The Exhibition Guy - Stephan Murtagh 👔

Sales, Marketing & L&D Specialist @ The Exhibition Guy

About

Commercial Director | Global B2B Exhibition Sales Leader | Revenue Growth Specialist My passion is helping you deliver yours. As an Exhibition professional with over 30 years in the global exhibition industry, I am passionate about transforming the way businesses approach & leverage trade shows. My journey through countless exhibition halls worldwide has equipped me with unparalleled insights/expertise in strategy, training, & project management tailored specifically for organizers, contractors, and exhibitors. Founder of the "7 Steps to Exhibition Success," a proven methodology designed to maximise ROI and drive impactful results and revenue growth at trade shows through strategic planning. Whether you’re looking to attract more visitors, enhance lead conversion rates, or improve exhibitor retention, my approach is really straightforward and uses practical techniques from actually walking exhibition halls and market analysis to deliver measurable outcomes. My mission is to empower businesses in the dynamic world of exhibitions. A CPD accredited professional and a keynote speaker, I have had the privilege of sharing my knowledge with diverse audiences globally, helping them navigate the complexities and challenges of the exhibition industry so they achieve their objectives. I work with companies and ensure there is strong team leadership where everyones voice is heard. Specialties: Revenue Growth GTM Strategy Market Expansion Sales Strategy & Planning Business Development Client Relationship Management(CRM) Key Account Management Team Leadership Sales Forecasting using CRM Keynote Speaking & Workshop Facilitation CPD Accredited Training Programs Contract Negotiation Outside of business, my passions are Family, Rugby(Leinster & Ireland….i have blue and green blood!!!) and am an avid reader...2-3 books per week...Mainly Biographies and Business Books... I love to travel and am passionate about being passionate in everything I do... My motto is and always has been... "You can`t really enjoy winning until you have experienced the pain of losing - It`s what makes you a better person" Let’s connect and explore how we can elevate your business results to greater heights.

Country

Ireland

City

Dublin

Industry

Events Services

Skill

Change Management & Scaling, Partnership & Channel Development, Data-driven Decision Making, Team building & Leadership, Cross-functional Collaborations, Customer-centric selling, Revenue Growth & Forecasting, Go-to-Market Strategy, Enterprise sales leadership, Revenue & Profit Growth, Forecasting, Lead Generation, Team Leadership, Coaching & Mentoring, Data Analysis, Marketing Management, Annual Budgeting, Key Performance Indicators, Sales Strategy, Communication

Experience

Sales, Marketing & L&D Specialist

The Exhibition Guy

2017-6 - Present · 9 yrs 3 mos

Dublin, Ireland, UK, Europe & Middle East, USA

Commercial Director | Global B2B Sales Leader | Revenue Growth Specialist Core Competencies: • Sales Strategy & Go-to-Market (GTM) Execution • Revenue Growth & Profitability • Sales Team Leadership, Coaching & Performance Management • Forecasting, Budgeting & Commercial Planning • Key Account Management & Customer Retention • C-suite Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships • CRM & Martech (Salesforce, HubSpot) • Thought Leadership & Professional Training Key Achievements: • Delivered €25M+ total revenue growth across exhibitions, sponsorships & consultancy • Designed & executed sales strategies and GTM plans to achieve 150%+ YoY growth • Built, led, and coached multi-region sales teams across EMEA & APAC. EasyFairs, ITE, Informa, Media 10 • Provided full forecasting, budgeting, and commercial planning for internal and client projects • Strengthened key account retention, secured six-figure sponsorships (€120K–€140K) - Virgin, EBS & other global brands • Founded & scaled a B2B consultancy, training 4,000+ professionals across EMEA/APAC • Chaired the ESSA Sales Working Group (2024), shaping global B2B sales best practices • Recognised as Outstanding B2B Influencer – Indian Exhibition Market 2022

Non Executive Director

ExpoPlan.io

2025-9 - Present · 1 yr

Global

Excited to be involved in a new and revolutionary enterprise level, all-in-one SaaS project management platform designed specifically for the trade show industry.

Part Time - Official Trainer - Sales, Marketing, Branding & Social Media

Entrepreneurs Academy

2018-10 - Present · 7 yrs 11 mos

Dublin, Ireland

Sales, Marketing & Commercial Roles - FSM Ireland

Various Companies

2014-7 - 2017-6 · 3 yrs

Dublin, Ireland, UK & Europe

o Managed small regional sales teams with strong retention o Exceeded team sales targets of €5m, including a personal target of €2m. o Consistently exceeded personal target by 125%+. o Generated over €25m in exhibition space revenue and sponsorship sales. o Secured six-figure sponsorship deals of €120k and €140k (Virgin, EBS among others)

Sales & Marketing - Memberships - Associations

Various Companies

1993-1 - 2014-6 · 21 yrs 6 mos

Global

IEOA - Irish Exhibition Organisers Association ETT Club - Exhibition Think Tank Dublin Chamber of Commerce ESSA - Event Suppliers & Services Association CPD - Professional Development RDS - Royal Dublin Society Leinster Rugby Supporters Club

Sales & People Director

Deal Effect

2013-8 - 2014-7 · 1 yr

Dublin, Leinster, Ireland

General (Country)Manager

ISIC - International Student Identity Card

2012-11 - 2013-8 · 10 mos

Dublin/Prague/Amsterdam

Sales & Marketing Director

Exhibition Solutions & Events Ltd

2005-11 - 2012-11 · 7 yrs 1 mo

Dublin, Leinster, Ireland

In 2005 I set up my own exhibition company, to cater for niche markets not traditionally covered by event organisers in Ireland…Organisers of dynamic and innovative trade and consumer exhibitions across Ireland. Previous event include The Rugby Show Live, First Time Buyers Show, Munster Interiors among others. Always looking for new business opportunities and tie ups with like minded people. I also worked in a sales management capacity in the digital space (FSM Ireland)...I did this on a contract basis whilst looking for a full time role or business to manage.

Group Sales Manager

Expo Exhibitions Ltd

1993-12 - 2005-11 · 12 yrs

Dublin, Leinster, Ireland

Expo Exhibitions were Irelands largest organiser of trade and consumer exhibitions and conferences and operated some of the biggest shows and conferences in Ireland and internationally.