Tradeshow and Event Marketing Set to Rise

BY Rachel Cagle
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There’s good news on the horizon for your tradeshow and event marketing clients. Years of struggling to regain registration numbers since COVID hit in March 2020 are coming to an end. Consumers are finally ready to get back to in-​person events. According to data from splash, only 6% of event professionals plan to host only virtual events in 2023. 30% of planners intend to host only in-​person events, and the remaining 63% will host either hybrid or a mix of events.

Want to get your client’s events on the top of consumers’ and their customers’ to-​do lists for 2023? Here’s what you need to know.

Tradeshow and Event Marketing Set to Rise

Who to Target

Your client’s events may be centered on how their products and services can benefit their customers, but why should that mean that their current customers are the only ones who should receive invites? According to splash, 84% of events target current customers while only 41% target prospective customers. What better way to show potential customers all your client can do to help them achieve their goals than to invite them to an event designed to showcase their benefits? So, when you’re planning your client’s tradeshow and event marketing strategy, you need to remember to include potential customers on the email recipient lists and include them in ad messaging.

Messaging

Clarity

People don’t attend events unless they know how the event will benefit them. How else will they know if it will be worth their time and money? Leadmonitor says that your tradeshow and event marketing messaging should be specific about, “how they will benefit from attending, with a spotlight on any high-​profile speakers or industry leaders that will be present.” Make sure your client’s ad messages include how both current and potential customers can each benefit from attending the event.

Time Your Clients' Ads Properly

Leadmonitor points out that, “it is harder to get people to register for conferences outside of business hours.” They probably won’t be paying to attend the event out of their own pocket. So, they’ll need to talk with their bosses about attending the event and getting funding from their company. They obviously can’t do this if they see tradeshow and event marketing outside of office hours. Also, who wants to think about work outside of work hours? If they see event marketing after they’ve left work, they’ll be more likely to ignore it than when they’re on the clock. So, make sure that your client’s event emails, social posts, etc., are going out and going live within the typical 9–5 workday of the regions they’re targeting.

Change It Up

Your client’s first generalized email, social post or other ad spotlighting the event will peak potential attendees’ interest. But you can’t possibly fit everything your client’s event has to offer into an advertisement that any sane person would be interested in reading. Leadmonitor says. “Don’t just put out the same message, highlight different benefits such as the speakers, the networking opportunities, the break-​out areas. Different things will attract different people, so make sure your messaging is varied.” Your client’s tradeshow and event marketing messaging can also spotlight different products and services they’ll be presenting on during the show. The more details you put out their about your client’s event, the more likely it will be to draw interest and, therefore, registrations.

What Media to Use

Email and social ads are no brainers for tradeshow and event marketing. But your client’s advertising probably shouldn’t stop there. What other ad media types your client should use depends completely on their target audience. You can find what will work best by looking up the target audiences on AudienceSCAN on AdMall by SalesFuel. There, you’ll see which types of advertisements influenced what percentage of the audience to take action within the last year.

Photo by Alexandre Pellaes


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