Marketing Events Planner
We've created this handy guide to help you get the most out of marketing events and conferences in 2023.
Below is a list of announced marketing events around the world spanning from January until December 2023. Additionally, we're providing you with a free downloadable resource which includes a Marketing Calculator, Marketing Planner and Events Planner template. Just fill in your details and we'll send it to you via email.
Let's dive in! It's a long list. So first, we've rounded up our Top 4 not-to-be-missed marketing events of the year, bringing together ALL the brightest minds in the industry:
P.S. If you're on the hunt for alternatives to events marketing for lead generation chat to one of our team about our sponsored marketing services including webinars, branded content, and more.

February 2023 marketing events
When |
Who |
Where |
What |
Feb 1 |
Los Angeles eCommerce Summit |
Los Angeles, CA |
Retail |
Feb 2 |
PPC Live UK |
London, UK |
Advertising |
Feb 5-12 |
Online Seller Cruise |
Port Miami, FL |
Retail |
Feb 7-9 |
ANA Email Evolution Conference |
Washington, DC |
Email |
Feb 11 |
MeasureCamp: Melbourne |
Melbourne, Australia |
Analytics |
Feb 14-16 |
eTail Australia |
Sydney, Australia |
Retail |
Feb 15-18 |
MediaPost Brand Insider Summit: Pharma & Health |
La Jolla, CA |
Industry |
Feb 15 |
Intrigue Summit: Melbourne |
Melbourne, Australia |
MarTech |
Feb 20 |
LXA MBA: Marketing Operations |
Online |
MarTech |
Feb 20 |
LXA MBA: Marketing Technology (MarTech) |
Online |
MarTech |
Feb 20 |
LXA MBA: Marketing Operations Mechanics w/ No code |
Online |
MarTech / NextTech |
Feb 20 |
LXA MBA: Growth Marketing & Hacking |
Online |
MarTech / Growth hacking |
Feb 20 |
LXA MBA: Sales Enablement, Sales Ops & SalesTech |
Online |
SalesTech |
Feb 20 |
LXA MBA: Account-Based Growth |
Online |
SalesTech |
Feb 20 |
LXA MBA: Digital Transformation & Innovation |
Online |
NextTech |
Feb 21-22 |
Savant eCommerce London |
London, UK |
Retail |
Feb 22 |
AntiConLX DialUp - Sales Enablement |
Online |
SalesTech |
Feb 22-24 |
Social Media Strategies Summit: Virtual |
online |
Social |
Feb 22-25 |
TES Affiliate Conference: Cascais |
Cascais, Portugal |
Affiliate |
Feb 23 |
AntiConLX DialUp - Secrets of CX Success |
Online |
MarTech |
Feb 23 |
Grow LA Spring |
Los Angeles, CA |
Digital |
Feb 23 |
E-Commerce Berlin Expo |
Berlin, Germany |
Retail |
Feb 26-28 |
DigiPharma Connect |
Austin, TX |
Industry |
Feb 27-Mar 2 |
eTail Palm Springs |
Palm Springs, CA |
Retail |
Feb 27-28 |
Pubcon: Austin |
Austin, TX |
Search |
Feb 27-Mar 1 |
Inbox Expo |
Valencia, Spain |
Email |
Feb 28-Mar 1 |
eTail Connect Spring: UK |
Towcester |
Retail |

March 2023 marketing events
When |
Who |
Where |
What |
Mar 1-2 |
Digital Marketing for Financial Services Summit: West |
San Francisco, CA |
Industry |
Mar 1-2 |
Dx3 Canada |
Toronto, Canada |
Digital |
Mar 1 |
Digital 1to1 Spring: Barcelona |
Catalonia, Spain |
Retail |
Mar 1-2 |
Affiliate World: Dubai |
Dubai, UAE |
Affiliate |
Mar 7-10 |
Podcast Movement Evolutions |
Los Angeles |
Podcasting |
Mar 7-8 |
Digital Food & Beverage EU |
London, UK |
Industry |
Mar 9 |
OnBrand |
Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Brand |
Mar 9-10 |
Savant eCommerce Berlin |
Berlin, Germany |
Retail |
Mar 11 |
MeasureCamp: Virtual |
online |
Analytics |
Mar 13-14 |
Search Love Conference: San Diego |
San Diego, CA |
Search |
Mar 13-14 |
Search Love Conference: San Diego |
San Diego, CA |
Search |
Mar 13-15 |
Leadscon: Las Vegas |
Las Vegas, NV |
Advertising |
Mar 13-15 |
Social Media Marketing World |
San Diego, CA |
Social |
Mar 13-15 |
Social Media Marketing World |
San Diego, CA |
Social |
Mar 13-15 |
Prosper Show |
Las Vegas, NV |
Retail |
Mar 14-16 |
One to One Digital Marketing Monaco |
Monaco |
Digital |
Mar 14 |
International Search Summit: Munich |
Munich, Germany |
Search |
Mar 14-15 |
eTail Germany |
Berlin, Germany |
Retail |
Mar 14-16 |
One to One Digital Marketing Monaco |
Monaco |
Digital |
Mar 15-17 |
Ragan’s Social Media Conference |
Orlando, FL |
Social |
Mar 15 |
Atlanta eCommerce Summit |
Atlanta, GA |
Retail |
Mar 15-16 |
SMX Munich |
Munich, Germany |
Search |
Mar 16-17 |
inOrbit |
Portorož, Slovenia |
Digital |
Mar 16-17 |
Digital Marketers Australia Conference |
Melbourne, Australia |
Digital |
Mar 19-22 |
MediaPost Brand Insider Summit: CPG |
Scottsdale, AZ |
Industry |
Mar 21-23 |
Prosper Show |
Las Vegas, NV |
Retail |
Mar 21-23 |
Adobe Summit |
Las Vegas, NV |
Digital |
Mar 22-25 |
MediaPost Data & Programmatic Insider Summit |
Scottsdale, AZ |
Advertising |
Mar 23 |
App Promotion Summit: London |
London, UK |
Mobile |
Mar 25 |
MeasureCamp: Helsinki |
Helsinki, Finland |
Analytics |
Mar 26-29 |
Shoptalk |
Las Vegas, NV |
Retail |
Mar 27-29 |
Digiday Publishing Summit |
Vail, CO |
Industry |
Mar 27-30 |
Retail Fest (Retail Global: Gold Coast) |
Melbourne, Australia |
Retail |
Mar 28-30 |
E-Marketing Paris |
Paris, France |
Digital |
Mar 28-30 |
DMO Advanced |
Napa Valley, CA |
Search |
Mar 28-29 |
MarTech Conference: Spring |
online |
MarTech |
Mar 28-29 |
Digital Marketing Europe |
online |
Digital |
Mar 29-30 |
Digital Summit: Phoenix |
Phoenix, AZ |
Digital |
Mar 29-30 |
eTail Connect Asia |
Singapore |
Retail |
Mar 29-30 |
Ad World |
online |
Advertising |
Mar TBD |
App Promotion Summit: London |
London, UK |
Mobile |

April 2023 marketing events
When |
Who |
Where |
What |
Apr 2-4 |
PI LIVE Miami |
Miami, FL |
Affiliate |
Apr 5-7 |
Digital Marketing Expo: Tokyo (Spring) |
Tokyo, Japan |
Digital |
Apr 4-5 |
Digital Marketing Summit |
Seoul, South Korea |
Digital |
Apr 6-10 |
DigiMarCon Cruise 2023 |
Orlando, FL |
Digital |
Apr 6-10 |
DigiMarCon Cruise 2023 |
Orlando, FL |
Digital |
Apr 11-13 |
eTourism Summit |
Las Vegas, NV |
Industry |
Apr 12-13 |
DigiMarCon West |
Los Angeles, CA |
Digital |
Apr 13-14 |
ANA Masters of Data & Analytics Conference |
Orlando, FL |
Analytics |
Apr 12-13 |
Social Media for First Responders: Virtual |
online |
Industry |
April 13-14 |
Hero Conf: Austin |
Austin, TX |
PPC |
Apr 14-16 |
SEO Spring Training |
Scottsdale, AZ |
SEO |
Apr 14 |
Sydney SEO Conference |
Sydney, Australia |
SEO |
Apr 16-19 |
MediaPost Brand Insider Summit: Retail |
Amelia Island, FL |
Retail |
Apr 17-19 |
MailCon |
Las Vegas, NV |
Email |
Apr 17-18 |
Midwest Digital Marketing Conference |
St. Louis, MO |
Digital |
Apr 17-19 |
Localogy 2023 |
Coronado Bay, CA |
Local |
Apr 18-19 |
Digital Summit: Washington DC |
Washington, DC |
Digital |
Apr 18-19 |
ECOM Africa |
Cape Town, South Africa |
Retail |
Apr 18-19 |
Savant eCommerce Stockholm |
Stockholm, Sweden |
Retail |
Apr 19-21 |
Digital Travel Connect US |
San Diego, CA |
Industry |
Apr 19 |
Paid Social Show |
Brighton, UK |
Social |
Apr 19 |
MeasureFest |
Brighton, UK |
Analytics |
Apr 19 |
Search Advertising Show |
Brighton, UK |
Search |
Apr 20-21 |
DigiMarCon East |
New York, NY |
Digital |
Apr 20-21 |
brightonSEO: In-Person |
Brighton, UK |
SEO |
Apr 22 |
MeasureCamp: Amsterdam |
Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Analytics |
Apr 25-26 |
eTail UK |
London, UK |
Retail |
Apr 26 |
LocalU Advanced |
Dallas, TX |
Local |
Apr 27-28 |
DigiMarCon Mid-Atlantic |
Philadelphia, PA |
Digital |
Apr 27 |
Minneapolis eCommerce Summit |
Minneapolis, MN |
Retail |
Apr 27 |
eConsultancy Live |
London, UK |
Digital |
Apr 30-May 3 |
Confab |
Minneapolis, MN |
Content |

May 2023 marketing events
When |
Who |
Where |
What |
May 1-3 |
B2B Online |
Chicago, IL |
B2B |
May 1 |
Digital Insurance Spring |
Austin, TX |
Industry |
May 1-3 |
B2B Online |
Chicago, IL |
B2B |
May 1-3 |
Rakuten Dealmaker USA |
California |
Affiliate |
May 3-4 |
DigiMarCon Midwest |
Chicago, IL |
Digital |
May 3-5 |
iMedia Modern Media Summit: Australia |
Gold Coast, Australia |
Retail |
May 4-5 |
Brighton SEO: Online |
online |
SEO |
May 6 |
Seller Sessions Live |
London, UK |
Amazon |
May 7-10 |
AW Summit |
Bucharest, Romania |
Affiliate |
May 8-9 |
DigiMarCon Rocky Mountains |
Denver, CO |
Digital |
May 8-9 |
Lead Generation World: London |
London, UK |
Digital |
May 8-10 |
Shoptalk Europe |
Barcelona, Spain |
Retail |
May 10-11 |
YoastCon |
TBD |
SEO |
May 11-12 |
DigiMarCon Northwest |
Seattle, WA |
Digital |
May 11-12 |
Digital Travel Connect Europe |
St. Albans, UK |
Industry |
May 15-16 |
DigiMarCon Canada West |
Vancouver, Canada |
Digital |
May 17-19 |
Social Media for Government: Virtual |
online |
Industry |
May 17-19 |
iMedia Online Retail Summit: New Zealand |
Lake Taupo, NZ |
Retail |
May 18 |
Seattle eCommerce Summit |
Seattle, WA |
Retail |
May 18-19 |
DigiMarCon Canada East |
Toronto, Canada |
Digital |
May 21 |
AntiConLX DialUp Middle East |
Online |
MarTech, SalesTech & NextTech |
May 21-23 |
Digital Marketing Strategies Conference |
Austin, TX |
Digital |
May 22 |
AntiConLX DialUp APAC |
Online |
MarTech, SalesTech & NextTech |
May 22-24 |
Digiday Programmatic Marketing Summit |
Palm Springs, CA |
Advertising |
May 22-24 |
Gartner Marketing Symposium Xpo |
Aurora, CO |
Marketing |
May 22-24 |
Siinda Live Berlin |
Berlin, Germany |
Digital |
May 23 |
AntiConLX DialUp North America |
Online |
MarTech, SalesTech & NextTech |
May 23-25 |
Seller’s Summit |
Fort Lauderdale, FL |
Retail |
May 23-24 |
Savant eCommerce Amsterdam |
Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Retail |
May 24 |
Marketing Leaders Dinner - London |
London, UK |
MarTech, SalesTech & NextTech |
May 24-25 |
IRX (Internet Retailing EXPO) |
Birmingham, UK |
Retail |
May 25 |
AntiConLX Global |
London, UK |
MarTech, SalesTech & NextTech |
May 25-26 |
DigiMarCon South |
Houston, TX |
Digital |
May 25-26 |
Programmatic Pioneers Summit |
London, UK |
Advertising |
May 31-Jun 3 |
NamesCon Global |
Austin, TX |
Domain |
May 31-Jun 2 |
SubSummit |
Dallas, TX |
Retail |

June 2023 marketing events
When |
Who |
Where |
What |
Jun 1 |
New York eCommerce Summit |
New York, NY |
Retail |
Jun 1-2 |
DigiMarCon California |
San Diego, CA |
Digital |
Jun 6-7 |
Digital Marketing for Financial Services Summit: Canada |
Toronto, Canada |
Industry |
Jun 6-8 |
eTail Asia |
Singapore |
Retail |
Jun 7-8 |
Digital Summit: Atlanta |
Atlanta, GA |
Digital |
Jun 8-9 |
DigiMarCon Great Lakes |
Detroit, MI |
Digital |
Jun 8-9 |
SocialWest |
Calgary, Canada |
Social |
Jun 8-9 |
European Seller Conference |
Prague, Czech Republic |
Amazon |
Jun 9 |
Social Media Day: Halifax |
Halifax, Canada |
Social |
Jun 12-13 |
DigiMarCon New England |
Boston, MA |
Digital |
Jun 12-14 |
B2B Connect |
San Diego, CA |
B2B |
Jun 12-14 |
Digital Food & Beverage |
La Jolla, CA |
Industry |
Jun 13-15 |
IRCE (Internet Retailer Conference & Expo) |
Chicago, IL |
Retail |
Jun 13 |
ATOMICON |
Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK |
Digital |
Jun 13-15 |
Digital Enterprise Show |
Malaga, Spain |
Digital |
Jun 13-14 |
SMX Advanced |
online |
Search |
Jun 15-16 |
MnSearch |
St. Paul, MN |
Search |
Jun 15-17 |
WMF (We Make Future) |
Rimini, Italy |
Digital |
Jun 19-21 |
Conversion Conference |
Las Vegas, NV |
Conversion |
Jun 19-21 |
Email Innovations Summit: North America |
Las Vegas, NV |
Email |
Jun 20-21 |
CommerceNext |
New York, NY |
Retail |
Jun 20-21 |
LogiPharma Connect Asia |
Singapore |
Industry |
Jun 20-22 |
ContentTECH |
online |
Content |
Jun 21-22 |
Social Media Week: Lima |
Lima, OH |
Social |
Jun 21-24 |
VidCon Anaheim |
Anaheim, CA |
Video |
Jun 21-22 |
DMWF Global |
London, UK |
Digital |
Jun 21-22 |
Influencer Marketing World: Global |
London, UK |
Social |
Jun 21-22 |
Growth Marketing Summit |
Frankfurt, Germany |
Digital |
Jun 22 |
App Promotion Summit: NYC |
New York, NY |
Mobile |
Jun 23-24 |
DigiMarCon Florida |
Miami, FL |
Digital |
Jun 26-27 |
DigiMarCon South Atlantic |
Charlotte, NC |
Digital |
Jun 29-30 |
DigiMarCon Southeast |
Atlanta, GA |
Digital |
Jun 29 |
Nottingham Digital Summit |
Nottingham, UK |
Digital |
Jun 29 |
DealMaker Europe |
London, UK |
Affiliate |
Jun 29 |
Mexico eCommerce Summit |
Mexico City, Mexico |
Retail
|
July 2023 marketing events
When |
Who |
Where |
What |
Jul 3-4 |
HeroCon: London |
London, UK |
Advertising |
Jul 3-5 |
iMedia Online Retail Summit: Pure Play |
Gold Coast, Australia |
Retail |
Jul 6-7 |
DigiMarCon Washington D.C |
Washington, DC |
Digital |
Jul 7-9 |
VidCon Sao Paulo |
Sao Paulo, Brazil |
Digital |
Jul 10-11 |
DigiMarCon Silicon Valley |
San Francisco, CA |
Digital |
Jul 11 |
Grow NY Summer |
Manhattan, NY |
Digital |
Jul 12 |
Affiliate World: Barcelona |
Barcelona, Spain |
Affiliate |
Jul 13 |
Denver eCommerce Summit |
Denver, CO |
Retail |
Jul 14-15 |
DigiMarCon Hawaii |
Honolulu, Hawaii |
Digital |
Jul 17-19 |
ANA Digital & Social Media Conference |
Carlsbad, CA |
Digital |
Jul 19-21 |
Midwest E-Com Conference |
Minneapolis, MN |
Retail |
Jul 19-20 |
Online Retailer |
Sydney, Australia |
Retail |
Jul 19 |
Digital Marketing Expo: Nagoya |
Nagoya, Japan |
Digital |
Jul 20-21 |
DigiMarCon Asia |
Tokyo, Japan |
Digital |
Jul 26 |
AntiConLX DialUp B2B |
Online |
MarTech |
Jul 27 |
AntiConLX DialUp B2C |
Online |
MarTech |
Jul 31-Aug 1 |
Affiliate Summit East |
New York, NY |
Affiliate |

August 2023 marketing events
When |
Who |
Where |
What |
Aug 2 |
Intrigue Digital Marketing Summit: Kuala Lumpur |
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
Digital |
Aug 7-9 |
Retail Fest: New Zealand |
Christchurch, New Zealand |
Retail |
Aug 8-9 |
MozCon |
Seattle, WA |
Search |
Aug 11 |
Engage Conference (SEMpdx) |
Portland, OR |
Search |
Aug 14-16 |
eTail Boston |
Boston, MA |
Retail |
Aug 14-16 |
Digital Travel Summit: APAC |
Singapore |
Industry |
Aug 17-18 |
DigiMarCon New Zealand |
Auckland, New Zealand |
Digital |
Aug 21-24 |
Podcast Evolutions: Denver |
Denver, CO |
Podcasting |
Aug 21-23 |
iMedia Online Retail Summit: Southeast Asia |
Bali, Indonesia |
Retail |
Aug 22-23 |
State of Social |
Perth, Australia |
Social |
Aug 24-25 |
DigiMarCon India |
Delhi, India |
Digital |
September 2023 marketing events
When |
Who |
Where |
What |
Sep 1-2 |
DigiMarCon UK |
London, UK |
Digital |
Sep 4-5 |
DigiMarCon Spain |
Barcelona, Spain |
Digital |
Sep 4-6 |
iMedia Modern Media Summit: Australia |
Gold Coast, Australia |
Advertising |
Sep 5-8 |
INBOUND |
Boston, MA |
Content |
Sep 5-6 |
DigiMarCon Ireland |
Dublin, Ireland |
Digital |
Sep 5-6 |
Savant eCommerce Copenhagen |
Denmark, Copenhagen |
Retail |
Sep 8-9 |
Indie Pod Con 8 |
Philadelphia, PA |
Podcasting |
Sep 12-13 |
Digital Travel US |
Hilton Head, SC |
Industry |
Sep 13-14 |
Vibe MarTech Fest: Dubai |
Dubai, UAE |
Digital |
Sep 14-15 |
DigiMarCon Europe |
Amsterdam, Netherland |
Digital |
Sep 19 |
Scotland eCommerce Summit |
Edinburgh, Scotland |
Retail |
Sep 19-21 |
Paris Retail Week |
Paris, France |
Retail |
Sep 20-21 |
DMEXCO |
Cologne, Germany |
Retail |
Sep 20-21 |
DigiMarCon Australia |
Sydney, Australia |
Digital |
Sep 21-23 |
AW Summit: Ibiza |
Ibiza, Spain |
Affiliate |
Sep 26 |
Chicago eCommerce Summit |
Chicago, IL |
Retail |
Sep 26-27 |
Digital Marketing for Financial Services Summit: Midwest |
Chicago, IL |
Industry |
Sep 26-27 |
MarTech Conference: Fall |
online |
MarTech |
Sep 27-28 |
eTail Canada |
Toronto, Canada |
Retail |
Sep 27-28 |
eCommerce Expo UK |
London, UK |
Retail |
Sep 29-Oct 1 |
VidCon Baltimore |
Baltimore, MD |
Video |

October 2023 marketing events
November 2023 marketing events
December 2023 marketing events

The Power of Events Marketing
For many businesses, in-person interaction is the life and soul of the strategy. In-person events present an exclusive array of hyper-targeted, high-value leads with a unique level of engagement which has yet to be replicated in any virtual scenario.
The personal connection that can be formed from a face-to-face conversation often translates into a unique, memorable engagement and potential ongoing relationship between client and customer.
It removes us from the noise and distractions of our day-to-day lives so we can be fully present at the moment with no overrunning meetings or last-minute cancellations. The power of the in-person interaction may even go as far as solidifying a sales meeting there and then.
Making the Most of an Online Marketing Event
Amongst new cost-per-lead considerations and a new scope of audience reach, virtual events offer a variety of benefits as well as obstacles to be considered.
One of the big questions to ask in the new era of events marketing is: Are you getting the most out of digital exposure?
The power of online promises higher reach, and potential for seamless, digitally enhanced conversions if digital brand exposure is utilised, and utilised well.
Building social media into an event marketing strategy is essential now more than ever as it allows brands to connect with attendees both before and after the event.
As a sponsor, negotiating the maximum amount of social posts that mention and tag your brand can increase both reach and visibility to the audience. This provides a platform to open the conversation and continue the communication with not only the attendees of the event but also with a wider audience that may not have been able to attend.
Consideration checklist:
- Agree on a specific quantity of promotional social posts from the organiser tagging your brand
- Negotiate your brand logo and backlink on the organiser’s website
- Negotiate additional promotional content (blog post, Q&A etc.)
Variations of Online Marketing Events
Online marketing events don’t have to be a one-stop shop. There are a variety of traditional marketing events that can be transported into, if not enhanced by the power of the digital world. Each one attracts a slightly different attendee list offering individual benefits depending on the goals of an events marketing strategy.
Webinars
Webinars are often hosted live by one or two presenters who can virtually address a large audience at any one time. While webinars often feature a Q&A at the end of a session, attendees' interaction is typically limited throughout the presentation.
Virtual round tables
Round table events are often made up of a pretty exclusive guest list of VIPs, targeted mainly at the decision-makers of a company. They provide the opportunity to engage in meaningful and thought-provoking conversations and build a solid base of trust with the attendees. With the guest list being about quality, not quantity, the number of attendees is often are the lower side - making it much easier to engage in conversation in a virtual setting.
Online masterclasses
Like webinars, masterclasses usually cater to a specific industry with an even more specific topic area in mind. They typically attract more senior attendees with a singular focus or skill set that they’re looking to expand on, in-depth. Masterclasses are usually hosted in more intimate groups so where more engagement is encouraged.
Online marketing training courses
Online training courses provide a more personalised way to learn than events and conferences. They can be useful for smaller groups and allow you to learn at your own pace, in your own time.
Led by a specialist course instructor to guide you through every step of the way, online courses include on-demand tutorials, access to a library of tailor-made resources, and live Q&A sessions.
The Future of Marketing Events
Marketing events of the future will be even more engaging and immersive than ever before.
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are expected to play a huge role in revolutionizing how marketing events are presented. With these technologies, event participants can get up close and personal with products, explore virtual worlds, interact with each other through avatars, and more. Marketers will be able to connect with their target audiences in ways that were previously unimaginable.
Marketers can also leverage data-driven technologies to better understand their attendees’ needs and preferences.
Through the use of AI and machine learning, businesses can tap into real-time customer analytics to customise marketing experiences for individual guests. This kind of personalization is essential for effective campaigns and creates unique opportunities for brands to reach their target markets in meaningful ways.
In addition, the use of mobile technology is expected to continue growing at an exponential rate within the promotional event space.
Smartphones allow marketers to provide their customers with a fully optimized digital experience that can be accessed anywhere at any time. But it's not all or nothing, in-person or virtual.
Hybrid events are a creative combination of both in-person and virtual marketing events.
That’s right, you can have your cake and eat it too. Hybrid events have already proved their success and take place across the globe.
In a rapidly expanding digital world, we’re collecting more customer data than ever before.
Understanding and utilising this data means we can better understand our customers and offer them a more meaningful, personalised experience. With the majority of our customer data living online and virtual marketing events here to stay, it’s time to unite the two and inject a personalised experience into our marketing events strategies.
By viewing both in-person and virtual events as part of a series of connected engagements, marketers will be able to create a connected, omnichannel journey and step out of the event marketing silo once and for all.
Events Marketing Best Practice
There’s no shortage of marketing events to choose from, so selecting the best fit for your brand and narrowing down the most successful marketing events can often seem an impossible task. While the common goal for events marketing is to build brand exposure and generate leads, to measure the true success of an event - there’s more to it than totting up ticket sales and skimming over ROI.
It’s also important to consider getting out what you put in. The best results come from great communication and collaboration between the sponsor and the organiser.
Event selection
The criteria for selecting your events should centre around the attendees the event brings in. Attendees are where you will find 90% of your value as a sponsor, so if the attendees aren’t right for your brand chances are the event isn’t either. Focus on audience relevancy and access to the attendees rather than being blindsided by the size of the guest list.
Quantifying objective measurements and demographics of the type of audience a specific event attracts can determine whether the event is right for you.
Begin with the end in mind. Lead generation and conversion come first.
Make sure the people you’re going to be surrounded by are decision-makers and budget spenders. Ask your hosts the provide job title overviews so you can grasp the seniority of the attendee list.
Event management
Integrate your content marketing strategy with your sponsorship. Think pre, post and during the event. Connecting with attendees starts way before you set foot into the venue and in fact, making the connections beforehand is more vital than ever with virtual events.
Shout out on social media. Follow the event hashtag to connect with those attending before and after the event. DM on the day to meet (or virtually chat) on the day of, ideally by this point you’ve already established some common ground.
Bring your customer journey to life. Make a memorable experience people talk about and stand out from the sponsorship crowd. In the real world think of swag packs and quality merch to bring branding beyond the day.
Have your event follow-up sequences seamlessly prepared to send within 1 hour of receiving attendee data from the organiser. Get app contacts researched and email addresses guessed to speed up the follow-up process.
Measuring success
Marketing events continue to be the hardest channel in which to measure a demonstrable return.
The conversations determining the success of marketing events often revolve around three little letters: R O I. And most of the time, the conversation stops there. But often this doesn’t paint the full picture. If you’re only measurement is ROI, you risk assuming too much.
So, here’s a curve ball: a great marketing event’s purpose is not to get your cash in the door – it's to get you connected to the right people. And as you can imagine, this can be a little harder to measure.
Ultimately, it comes down to making sure you have sales-qualified leads and connecting with people that matter, people who are relevant and profiled against the audience.
Top Questions to Ask your Organiser
- Can I see a sample attendee list?
Asking for the previous year’s attendee list is a great way to gain insight.
- Can you provide an audience overview of the industry, company size and revenue, job title and seniority splits?
- How many attendees do you typically attract?
And many of those are sponsors?
- Who has sponsored in the past, are they renewing?
If not why not?
- Who will speak at the same time as us?
- Do you offer exclusive vendor category sponsors?
- Do we get attendee details?
- How many people can you guarantee at our session?
- What event tech do you use?
- What is the data-sharing process post-event?
- What session topics and themes have been popular in the past?
- Are there opportunities to publish to your audience pre-event?
- Do you share branded assets for us to use across our own platforms?