Marketing practitioner BREAKOUTS
We are currently curating these sessions. Check back for more!
June 8 3:30-4:15pm
Events Aren't Demand Gen: Measuring ROI in Relationship-Driven Sales
In transportation marketing, events aren't demand generation-they're relationship accelerators. Long sales cycles, multi-stakeholder buying, and trust-driven decisions mean traditional event metrics often miss the mark.
This session reframes how ports and logistics marketers measure event ROI by moving beyond lead volume and vanity metrics. Attendees will learn how to define success before the show, align event goals with sales and business development. The speakers will share practical ways to make qualitative insights measurable and translate them into post-event stories leadership values. The session concludes with guidance on creating memorable, cost-effective booth experiences that attract the right conversations and deliver lasting value beyond the event floor.
- Mackenzie Hill
- Ash Thoms

Mackenzie Hill
Senior Marketing Coordinator
Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT)
Mackenzie Hill serves as Senior Marketing Coordinator for the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT), an international trade seaport in Jacksonville, FL, USA, connecting customers with 140 ports in 70 countries.
Mackenzie is responsible for planning and executing the port’s trade shows, conferences and customer events. She also supports JAXPORT’s marketing campaigns, coordinates collateral and promotional items, and mentors JAXPORT’s Sales and Marketing interns.
Mackenzie has worked in roles of increasing responsibility at JAXPORT, from administration to marketing support and her current role. Prior to JAXPORT, she worked in administration for the State Attorney’s Office, 4th Judicial Circuit of Florida.
Her work in event planning execution has been recognized with the prestigious Trailblazer industry award in 2024 for JAXPORT's Breakbulk Americas campaign, and she was also named as a Rising Star in 2022 with the Transportation Marketing and Sales Association (TMSA).
Mackenzie earned her bachelor of arts in international studies from the University of North Florida in 2012.
Ash Thoms
Trade Show and Events Manager, ITS Logistics
Ash Thoms is the Senior Trade Show & Events Manager at ITS Logistics, where she leads the strategy and execution of the company’s presence at major industry conferences and events.
With deep experience in logistics marketing and event management, Ash focuses on creating meaningful connections between brands, partners, and customers through impactful trade show experiences. She is also active in the Transportation Marketing & Sales Association (TMSA) community and regularly shares insights on trends shaping logistics events and industry engagement.
June 9 2:00-2:45pm
Stop Sounding Like Everyone Else: Building a Brand People Remember
This session explores how logistics brands can tell honest, meaningful stories that attract the right customers and support revenue growth without overcomplicating things. I will dig into how voice, messaging, and content shape buyer trust long before sales is ever involved. Expect practical conversation, relatable examples, and frameworks that meet teams where they are today, whether you’re a one-person marketing shop or a full department.
Key takeaways are:
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A simple framework for creating messaging that feels human and still supports revenue goals.
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Tools for building trust with buyers long before sales enters the conversation.
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A grounded, repeatable way to align marketing, sales, and leadership around one clear story.
Whitney Cowell
Revenue Marketing Manager, Knight-Swift Warehousing & Fulfillment
Whitney Cowell is a marketing and storytelling strategist in the transportation and logistics industry who believes the best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing at all. In her career, she's helped logistics brands clarify what they actually want to say, connect with the right people, and build marketing that supports sales without the buzzwords or theatrics. Whitney brings an empathetic perspective shaped by years of working alongside founders, executives, and revenue teams who are juggling real pressure, real constraints, and real opportunity.
