one who has helped shape the world of vertical media. In 2014, I was honored to be selected as that individual.
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Wahid Rahim
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Felipe de Stefani
AI search is emerging as a meaningful new lead channel. India-founded startup Gushwork recently raised $9 million in a seed round led by Susquehanna International Group and Lightspeed Venture Partners to help businesses surface inside AI-driven discovery platforms such as OpenAI, Perplexity AI, and Google. The company reports more than 300 paying customers and approximately $1.5 million in annualized recurring revenue a few months after launching its AI-search-focused product, with strong recent growth and a substantial waitlist. According to its internal data, around 20% of customer traffic comes from AI-driven search and chat platforms, generating a disproportionately higher share of inbound leads. What’s unfolding is less hype and more structural evolution. Search behavior is expanding beyond traditional results pages into AI summaries, conversational interfaces, and AI-assisted browsing. Buyers are increasingly asking models direct, decision-oriented questions, which shifts visibility from keyword ranking toward being cited inside generated answers. That requires brands to build machine-readable authority through structured content, credible references, and consistent topical depth rather than relying solely on conventional SEO tactics. For marketing and tech leaders, the implication is pragmatic. Traffic volume may matter less than intent quality, as AI-driven discovery appears to capture users further along in the buying journey. Execution-heavy optimization work is becoming more automatable through AI agents, while human teams focus more on positioning and differentiation. High-consideration B2B sectors may feel the impact earlier, given their research-driven purchasing processes. The broader takeaway is simple: as AI systems increasingly mediate discovery, brand visibility will depend not only on ranking in search engines but on being recognized and surfaced by large language models when buyers ask who to trust. https://lnkd.in/egvj4PnM
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Jeremy Bloom 🌞
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Christine Perkett
Most launches flop, not from bad products, but from ‘ta-da!’ rollouts with zero warm-up. Headed to a fall conference to break some big news? My latest MediaPost column provides a 6-week blueprint to turn the booth into a momentum machine. Details and article link in comments ↓ #gtm #marketing
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