Five tips to succeed in B2B marketing events

1. Search for the right events

Are your demographic going to be there?

It may sound obvious but I am always surprised by the number of Marketing professionals who simply want to sign up as an event sponsor without checking who will be there. They have “heard” that the event is good but haven’t asked this simple question.

I will always ask a prospect…. who is your target market?

Are your competitors going to be there?

Just because your competitors are there doesn’t mean you need to be there – following the herd very rarely gives you rewards. Perhaps you could do something different with the money you were going to invest.

2. Book early

To secure early bird rates

A ten percent discount can mean you have more money to spend on activating your sponsorship. You’ll also look good in the eyes of your financial controller!

To secure the best location

A corner near to an event feature or major industry player may give you an edge in the number of delegates which interact with your team and messaging.

3. Have a plan

Integrate your plan for the event days with pre-event and post event campaigns.

Running a campaign before the event with the same theme of your event activation means your prospects will be familiar with your brand before they get to the event. It’s all about keeping your brand and messaging top of mind for an extended period of time. This way you are more likely to have delegates see you and actually approach you!

Set KPIs for your booth staff

It really is the only way to measure your return on engagement and helps to motivate your team – they are in sales after all!

Train your booth staff how to engage

Avoiding common pitfalls can make the difference between success and failure. One example of “bad behaviour” we’ve all seen are groups of “sales” execs standing in a circle talking to each other while potential clients walk past without even a “hello.”

Many years ago in the early 1980’s (yes I’m that old) I was at my first B2B event as an exhibitor. We had one visitor (I kid you not) walk past our stand all day –  Every booth he passed was either un manned or had circles of staff talking to each other. As he passed I struck up a conversation and a few months down the track he placed a not insubstantial order with us. The moral of the story… Stay Switched ON!

4. Follow up on your leads quickly

Sounds obvious doesn’t it? – I can name several Blue Chip clients who failed to do this – no names for fear of legal action. Buy me a beer and I might tell you!

5. Evaluate how successful you were against your plan

  1. How else will you justify your investment
  2. How else will you keep your job!

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