How to make it count at B2B events

Written by Andrew Shaw, Associate Director

The bounce back of B2B events and trade shows has outstripped industry expectations, pre-pandemic levels, and the wildest dreams of stress ball and lanyard manufacturers. Such an emphatic return proves not just that people haven’t entirely gone off seeing other people in the flesh, but also that these events are crucial to how many industries do business.

Exhibitions have long been perfect opportunities for brands to position themselves as leaders in specific industries, get in front of prospective customers, network themselves into the ground and update their industry knowledge. But getting it right from a marketing perspective unlocks the potential for so much more. It’s a chance to show off key figures in action, boost media and social coverage, and capture valuable content all in one place. After all, you’ll have invested a pretty penny in being there, so it’s important to make it count. Here are some tips for making your brand the centre of attention at B2B events.

Start with purpose  

The purpose behind attendance at the event should be the golden thread that draws together marketing outputs. Whether it’s launching a new product, the next step in an ongoing campaign, or addressing a key challenge in the sector, pre-, during, and post-event content should foreground how the brand is doing that at the event.

Purpose-driven content adds value for your audience as well as the brand, gives them a reason to seek you out at the event, and tells them what to expect when they find you. Linking marketing outputs such as social and media coverage up behind that overarching purpose also allows them to become useful markers of success for the event.

This is what we did for Topcon at INTERGEO in October 2023. Before the event, we trailed the key issues, products, and discussions that we would be leading (in this case the future of geospatial technology in new industries). Then, when we arrived, we reinforced this with content that relates Topcon’s specific expertise to our overarching goals for the week.

Prep right

Huge amounts of time and money go into making spectacular event stands and installations, but there’s no reason that their impact has to be contained within the duration of the event. You can start making your stand stand out in pre-event comms well before the doors open – whether that’s through email marketing to your existing network, paid and organic social to reach new audiences or leveraging the profiles of your salespeople to tap into their network with curated content on LinkedIn.

This applies to securing media coverage too! Events offer a fantastic media relations opportunity, with the media often attending to get the latest on what’s going on in their industry. But you’re competing for their time, so it’s important that they understand what you’re offering in terms of spokespeople, key issues and content when they make an appointment to visit your stand.  Plus, if you have a pre-event press release then you can secure coverage before the day (like this!) which will drive even more interest and footfall.

Keeping it going

Events can bring your business’s key spokespeople together and get them talking, something that many marketers will know is worth its weight in gold. At an event, you have them together for 6+ hours a day (somewhere that they can’t ignore your emails...). As such, this is an ideal time to capture quality video content. Event-specific content will increase the longevity of your event profile, but this is also an ideal opportunity to gather evergreen video footage which can be used in future campaigns.

But don’t let that content gather dust after the event. There’s also a fair bit of boxing smart to be done when making your presence count for longer. Post-event social campaigns can be targeted to reach and resonate with people you met at the event, or to give you a chance to connect with those who couldn’t make it on the day.

Back with a bang

This is a special moment for corporate events – a celebration of being able to do business in person again, and marketers can tap into this energy if they get their events right.

Content captured, media coverage and interviews conducted on-stand are just as important KPIs as the more traditional, sales-driven objectives such as footfall, leads and meetings. Done right, they all contribute to the larger reason for your brand’s attendance ROI. 

Want to see some of the events we’ve supported our clients with? We’ve got a range of case studies available on our website or get in touch with one of the Tangerine team today!