Events have become more accessible in today’s digital world, with multiple channels and platforms available to promote and attract attendees. It’s important to have a solid strategy in place for attracting and engaging qualified attendees to ensure that your virtual event is a success.

Whether you’re hosting a webinar, podcast, metaverse event or a web-based meeting, events provide a unique opportunity to engage with potential leads. However, each type of event also requires a different approach when it comes to generating and following up on those leads.

Webinars and podcasts, for example, are great for delivering thought leadership and establishing your brand as an authority in your space. While metaverse and web-based events offer more interactive engagement opportunities, they may require a more strategic approach to lead generation and follow-up. 

To truly make the most of your events, it’s crucial to understand the nuances of each event type. By doing so, you can tailor your lead-generation activities and follow-up strategies to maximize their effectiveness and drive better results for your company.

Planning any type of event takes a lot of effort, time and resources, especially when it comes to acquiring the right attendees. The following seven-layer approach dips into the framework for crafting your strategy. 

1. Clarify your goals and purpose

Before you start planning your event, ensure you clearly understand your goals and purpose. What do you want to achieve with your event? Do you want to generate leads, build brand awareness or provide valuable insights to your attendees? 

Having a clear goal will help you determine the type of attendees you want to attract and the messaging you need to use to reach them.

2. Get your sales team engaged upfront

Involving your sales team early in the planning cycle can bring several benefits to your company. As sales are the primary customer-facing representatives, they deeply understand the customers’ needs, preferences and behaviors.

As such, they can provide valuable insights into the target audience and help tailor the event to meet their expectations. They can also assist in developing the event’s messaging and positioning, ensuring that it resonates with the target audience and aligns with the company’s sales goals. 

Involving the sales team during this early phase helps create a sense of ownership and investment in the program’s success, translating into increased motivation and commitment to achieving the event’s goals. And, on a side note, tap into your salespeople for their experience in generating leads and closing deals, so they can contribute ideas for marketing activities that promote networking and lead generation. 

3. Focus on audience and attendee profile

Once you have clarified your goals and purpose, it’s time to focus on the attendee profile. Who is your target audience? What are their job titles, industries and interests? 

Leveling is also important, so mix attendees with the right backgrounds and skills. For example, mixing a developer with an executive probably wouldn’t be the right fit. 

Once you have identified your ideal attendee profile, you can start targeting them with personalized messaging. 

Knowing your audience is critical when it comes to event planning. What are their interests, pain points and challenges? What companies and industries are they in? What topics and content do they care about? 

Understanding your audience will help you create a program that is relevant and valuable to them and help you create targeted messaging that resonates with them.

Dig deeper: How to mine data from digital events

4. Double down with partners and media outlets 

Collaborate with your partners and media outlets in your industry to tap into their existing networks and expand your reach. Work with them to invest in high-profile speakers to make the event more engaging and credible. 

Negotiating partnerships and sponsorship and purchasing or bartering for a targeted list with them helps you double down on attracting the right audience. 

5. Leverage all channels

From CRM to social media, ensure that all existing customer and prospect lists are scrubbed for accurate and up-to-date attendee information from at least the past three years. 

Be tactical by promoting it on your website, email blasts and using email signature space to increase visibility. While the tools are fundamental, it helps amplify your message and streamline the registration process. 

6. Consider key metrics

Re-evaluate your key metrics and work with sales to align to pipeline opportunities. This helps with your ROI. In addition, look at the number of touchpoints and post-event activity that occurred, including how many attendees engaged with you online before the event, visited your website after the event, scheduled a meeting, watched a video or downloaded a thought leadership piece. 

Tracking these metrics will help you measure the success of your event and improve your strategy for the next one.

7. Follow through

Rethink following up into following through as it is crucial to keep the funnel moving. Using your data to move things forward and keep your attendees engaged elevates your program dynamics. 

From sending post-event thank you email to providing them with additional resources or asking for feedback sets you up with the opportunity to invite them to future events.

Clarifying your goals, getting sales engaged early, focusing on the attendee, working with partners, leveraging channels, identifying metrics and following through will give you a way to take the lead. 

Dig deeper: What is a digital events platform and how can it help you?

The post How to craft a winning event strategy: A 7-step framework appeared first on MarTech.

Virtual events are great for education, global outreach and strengthening your brand awareness. But what they’re especially fantastic at is lead generation.

In this webinar, you’ll get the perfect cut-and-paste formula for turning your events into lead-generating machines.

Register and attend “Maximize ROI and Lead Gen With This Virtual Events Marketing Formula,” presented by Kaltura.

Click here to view more MarTech webinars.

The post Uncover the ultimate strategy to increase ROI and lead gen appeared first on MarTech.

Virtual events are great for education, global outreach and strengthening your brand awareness. But what they’re especially fantastic at is lead generation.

In this webinar, you’ll get the perfect cut-and-paste formula for turning your events into lead-generating machines.

Register and attend “Maximize ROI and Lead Gen With This Virtual Events Marketing Formula,” presented by Kaltura.

Click here to view more MarTech webinars.

The post Discover the ultimate marketing strategy for increased ROI and lead generation appeared first on MarTech.

The first CAPSULE screens will likely be rolling out later this year at high-end luxury stores.

Why we care. Marketers are finding new ways to use screens in-store to help shoppers find what they want and alert them to discounts. They are also using hybrid events (a mix of in-store and virtual participation in a single event) to increase the wow factor for shoppers who choose to shop in-person instead of online.

The new CAPSULE technology is aimed at wider B2C adoption in this vein. Since 2014, ARHT has been supporting holographic presentations at live events and for internal use in mostly B2B use cases.

Shopping with holograms. Touchscreens in-store allow shoppers to select videos about specific products. The recorded demonstrations show a lifesize presenter with the product. Customers can also use the touchscreen to zoom in on the featured products.

“CAPSULE is the newest addition for the retail sector,” said Gorana Seeley, ARHT’s vice president, global retail. “Retailers have had a tough time bringing shoppers back into stores [after pandemic lockdowns].This technology bridges the online-offline gap for those customers. It gives them a reason to come back into stores. A hologram can’t be experienced on a phone or laptop.”

Connecting to digital experience. Marketers can connect the hologram in-store display to the customer’s digital experience. For instance, they can display a QR code on CAPSULE that takes the shopper to a promotion or an app.

“We can link to anything a customer would like,” said Seeley. “A QR code could take the customer to a coupon if they purchase a product that day. If not in-store, they can buy online.”

By connecting the in-store hologram experience to the digital experience, marketers can measure the ROI impact of the display.

The CAPSULE comes in one standard size. Marketers can fit the technology into their budgets by choosing either to purchase or lease the units, and by how many units they use.

Live demos. The CAPSULE also produces live holograms, just like previous ARHT technology.

Dig deeper: How event marketers can use hologram technology for live and hybrid experiences

This means that stores can host celebrity appearances and other live demonstrations via hologram. The hologram is produced in a “capture” studio in one location and then can be transmitted to multiple locations elsewhere.

This technology makes it possible for live product demonstrations for luxury products at the customer’s request. A high-end retailer could have CAPSULE units in multiple locations, and host live product demonstrations that are captured from a single location.

The technology can also be used by manufacturers to show hologram product demonstrations to retail buyers.

The post ARHT rolls out retail hologram experiences appeared first on MarTech.

Event marketing is where the sizzle and the steak come together in real time. Whether in person or virtual, it’s as live action as marketing gets. You need to be on top of everything all the time and long before the event begins. It’s a constantly changing field, with ever evolving technologies. Here’s the folks to follow to stay up-to-date on trends and informed on best practices.

David Adler

David is CEO and founder of BizBash, the event marketing news site he started in 2000. Before that he was V.P. of Corporate Communications for media companies Macmillan and Primedia. In 1975, when he was only 21, David launched Washington Dossier, a society magazine for the nation’s capital, selling it after a 15-year run.

• LinkedIn: David-Adler (31K followers)
• Twitter: DavidAdler (51.5K followers)

Rafat Ali

In 2007, Rafat founded Skift Meetings (formerly EventMB), the first blog for event professionals, offering education, innovation and inspiration through daily articles, industry reports, and webinars. Before that he was the founder and CEO of paidContent and ContentNext, which he sold to UK’s Guardian News and Media in 2008. 

• LinkedIn: RafataAli (477K followers)
• Twitter: Rafat (38K followers)

Will Curran

Will is founder and “chief event Einstein” of Endless Events, an event management company. He is creator of the #EventProfs community, an online community for event professionals. He is also host of the event industry podcasts, #EventIcons, Event Brew and Event Tech Podcast. 

• Organization: #EventProfs Community 
• Website: WillCurran.com
• LinkedIn: WillCurran (26K followers)
• Twitter: ItsWillCurran (6K followers)

Dahlia El Gazzar

A long-time event marketing pro who has held roles on the planner side as well as on the supplier side, Dahlia is founder and CEO of DAHLIA+Agency. Known in the events industry as the ‘go-to’ source for tech news, in 2021 she was named one of BizBash’s Most Influential Women in Event Tech. 

• LinkedIn: DahliaElGazzar (21K followers)
• Twitter: DahliaElGazzar (5K followers)

Kate Patay

A Certified Professional in Catering and Events (CPCE), Kate is CSO of Patay Consulting and director of engagement for Terramar US. She is chair of Search Foundation, which provides financial help for event, meetings, and catering professionals in crisis. As if that wasn’t enough, Kate is also a Smart Meetings Style Maven and Ambassador for Meetings Mean Business. The most recent of her long list of awards are the Pacesetter Award from the Events Industry Council, the Event Solutions Spotlight Award and the NACE Icon Award.

• Website: KatePatay.com
• LinkedIn: KatePatay (13K followers)
• Instagram: KatePatay (7.5K followers)
• Twitter: KatePatay (1.6K followers)

Julius Solaris

Julius is an influential keynote speaker and entrepreneur in the event industry. Founder and CEO of Boldpush, a management consultancy agency for the event industry, Julius is an international keynote speaker in the event industry. He was editor-in-chief of EventMB (now Skift Meetings) for 14 years and last year was named  a Meetings Industry Influencer by Meetings and Conventions magazine. 

• Website: JuliusSolaris.com 
• LinkedIn: JuliusSolaris (27K followers)
• Twitter: ToJulius (19K followers)

More MarTech experts to follow:

• Marketing operations
• AI and marketing
• Email marketing
• B2B marketing
• Content marketing
• Customer experience

The post MarTech’s event marketing experts to follow appeared first on MarTech.

First partner and first party. This is the first time Best Buy has partnered with a TV streaming platform. The deal has the company’s advertising business, Best Buy Ads, providing Roku with data it can use to target its marketing. 

Dig deeper: 2023 Predictions: Retail media networks

“We’re bringing together our entire business to build the future of entertainment and advertising — making the TV experience simpler, offering the right marketing, data, tech, and scale to drive real results, and helping win the entire streamer’s journey together with Best Buy,” Julian Mintz, co-head of U.S. brand sales for Roku Media, said in a statement.

Last year Roku formed a partnership deal with Walmart to test out shoppable streaming ads. Walmart ads on Roku let viewers purchase the product being shown by pressing a button on their remote. 

Roku City at SXSW. The two-day, in-person event puts people in a 3D version of Roku’s screensaver, Roku City, featuring Best Buy Home Theater Experience. It showcases the latest Roku devices available at Best Buy and upcoming original content on The Roku Channel.

Why we care. It will be interesting to see if this partnership can help two brands in a tough economic time. Roku must deal with tighter ad budgets and last month reported flat earnings for the fourth quarter 2022. Best Buy reported a 10% drop in revenue for that quarter and recently said it might close up to 30 stores this year.

The post Roku partners with Best Buy for first-party data appeared first on MarTech.

Sponsorship

• 19: World Cup tournament sponsors.
• $7.5 billion: Total revenues for event organizer FIFA.
• 7 and 69: Tournament and team sponsors contacted by Bloomberg News based in places where human rights criticism was widespread — the U.S., Canada and in Europe.
• 0: Tournament sponsors changing global advertising to reflect concerns for human rights.
• 20: Sponsors of national teams who expressed their commitment to human rights and declined to disclose if their marketing might change.
• 13: Sponsors of national teams who said they would change their marketing.
• 67: Percentage of soccer fans who think brands are more appealing when they participate in sports sponsorships versus 52% of the general population. (Nielsen)
• 59: Percentage of soccer fans worldwide who will buy a sponsor’s product over a rival’s equivalent versus 45% of the general population. (Nielsen)
• 56: Percentage of soccer fans worldwide likely to inform themselves about brands that sponsor sporting events versus 39% of the general population. (Nielsen)

Influence

• 1 in 2: Average number of people in 34 nations planning to watch who expect to buy World Cup merchandise. (Ipsos)
• 75, 73 and 68: Top 3 percentages, by nation (China, Indonesia and India), of those who expect to buy World Cup merchandise. (Ipsos)
• 0: Number of those nations with teams participating in the World Cup. (Ipsos)

Dig deeper: How Special Olympics is supporting digital health and strength

Audience and awareness

• 5 billion: Number of people who will watch some of the World Cup. (Nielsen)
• 95: Percentage of sports fans worldwide aware of the World Cup (Highest of any event). (Nielsen)
• 9: Percentage of Australian population unaware of the World Cup (Highest). (Ipsos)
• 62: Percentage of U.S. population unaware of the World Cup (Lowest). (Ipsos)
• United States: Location of the 2026 World Cup. 
• 3,587,538: All-time highest attendance at the World Cup, held in 1994 in the U.S.

Planning to watch

• 79: Percentage of Argentinian population planning to watch (Highest in world). (Ipsos)
• 24: Percentage of U.S. population planning to watch (lowest). (Ipsos)

Watching at work

• 57: Average percentage of 34 nations’ population who say they will watch at work. (Ipsos)
• 82: Percentage of Indonesian population who say they will watch at work (Highest). (Ipsos)
• 22: Percentage of Japanese population who say they will watch at work (Lowest). (Ipsos)

Skipping school or work

• 31: Average percentage of 34 nations’ population who say they will miss school or work to watch. (Ipsos)
• 63: Percentage of India’s population who say they will miss school or work to watch (Highest). (Ipsos)
• 14: Percentage of Japan’s population who say they will miss school or work to watch (Lowest). (Ipsos)

Popularity with key demographic

• 25: Percentage of U.S. gamers interested in the World Cup versus 18% of the overall population. (YouGov)
• 49: Percentage of British gamers interested in the World Cup versus 41% of the overall population. (YouGov)
• 51: Percentage of German gamers interested in the World Cup versus 45 % of the overall population. (YouGov)

U.S. sports fans in particular

• 37: Percentage of U.S. sports fans not planning to watch any World Cup games. (Alton Solon)
• 26: Percentage of U.S. sports fans willing to pay to watch the World Cup coverage, more than almost every European country surveyed. (Alton Solon)
• 29: Amount in dollars U.S. fans would pay. (Alton Solon)

The post 33 World Cup marketing statistics you need to know appeared first on MarTech.

As a popular events operating system for global brands, Bizzabo has a front seat to the rebound in live events this year. The number of events hosted through their platform increased more than sevenfold in September 2022, compared to back in January. For 2023, a Bizzabo survey found that 85% of event organizers were planning at least three events over the next year, and 35% planned to host at least 10.

Dig deeper: Marketers likely to return to in-person events in 2023

More about the badge. The SmartBadge is worn in a similar way to other event badges or security tags. But these badges light up remotely, in multiple colors. So, there is the capability for organizers to be creative with how they get attendees to participate, especially in large groups.

On the back end, the SmartBadges produce digital heatmaps in near real-time, so organizers can visualize patterns in engagement and traffic throughout the event.

Privacy. No personal information is stored on the SmartBadge. The badges are also reusable. Event organizers simply collect the badges and return them to Bizzabo, where they are reset and recycled.

Content and optimized networking. The SmartBadge triggers relevant content for attendees and enables seamless check-in and other interactions. For instance, while wearing the SmartBadge, attendees can get information from exhibitors and exchange contact info with other attendees with a single click.

Behavioral data. Even without personal information stored on the SmartBadge device, event organizers can glean rich data as attendees move through the space. They can see what event attractions are a hit, and make in-the-moment adjustments.

Exhibitors at these events can also capture and access leads in a painless way for attendees, as they are passively tracked through the hardware.

“Marketers discovered the value of detailed, real-time data insights when they pivoted to virtual events,” said Eran Ben-Shushan, CEO and cofounder of Bizzabo, in a company release. “With the introduction of Klik Experiential, we’re inviting organizers to build on what they learned from virtual events to make the new era of in-person events even brighter.”

Why we care. Many retailers have raised the bar for in-store experiences by implementing some form of augmented mobile experience, especially with the pandemic’s increased demand for contactless service. So it makes sense that in-person events would look to move their experience in a similar direction.

While digital interactions at live events generate more data than plain old handshakes, they also eliminate the need for so many flyers and brochures. Going paperless means better sustainability.

Dig deeper: How to mine data from digital events

The post Bizzabo introduces Klik Experiential for in-person events appeared first on MarTech.

• Make a list of all the DEP capabilities you currently have, those that you would like to have and those that you can’t live without. This last category is critical, and will help you avoid making a costly mistake. If you find that one vendor doesn’t offer this “must-have” capability, it’s obviously not a fit.
• Take your list of capabilities and then do some research. Speak to your marketing peers to find out who is using which DEP and why.
• Narrow your list down to those vendors that meet your criteria. Submit your list of the DEP capabilities you’ve identified, and set a timeframe for them to reply.
• Decide whether or not you need to engage in a formal RFI/RFP process. This is an individual preference. However, be sure to give the same list of capabilities to each vendor to facilitate comparison.

The most effective RFPs only request relevant information and provide ample information about your brand and its DEP needs. It should reflect high-level strategic goals and KPIs. Mention your company’s most important KPIs and explain how you will evaluate the success of your DEP efforts. Include details about timelines and the existing martech systems you have deployed.

Dig deeper: How to mine data from digital events

From the RFP responses, you should be able to narrow your list down to three or four solutions that you’ll want to demo.

Set up demos with those vendors within a relatively short time frame after receiving the RFP responses to help make relevant comparisons. Make sure that all potential internal users are on the demo call, and pay attention to the following:

• How easy is the tool to use?
• Does the vendor seem to understand our business and our needs?
• Are they showing us our “must-have” features?

Other questions to ask each digital events platform vendor, depending on your business model, include:

Agenda creation, management and registration:

• How does the agenda creation process work, and how flexible is it? Will it allow us to create and manage the types of events we do now?
• What type of machine learning and/or artificial intelligence does the tool use for suggesting content for users, and how would we facilitate that?
• Can the tool match event attendees to their roles in a buying group and their correct accounts in our CRM?
• Does the tool show where registrants came from (channel or campaign) and how they interact with the agenda pre-registration?
• Can the DEP maintain a single account for an individual across multiple events, so we can continue to accrue intent data over time?
• Does the tool allow sponsors, exhibitors and speakers to log in and manage their own content (bio and headshot for speakers, sponsor portal contents for exhibitors)?

Download the MarTech Intelligence Report: Enterprise Digital Events Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

Content creation, editing and engagement features:

• How many simultaneous attendees can attend an event without compromising video quality? How does something being live versus pre-recorded affect this equation?
• Can we do video editing and augmentation within the platform itself, or do we need to use a different tool or tools?
• What additional engagement features (gamification, quizzes, polls, etc.) are offered within the context of a session?
• What types of content (PDFs, live video, recorded video, interactive audio or video) can be offered within virtual exhibitor booths to maximize engagement in that environment?
• How does the platform facilitate networking between attendees, speakers and sponsors?

Analytics, reporting and integration:

• Does the tool provide real-time analytics?
• Does the tool provide summary and/or detailed views of different personas and insights?
• What metrics are gathered to gauge user engagement and intent? How detailed are these reports? (For example, can I see whether a person watched a session to the end or whether they stopped after the first two minutes?)
• Does the tool help us gather relevant data for ourselves and our partners while complying with relevant privacy regulations?
• Are native integrations with our CRM and/or marketing automation platform available, so we can utilize historical data?
• If not, is an API available for custom system integrations?

Training and customer support:

• How much training will we need to use the software, and what kind of training is available?
• What level of customer support is offered, and when is it available (i.e., 24/7 vs. 8/5)?
• What is the turnaround time for support queries/tickets?
• Are professional services or support available for our transition to the DEP?
• What new features are under consideration?
• What’s the long-term product roadmap and launch dates?

The post 30 questions to ask a digital events platform vendor appeared first on MarTech.

This spurred demand for digital events platforms (DEP) that could hopefully deliver the value once created at in-person events. Although in-person events are taking place, virtual events will remain an important channel. They cam engage geographically disparate audiences in a far more cost-effective way than in-person events.

Download the MarTech Intelligence Report: Enterprise Digital Events Platforms: A Marketer’s Guide

DEPs enable event marketers and organizers to plan, deliver and measure the results of digital event experiences that serve geographically distributed audiences live or on-demand presentations.

Though functionality differs from platform to platform, digital events platformss help organizers and brands by offering functionality such as:

• Digital registration and payment processing
• Agenda creation and management
• Video-based content delivery
• Interactive engagement elements
• Virtual “exhibition” components and resource libraries
• Analytics and reporting
• Integrations with existing martech systems

Is a digital events platform right for you?

To come to a decision about DEP software, it’s critical to understand your event planning processes, know how to measure success and be able to identify where you are looking for improvements.

Deciding whether or not your company needs a DEP calls for the same evaluative steps involved in any software adoption, including a comprehensive self-assessment of your organization’s business needs, staff capabilities, management support and financial resources.

Dig deeper: How to mine data from digital events

The important questions to explore will differ depending on your use case, but the following examples may help spark some ideas.

For all companies:

• Have we identified our goals for digital events? Will DEP software enable us to achieve these goals more effectively?
• Can we invest in organizational training? Digital events are part of a business strategy and not just a software investment. It’s critical that all internal stakeholders understand the goals behind the initiative and learn how to execute the strategy through the adoption of any DEP that your organization might license. Many software vendors offer an array of add-on
• professional services to help with strategy goals, in addition to onboarding and training on their products. Training must be comprehensive, consistent and continuous to ensure you make the most of your investment.
• Have we established KPIs and put a system in place for tracking, measuring and reporting results? Once you’ve established your goals and communicated them throughout the sales and marketing organizations, you’ll need to decide on the metrics that are most important to your efforts and monitor your progress in achieving them. Remember to set clear expectations, incentivize staffers who embrace the tool, and experiment with new ways to drive better results.

For companies hosting customer- and prospect-focused events:

• Can sales and marketing agree on the next steps to take with a client or prospect based on behavioral and intent data gathered at events?
• Do we have C-suite buy-in? With a clear mandate from the top of the organization, both marketing and sales leaders will remain accountable for results and ensure that their respective organizations will collaborate as necessary.
• Who will own or manage the DEP? Marketing and sales must be closely aligned for any DEP strategy to be successful. As such, both organizations need to understand their responsibilities and be accountable for fulfilling them.

 For event organizers seeking revenue from sponsors or attendees:

• Are we currently able to provide our attendees and sponsors with the type of experiences they’ve come to expect? If not, what DEP features would help us attract more qualified attendees and sponsors?
• What data would we like to collect for ourselves and for sponsors? How could we do that with a DEP? Would it improve the quality of the data to help us provide more value and renew sponsor contracts? Would a platform help us comply with privacy restrictions?

The post How to decide if you need a digital events platform appeared first on MarTech.