Event Marketing
EVENT MARKETING
So many events, so little time. How can you manage, or, more to the point, understand the "right" event to go to (to expose your product or service)?
It comes down to some common sense. Ask yourself the following questions and then decide which event you should attend:
1) Does this event target my market?
Do the people who attend this event "want" my service or product? Will they purchase or provide me a lead if I attend? Will my sales increase because I attended the event?
2) Does this event help my brand?
Will my brand become more "famous"? Will my brand be exposed to the right target market? This is different then #1 above, as some companies attend events to get brand exposure and awareness, where sales are secondary to the company (at that time).
3) Does this event give me the exposure I want?
Will my product, service, or brand be exposed to the right market? Will the press come? Will I get the inquiries that I need to "up the ante" of my product, service, or brand?
4) Will my bottomline be affected by attending this event?
It will definitely affect it in the negative, as most shows cost a minimum of $10K to attend, and more likely to be in the three diget range. But, will it pay for itself. If not, then why attend - see #2 and #3 above, which could offset the bottomline cost.
5) Because I attend this year (or this quarter, month, etc.), do I have to attend again next year? And if not, will I lose credibility in the marketplace if I don't?
There are of course many more questions that can be asked. And most likely, you will need to have those answers before you can do the show (i.e. a presentation to managment to gain approval of the budget). But, start with these, as they will help you wrap your head around the most fundamental issues involved with event marketing.