Event Marketing
What is event marketing and why is it so important to the long-term success of a conference or annual meeting? We’re glad you asked!
Event marketing is how you share pertinent information with potential guests, sponsors, and exhibitors. This includes information about VIP speakers and exciting venues, as well as helpful travel and accommodation details. Event marketing is an opportunity to drive revenue, build hype, sell tickets, and keep attendees engaged. It also helps rev up their engines for future conferences and meetings.
In all, we tell all of our clients that event marketing is a three-step process: before, during, and after your event. Naturally, each of these steps requires careful planning and execution. Below are examples of each individual phase with links to additional content we’ve written about them.
- Association, Corporate & Non-Profit Events
- Brand Activations
- Client & Employee Appreciation
- Galas
- Meetings & Conventions
- Grand Openings
- Incentive Travel
- Multi-City Tours
- Product Launches
- Special Events
- Team Building
- Corporate Event Management
- Training Events
- We Go Where You Go
Marketing Before Your Event
How will anybody attend your event if they don’t know it exists? And what makes your event compelling enough for guests to purchase tickets and travel across the country or the world to attend it? From showcasing speakers to sharing exclusive content from prior installments, pre-event marketing is critical for driving awareness and influencing sales. It’s your shot to show value, build hype, and prove that you have a finger on your industry’s pulse.
Pre-event marketing also plays an important role after registrations start to roll in. In short, first impressions are essential. The last thing you want is confusion about finding a venue, frustration during check-in, or straight-up annoyance with transportation and parking difficulties. Pre-event marketing helps you make your guest’s life easier so they can focus entirely on networking, learning, creating lasting memories, and all the work you’ve put into impressing them.
For more details on pre-event marketing, click here.
Marketing Under the Bright Lights
The halls are packed, the seats are filled, the claps are uproarious, and the guests are thrilled. What else is there to do? Marketing, of course! Do not stop marketing. Be sure that every slide is branded, every giveaway is meaningful and worth keeping, and every single sign is clear, direct, and helpful to attendees so that nobody gets lost or confused.
On-site marketing is also a great time to continue building hype, especially for anyone who wasn’t able to attend. Carefully planned social media campaigns that get guests involved and posting help share the fun and will entice others to mark their calendars for next year.
For more details on on-site marketing, follow this link.
Marketing After Your Event Wraps
We know you’re exhausted but there’s still work to do. Luckily, you’ve already planned for this stage; you know exactly what you want to say and share about the incredible event you just produced. There are thank yous to make your sponsors feel the love, videos to stream so your attendees can learn from the discussions they missed, and exclusive offers to share for any early birds who want to sign up for next year.
Yes, next year is something you should already be thinking about. Even if you don’t have dates or a venue yet, it’s important to keep the momentum going until you do. For example, consider creating an exclusive email list for anybody who wants to be notified the moment dates are available, and reward them in the meantime with content only they can access.
For more details on post-event marketing, read this blog.
Need help identifying target audiences? What about planning and executing effective marketing campaigns for your upcoming conferences? We can help with that! Let’s talk about producing a great conference and the best ways you can market it to ensure success. Reach out today!