Events…
What’s the point?

Events are expensive, exhausting and have no clear metric to determine whether or not you’re achieving those vital returns on investment. Why, then, are there SO many events?!

While our digital lives increase each day – and while our digital communications continue to eclipse face-to-face networking – is there even a place for the traditional event format in our professional lives anymore? Are they effective? Are they efficient? Are they … (dare I say it?) … even worthwhile?

All signs point to yes, yes, YES!

A majority of marketers (80 per cent) today attribute their company’s success to in-person event activations. Events aren’t just nice to have; they’re critical if you want to stay in the competition and thrive.

Many argue that the accessibility, convenience and speed of information dissemination through email, social media and instant messaging, has outpaced traditional modes of communications.

However, the truth is that virtual conversations still carry glaring limitations. The trust and rapport that one can build with in-person meetings are somehow impossible to replicate via online platforms, and I doubt whether a digital handshake will ever take the place of actual ones.

For many (and by ‘many’ I mean your frontline personnel responsible for acquiring new business and generating revenue), the face-to-face moments that events ensure are vital to bringing new opportunities further down the sales funnel. In an article published in Psychology Today states, ” 55 per cent of communication is body language, 38 per cent is the tone of voice, and 7 per cent is the actual words spoken.” And since communication is the bedrock of sales enquiries and informed decision making, face-to-face communication opportunities represent your most direct method of influencing purchasing and procurement behaviours.

But it’s not a case of in-person versus digital marketing…

All good CMOs worth their weight know that diversifying your communications channels to market is key to successful campaign engagement. An event is part of the vital marketing mix – and in particular, offers a very efficient model of solidifying relationships with your target audience. During events, you make it easy for potential clients, especially people who may not be part of your online communities and circles, to get to know about you and engage with your brand’s offering. In the landscape of A+D, effective face-to-face marketing at events can also mean a foot in the door to new projects, tenders or future partnerships. As marketing and business guru Seth Godin says, “What people really want is the ability to connect to each other, not to companies.”

It’s all about authenticity … but whoever said that authenticity can’t be strategic?

In the A+D world, your future clientele attach a lot of value in being able to physically touch and feel products, an experience made possible during events (especially if you’re launching new products). In this transaction, authenticity and trust evidently influence the next step of the process: procurement. But, how can your marketing efforts up to this moment bring to affect your brand’s desired outcome?

Well… here’s how!

Here’s how you can maximise on your relationship building before, during and after your next event: content marketing! Events are a huge expense for brands wanting to take their top messages and products to market. But they can also be one of the most high-yield endeavours your team can undertake with a prospective audience. But just like any form of communication, preparation is key. Omni-channel content marketing initiatives can offer you the best chance of ensuring that everyone understands your USP, that everyone is listening and, what’s more, that everyone is excited to come and pay you a visit!

The following guide takes you through how to prepare your communications networks before, during and after your event to achieve maximum ROI.

Download your free whitepaper:

Event Marketing: A Before And After Guide To Maximise Event ROI

This guide is presented by C-GEN: the first and only dedicated content marketing agency for the design, architecture, building and development industries of Asia Pacific.