There are two main event categories for business-to-business (B2B) marketers: tradeshows (or conferences hosted by someone else) and events you host yourself. These events also can be used in account-based marketing.
- Tradeshows and conferences: There are tons of tradeshows and conferences. These industry events are a great way to bring people together.
You shouldn't attend every tradeshow in your industry. To determine what events you should attend, check for these important details:
- Look at list of other companies sponsoring the show. Are your competitors there? If so, how much presence do they have?
- Look at list of previous event attendees. Are they companies who are targeted accounts for your business?
- Search for specific associations or professional organizations. They often have one huge annual meeting or event.
If you opt to purchase a booth, make sure you also have a presence outside your booth (such as speaking at a breakout session or hosting a happy hour). You want to stand out so conference attendees remember your brand after the show ends.
Before you travel to a tradeshow, it's important to know whether any of your prospects or customers are attending. Mine your database of contacts to prepare and send an email asking whether they'll be attending the same show too. Give them your booth number to find you and schedule a meeting.
- Roadshow: Create your own event. Instead of attending events hosted by other people or organizations, you can host your own event where you live or where your company is headquartered. The goal for a roadshow isn't to have hundreds of people attend. The goal is to have the right group of people attend your event who are most likely to use your company's product or service. Here's how you can start planning your own roadshow:
- Identify your prospects and customers in your CRM.
- Create a list of who you want to attend using your marketing automation system.
- Review the list for geographic locations where contacts are located to determine which cities might be the best fit for your show.
- Further segment the list of contacts to determine which locations are closest to their hometown. Then start looking at a place within that city to host your awesome roadshow!
