What Worked A Few Decades Ago Isn’t The Best Event Business Model For Today
The “standard” sponsorship marketing for corporations and organizations at events typically involves a mention in a few emails, your logo on a web site and literature and (when appropriate) a booth at the event or a few minutes of podium time.
The event is built before you’re offered sponsorship. Your needs are then fitted into an existing model that may or may not give you the ROI you want.
“Awareness” and the “opportunity for business” is the promise backed by getting in front of an audience and then marketing ends when the event ends. That’s not the best foundation for building lasting relationships and trust. You need interaction and conversation with your customers and community – not just a logo and a link to your web site and people parting ways after the event.
While there is a need and will always be a place for pre-built events and sponsorship opportunities there is another option…
(The full rant and key points about communication being lost in your business and your events is here…)
EventCentricsm Marketing: We Build An Event or Conference FOR YOU
For most events the “marketing” portion means getting butts in seats. That’s the goal. Once the event is over you might not hear from the organizers again (with the exception of a questionnaire) until there’s another event for you to attend. That’s fine for a pure sales funnel but that’s not community building. Your attendees need more…
This means interaction, participation and relationship building before, during and after the event. You can’t get those if you only watch videos online. Rather than watching speakers online your attendees will be networking, brainstorming and talking with them throughout the event. Your attendees will be creating action plans in mastermind groups at the event to answer the question “What happens when I leave; what can I do tomorrow?” Because of their participation the content from the event will be more relevant and the video, audio and written content created after the event (based on event focus) will be more valuable for everyone involved.
The conversations and marketing will continue by:
- Interviews with speakers, key attendees and sponsors on public and private media outlets – which gives you evergreen content and give attendees a reason to share your web site with colleagues.
- Video interviews and discussions after the event with speakers sharing what they didn’t share on stage or in fireside chats.
- A content strategy to create content marketing conversations long after the event is over. The end of the event is the kick off for the next stage of communications; not a curtain call. All of the content (video, audio and written) will be created for you.
Most events offer passive marketing if any after the event ends. Key point for your company: All of the content creation above involves both inbound (people responding after seeing the content and wanting to be interviewed) and outbound (we will actively be contacting people to be interviewed) marketing. This means ongoing awareness and active business development for you.
Your Audience Experience: Built With Measurable Business Building Results in Mind
Rather than the usual public event where you HOPE possible clients will show up EventCentricsm Marketing builds on and starts with three primary audiences for a customized experience:
- Your employees and business development staff: Internal training
- Current clients: Client appreciation
- Potential Clients: New business development
The event is designed not just for them but to create interaction amongst them. The Idea Climbing™ creates interaction and the Idea Climbing™ mastermind groups and builds communities for you before, at and after the event to continue conversations long after the first event ends. When your staff, your clients and your potential clients are interacting before, at and after the event business magic happens.