Exhibit and event managers wear countless hats. One minute they're masters of transportation and logistics, and the next they're first-rate food and beverage experts. But few people would herald most marketers as "adventurers" or "pioneers." The winners of EXHIBITOR Magazine's 20th Annual All-Star Awards, however, challenge these plebeian perceptions.

The Captain Kirks and Neil Armstrongs of the marketing world, this year's winners took on uphill objectives and daring demands while inventing one-of-a-kind solutions that scored serious results. What's more, they struck out after their pursuits with the spirit of adventure, as opposed to following the herd or boarding the bus for a tedious Tauck tour.

Take Beth Clark, senior marketing manager at CenturyLink Inc. In a go-big-or-go-home move, Clark hit the reset button on her exhibit-marketing program. Leaving no stone unturned, she altered everything from the exhibit's design and traffic-flow strategy to giveaway tactics and show-wide promotional components, ultimately increasing leads by 132 percent compared to the previous year.

Also consider James Messina, who as vice president at Messinas regularly enlisted traditional exhibitry to market the firm's deer-repellant products. But when it added a new line of repellants along with weed killers and fertilizers, he needed to conjure a bigger, better exhibit on a modest budget. Miraculously, he met the challenge with a DIY booth that adequately displayed all product lines, lured more traffic than deer to a fresh salt lick, and drove up leads by a trophy-worthy 400 percent – all for $4,000.

So please join us in congratulating this year's All-Star Award winners, each one of which possesses marketing know-how and an adventurer's soul. May their voyager's vision inspire you to channel your inner pioneering spirit and pilot your own adventures in marketing and in life.

WINNERS Connecting to the Masses Working it Out Built By Design Landscape Artist Extreme Makeover: Technology Edition   JUDGES Noelle Luchino Feist, director of experiential and event marketing, Mindbody Inc., San Luis Obispo, CA Chris LaRoy, senior manager, industry events and trade shows, Cox Automotive Inc., Atlanta Steven Marchese, CTSM, manager, corporate events, Fujifilm Medical Systems USA Inc., Stamford, CT Susan Shuttleworth, exhibit-marketing consultant, McKinney, TX Dana Tilghman, CTSM, CMP, senior trade show and events planner, Minitab Inc., State College, PA