At the start of the COVID-19 lockdown, my former employer’s annual conference was just weeks away and our event marketing efforts were in full swing.
After a year of promotion, we never expected our plans, let alone the entire world, to be ruined. But if I learned anything during this time, it was how valuable these events were.
While we can see people’s faces and hear their voices over the phone on video calls, there’s something about being in the same room in real life (or real life, if you will) that just seems different. And that’s why event marketing is so effective.
Today, 80.4% of companies Hosting in-person events is their most effective marketing channel. Actually, Forrester found that 48% of teams say events are more important now than before the pandemic.
Conferences, galas, trade shows, happy hours – they are all different, but they all help companies better understand and connect with their audience and customers.
According to our State of Marketing 2024 Report16% of marketers plan to try experiential marketing this year, while many others are increasing their event budgets or trying to get more out of their event marketing strategies.
If you are one of them, this guide is for you.
What is event marketing?
Event marketing is the planning, organization and implementation of an event with the aim of promoting a brand, product or service. Marketing events can take place in person or online, and companies can host, participate as exhibitors, or participate as sponsors.
(But for the purposes of this guide, we’ll focus on the role of a host.)
Events of all kinds can be referred to as “event marketing”.
You can organize a small round table with seven to ten guests, partner with another brand to sponsor a 5K run, host an exhibition at a large trade show – or even host an event online as a virtual event.
Take HubSpots ENTERFor example.
Image source
INBOUND is a multi-day event that just celebrated its 12th year.
2024 was a sell-out event, bringing together thousands of people around the world with their interest in digital marketing and HubSpot.
It included live streaming of spotlights and keynotes on YouTube, as well as in-person sessions, entertainment and interactive experiences.
But the size or platform for your event doesn’t have to be large.
Brand strategist Bridget Poetker explains: “Smaller, more intimate events are currently very popular. These can even be more impactful (read: positive ROI) than large-scale conferences. With a highly targeted attendee list, you get more personal time.”
As long as you provide value to attendees – customers, potential customers and even employees – event marketing can be extremely valuable for your business.
Benefits of event marketing
According to Bizzabo, 76.6% of organizers They consider in-person conferences to be critical to the overall success of their company, and there are many reasons for this.
Event marketing offers a long list of tangible and intangible benefits, many of which can be attributed to increased brand awareness and customer loyalty.
Generating brand awareness and recognition
Hosting or attending events is an effective way to introduce your brand to new people. Actually, 64% of event marketers reported that the main reason for hosting events is brand awareness of their company or products.
If you think about it, that makes a lot of sense.
There is so much noise online. You’re essentially competing with anyone who has a web presence for search engine rankings or social media attention.
But for face-to-face events, the number of people in the room is limited. This means there are fewer brands to compete with for your audience’s attention. Additionally, people in these environments want to learn more about brands.
According to Freeman, 87% of event participants say that discovering new products and solutions is the most important element of a valuable personal experience.
Additionally, 80% of respondents believe that in-person events are the most trustworthy way to discover new products and services.
So use this to your advantage.
Read: How experiential marketing works: 7 insightful tips
Think of exciting ways to showcase your expertise or give attendees the opportunity to touch, feel, and fully engage with your product or service.
For example, one of my previous employers was a marketing and web design agency, and at live events we hosted live website reviews with attendees.
This critique allowed us to pass on some of the strategic knowledge someone would gain if they worked with us, and also gave them the opportunity to get to know some of the people they would work with.
If you are a chef or caterer, you can give away our samples or do a live cooking demonstration like my friend Chef Devan Rajkumar did at Toronto’s 2024 Food & Drink Fest.
If you are a fashion designer, you can display some of your outfits or host a mini fashion show.
Event marketing allows you to bring to life the full value and culture your brand promises. And the more creative your presence is, the more people can talk about your brand and spread it even further.
Building deeper, trusting relationships
The internet has created a global digital marketplace, meaning many companies never meet their customers in person.
I mean, think about it. Unless you’re in the service industry or run a brick-and-mortar business, it’s not uncommon for all of your interactions with customers to occur online or even asynchronously.
This is where event marketing can be a game-changer.
In-person events allow you to have personal, one-on-one interactions with customers and potential customers.
You can shake each other’s hands, hear each other’s voices, and even laugh together. You can see a customer’s body language and facial expressions and better understand their concerns and goals to better serve them.
In return, they can also understand you better.
Overall, there is less room for ambiguity, unknowns or being personally “screwed” by a company. Rather, you can build a real, trustworthy connection.
Don’t you believe me? Freeman found that 77% of consumers say their trust increased after interacting with a brand at a live event.
Promote unforgettable engagement
Kenny NguyenCEO of creative agency ThreeSixtyEight, told us: “The key to any great event strategy is simple: identify the memory you want attendees to leave with and work backwards.” And he’s not wrong.
According to Freeman, 64% of consumers retain positive impressions of brands they interact with at live events. And these positive memories automatically increase consumers’ willingness to recommend you to others and even work with you in the future.
Nguyen continued: “Companies will want to differentiate themselves through human experiences, especially those that cannot achieve this through technology.”
In-person events are organized to encourage them.
Generating leads and sales
Ultimately, the goal of all this improved awareness and engagement is to nurture leads and generate sales.
While there’s no guarantee that deals will be closed at your event – and frankly, that shouldn’t be your focus – the unique relationships and interactions that emerge at your events are often much more warm and actionable than those that do you just discovered online.
Types of Event Marketing
The scope of event marketing is broad and includes many different options with different advantages. Let’s discuss some of the biggest ones.
Conferences
When you think of event marketing, you probably immediately think of conferences.
Conferences are large events usually organized and hosted by a large company sponsored by many other brands and companies. They can be valuable for both B2B and B2C organizations.
These events tend to offer the most dynamic agendas, filled with speakers, workshops and exhibition halls. Additionally, Bizzabo found that 77.7% of attendees agree that in-person B2B conferences provide the best networking opportunities.
An example of a well-run conference is Adobe Max
Image source
Billed as a “creativity conference,” Adobe MAX promises to spark attendees’ imaginations, help them discover the latest creative tools and trends, and connect and collaborate with like-minded people.
For a brand with such a large share of both the B2B and B2C creative markets, this conference is a highly memorable and on-brand way for Adobe to engage with its audience.
Trade fairs and exhibitions
Trade fairs or exhibitions (expos) are large events organized around a specific industry or product type, such as sales technology or medical devices.
While conferences are typically open to the general public, trade show attendees are typically pre-qualified buyers, company representatives and vendors from their respective industries.
For this reason, trade shows and exhibitions typically offer companies the best chance to showcase their products and services and attract the largest number of qualified leads.
One trade show you may be familiar with is the Consumer Electronics Show, or CES.
The CES takes place annually in Las Vegas, Nevada and showcases the latest technologies in the IT, communications and multimedia industries.
However, trade shows are often much smaller and niche shows, like the New Jersey Bridal & Wedding Expo.
Educational events (e.g. seminars, webinars, lectures)
Seminars (often referred to as webinars in online events) are valuable, educational events attended by a small number of people.
They typically include discussions, lectures and group activities and can also serve as an opportunity for intimate networking.
Roundtables are similar to seminars, but typically involve people from different levels and departments within your company.
Meanwhile, masterminds tend to involve people in similar roles (but different industries) and focus more on brainstorming ideas and sharing feedback.
All variations typically last no longer than a day, with most lasting just a few hours. Educational events are also often held online to make participation easier during the workday.
HubSpot is no stranger to webinars and hosts them there our community and as closed offers.
The same applies to the Marketing AI Institute.
During these webinars, we often meet with industry experts from other companies to share their knowledge with our audience and also promote the event.
Want to learn more about running a successful event marketing webinar? Checkout “The Ultimate Guide to Creating Compelling Webinars.”
Workshops
Workshops are similar to seminars and roundtables in that they focus on knowledge sharing and training participants. However, unlike seminars and roundtable discussions, they are usually public.
Workshops can be offered both virtually and in person, and while they are not traditionally promotional, they typically focus on a topic relevant to the host.
This is a “thought leadership” game designed to make a company appear more credible in its field.
For example, popular Indian-American poet Rupi Kaur recently held a poetry-writing workshop at the New York Public Library.
The event was free and focused on Kaur sharing her expertise as an author and spending time with some of her fans. Not to mention, it sold out in less than 10 minutes – while I was just at the checkout. Pooh.
The writing workshop is also a good example of a brand celebration.
Parties and celebrations
Parties or celebrations are small, personal marketing events that can be held for a variety of reasons, including:
- The introduction of a new company or product
- An exciting company announcement
- Another success or milestone
Kaur’s workshop was limited to a small group of participants and was held to mark the 10th anniversary of her first book, Milk and Honey.
While such events shouldn’t be about promoting a product or brand, a simple speech or presentation can help focus the event on a company and remind attendees why they’re there.
But heck, even if they aren’t planning anything new, some companies host an annual party simply to bring customers together and entertain them.
Gatherings like these can do wonders for showing your customers appreciation and building brand loyalty.
Brand and product pop-ups
Pop-ups are temporary retail spaces or experiences where companies can showcase and sell their products in a controlled environment.
Originally, they were mostly owned by e-commerce brands that didn’t have a permanent brick-and-mortar store. Nowadays, however, they are becoming more and more common in companies of all kinds. But why exactly?
Companies love that pop-ups can bring their brand and products to life in memorable, immersive environments that customers will want to share on social media. And customers love the unique experiences.
Typically, pop-ups are time-limited engagements (ranging from a few hours to a few weeks) that include detailed, branded environments, interactive displays or activities, and even free offers.
This makes them appear exclusive and makes them even more attractive.
Setups like this are popular with beauty brands like Dior.
But can also be agreed for tech products such as the game Fortnite:
Or to promote content like this one I visited for the Netflix series Stranger Things:
Check out more examples and learn how to plan an unforgettable pop-up.
Networking events
Networking events are all opportunities that people attend to make professional connections – and honestly, they are arguably the most valuable events a company can offer.
Additionally, they are also some of the most low-key events a company can host.
Now don’t get me wrong. That doesn’t mean you can call, but networking events certainly require less detailed planning than pop-ups, parties, conferences, or educational workshops.
As the host of a networking event, it is your responsibility to create a pleasant space – 64.6% of event participants Say it can make or break an event – maybe provide some refreshments and of course get people in the door.
Otherwise, a networking event can be as structured or casual as you like.
A few years ago, for example, I took part in a speed networking event during INBOUND.
The hosts provided the room (a private room at Harpoon Brewery), a drink menu, and some snacks, then led a structured rotation of introductions/meetings.
In this configuration, each participant was guaranteed an audience with everyone else in the room, but only for a predetermined period of time. This was great for someone like me who had trouble breaking the ice when networking.
Some other popular network formats are:
- Happy hours
- Career fairs
- Business brunch or lunch
- Industry meetings
Poetker continued, “I’m a big fan of the more casual happy hours and “dinner on our dime” marketing events. They take people out of their work mindset and help them connect on a deeper level.”
“Marketing is person-to-person; it’s about empathy. The experiences you have together are invaluable for building long-term relationships.”
Charity galas and fundraisers
Galas and fundraisers are similar in some ways to parties and celebrations.
Attendees enjoy entertainment, but rather than celebrating a brand’s achievements, these events are more about raising money and awareness for charitable causes.
For example, Travelers Insurance hosts an annual golf tournament in Hartford, Connecticut.
It’s a multi-day event that welcomes celebrities, athletes and thousands of guests to the golf course for fun, but also raises millions for hundreds of nonprofit organizations.
Image source
Likewise, since 1995, the Academy for Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (the organization behind the Oscars) has hosted a viewing party to support the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
Image source
According to YouGov, more than two out of five consumers (45%) are more likely to buy from a brand that supports charitable causes.
According to a Harris poll, 82% of respondents prefer a brand’s values to align with their own on behalf of Google Cloud.
With this in mind, fundraisers and galas are another great opportunity to connect with your buyers and supporters.
But remember: Make sure your support is genuine. Consumers can sense performative activism from a mile away.
How to develop your event marketing strategies
Now that you know your event marketing options, here are some steps to lay the foundation for your event marketing strategies and plans.
Note: From planning to follow-up, our comprehensive event planning checklist covers everything you need to know to plan, promote and smoothly execute any marketing event. Get your free checklist here.
1. Define your event goals.
Before you start a strategy, you need to know what you want to achieve. So first and foremost, ask yourself, “What are my goals with event marketing?”
Maybe try to generate more qualified leads E.g. one of my former employers, or you want to increase your brand awareness. Whatever your mission is, sit down with your stakeholders and integrate them into the SMART methodology.
SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely – and the format helps keep your goals clear and actionable. It also gives you a concrete indication of whether your event was successful.
An example of a SMART event marketing goal might be: “Grow our list of potential leads for our new product by 100 names by the end of the event.”
This goal is specific (potential leads only for the new product), measurable (100 names), achievable and relevant (assuming the event is relevant and there are more than enough attendees to get 100 names), and timely (by the end of the event). Event).
Note: Don’t limit your event to a single goal. You should also set intangible goals like “strengthen relationships” and “engage prospects,” but when it comes to creative and financial decisions, you should be guided by your SMART goals and measure them on the backend.
2. Set your budget.
Next, take some time to determine your event marketing budget.
This is crucial because it can often be a deciding factor in your options for the venue, food, speakers, entertainment, giveaways, and other important aspects of your event. But how much should you budget?
This depends a lot on your goals and the type of event, but Bauer Entertainment Marketing suggests Providing 15-20% of your total potential gross revenue if your event is sold out.
It states: “If an event requires 2,500 tickets to be sold at an average price of $40 per ticket, event organizers can make a total of $100,000 if all tickets are sold.” Using the 15-20 “Using the percentage principle, the budget is between $15,000 and $20,000.”
3. Identify your target audience.
Who would you like to attend your event? Who are the people you want to connect with and introduce your brand to? Defining your audience will help you target the right marketing channels and plan your speakers, activities, etc.
If your company has buyer personas, this should be a relatively quick step in the event marketing strategy process. But if not, Learn more about creating detailed buyer personas and download our free template here.
4. Select the type and theme of your event.
Of course, to market your event you need to know what you are marketing – Is it a conference? A gala? Will there be breakout sessions? Happy hours?
Before moving forward with your event marketing, identify the key information your audience needs before purchasing a ticket. This includes:
- Event name
- Venue
- Date and time
- Purpose/Value Proposition (aka “What will people gain by participating?”)
- Who should participate?
- Schedule/Itinerary (e.g. happy hours, workshops, seminars, keynotes)
- Ticket price
You don’t need to have all the little details sorted out before you start promoting your event (like the exact keynote speakers), but you should at least have an idea of what you’re offering attendees, who the event is aimed at, and … the place and the date.
For example, while we didn’t yet know the details of INBOUND 2025 at the end of INBOUND 2024, we did know the date and location (for the first time in San Francisco, California) and a general idea of what participants would experience.
That was enough for early bird registration:
Establishing basic details like this also helps set parameters for the rest of your marketing, such as the timing of your promotions.
Pro tip: Branding your event is an important part of developing your theme. Read “What is event branding? + 5 examples to inspire you” to help you get it right.
5. Determine your advertising schedule.
When it comes to personal events, people often need time to plan, especially when it comes to professional events. They may need to sort out their schedule, arrange travel accommodations, or even convince their boss to pay for their ticket.
For this reason, it is best to provide your business with an extended runway to promote any event.
In my experience, you should give yourself at least You need a month to market an event. However, if it is a multi-day, investment-intensive event like INBOUND, this time frame should ideally extend to the following at least three months.
If I haven’t emphasized it enough, “at least” are the key words here. It’s really never too early to start promoting a multi-day or more expensive event.
Dangerous marketing with a shorter time frame can lead to failures or objections like “I already had plans.”
Start here by outlining your advertising and determining when you will publish what. Think about holidays or special occasions where you might want to offer a sale or even the opportunity to win tickets.
It is also advisable to organize a multi-touch marketing campaign for your events. Use a variety of media and options (e.g., email, social media, direct mail, phone calls, print ads, and paid ads). But more on that in the next section.
A consistent, well-thought-out advertising schedule will help capture and sustain your audience’s curiosity and ultimately persuade them to purchase.
Pro tip: Poetker suggests dividing your schedule into three broad areas: activities before, during, and after the event.
She explains, “This is your mission control for everything from designing giveaways and manning a booth to ABM dinners and drip campaigns.
The real benefit is that you can see your bandwidth and resources right alongside clearly defined next steps.”
Need details? Our Free event planning checklist you are taken care of.
6. Outline your marketing and advertising plan.
How do you get people to attend your event?
Social media and an event website are important channels in today’s digital market. However, if your event is local, you may also want to consider print ads or media coverage.
(Note: Need help designing your event website? Check out the article “The 22 Best Conference Website Designs You’ll Want to Copy.” The tips are easily applicable to other event types.)
You may also benefit from event listing websites such as Eventful, Hello eventAnd 10 times to reach more people. Let’s briefly discuss some other popular forms of event marketing promotion.
Event marketing with email
39% of marketers found that email marketing tools made the biggest contribution to event success.
Email information is easy to collect during registration, and checking email is a daily routine for most people. Therefore, in theory, there is a higher chance of your messages being noticed.
For example, like this email, I received advertising for a webinar from the Marketing AI Institute.
Pro tip: Often companies create separate email addresses and newsletters for their events to separate communications and advertising from their other marketing efforts.
This ensures that you don’t spam uninterested parties, and the deliverability of your event emails isn’t affected by other variables.
Read: Email Marketing: The Ultimate Guide (Expert Tips + Important Data)
Content marketing and blogging
Whether it was promoting workshops at a marketing agency or music productions at a regional theater, content marketing and blogging have always been an integral part of my event marketing strategies.
These long-form content types allow you to go into more detail about the specifics of your event, whether it’s a specific speaker, session, or experience taking place.
It also creates an additional page that can be shared on social media and indexed in search engines.
ENTER has a whole blog dedicated to the annual event.
There are tips on how to make the most of your participation, announcements about what to expect, and even session recaps and profiles of past and future speakers.
Promoting your event doesn’t stop with emails or content. Check out these resources for even more event marketing tips:
7. Plan content creation during the event.
Marketing your event shouldn’t stop once your event starts.
Provide some resources to promote your event during the event. Attendees may learn something new about what’s on offer, and those who haven’t signed up will be curious to see what they’re missing.
Over the years, I’ve been responsible for real-time content at dozens of events. This primarily involved managing a small team that:
Here’s a look at one of my teams from 2016:
It also meant creating a hashtag for the event and finding ways to increase engagement through contests and games (see below) – and that’s nothing unusual.
According to Sweaps State of Event Marketing Report 2023: 78% of marketers said social media has had the most positive impact on events. So plan accordingly.
What type of content should you publish?
- Photos of participating participants
- Powerful clips from meetings and keynotes
- Quote graphics
- Content generated by participants
- Helpful tips
- Updates and reminders about various events
Pro tip: Dive into your buyer personas to see which platforms your target audience uses most. However, keep in mind that not all platforms are suitable for real-time publishing.
I recommend focusing on X and Instagram when posting live, and considering live streaming on Facebook, YouTube, or LinkedIn depending on your audience’s preferences.
8. Outline your technology needs.
Selecting the right event technology for your specific requirements is crucial to the success of your event. The right technology simplifies event marketing and event management for a seamless attendee experience.
Aim for a comprehensive event platform that handles everything from registration to check-in, credentials, and attendee management while supporting your event marketing goals.
Additionally, when using HubSpot, choosing software that integrates smoothly with your HubSpot CRM is critical to executing your marketing campaigns in a timely manner.
Tips on choosing the best event management software can be found in detail Event Management Software Guide from Accelevents, our certified HubSpot app partner. You also have a great post about it Event registration integration with HubSpot.
9. Determine how you will measure success.
During a busy event, it’s easy to look around and be happy about the presence and engagement. But is this gut check really the best way to judge whether your event was a success? Probably not.
As Mike PiddockFounder of the event hosting platform Glisser, shared:
“Events need to be evaluated based on concrete metrics and not just gut feelings and feedback forms to rate the coffee. Measure attendee engagement rather than just counting who signed up and who showed up, as this is a good indicator of event effectiveness.”
As with any other marketing investment, it makes sense to establish key performance indicators (KPIs) that you can use to measure and evaluate your event’s performance. Here are some common event marketing KPIs.
Registrations and check-ins
Not everyone who registers for your event will attend. So be sure to compare your check-ins with your actual attendance and consider contacting some who have registered but not checked in.
View your registration information to see when the most and least tickets were purchased, what types of tickets were purchased, and whether you offered different ticket packages or options.
Sales and cost-sales ratio
If your event requires a paid ticket, gross revenue is an important measure of success.
How much money did your event raise? How does this amount compare to what you spent on the event?
This comparison will help you better understand the value of your event and the resources it offers. Events are expensive, but it’s not worth going into debt for them.
Social media mentions/engagement
How often was your event discussed on social media? What was the general consensus around the event? Have your participants shared content that appeals to non-participants?
In today’s digital world, social media is an important measure of the success and reach of events. View your event mentions on Facebook, X, Instagram and more.
I’m a big fan of using event hashtags (both professional and personal) to make attendee content easy to find, share and, in this case, measurable.
Pro tip: If you are a HubSpot user, you can do this Set up streams in your social inbox to monitor your specific event hashtag or process mentions. This makes embedding and resharing content much easier.
Lead Aacquisition and Ccustomer COnversion
Attracting leads and converting customers are the key benefits of event marketing. Therefore, it would make sense to measure these KPIs for your event.
Notice how many qualified leads you attract through your event, then track how many of those leads convert into paying customers.
This can help determine the direct ROI of your event and see which lead collection and conversion tactics worked.
Participant satisfaction
Maybe you met your sales goals, but did your attendees actually enjoy your event? What did they participate in and what did they enjoy the most?
“Satisfaction” may seem like an obscure metric, but knowing the opinions and perspectives of your event attendees can help you better understand where your event was a success – and where you could improve.
Consider creating a survey to ask your attendees about their experiences and insights and calculate a Net Promoter Score (NPS) for your event.
Speaking of participant satisfaction…
10. Create your plan for collecting feedback.
As mentioned above, you could meet all of your registration and attendance goals, but if people didn’t have a really good experience at your event, they’re unlikely to recommend it, buy from you, or come back in the future.
Whether good or bad, make sure you have a plan to collect feedback from participants.
Of course, we hope that people will remember their event experiences for many years to come, but that is unlikely. It’s best to ask for feedback immediately after or within the week of your event.
A popular option is to email a link to a survey to all attendees the day after the event. You can include questions like:
- What was your best experience or moment of the event?
- What could we improve?
- Did the event meet your expectations?
- Would you like to attend this event again in the future?
Dive deeper into these and 21 other questions to ask in your post-event survey.
Pro tip: To add a little extra incentive to complete your survey, try offering a small discount code for attending a future event as a thank you. After completing the survey, you can submit the code on your thank you page or in a follow-up email.
Scale your event marketing IRL.
Organizing and executing an event can feel like a daunting task, but crafting your event marketing strategy using the steps we’ve outlined will help you put your best foot forward for success.
Whether your event is attracting new customers, building your contact list, or raising money for your favorite charity, event marketing can help you meet, engage, and truly connect with your audience like never before.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in April 2015 and has been updated for completeness.
