The Revenue Room™, by H2K Labs
Welcome to The Revenue Room™, brought to you by H2K Labs. Our podcast is designed for CEOs and their revenue-critical executive teams leading media, events, data/info, and marketplace businesses. We focus on boosting revenue, enhancing profitability, and elevating enterprise value. Each episode delves into cutting-edge data-driven strategies to accelerate revenue, manage risks, and establish scalable, predictable processes. We also discuss elevating revenue to the core of operational excellence, empowering you to consistently outperform your competitors.
The Revenue Room™, by H2K Labs
From Fragmented Events to Category Powerhouses: Inside Hyve’s Growth Engine
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In this episode of The Revenue Room™ Podcast, Heather Holst-Knudsen sits down with Mark Shashoua, CEO of Hyve Group, to unpack how Hyve has built a portfolio of market-leading, founder-led events backed by private equity while maintaining performance, culture, and long-term growth.
Mark shares Hyve’s acquisition philosophy, why protecting founder vision matters, and how events are shifting from floor space and sponsorships to data-driven meetings, performance guarantees, and year-round ecosystems. The conversation also explores navigating economic downturns, scaling brands globally, and why public markets often undervalue events businesses.
WHY LISTEN
If you’re responsible for scaling revenue in events, media, or information services, this episode offers a rare, operator-level view of what growth really looks like at scale.
You’ll gain insight into:
- How to scale through acquisitions without losing culture or quality
- Why events must shift from transactions to performance-based revenue
- How data-driven meetings and curated experiences prove ROI
- How to hedge risk during economic uncertainty
- Why long-term thinking often requires private ownership
This episode is essential listening for leaders building durable, defensible growth in experience-led businesses.
CONNECT WITH MARK : https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-shashoua-956b8b12/
About RevvedUP 2026
RevvedUP 2026 is where CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders reset their growth playbook for the AI-first economy. Taking place March 23–24, 2026 at The Vinoy Resort in St. Petersburg, FL, this two-day strategy lab helps leaders pressure-test how AI moves from cost center to growth driver and turn data and disruption into competitive advantage.
About Heather Holst-Knudsen
Heather Holst-Knudsen is the founder and CEO of H2K Labs and Revenue Room™ Connect. A seasoned executive and operator across media, marketplaces, events, and technology, she specializes in digital transformation, data-driven growth, and customer-centric value creation. Heather shares her insights on multisided business models through The Revenue Room™.
About Revenue Room™ CXO
Revenue Room™ CXO is a private executive community for CEOs and revenue-critical C-Suite leaders navigating growth in the data and AI economy. Through curated peer discussions and strategy sprints, members tackle real-world challenges in revenue transformation, customer intelligence, and business model innovation.
Learn more or apply for membership at info.h2klabs.com/apply-cxo.
00:00 Scaling Growth for CEOs
Heather Holst-Knutson sets the conversation around scaling growth for CEOs and revenue leaders in a data- and AI-driven economy.
01:10 Mark Shashoua & Hyve Group
Mark Shashoua, CEO of Hyve Group, shares how Hyve evolved from a fragmented events portfolio into a focused platform of global, founder-led brands backed by private equity.
03:15 Why Events Still Win
As a second-generation events leader, Mark explains why face-to-face connection, energy, and experience remain unmatched growth drivers.
07:00 Acquisition Strategy
Hive acquires high-performing ecosystem events in disruptive end markets, prioritizing community strength, scalability, and long-term value.
11:00 Preserving Founder DNA
Deals are structured to protect founder vision and culture, with Hyve walking away when alignment is not right.
15:40 Go 27 Growth Plan
Go 27 is Hyve’s multi-year strategy focused on organic growth, operational excellence, and selective acquisitions.
19:00 From Transactions to Performance
Events are shifting from selling floor space to delivering measurable outcomes through data-driven meetings and performance models.
26:40 Hedging Risk & Scale
Hyve mitigates downturn risk by owning “main events,” investing in high-value buyers, and scaling proven brands globally.
38:30 Leadership & Long-Term Thinking
Mark explains why taking Hyve private enables long-term investment in talent, brand, and customer value.
43:45 Closing Reflections
The episode closes with leadership lessons on alignment, trust, and building for durable growth.
