After several years of many companies being corporate homebodies, anecdotal evidence suggests that B-to-B marketers are starting to ramp up their live event schedules.
“We’ve been getting more feelers about road shows, seminars and customer-facing events,” notes Craig Conard, president of B-to-B agency Sudden Impact Marketing Inc. “Maybe companies are thinking that two years out of [live] circulation is enough and now they can go out with fresh messaging, if they can get a good response.”
“If done properly, there is nothing more effective than judicious use of live events,” says B-to-B consultant and author Ruth Stevens. “There’s nothing more powerful than connecting with your target face to face. And compared to individual sales calls, they can be very cost efficient.”
But should your company start packing its suitcase? Should you run your own live event? Or should you piggyback onto another show? Chief Marketer recently talked to several B-to-B experts to get their thoughts on putting on a show, 2011 style.
Have the Right Goal. First, says Stevens, make sure you’re holding an event for the right reasons. Live proprietary events make a lot of sense for user groups and client conferences. But the ROI for live single-sponsor events held purely as prospecting exercises isn’t as profitable. Put your acquisition dollars to better use elsewhere.
Consider Going Big. It really needs to be worth it if you want to get people to make a trip. B-to-B consultant Mary Ann Kleinfelter says she’s seeing companies that do go live doing fewer, longer events. “If they have an event, often it will be all day or even two days, rather than just a two-hour seminar.”
Speak Up! Don’t want to run your own live event? Then get your people to speak at someone else’s shindig. “There are many ways to approach events differently,” Stevens says. “Speaking engagement from engineers or on-staff experts are under leveraged by many companies, and they are a great way to participate in live events and get a lot of value for your company.”
Run a Side Show. If there’s a big event in your industry, hitch your wagon to that star. Host an ancillary event for your customers in the same city, on the same day. But don’t compete with the conference, says Stevens. Run an event with content that complements the big show, at a time that won’t take your customers away from the larger conference they flew into town for.
Try a Real World/Virtual Combo. Webinars are extremely hot for B-to-B lead generation, particularly in the IT arena, says Mark Amtower, a business-to-government marketing consultant. Some high-tech firms are having success combining webinars, followed by product demos where they can get good traction with potential buyers.
Be at the Right Place. Do your research and make sure the show you’re sending your staff to is the one that makes the most sense for our brand. “Otherwise, you’re just wasting time and money,” says Stevens. And if you’re exhibiting at a trade show, make sure that you do the ground work before the show to let your prospects and customers know you’ll be at the event. After the show, make sure you follow up on a timely manner with all the leads generated.
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