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Debbie Parrott Featured in Exhibit City News

TLDR: Exhibit City News recently featured Highmark TechSystems’ President and CEO, Debbie Parrott, highlighting her lifelong connection to the trade show industry, her leadership as a business owner, and the innovative, sustainable modular exhibit systems driving Highmark’s innovation.

At a Glance:

Debbie Parrott grew up in the exhibit industry and transformed Highmark after purchasing it from her father, Mick Parrott.
Under her leadership, Highmark launched EventMAX and YOURspace, expanding modular solutions beyond trade shows to outdoor and workspace applications.
Every Highmark system is built for reusability, flexibility, and reduced environmental impact.

Highmark TechSystems’ President, CEO, and Owner, Debbie Parrott, was recently featured in Exhibit City News in the article, “Debbie Parrot: The Tradeshow Exhibit Industry is in Her DNA.”

The namesake feature spotlights her leadership, her lifelong connection to the trade show exhibits world, and the innovations driving Highmark forward. It shines a light on her influence in the event industry and the work her companies are doing to shape it.

Here are the highlights.

A Closer Look at Debbie’s Story

The feature follows Debbie Parrott’s path from growing up in a family immersed in the exhibit and display business to leading Highmark TechSystems today.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Bates College and attended the Denver Publishing Institute before landing her first publishing job at the Harvard Business Review. After a stint in public relations, she earned her MBA from Babson’s Olin School of Management.

From there, she worked in management consulting and business development, building a foundation for her leadership and innovation at Highmark.

Key points from her journey include:

Launching Icon Exhibits’ satellite office in San Francisco, part of the company her father owned and operated in Fort Wayne.
Buying Highmark from her father, Mick Parrott, marking a major turning point in the company’s history and her leadership journey.
Driving innovation at Highmark with systems like EventMAX, a modular outdoor structure line designed for strength, flexibility, and speed of assembly.
Expanding into new markets with YOURspace, a line of modular offices and privacy pods that extends Highmark’s modular design expertise beyond events.
Staying deeply connected to the Fort Wayne community, supporting organizations like Canterbury School (founded by her parents) and Turnstone, a Paralympic training site.

Debbie’s career reflects a rare blend of family legacy, entrepreneurial drive, and innovation…all of which contribute to Highmark’s success today.

Leading as a Woman in the Event Industry

Highmark is proud to be an Indiana woman-led business. It isn’t just a title for Highmark; it’s a commitment to leadership, inclusion, and innovation in a field historically dominated by men.

As a leader among Fort Wayne businesses, Highmark’s status also strengthens partnerships with clients and agencies looking to work with certified diverse suppliers.

Highmark’s perspective brings fresh ideas, new efficiencies, and a people-first approach.

Sustainable, Custom Modular Trade Show Exhibits

Highmark designs and manufactures custom trade show exhibits that balance creativity, functionality, and sustainability.

Every solution is modular: built on a reconfigurable grid system that adapts to different booth sizes and layouts, reducing waste and extending product life. Whether you need a single exhibition booth design or a multi-event rollout, Highmark’s solutions are engineered for flexibility, easy installation, and standout brand presentation.

Explore our custom modular exhibit systems:

MAX Wall and MAX Multi-Wall – the most versatile wall frame system on the market
ExpoDeck – the #1 multi-level deck for indoor trade show exhibiting and events
SuperMAX – modular superstructure for indoor trade show exhibiting and events
EventMAX – the ultimate outdoor event structure: single-level, multi-level, or pavilion
Modulbox, Modulbox MAX, and Mo5 – indoor and outdoor mobile exhibits

Highmark’s commitment to sustainable manufacturing runs deep. Using aluminum profiles and steel components comprised of 80% recycled or reclaimed material, our products are highly sustainable. Plus, every Highmark product is available for rental (reuse) and designed on a modular grid (reduce) for reconfigurability. Read our full sustainability statement.

Learn More About the Face Behind the Structures

Want to dive deeper into the story of Highmark’s leadership and vision? Read the full feature on Exhibit City News to learn more about Debbie Parrott: the woman driving innovation, creativity, and progress in the trade show exhibits and event marketing world. Read the full article.

FAQs

What are the biggest event marketing trends for 2025?

The top event marketing trends 2025 include expanded use of AI, data-driven storytelling, cross-department collaboration, and measurable creative output tied to analytics and technology.

How is AI being used in event design?

AI supports ideation, visualization, and presentation work. It helps creative teams develop 3D renderings, refine concepts, and streamline RFP response materials.

What types of experiences are most in demand?

Consumer activations, influencer events, and live conferences are leading growth areas.

Why is collaboration so central to creative success?

As budgets tighten and expectations rise, collaboration between creative, strategy, and operations ensures ideas are both innovative and achievable.

How can experiential marketing statistics be tracked and leveraged?

Experiential marketing statistics can be tracked through a mix of digital and on-site metrics such as lead generation, social media amplification, dwell time, and post-event engagement. Creative teams use tools like QR codes, mobile apps, and analytics dashboards. When analyzed, they help agencies and builders refine design strategies, measure ROI, and create more effective, data-driven brand experiences.