Events
Participating or hosting an event should serve a purpose that aligns with your overall marketing strategy. But you also need to be strategic for the event itself.
Event Strategy
When looking to hold or participate in an event, you need an event strategy. This plan encompasses things like your goals and vision for the event, the timeline for each element of the event (entry submission, booth design, staffing, accommodation booking, etc.), the budget for each element, the target audience (for the event and your force), the concept of the event/ your participation, and how you will measure success.
Event Marketing
Event marketing is used to help support your attendance/ hosting of an event as well as communicate with your audience at the event. Attending an event is not just a matter of getting the booth ordered & set-up and getting the staff on the floor. It also means the pre-event communication, the post-event communication, the management of leads from the event, and more.
Event marketing is like a micro version of a marketing strategy. You plan how you will let people know you will be at/hosting the event, what they should expect and be excited about, what you will do at the event, and how you will build leads while you’re there. You work out what you will do to keep people engaged with you after they interact with you, how you will cultivate your leads after the event and how you will warm up your audience for your next event.