New Article: 10 Secrets of Success in Business Event Marketing

“Business events are a hybrid sales and marketing activity. They combine elements of selling, of lead generation, of public relations, of research, of brand awareness building, of account penetration, to name a few. In fact, among marketing activities, business events are about as close to sales as you can get. You might say they are akin to a sales call combined with an ad and a PR campaign. If you think of them as simply “sales” or simply “marketing,” you’ll lose some of the leverage available to you.

Business events must be an integral part of the marketing mix. Considered them within the larger context of the entire go-to-market strategy. When seen as mere tactics, something “we do every year because we always have,” they will quickly devolve from an investment into an expense. Marketers must consider the entire marketing mix—the annual program—and fit in the business event opportunity where it will drive the best result. In many cases, a business event is not the right lever to meet the business objective.

Targeting is everything. A great business event is only as great as the visitors it attracts, and their value to you as customers and prospects. At a trade show, a fabulous booth is useless in front of the wrong people. So, trade show selection deserves your attention and your discipline. When you plan your participation at a business event, design your activities to attract the real potential buyers and minimize the non-prospects. Be very clear about whom you want to meet, and what conversations you want to have.”