In this episode, host Heather Holst-Knudsen, CEO of H2K Labs, dives deep into the intersection of leadership, innovation, and data-driven strategy with Paul Miller, CEO of Questex. Paul shares his journey of transforming Questex into a cutting-edge, data-centric organization, discusses key lessons in navigating remote leadership, and offers insights into building growth strategies in today’s fast-paced business environment. Whether you’re leading a team or looking to stay ahead in your industry, this episode delivers actionable takeaways and inspiration.

Key Announcement: Don’t miss RevvedUP 2025, happening February 25–27, 2025, in Sarasota, Florida! This exclusive, invitation-only event is designed for CEOs and their revenue-critical C-suite teams to explore strategies for leveraging data, AI, and digital innovations to drive growth. Learn more at h2klabs.com/revvedup.

Highlights:

Questex Evolution:

• Paul reflects on his six years as CEO of Questex, emphasizing a data-driven transformation to enhance products and customer engagement.
• The impact of the pandemic and navigating the shift to remote teams.

Data-Driven Innovation:

• Leveraging centralized data to guide editorial, product development, and business strategy.
• Paul shares examples of how Questex uses customer insights to steer content and events, such as tailoring healthcare event tracks to trending topics like drug affordability.

Private Equity and Growth:

• Paul's insights into evolving private equity metrics, focusing more on top-line growth driven by data.
• The role of clean, accurate databases in acquisition decisions and overall strategy.

New Revenue Streams:

• Launch of innovative events, such as a successful hotel-focused trade show co-created with the American Hotel Lodging Association.
• The integration of digital and live event strategies, such as leveraging social media for the beauty industry.

Challenges in the Go-to-Market Strategy:

• Post-pandemic sales challenges, such as engaging customers remotely and navigating longer sales cycles.
• Paul emphasizes back-to-basics sales training and understanding customer needs.

RevvedUp 2025 and Industry Collaboration:

• Heather and Paul discuss the import

About Heather Holst-Knudsen

Heather Holst-Knudsen is the founder and CEO of H2K Labs and Revenue Room™ Connect. She is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in digital transformation, data, and revenue growth. She is a recognized leader and operator in media, marketplaces, events, and adjacent technologies. Heather has a proven track record of leading organizations to achieve customer-centric innovation, revenue growth, and enterprise value creation. As a thought leader, Heather shares her insights on multisided business models under The Revenue Room™. Connect with Heather on LinkedIn.

ABOUT REVENUE ROOM™ CONNECT

Revenue Room™ Connect is a high-trust membership network for growth-minded executives in media, events, data, and B2B platforms. It’s where forward-thinking leaders align around what actually drives revenue—with curated content, peer exchange, and exclusive access to frameworks, events, and executive insights. Join to connect with others solving the same challenges you are. Create your free profile at https://www.revenueroomconnect.com.

ABOUT H2K LABS

H2K Labs is a tech-enabled value creation specialist that helps media, data/information, event, and marketplace businesses accelerate revenue, drive profitability, and fuel enterprise value using data, digi...