EMT #69 with Joe Fontana - Filling Rooms with Buyers, Not Bodies

A packed event doesn’t mean much if the right people aren’t in the room—or if your team doesn’t know how to turn those interactions into meaningful conversations. In Episode 69 of **The Event Marketer’s Toolbox**, Chris Dunn and first-time co-host Zaadia Spencer sit down with Joe Fontana to talk about sales and marketing alignment, human connection, AI, and where events really fit into the buyer journey. Joe makes the case for getting back to some basic fundamentals: **ask questions, understand the buyer’s pain, listen before you pitch, and focus on relationships rather than volume.** The conversation explores why badge scans and attendance numbers don’t tell the whole story, why an event can’t magically shorten a complex nine-month sales cycle, and how SDRs and BDRs can help start conversations that sales teams continue after the show. They also dig into AI and automation. Joe isn’t against the technology—far from it—but he believes it should make people better at their jobs rather than replace the human work behind them. As he puts it, **“AI is a delegation tool and not an abdication tool.”** The big takeaway? Technology will keep changing, but the fundamentals of selling haven’t disappeared. Get the right people in the room, understand what matters to them, and create conversations worth continuing. 👉🏼 *Join us for more insightful discussions like this by tuning into 'Event Marketer's Toolbox,' where industry leaders share the tools, tactics, and trends driving success in the event world.* This Show is sponsored by Blue Hive  📅 Join us LIVE every Thursday at 12 PM ET on LinkedIn Follow Us on LinkedIn and YouTube Subscribe to our Newsletter!