As we all know the last three years have been volatile for event marketing. The agility that teams were forced to embrace has left an irreversible mark on the industry. Companies are now re-emerging with in-person events, the keystone of them all, the customer conference. The pressure is on to deliver a buzz-worthy event with trailblazing ROI. So, how do you ensure your customer conference is a success? How do you promise your internal stakeholders that it is worthwhile? How do you defend the budget to put one on? Hosting a successful customer conference is a key way to drive pipeline, further relationships, showcase products, and build brand awareness but, let’s be honest, it isn’t cheap. The good news is, there are three simple, yet effective ways to expand the impact of your conference so that results and ROI are exponential.
1. Take the conference on the road
One way to multiply the impact of your customer conference is to add on a multi-city roadshow in the weeks or months following. You already have the content, the messaging, and the audience so, why not take an abbreviated version on the road? Choose locations with a high concentration of your target audience, send VPs instead of CxOs to deliver keynotes, and consider partnering with a regional organization to help promote and fund the event. By doing this you immediately increase the reach and results of the overall program while also being friendly to the budget and protecting the bandwidth of your team. Win, win.
2. Incorporate a digital strategy
Another way to expand the reach of your customer conference is to incorporate a digital strategy. Include a livestream, record key sessions, and create evergreen content for marketing and sales to use after the event. Customers have an increasing desire to access information on their own timing and terms. Additionally, just because someone can’t attend the event in person doesn’t mean they don’t want access to the material. Adding a digital layer into your customer event is a nominal addition to the budget, increases the reach substantially, and ultimately improves the ROI.
3. Host ancillary networking events and executive dinners
The final way to maximize the impact of your customer conference is to host ancillary networking events and executive dinners around the conference dates. Small and targeted gatherings increase the value your prospect or customer sees in attending the event, give your team quality time in front of your top targets, and create a strong community around your brand. These are net positives for your pipeline goals and ultimately increase the return you will see from your customer conference investment.
Customer conferences are the centerpiece of an annual event plan so setting this effort up for success is mission-critical. Taking measures to expand the reach of your conference will increase the ROI, satisfy key stakeholders within your organization, and drive excitement among your customer base. By taking an abbreviated version of the conference on the road, implementing a digital strategy for anywhere anytime consumption, and hosting ancillary events, you are providing an event ecosystem that is built to deliver from start to finish.
Thinkstream helps you shine!
Thinkstream.io works with technology companies to make sure their event brand outshines the competition. We provide event strategy, design, management, and production for conferences, roadshow events, field marketing events, virtual events, and more. Learn more about our proven event marketing strategies and our trusted network of partners by booking a call here.
