Event marketing
New e-book amplifies advice
In its e-book Events Amplified : An insider ’ s guide to modern event marketing , ExpoPlatform has collated and outlined new advice for event marketers based on recent data and surveys .
T he new e-book is designed to help marketers face the industry ’ s “ highly competitive landscape ” especially when managing “ tiny budgets ”, says ExpoPlatorm ’ s head of marketing , Maria Drozdova . Other challenges assessed include acquiring and engaging visitors , and acquiring and converting exhibitors , among others .
Competitive landscape As more companies turn to event marketing to reach their audience , the more saturated the market has become . This competitive landscape is ‘ Quite challenging ’ for 36 % of respondents , with ExpoPlatform recommending identifying a welldefined target audience and utilising tailored messaging for them as a solution to capture attention .
Budgets Budgets also maintain top spot as a crucial pain point for event marketers , with 29 % of respondents marking it as ‘ Very challenging ’. Event attendee feedback platform Explori suggests that event costs have increased by about 30 % since before the pandemic , leading to some businesses struggling to justify the cost of pricy event marketing . Despite sustainability initiatives , MICE travel spending has increased by up to 60 %.
Acquisition Methods to maintain a relationship
with attendees and exhibitors have changed post-pandemic , with events finding it harder to attract attendees due to market saturation and an increase in remote working – the allure of a day out of the office is no longer prevalent . Acquisition of attendees and visitors are in both cases marked as ‘ Quite challenging ’ for 43 % of respondents .
Email marketing is still hugely important as a method to communicate with an audience , but events marketing agency TEMBO notes that this cannot be relied upon solely . Haydn Gush , TEMBO ’ s marketing director revealed that 90 % of bookings would have resulted from email marketing five years ago , however post-pandemic this is now closer to 60 %.
Greatest challenges facing event marketers
Opportunities for marketers
However , it ’ s not all doom and gloom for event marketers . There are clear opportunities for businesses and events to harness and impact their audience .
Personalisation and automation Personalisation can warm attendees to a brand , increasing brand loyalty and their likelihood of repeat attendance . ExpoPlatform ’ s data shows that streamlining an event with technology can help this go smoothly , making it a ‘ Good opportunity ’ for 64 % of respondents .
“ Utilising technology that can make sure those ( personalised ) things are actually going to happen is probably the most valuable thing for exhibitors ,” says Laura Davidson , CEO of ag Digital .
Sustainability Sustainability is more than just a buzzword , it ’ s a necessary consideration for event marketers and the industry as a whole . More and more attendees are becoming environmentally conscious , with 36 % of respondents stating that sustainability is an ‘ Average ’ opportunity and 29 % noting it as a ‘ Good opportunity ’. Investing in sustainable practices can include waste management , providing hybrid options , or implementing a carbon offsetting scheme .
Influencer marketing Influencers continue to be the talk of the town , with 71 % of study respondents noting influencer partnerships as a ‘ Good opportunity ’. Carefully selected influencers can effectively expose a show or brand to their target audience , with loyalty to the influencer prebuilt in . ExpoPlatform suggests Meta Creator Studio as a method to analyse the best influencer for an event ’ s audience .
The free e-book can be found at expoplatform . com / ebooks
www . exhibitionworld . co . uk Issue 4 2023 29