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While the average person might see a conference badge as just a name tag, to a conference organizer, it's an unsung hero, a networking cornerstone, a conversation catalyst, and an important factor in building a great event. Its importance in the conference world is second only to the Wi-Fi password.

In other words, a lot is riding on this unassuming piece of rectangle.

But there’s more than meets the eye to getting it right. It’s not just about slapping a name on a piece of plastic –  conference badge design is a delicate balance of art and functionality. 

In this piece, we’ll delve into how to design a conference badge that helps make the attendee experience a great one.

First, let’s get the basics out of the way. Follow the following best-practices to create a fun and functional conference badge.‍

5 commandments of conference badge design

1. ‍Attendee names: the bigger, the better
   
   By which we mean it should be readable from a distance of 15 feet. People should not need to put on their reading glasses to read the badge.

2. ‍And it should be easily readable
   
   In other words, please do not use all CAPS.
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3. De-emphasize the conference name
   
   You can assume that everyone already knows what conference they’re at.
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4. Give everyone another reason to look at the badge
   
   Extra details like interests or one’s hometown make for great conversation starters.
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5. Lean into the event theme
   
   Incorporate theme colors, symbols, or slogans to make it distinctive. Remember that attendees often keep badges as mementos.

If you use the commandments mentioned above, you should be able to create a great-looking badge.

But there’s still more you can do to elevate your conference badge. Read on.

Designing badges that drive dialogue

Just follow these tips:‍

1) Include ‘Ask me about ____’ or another talking point

Let attendees add a little personality to their badges by including a couple of topics of interest or areas of expertise where they're open to collaboration. This lets other attendees get a glimpse into their passions and these serve as potential conversation starters. 

The questions can be professional and/or fun, such as ‘My hidden talent is…’, ‘The emoji that best describes me is…’ or ‘My go-to karaoke song is…’ making it easier for attendees to ask a follow-up question or respond in kind.

But if you don’t have enough space on your badge or need to prioritize other information, you can simply make other smaller badges with this prompt that attendees can wear alongside your official badge.

2) Let attendees add flair

Let attendees add items or objects to badges that employ visual cues, with color coding being especially effective. This approach allows attendees to be swiftly sorted into interest groups, making it easy for them to spot and connect with like-minded individuals.

For instance, badge ribbons can be used to highlight the individual’s role at the conference - as an attendee, guest speaker, sponsor or organizer. These can help attendees quickly identify and connect with the people they’re looking for.

Different ribbon colors can also be used to show how many years an attendee has been to the conference, providing an easy segue into discussing their conference history and experiences. If you're new to the conference and spot a fellow newbie's ribbon, it's a natural conversation starter, making introductions less daunting. On the flip side, if you notice a seasoned attendee's ribbon, it's an opportunity to delve into their wealth of past experiences and get valuable insights into the event.

Stackable stickers are another great option to add to badges too.

3) Incorporate a QR code

A QR code badge simplifies the check-in process (it took only 90 Mins for all of the 672 attendees at Catalyst by Partnership Leaderships to check-in + get their badges) and it can be programmed to include quite a lot of extra attendee information. Details such as social media handles or a link to a company website can be easily exchanged via the QR code, boosting networking opportunities and engagement at the event.

Not to mention, using a QR code allows you to provide more information without taking up space on the design of your badge.

4) Don’t forget about the flip side of the badge 

All too often, badges flip around when you're walking around the venue, which can lead to missed opportunities for connections and conversations. To maximize engagement, consider printing relevant information on the backside of the badge, ensuring that details remain visible from any angle.

Or at the least, use it to share the conference agenda or the layout of the venue.

To sum up

Don't underestimate the power of a well-designed badge. It's the small touch that can lead to big connections and make your event truly memorable.

You may have some assumptions about your customer base due to the nature of your product or service or your interactions with customers at events over the years. However, the best way to target current and potential customers is through data.

Data provides a concrete way to assess your customers’ needs, interests, and preferences. In turn, you can build comprehensive customer profiles that guide your event marketing efforts.

In this article, we’ll review five strategies for building your customer profiles so you can take a data-driven approach to event marketing. Whether you’re creating customer profiles for the first time or enhancing your existing information, these tips will help you uncover powerful insights about your customers.

1. Assess the current state of your customer data

Take a look at your current customer database. What data do you already have on them? Do you have the same data points for each customer, or are there some that have more or less data?

After taking stock of the data you have, determine what data you still need to learn more about your customers and better market your events to them. For example, B2B organizations may know the industry of the companies they work with but not the size of each company. This information could be useful because it would allow B2B organizations to personalize their event messaging and outreach based on the nature of each company.

This is also a good time to assess how you’re storing data. Is it in a spreadsheet, physical forms, a customer relationship management platform (CRM), or a combination of different methods? For easier analysis, migrate all data to the same place—preferably a customer relationship management (CRM) system or other platform intended for data storage.

When you have a better, more complete understanding of your customer base overall, you’ll be able to identify the major attributes of different types of customers and add those to your customer profiles for more targeted event marketing. 

2. Conduct a data append

While auditing your customer database, you may notice you’re missing key data from your customers. To fill in the gaps in your database, conduct a data append. During a data append, data providers solicit information from third-party sources to supplement your customer database.

Considering that businesses that use data-driven marketing have a return on investment (ROI) that’s five to eight times higher than businesses that don’t, appending data should be a top priority to elevate your event marketing strategy.

Depending on the data provider that you work with, you can append the following information:

• Age
• Income
• Marital status
• Level of education
• Lifestyle attributes, such as hobbies and interests
• Buying behaviors, such as online product purchases
• Phone numbers
• Email addresses
• Mailing addresses

Additionally, B2B organizations may want to append firmographic data, such as industry, company size, and location. With this information, you can put data at the forefront of your customer profiles. For instance, when you know that certain customers like to buy your products online while others like to make in-store purchases, you can tailor your profiles for each group accordingly.

3. Segment your customers

Once you have all the data you need, you can segment customers based on shared characteristics, including demographics, buying preferences, and purchase history.

Segmenting your customer base will help you organize your data and create event marketing campaigns that align with their unique preferences. This approach can also save time and resources by only reaching out to customers likely to be interested in certain events. 

For example, if you’re hosting an event that would interest CEOs and other high-level business executives, you can create an appropriate segment and only reach out to that group. As a result, you’ll see a higher ROI than if you were to contact every customer in your database.

After segmenting your customers into different groups, you can create profiles within each segment that further specify your customer base. In the CEO segment, you may have a profile for a younger CEO looking for networking opportunities and one for an older CEO interested in attending events about keeping up with emerging technology.

4. Send a survey

Even though you can source most of the data you need for your profiles from a data append, reaching out to customers for feedback can enhance your profiles even further. With the qualitative information elicited in surveys, you can expand upon the data points you have and focus your event messaging for each segment.

Some of the most useful pieces of information you can obtain from surveys are customer challenges or pain points. When you ask customers what they’re looking to accomplish by using your product or service, you can ensure your solution addresses their needs and tailor your event messaging to touch upon those pain points.

For example, business executives looking for software might indicate that their company is quickly growing, and they need a platform that can keep up. As a result, the software company can note this as a pain point in their customer profiles and emphasize the scalability of their product when hosting events for this segment.

You can also send out surveys after events and campaigns to determine their effectiveness in addressing your customers’ needs. The feedback may help you uncover new pain points or other customer information that you can add to your customer profiles.

5. Create customer personas

If you want to take your customer profiles a step further, create customer personas. Customer personas are similar to customer profiles, except they include a fictional representation of each profile type. 

Continuing with the CEO segment example, customer personas may include a young CEO named Lauren Smith who wants to increase brand awareness and an older CEO named Emmett Thompson who wants to expand his company’s product into new markets.

When you attach personal attributes to your customer profiles, it’s easier to picture your customers as real people and market your events to them accordingly. Customer Profile #37 may effectively guide your event marketing efforts, but thinking about Lauren Smith’s pain points and interests is a more tangible way of incorporating customer data into your next event marketing campaign.

To sum up...

When data is at the forefront of your customer profiles, you’ll make better, more informed decisions about your event marketing efforts. As a result, you can reach customers in each of your segments and provide them with an individualized experience that addresses their needs and preferences.

It has been a while, but we're back with some super-fresh updates for you!

This time around, we bring you more support for event and webinar management with event series, registration by approval, and surveys for webinars.

Here’s all you need to know about these new features:

Event series

Create a series of events, webinars, or a combination of both.

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You can now organize multiple events and webinars and promote them under one theme by setting up a Series. Your series can have its own Landing Page, using which attendees can register for all the underlying events and webinars in one go.

On registering once, your attendees will get automated email reminders for each of your events organized in the series.

Learn how to create your own event series here.

Registration by approval

Curate your event the way you want

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To add an extra layer of control over who participates in an event, you can now enable registration by approval and use it for a specific audience. 

When this is enabled, you’ll be able to approve or reject users who have registered for your event. After registration, users will be kept in the Pending state till you take any further action.

Once done, registrations will receive emails based on the status of their approval.

Dive deeper into this feature here.

Surveys for webinars

Gather timely insights from your attendees on their experience

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Getting feedback on your webinars is critical to improving and scaling up your event experience. With surveys, you can get quick feedback at the right time. 

A survey can be created in a 3-step process; add basic details, add questions, and add an end screen. Choose from different question types: short text, multiple-choice, multiple-choice multi-select, and rating.

All the responses will be saved in your organizer dashboard for ready reference.

For more info on surveys for webinars, click here.

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How do you plan a conference that’s so extraordinary that attendees are still raving about it months after it’s over? 

It’s a confluence of factors, to be sure; engaging and relevant content, dynamic speakers, interactive sessions, and networking activities all play essential parts in making a conference impactful. But these are now baseline expectations. Without them, your conference might indeed become a topic of conversation, but for all the wrong reasons.

We're emphasizing that while you must get all the fundamentals right, that might not be enough to make your conference stand out. 

You need something extra - an X factor - to elevate the conference experience from meh to memorable (and drive traffic to strategic areas in the venue, of course). “We try to build in moments of childlike joy into real-life experiences.. says Lauren Olerich, Sr. Director of Events at Gainsight in our webinar. “At [Pulse - Gainsight's annual conference), we have had people dressed up as superheroes who walk around the conference; we’ve hired a Taylor Swift impersonator to sing and serenade and walk around on stage; and we had a ferris wheel in 2018."

And that’s where activations come in.

A is for activations

What are activations? A quick refresher. 

Activations are engaging experiences that encourage attendees to participate in the conference - beyond the sessions, panels, and workshops, and which leave a lasting impression on attendees.

They can take many forms, such as interactive exhibits, experiential installations, workshops, games, live performances, etc. Organizers can use activations to meet strategic goals, such as driving traffic to the sponsors' area in the venue or driving awareness around a concept, product, or service.

Here's what Lauren recommends keeping in mind when planning your activations:

(1) Experiences for attendee to self-explore in their own time: If you think about the footprint of your event, [you can put activations on different zones and floors]. You can put ‍activations throughout the Expo Hall or the hallways as people are starting to walk to different breakout rooms.

(2) Encourage attendees to seek out the activations: You can encourage people through push notifications to find the activations. And you can gamify [it] by giving people points if they scan [the event app] at certain activations to encourage them to experience these things.

5 activation ideas that we loved

Idea 1: An interactive installation

What is it: A real-time, interactive artistic display that is built by attendee submissions

Why it’s a great idea: Conferences often focus on knowledge sharing and professional development, but incorporating live art serves as a creative counterbalance, stimulating senses and imagination and providing a unique way to express ideas and narratives.

A real-life example: The Brightline Initiative, in collaboration with Domestic Data Streamers, had a participatory art installation at their 2019 conference. Attendees were asked to write down their thoughts about speakers, sessions, and conference content on transparent tiles with permanent marker, creating a visually engaging and interactive experience that allowed participants to contribute to the event's narrative actively.

We love this idea.

Another example: At the TED Bigger Than Us Exhibit, attendees were invited to write an idea worth spreading on a piece of paper. They were then photographed holding it and their photo was added to a gallery. This activation engaged attendees in the core mission of TED, allowing them to actively participate in sharing and promoting their own innovative ideas, while also fostering a sense of inclusion and community.

A fantastic embodiment of the theme of the conference.

Idea 2: Puppies at the conference

What is it: Quite simply - puppies at the conference!

Why it’s a great idea: Incorporating puppies into a conference provides a delightful and unexpected element that can reduce stress, boost mood, and encourage social interaction among attendees. It adds a unique and memorable touch to the event, as it's not something commonly associated with conferences.

A real-life example: At Quantum Metric’s user conference, the team set up a puppy adoption center in the sponsor area. Attendees were thrilled to encounter adorable puppies, which not only attracted significant traffic to the sponsor area but also ended up with two dog adoptions.

Honestly, if you had this activation at your conference, you'd have trouble getting us to leave.

Idea 3: Smoothie bikes

What is it: Smoothie bikes let attendees select their preferred flavors and then pedal to blend them into their own custom fruit smoothie or signature cocktail, which they can take with them.

Why it’s a great idea: People love an activity, and people also love free food and drinks. Smoothie bikes cleverly combine both by offering a hands-on and fun experience that you definitely don’t expect at a conference and a yummy payoff.

A real-life example: HP set up smoothie bikes at Curry’s Peak Conference, as it perfectly exemplified HP sustainability, but works well at just about any event organized by a company that cares about sustainability (because you produce your own electricity!).

Idea 4: AR scavenger hunt

What is it: VR/AR/AI adventures are usually immersive and interactive experiences that leverage virtual or augmented environments, often involving headsets or devices. An AR scavenger hunt is an interactive game or activity in which participants use AR technology, often via a mobile app, to locate and collect virtual items or complete challenges within a physical or digital environment. Like Pokemon Go.

Why it’s great at a conference: VR/AR/AI adds oomph to your event and lets attendees explore a concept related to your conference’s theme in an exciting and cutting-edge way. The scavenger hunt, in particular, is a creative and fun way to get attendees exploring the venue, and interacting with products, services, and sponsors, which promotes deeper engagement between participants and event stakeholders.

A real-life example: The AR scavenger hunt at the 2023 Advertising Week APAC conference was a big hit. Attendees were encouraged to explore Lunar Park - the conference venue - to find and collect rewards from sponsors throughout the park. Participants would be entered into a draw to win a major prize.

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This is a smart way to employ gamification at the conference in a way that feels authentic and enjoyable to attendees, and helps you meet strategic event goals too.

Idea 5: Nostalgia arcade

What is it: An arcade of retro games designed to connect attendees with positive memories of the past.

Why it’s great at a conference: It adds a touch of fun and familiarity, making networking easier through shared memories, and conversations more enjoyable, and the event itself distinct and memorable.

A real-life example: AWS re: Invent in Las Vegas featured educational sessions, networking opportunities, as well as a variety of retro games, including a Giant Human Claw Machine in which attendees played the part of the Giant Claw. They were lifted into the air by the machine and lowered into a giant pit of untold treasures that were up for grabs.

There's no denying the power of a 90s throwback.

To sum up…

In the quest to make events truly memorable and strategically impactful, activations stand out as powerful tools.

But to make them truly effective, organizers need to carefully align the experiences with your company and event’s personality, goals, mission, and values, and with strategic objectives you’re trying to meet through them - for instance, driving footfall to sponsors.

So, be thoughtful, be strategic, but above all, be boldly unexpected.

KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America 2023 is fast approaching! This premier event is a must-attend for anyone in the open-source and cloud-native community. Here's a quick rundown of what to expect.

But first, a quick refresher on KubeCon

The Cloud Native Computing Foundation's flagship conference, KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America 2023, gathers adopters and technologists from leading open source and cloud native communities. This event serves as a nexus for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and networking among professionals in the field.

Its 2023 edition is set to be a hybrid event, combining in-person interactions with virtual participation. The first day is dedicated to preliminary activities, while the main conference spans three days.

Over these four days, attendees can expect a mix of in-person and virtual content, featuring keynotes, over 10 conference tracks, tutorials, and networking opportunities.

The essentials:

• When: November 6 – 9
• Where: McCormick Place West, Chicago, Illinois
• Registration: Event website

Sessions you may like:

Environmental Sustainability in the Cloud: A deep dive into the importance of environmental sustainability in IT. Learn about power consumption accountability, energy efficiency, GreenOps, and cost optimization from experts at Grafana Labs, Red Hat, Intel, Microsoft, and more.

Performance Profiling with Ryan Perry: Explore performance profiling across various programming languages and platforms. Understand the significance of observability in modern software development.

OpenTelemetry Contribfest: Get introduced to the latest features and developments of the OpenTelemetry project with Juraci Paixão Kröhling from Grafana Labs and other Prometheus project maintainers.

Measuring Kubernetes Costs: Gain insights on tracking cloud costs, especially for Kubernetes clusters, with JuanJo Ciarlante and Mark Poko from Grafana Labs.

Hop into these hubs:

AI Hub: The first-ever AI Hub is set to be a highlight. This one-day unconference will delve into AI topics impacting the cloud-native community, covering areas like LLMs, AI policy, AI operations, AI data governance, and more. Attendees can engage in active conversations and learn from industry peers about AI implementations.

Security Hub: The inaugural Security Hub will focus on security topics vital to the cloud-native community, offering insights into the latest cloud-native security practices and challenges.

Summing up...

All in all, KubeCon + CloudNativeCon North America 2023 is poised to offer a comprehensive view of the future of cloud-native technologies and opportunities for networking with industry leaders.

Our new Event Series feature allows you to link related events or webinars, simplifying repetitive tasks like registrations, attendee management, and communications.

One landing page for all your topic-specific events

You can now organize multiple events and webinars and promote them under one theme by setting up a Series. Your series can have its own Landing Page, using which attendees can register for all the underlying events and webinars in one go.

Follow these steps to set up your series landing page

Automated emails set up for entire series

On registering once, your attendees will get automated email reminders for each of your events organized in the series. Every email goes with a calendar block that helps you boost attendee turnout.

Learn how to set up attendee emails for an event series

Build an audience with consistent engagement

By releasing events under a series, you can boost attendee turnout, have deeper engagement with your attendees, and build a stronger connection with your audience.

‍Native CRM integration

Directly sync your attendee data to your CRM. This drastically reduces the turnaround time for follow ups and help your teams run targeted campaigns.

Analytics for entire series

Get granular data on what polls or questions each attendee engaged with. Get analytics on their interests, time spent per session and CTAs clicked. You’ll find all analytics across each event, organized in one single dashboard.

Wrapping up…

The Event Series feature is all about efficiency and enhancing the attendee experience. By linking related events and streamlining processes, you can focus on delivering value and ensuring each event in the series is a success.

In our inaugural session of Events About Events hosted by Nick Bennett, the CCO & Co-Founder of Tack, we delved into the intricacies of B2B event marketing. 

As the conversation unfolded, industry experts Ashley Mauras, Director of Experience Marketing at Quantum Metric, and Jason Widup, the founder of Peak B2B, shared their unique perspectives and insights on the key changes they've observed with events.

If you missed it, or just need a refresher, here are 4 key takeaways:

‍Defining the core of modern B2B events

B2B events are not what they were before.

For instance, today, It's not just about putting together flashy events anymore; it's about creating experiences that resonate. 

In the session, our speakers illustrate that the very core of modern event marketing has evolved. It is now all about understanding your audience's evolving needs and meeting them head-on.

‍Changes in event expectations

The post-pandemic landscape has invariably altered the way we perceive and approach events. “Attendees now value their time more than ever, demanding better experiences", says Ashley, emphasizing that companies need to elevate their event strategies, understanding that subpar experiences could deter potential attendees in the future.

To this end, Jason highlights - “One of the bigger changes companies are realizing is like, ok, this has to be a very attendee focused experience - the attendees should be really at the center of the event.”

Events aren’t just events; they’re growth catalysts

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If you’re thinking of events as just networking opportunities, think again.

Events should structure around the customer's journey – from discovery to engagement and growth.

It's a reminder that events can be strategic levers in your growth plan. And guess what? In-person events can be especially impactful, providing that personal touch that might just push a potential deal across the finish line.

Retention and renewal through events

Even the focus of B2B events is evolving, it isn't solely on new acquisitions. Jason Widup sheds light on the current trend in the SaaS world, noting, "Everyone's moving to a land and expand model... focused on expansion, retention, renewal."

Why are we observing this change? Because event marketers have realized that having their customers attend their events results in:

➡ Genuine testimonials: Their firsthand experiences carry weight, making them your brand's most authentic promoters.

➡ Organic interactions: They often become spontaneous salespeople, answering queries and sharing their positive experiences.

➡ Boosting retention: While events are great for attracting new faces, having your customers around not only validates your product but also reinforces their loyalty.

Love these insights? Register for our Events About Events series today!

Money 20/20 Vegas 2023 is shaping up to be an insightful gathering for those in the payments, fintech, and financial services sectors. As we approach the event, here’s a sense of what's in store. 

When and where is it happening?

22-25 Oct 2023 at The Venetian Resort, Las Vegas.

Sessions to watch out for

Putting the heart back into the customer experience through high-touch digital platforms

Speakers: Thomas Fuss (CTO, Backbase) & Ashley Eknaian (Chief Digital Officer, Eastern Bank)

Insight: Dive into the real essence of "digital transformation" and its implications for banks. Understand the challenges of implementing new technologies and the need for a holistic approach to truly transform and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Building loyalty through payments: the Cleveland Cavaliers and Caesars

Speakers: Matt O'Brien (Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships, Rock Entertainment Group), Megan Rodriguez (SVP Loyalty & CRM, Caesars Entertainment), and Dennis McCarthy (Chief Client Officer, Bread Financial)

Insight: Explore the importance of customer trust and loyalty, especially in the sports and entertainment sectors. Learn how financial innovations are being leveraged to enhance user experiences and foster repeated engagements.

Future proofing through experiential marketing

Speaker: Raja Rajamannar (Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Mastercard)

Insight: Delve into the evolution of Mastercard's iconic "Priceless" campaign. Discover how it's transitioning from moments to movements, connecting people globally, and the brand's future direction centered around experiential marketing.

Sunday Night Live: Ben Horowitz, AI, oh my...

Sunday Night Live at Money20/20 is the premier event featuring top industry names. From the ice breaker to the Fintech Update, anticipate an exciting Sunday evening of surprises.

Noteworthy keynotes

Money 20/20 boasts a lineup of influential voices in the industry, including:

• Emilie Choi, President & Chief Operating Officer, Coinbase
• Ariel Cohen, CEO & Co-Founder, NAVAN
• Anand Selvakesari, COO, Citigroup

Networking opportunities

Banking Infrastructure Summit: Networking reception

Powered by Thought Machine, in partnership with Google Cloud and Accenture

The Green Room- Sunday Night Live after-party

Networking with drinks from the bar and live music from the stage

How to register?

The pass is available on the official website.

There are conferences, and then there are conferences.
Partnership Leaders' Catalyst 2023 firmly establishes itself in a league of its own.

This annual conference serves as a catalyst for growth in the partnership and business development sector, with partnership professionals from around the globe coming together to discuss best practices, set industry standards, and elevate partnerships to new heights. This year, Catalyst 2023 was held in Denver. It was attended by 650+ professionals, all of whom left the event thoroughly impressed and inspired by the experience.

Here are 3 ways Partnership Leaders made this in-person conference an absolute hit among its members this year.

1) A frictionless check-in experience

At many in-person conferences, the check-in process can be tiresome, often involving long queues, manual badge searches, and frustrating delays. Attendees frequently spend valuable time waiting in a line or tutting internally at the sluggish pace of checking-in.

It can put a damper on the event itself.

But at Catalyst ‘23, attendees were able to check in and get their badges printed in less than 60 seconds. It was a smooth-as-butter process because:

1. Attendees were emailed a QR code beforehand
2. They scanned this code on iPads provided at the registration table in Denver
3. The scan prompted a badge label to be printed automatically
4. All that was left was to collect the badge and walk into the conference!

2) A conference app co-created by attendees

Conference apps, while intended to enhance the event experience, can often be bloated with unnecessary features and difficult to navigate. Attendees may struggle to find the information they need amidst a sea of overwhelming options, leading to frustration rather than convenience.

The Catalyst ‘23 app however was built with input from Partnership Leaders’ community members themselves, who logged in, tested things out and made suggestions. This sense of co-ownership resulted in 98% of Catalyst attendees downloading the conference app. 

“They used it to navigate the venue and add sessions to their schedule. They could receive real-time updates to the agenda, and it allowed them to see who else they could network with based on their goals and interests,” says Asher Mathew, CEO of Partnership Leaders. “It helped to personalize the conference experience for them and strengthened the sense of community, as we had all built it together.”

3) Easy ways for sponsors to connect with attendees + vice-versa

Navigating the conference landscape can be a double-edged sword for both sponsors and attendees. For sponsors, qualifying attendees amid the hustle and bustle of large events can be a daunting task. On the flip side, attendees often find themselves overwhelmed, struggling to keep track of the multitude of opportunities that come their way.

The Lead Retrieval app at Catalyst '23 served as a bridge, simplifying interactions between sponsors and attendees. Sponsors could quickly scan attendee QR codes for instant data capture and qualification using simple lead scoring, making follow-up with highly interested attendees easy. And for the attendees, the same QR scan meant that they could just focus on interacting with the sponsor without the burden of manual note-taking, knowing that they would be sent pertinent information after the conference.

To sum up

The collaborative energy championed by Partnership Leaders paved the way for streamlined interactions and seamless data exchange that attendees wholeheartedly embraced at Catalyst '23, and set a new standard for in-person conferences. 

We’ve all seen how in-person conferences have returned to the forefront (and thank god for that!)

But is it that same-old in-person experience we knew a few years ago?

Not really.

Analyzing the changes in the in-person experience is sort of like watching an old friend return with a new vibe; they look the same, more or less, but something about them has changed for good!

After being shelved during the infamous locked-down years in the recent past, in-person events have re-entered the scene with a fresh, new sheen. 

But what stirred this change, and where does today’s tech that promises to support these events stumble a bit? 

Let’s find out.

So, what’s the new deal with in-person events?

Safety comes first, but make it smooth

Remember the ease of walking into events, all ready to networking vibes on? Now, it’s all about QR check-ins, ensuring a smooth, touch-free entry while keeping the safety gears in check. Health and engagement now go hand in hand, ensuring everyone can mingle without any worry in their heads.

Tech isn’t just a backstage player anymore

From QR codes ensuring safe entry to attendee apps that enable you to easily manage schedules, technology has stepped into the spotlight, playing a pivotal role in shaping the in-person event narrative and personalizing attendee experiences.

The necessity of hybrid components

In a world where reaching a wider audience has become paramount, integrating virtual elements into in-person events is no longer optional. You need a virtual streaming component at events to ensure no audience is missed and maximize reach and engagement.

Shift in audience perspective and strategy

Strategic audience targeting has taken a front seat, The focus moving from being solely on seeking new logos, to strategically bringing in existing customers. It’s a strategic play to get them to learn from one another, thereby subtly influencing deals and experiences. 

Moreover, existing customers are now viewed as extensions of your sales team.This has become a standard approach in modern event planning.

Event intel is a must-have

The era of virtual events handed us the golden ticket of data - insights into attendee behavior, engagement metrics, and lead generation info that marketers now expect from in-person events too.

In essence, in-person conferences have evolved from just crafting memorable moments to strategically beneficial experiences. It’s not just about hosting a stellar event but ensuring it delivers tangible, measurable results.

But here's the challenge with using virtual platforms for in-person conferences

In-person conferences, now a key player in B2B marketing strategies, aim to bring valuable experiences to attendees and sponsors. However, event marketers find themselves in a bit of a pickle due to the predominantly ‘virtual-first’ solutions in the event tech landscape.

Different foundations, different stories

Most event platforms, which gained traction in recent years, were crafted with a clear mission - deliver a top-notch virtual experience. Adapting to in-person needs isn’t just about tacking on features; it’s about embracing the core essence of the format, which isn’t a mere flick of a switch but a transformation.

Strategic focus isn’t a one-size-fits-all

Hybrid events might be the talk of the town, but let’s break it down. Events usually lean towards one format, with the other playing a supporting role. 

While platforms might claim to cater to both formats, their primary focus often peeks through their features and dashboards. Event marketers need tools that understand the intricacies of their primary event format and align with their strategic goals.

So, where does this leave event marketers?

Modern marketers deserve an event platform inherently designed to deliver an in-person experience attuned to the evolved expectations of attendees.

As in-person experiences transition from being tactical events to strategic marketing endeavors, event marketers should leverage technology that propels them towards success and enables them to extract maximum value from their in-person events.

In wrapping up, the event landscape has evolved significantly over the past few years, and so the technology supporting it must also evolve, ensuring it is not merely a reactive solution but a proactive tool that understands and enhances the modern in-person event experience.

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Picture this: your association just wrapped up a conference that kept all of your attendees engaged and taught them valuable insights that they can carry into their professional careers. However, just because your association’s event is over doesn’t mean your work is!

Events are not just one and done. Post-event follow-up is critical to keeping attendees invested in your organization and eager to stay involved, whether by registering for an upcoming event, signing up for your mentorship program, or upgrading their membership tier.

Luckily, you can use a variety of communication and marketing channels to keep attendees in the loop and connected to your organization at all times — from text messaging to social media.

Use these best practices to foster lasting relationships with attendees and nurture guests along the member journey after your event:

• Express Appreciation
• Solicit Feedback
• Post event highlights
• Offer additional ways to get involved

Connecting with your attendees before, during, and after your event is a vital part of boosting your member retention rate. Let’s dive into how you can keep your association on your members’ minds long after your event concludes.

Express Appreciation

Your association is likely made up of busy individuals who take the time out of their schedules to attend your conferences, workshops, and more. As a result, it’s important to show your gratitude to members for showing up. Doing this can build stronger connections with your members and make them feel like they're really part of your association's community.

In your thank-you messages, be sure to:

• Greet attendees with their first names: A personalized message is much more eye-catching and impactful than a generic note that begins with “Dear Member.” Plus, it can lead to higher open rates. In fact, one study found that personalizing your subject lines can increase open rates by 29.3%. Add members’ first names to your subject lines so they’re more likely to read your message and feel like they’re a valued part of your organization, rather than just another participant among hundreds or thousands. 
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• Reference the event they attended: Include the specific name of your event in your message so attendees know what you’re thanking them for. 
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• Share the top insights from your event: Remind your attendees of the key takeaways from your event that they can use to reach their individual goals. For example, if you recently hosted a skills-building conference, you might say “Dear Monica, Thank you for attending our Annual Skills Development Conference. We hope that you enjoyed our public speaking and technical writing workshops and will carry out the three C’s we went over: “Communicate Clearly, Concisely, and Confidently.”

Manually personalizing each of your attendee communications can eat up all of your time and cause you to delay getting your thank-you messages out quickly. Instead, leverage a text messaging platform with automation and personalization abilities so you can easily power off these messages in just moments and feel confident that attendees will see them. The right platform will also let you schedule these messages in advance to be sent mere minutes or hours after your event concludes. 

Solicit Feedback 

Show your guests that you value their perspective by inviting them to fill out a post-event survey. Ask attendees to honestly share what they liked and disliked about your event. For instance, you might ask questions like:

• On a scale of 1-10, how engaged did you feel during this event?
• What was your favorite part of our event?
• Do you have any suggestions to improve this event? 
• Did you find the registration process simple? 
• How likely are you to attend another event from our organization in the future? 

Your members’ responses will point your association to ways you can increase your events’ impact in the future and boost your attendance numbers. After all, members are much more likely to attend events that align with their interests and actively take their feedback into consideration. 

Once your survey is created, you’ll need a way to get it to your supporters.  Easily send out this survey by text messaging your attendees a mobile-friendly link. This way, attendees can submit their responses at any time on the go. You can also email it to your event attendees so they have the option to complete it from their computers. 

Post event highlights 

Sharing event highlights on your marketing and communication platforms — like your text messaging campaign, social media, and email — allows attendees to remember the great time they had at your event while enticing members who weren’t in attendance to register for future events. 

For example, you might share: 

• Photos of guests engaging in event activities, like listening to a speaker or networking with peers
• Video clips of the top speeches from your event
• Testimonials from guests in attendance

To gather testimonials, ask some of your loyal members who were in attendance to write a few sentences about what they took away from your event and how it’s helped them in their respective fields. This can be powerful social proof to inspire people to sign up for your next event or even apply to be a member if they aren’t already. 

Offer additional ways to get involved 

Events can often serve as a springboard for attendees to dive deeper into what your association can offer them. Point attendees to other ways they can continue to stay engaged in your association. For example, you might invite attendees to:  

• Register for upcoming events: On your website or through newsletters, highlight  upcoming conferences, workshops, or networking events that would be of interest to your attendees. Include a link to your registration page so attendees can sign up with ease. 
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• Sign up for your email newsletter or subscribe to your blog: Attendees can always stay tapped into your organization by keeping up with your email newsletter or industry insights blog. This is a great way to keep your association top of mind and help members derive as much value from your organization as possible. 
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• Follow your social media accounts: Encourage attendees to follow your association on social media for real-time updates and the ability to connect with other members. For example, you might create a Facebook group where members can launch into thought-provoking discussions. 
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• Explore opportunities that relate to their specific interests: Suggest opportunities that align with the purpose of your event since you know that attendees are already interested in this. For instance, let’s say you’re an association of medical professionals that recently hosted a networking event for new doctors to learn more about how to progress in their careers. You might direct them to an opportunity to join your mentorship program and receive invaluable advice from more veteran members of your association. 

You can also ask attendees as part of your post-event feedback survey for ways they hope to get more involved in your association. Then, you can suggest opportunities based on these responses. 

Wrapping Up 

The post-event phase is a golden opportunity to convert attendees into loyal members. With the right post-event marketing and communication strategies, you can build stronger relationships with attendees and create a vibrant and growing member community. Make sure you’re working with the best tech to easily get in touch with attendees and keep them engaged well after your event ends. 

Insuretech Vegas is just around the corner! 

This event is the place to be for the latest and brightest in the insurance and technology industries, packed with expert sessions, hands-on workshops, breakout sessions for networking, and more.

Here’s everything you need to know about Insuretech Connect Vegas this year.

First, here are the essentials:

When is Insuretech Connect Vegas?

October 31 - November 2.

Where is Insuretech Connect Vegas 2023 going to be held?

The conference will be held at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.

Where do I register?

Click here to purchase your tickets at ITC Vegas. 

And here’s what you can look forward to checking out at the conference:

(1)🎱 Keynotes on cutting-edge tech and industry trends

Hear directly from top insurance CEOs, regulators, and innovation visionaries on their strategic insights and vision for the insurance sector - these sessions are insightful, downright inspiring and extremely valuable. We’re looking forward to these fantastic keynotes this year:

• Practical Optimism: Strategies for Thriving in a Changing World 
  Presented by Gary Vaynerchuk, Chairman of VaynerX, the CEO of VaynerMedia  Creator & CEO of VeeFriends

• Thinking and Acting like a Digital Company: Building on 150 Years of Insurance Background
  Presented by Kevin Strain, President & CEO Sun Life President
  Rodney Zemmel, Global Leader of McKinsey Digital, McKinsey & Company 

• In the Hot Seat of an Insurtech CEO
  Presented by Angus McDonald, CEO & Co-Founder, Cover Genius
  Eduardo della Maggiora, CEO & Founder, Betterfly
  Gary Hoberman, CEO & Founder, Unqork
  Jacqueline LeSage, Managing General Partner, Munich Re Ventures 
  Jennifer Fitzgerald, CEO & Co-Founder, PolicyGenius

(2)👂Intriguing panel discussions on all things insurance, from personalization to bitcoin

There’s a fantastic variety of panels you can attend at the conference based on your specific interests, goals and pain points. We’d love to attend all of them to be honest, but here’s the ones that we wouldn’t miss:

• From Good to Great: The Power of Personalization and Leveraging Data to Improve Customer Experience
  Presented by Andrea Iorio, Columnist, MIT Technology Review 
  Brasil Brent Williams, CEO, President & Founder, Benekiva
  Effi Fuks-Leichtag, CPO, NEXT Insurance
  Jackie Morales, SVP, COO, Security Benefit

• Insurance: Mission Impossible or Time for a Rethink? 
  Presented by Russell Higginbotham, CEO, Swiss Re Reinsurance Solutions

• The Power of Emotions in Insurance Customer Experience: Creating Positive Memories and Loyalty 
  Presented by Jamie Hale, CEO & Co-Founder, Ladder Life

• How Insurance Can Help to Enhance Resilience Against Climate Change's Environmental Risks
  Presented by Daniel Price, Co-Founder, WeatherPromise 
  Dave Mullen, VC, SVB Capital
  Raghuveer Vinukollu, Head of Climate Insights and Advisory, Munich Re 
  Rema Matevosyan, CEO & Co-Founder, Near Space Labs 

(3)🤖🧠 Interactive deep-dive workshops on AI and more

From exploring emerging technologies like AI to mastering the intricacies of regulatory compliance, learn how to apply cutting-edge knowledge to real-world challenges in the insurance sector. Here are a few intriguing workshops that caught our eye:

• Generative AI: Bridging the Productivity Gap in Insurance 
  Presented by Quantiphi Bhaskar Kalita, Global Head of FSI, Quantiphi Global Head of FSI Quantiphi
  Learn: how you can bring generative AI into your organization to solve transformational challenges and boost productivity, like for instance streamlining tasks like policy comparison, policy document generation.

• Revolutionizing Underwriting: Cutting-edge Tools Enhance Risk Analysis and Pricing Strategies
  Presented by Moody's RMS
  Learn: about the next generation of underwriting tools for P&C (re)insurers and how they work by pulling in untapped data sources, correlating them across their business, and delivering key insights at the point of underwriting.

(4)🗣️🗣️🗣️Lots and lots of networking opportunities

You’ll have plenty of time and opportunity to meet businesses and professionals you’re interested in connecting with. There are booth/kiosks on the show floor, private meeting rooms adjacent to the show floor booths, a dedicated area on the show floor for international attendees as well as dedicated meeting tables on the show floor.

There are a series of networking meet-ups designed for key niche audiences throughout the day including a First time orientation, Black Founders reception, Women’s Leadership Forum and a Reverse Speed Mentoring session held by InsureTalent x RISE in which young professionals seize the reins and offer insights that challenge conventional wisdom.

And there’s an AI matchmaking tool available that will connect you with decision makers that matter the most to you.

(5) And there’s plenty of fun and entertainment too

It's not all business; there's lots of entertainment and socializing at the conference too! Enjoy social events, receptions, and after-hours gatherings where you can relax and unwind while building connections. Do not miss:

• Puppy Lounges - Stop by the ITC puppy lounges to spend time with adorable rescue puppies. Need we say more.

• Relaxation Stations - Enjoy a mini massage from a trained masseuse to help you recharge

• Champagne Wall - Stop by their champagne wall and grab a flute to toast your success at ITC Vegas

• Happy Hour - Drinks and conversations almost every day, whether the kick-off reception or closing party

The takeaway:

Insuretech Connect this year promises to be a captivating event where you’ll probably be witnessing the future of insurance unfold in real-time. You’ll also get plenty of opportunity to network with tech and insurance enthusiasts as well as industry leaders. Win-win-win.

Every year, Zylo, the leader in SaaS management hosts SaaSMe, a multi-day conference dedicated to assisting IT and business leaders drive responsible growth through smarter SaaS management. 

Day 1 of the conference is open to all who want to learn more about optimizing their SaaS portfolio, while Day 2 is dedicated to helping current customers dive deeper into deriving even more value from Zylo. Here's how Zylo delivered value to SaaSMe 2023 attendees and built relationships that turned into 46% growth in pipeline within just 2 months after the conference.

Here are 3 things that Zylo did which led to incredible growth in pipeline:‍

1. Smart conference session-scoring let Zylo identify a prospect or customer's specific pain points or interests

Despite having over 1000 registrations at SaaSMe, Zylo effectively understood the pain points and goals of each attendee by employing event engagement scoring.

They achieved this by first intelligently aligning session scoring with Zylo's value pillars.

Then Zylo analyzed each prospect’s attendance at sessions and engagement activity within each session.

This made it simple to see which were the prospect’s primary interests or concerns in SaaS management - for instance security, or licensing. 

2. Layering event + account data gave Sales the power to highly personalize post -conference engagement

By leveraging Zuddl’s Salesforce integration, Zylo’s Sales team had easy access to information on the sessions that prospects and customers were most interested in at SaaSMe 2023 and questions or concerns on their mind. This insight, combined with existing account data, enabled them to reach out with personalized messages and content aligned with a prospect's interests—such as security for those engaged in SaaS security sessions.

Furthermore, Zylo also ensured that the right seller connected with the right prospect. For instance, because Day 2 of SaaSMe was customer-centric, only customer success executives were assigned follow-up with customers. Here too, because of the Salesforce integration,  CS executives had more insight into a customer’s goals and challenges and could recommend additional Zylo service offerings.

3. Made conference video recordings super-fast so that Sales could use them in outreach

Team Zylo, using Zuddl's built-in video production tool - Studio, were able to create SaaSMe 2023 branded video highlights within days after the conference. This meant that their Sales team could use the videos in their outreach to prospects and customers - a simple but impactful way to continue the momentum of the conference forward, cement Zylo as a partner invested in optimizing your SaaS management, and move the needle a little further towards conversion. 

The takeaway:

When the name of the game is building authentic connections and tailored solutions, Zylo's success stands as a testament to the power of meaningful engagement. Through their effective use of Zuddl’s platform features and integrations, Zylo turned their industry conference into an impressive pipeline engine for the company.

Read more about Zylo’s success here.

Another season becomes another reason to celebrate!

We’re super kicked to share that Zuddl has bagged 98 badges in G2’s Fall report across 8 categories. Back in summer. we secured 65+ badges, and now there's 33 more badges - which means 33 more reasons to smile :)

Here are the key highlights from our wins as per the G2 Grid® Report for Fall 2023:

Leader

(Noteworthy categories: Virtual Event Platforms, Mid-Market Virtual Event Platforms, Small-Business Virtual Event Platforms)

Products in the Leader quadrant in the Grid® Report are rated highly by G2 users and have substantial Satisfaction and Market Presence scores

Best Support

(Noteworthy categories: Event Management Platforms, Event Networking and Matchmaking, Mobile Event Apps, Event Registration & Ticketing)

The Highest Quality of Support product in the Relationship Index earned the highest Quality of Support rating in its category

High Performer

(Noteworthy categories: Event Marketing, Event Management Platforms, Audience Response, Webinars, Event Networking and Matchmaking, Mobile Event Apps, Event Registration & Ticketing,)

Products in the High Performer quadrant in the Grid® Report have high customer Satisfaction scores and low Market Presence scores compared to the rest of the category

Easiest Setup

(Noteworthy categories: Event Management Platforms, Event Registration & Ticketing, Webinars)

The Easiest Setup product in the Implementation Index earned the highest Ease of Setup rating in its category

Best Usability

(Category: Mid-Market Virtual Event Platforms)

The Best Usability product in the Usability Index earned the highest Usability rating in its category

What makes G2 wins so special?

Our G2 report rankings are derived from genuine feedback given by actual users of Zuddl. As Sara Rossio, the Chief Product Officer at G2, points out, these insights are invaluable for potential buyers. They can confidently rely on this information during their software selection process, knowing it stems from thoroughly checked and genuine reviews.

Other exciting wins from the G2 Fall Grid® Report

Easiest Admin Mid-Market

(Key categories: Mid-Market Webinar, Mid-Market Event Management Platforms)

Easiest To Do Business With Mid-Market

(Key categories: Mid-Market Audience Response, Mid-Market Event Management Platforms)‍

Momentum Leader

(Key categories: Event Management Platforms, Virtual Event Platforms, Webinar, Mobile Event Apps, Event Registration & Ticketing)

Leader - India

(Key categories: Asia Pacific Mobile Event Apps, Asia Pacific Virtual Event Platforms, Asia Event Registration & Ticketing)

High Performer Enterprise

(Key categories: Mid-Market Asia Pacific Virtual Event Platforms, Mid-Market Asia Pacific Webinar)

As always, we thank you for cheering us on!

Psst.. we have exciting things lined up in the coming months - stay tuned!

Oracle CloudWorld 2023 is all set to kickoff next week. If you're still on the fence about attending it, and don’t have the time to do your research, we’ve got you covered!

Here’s all you need to know.

What's it about?

It’s the largest gathering of Oracle customers and partners from around the world.

When and where is it happening?

Oracle CloudWorld will be held between September 18–21, 2023 at The Venetian Conference and Expo Center in Las Vegas. It is an in-person first conference.

What to expect:

• Extensive learning opportunities from Oracle experts
• Networking sessions with peers from various industries
• Exploration of the latest Oracle innovations
• A focus on Oracle solutions, including infrastructure, databases, and applications
• Insights to tackle complex business challenges

Sessions you may like:

Transform customer experience quickly with infrastructure and applications 

Discover how to rapidly transform customer experiences by leveraging Oracle's infrastructure and applications. Understand the benefits of Oracle's integrated cloud suite in delivering seamless customer experiences.

Maximize your marketing impact with Oracle Advertising and CX

Dive into the capabilities of Oracle Advertising and CX to enhance your marketing strategies. Learn how to drive better results and ROI from your marketing campaigns using Oracle's suite of tools.

Generative AI use cases, best practices, and strategies

Experts from Atlassian, Intermedia, Cohere, Accenture, and Oracle will discuss generative AI use cases, success stories, deployment strategies, and best practices.

‘Note’worthy keynotes:

• Larry Ellison, Chairman and Chief Technology Officer, Oracle will be discussing the latest advancements in Oracle Cloud, providing insights into the future of cloud technology.
• Safra Catz, CEO, Oracle will be sharing her vision for the future of business in the cloud era, emphasizing the role of Oracle in shaping that future.

Networking ops:

Oracle's sales and product teams are arranging small, by-invitation gatherings for individuals to interact with peers and specialists. The event includes a meal, beverages, and some entertainment in Las Vegas. Besides this, there are a host of sessions hosted by AMD, PwC, Accenture, etc. Plus, you can always spark up a conversation at CloudWorld Hub during your coffee breaks.

How to register?

The passes and pricing deets are available on their website.

Touted to be the AI event of the year, Dreamforce 2023, Salesforce's renowned annual conference is happening between Sep 12 - 14 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA- and it promises to be a hoot!

For those of you who are wondering if it’s worth your time and money, here's a sneak peek into what’s in store.

Quick highlights

• 1,500+ sessions, 75+ AI thought leaders
• Real-time conversations with thought leaders
• A-list entertainer performances
• Surprises around every corner

A star-studded speaker lineup, alright (alright, alright):

Other important speakers include:

Marc Benioff - Chair, CEO and co-founder, Salesforce

Sam Altman - CEO, OpenAI - AI innovator and expert

Ayanna Howard, Ph.D - Accomplished roboticist, entrepreneur and educator

Viola Davis - Award-winning actress, producer and NY Times bestselling author

Rainn Wilson - Award-winning actor, comedian and NY Times bestselling author

Important AI sessions:

Here are some of the standout AI sessions lined up:

• AI for Everyone: This session promises to demystify AI for the general audience, breaking down complex concepts into digestible insights.
• Einstein Automate: Dive deep into the world of automation with Salesforce's Einstein Automate, exploring how businesses can streamline operations using AI.
• Tableau Business Science: A session dedicated to data visualization and business intelligence, highlighting the importance of data-driven decision-making in modern enterprises.
• MuleSoft Composer for Salesforce: This will focus on integrating various data sources, ensuring seamless data flow across platforms, powered by AI.

What's unique about this year’s edition?

Apart from the regular sessions, Dreamforce 2023 is introducing "TrAIlblazer Experiences," a unique blend of learning and entertainment. These experiences are designed to inspire attendees, offering a mix of hands-on workshops, luminary sessions, and networking opportunities.

And last but not the least…

To add a touch of entertainment to the event, the legendary rock band Foo Fighters will be tearing up the stage!

How to register:

Interested in attending? You can register for Dreamforce 2023 on the Salesforce website. Given the event's popularity, it's advisable to book your spot asap!

‍

Businesses are waking up to the potential of influencer marketing. 

A recent poll by InvespCro revealed a staggering 94% of marketers believe influencer marketing is a game-changer for B2B businesses. 

With such compelling stats, it pays to know how to tap into influencer marketing. At the same time, for someone starting out, it also pays to know what not to do. Luckily, we got some killer insights from Anton Shulke, Head of Influencer Marketing at Duda, in our recent edition of Event Heroes.

Here are four cool takeaways from that conversation that you can confidently bookmark:

1. The essence of influencer marketing is relationship building

One of the key points Anton underscores is the importance of investing time and effort in building relationships with influencers. No matter what the current trends are and what different strategies you’re following, at the end of the day, relationship building determines the success of your influencer marketing efforts.

"I think you will win in influencer marketing (B2B especially) if you kind of hold your horses and you invest, invest in not, not money, invest your time and, and, and effort in relationship with your influencer.” advises Anton.

2. Authenticity is key

Anton reiterates the power of trust and the human element in influencer marketing. Authentic recommendations can significantly influence purchasing decisions. He stresses the importance of working with an influencer who sees value in your business as well as your product. If they don’t like it - how will they vouch for you?

Highlighting this point, he says, "Only work with people who want to work with you who see value in working with you. It also is very important to work with people who like your products (not necessarily who use your product)."

3. All experts are not influencers, and vice versa

On the topic of how influencers can add value to B2B conferences, Anton acknowledges that they can help you reach a wider audience and promote your event, but also highlights that it is important for an event marketer to know the difference between an influencer and an expert, and this will help you aptly reach out to them for different purposes to better your conferences.

"Expert and influencer - it's not the same. One expert would be absolutely fantastic - but nobody knows him because he doesn't want to be a public figure. Experts will bring some tips or some deep knowledge people want, of course, but this expert would not bring registrations of course because nobody knows him. So you need someone who will bring your registration.”

4. Start small and scale up once you see results

Getting started with B2B influencer marketing can be a bit puzzling. As a marketing leader who is planning to kick things off, how do you make the first move? Anton suggests that starting with low-cost initiatives, like webinars, can be an effective way to dip your toes into influencer marketing without a hefty investment.

You can watch our entire conversation with Anton right here.

‍

Imagine you receive this email from a professional association you were once a member of:

• ‍Please join us for our next virtual event
  
  We’re pleased to announce our next virtual mixer! Meet and mingle with peers as we discuss recent trends in the field.
  Please RSVP at the following link: [URL]

Would you be likely to re-engage with the association or attend the event? Probably not. This short email doesn’t inspire action and would be unlikely to even catch your attention in a crowded inbox.

But what if you received this version?

• ‍You’re Invited: Claim your spot in ABC’s virtual mixer this Wednesday
  It’s time for another virtual mixer as part of the Association of Badger Crusaders’ autumn event series!
  [Screenshot from the previous event overlaid with a cute badger illustration]
  
  We’ve been thrilled to see our community of wildlife researchers, enthusiasts, and warriors join previous events, and we’ve got something special planned for our next event on Wednesday at 6:00 PM Eastern — but you’ll need to tune in to find out!
  Please RSVP today to claim your spot, or sign up to receive a recording of the gathering if you’re unable to join us: [URL]
  We look forward to seeing you and chatting all things badger conservation!

Assuming you’re a badger researcher or enthusiast, this email would probably be more likely to grab your attention, right?

Email promotions are among the most important ways for organizations to get the word out about events, increase attendance numbers, and drive engagement. But there’s so much more you can be doing than drafting basic emails notifying supporters, members, or customers about the event and asking them to attend. The ways in which you design your email campaigns and craft your messages will have a huge impact on final outcomes.

Let’s explore four of the fundamental best practices to keep in mind.

1. Determine the value proposition of your event 

Why would someone want to attend your event? When you’re knee-deep in planning and coordinating, it can be surprisingly easy to lose sight of what should be at the core of your event’s promotions: its value proposition.

Value proposition is defined as “a concise statement of the benefits that a company is delivering to customers who buy its products or services,” but it can be expanded to anything that you’re promoting. If you’re asking people to take action, you need to understand why they’d want to.

Break your event down into these elements to uncover and refine its value proposition:

• Purpose: Why are you hosting this event? What will it accomplish for your organization?
• Audience:Who do you want to attend this event? What are their motivations for engaging with your organization in general—are they customers, donors, or members? What do they get from being a part of your community?
• Benefits: How do the purpose of the event and your audience’s motivations intersect? What are the benefits they’ll get from attending—networking, learning opportunities, sneak peeks at new products or programs, a fun time?
• Unique aspects: What does your event offer that takes its appeal and benefits to the next level, setting it apart from other similar events? Do you have special entertainment planned, or a standout speaker?

As you lay out your email strategy, try answering these questions. They’ll give you a clearer sense of why people would want to attend the event and what they’ll get out of it. This is the core message that should anchor all of your promotions in one form or another.

2. Segment your email list

Understanding your target audience will help you refine your email approach and ultimately maximize attendance and engagement. If you’ve already defined your audience with the exercise above, it’s time to dig deeper to uncover the more specific strategies and elements you might employ in your emails to target them.

Start by defining the specific characteristics of your target audience for this event—for an association, these could be markers like:

• Active membership
• Lapsed membership within the last X years
• Previous engagement with this type of event
• Location (for in-person events)

When you create a defined segment for your event promotions, you can then take a closer look to see what promotional strategies will work best for your emails. If you keep comprehensive records in a CRM or database integrated with your email tools, you should be able to review previous email campaigns that these segmented donors have received. Order them by clickthrough or conversion rate, and bingo—you’ve found the specific promotions, subject lines, perks, and more that successfully attracted this audience’s attention in the past.

But even aside from this kind of data archaeology, segmenting your audience will still be helpful for simplifying the process of drafting your messaging. It’s always easier to speak to a group when you know exactly who they are in relation to your organization.

Segmentation is also important if your event targets multiple audiences, like potential vendors and attendees for a conference. Segmenting them and developing distinct email streams will keep your promotions organized and effective.

3. Leverage email copy best practices

Once you’ve determined the value of your event and who you’ll be promoting it to, it’s time to write some emails. You don’t have to be a professional copywriter to draft an engaging message, but you do need to follow a few best practices. These are the most important to keep in mind:

• Subject lines. Your email’s subject line should make it immediately clear what the email is about. Include some flair, humor, or impactful words to catch your reader’s attention depending on the tone you’re trying to strike. Mailchimp recommends that subject lines be no more than 9 words and 60 characters to ensure visibility for mobile users, like in the example from above: “Claim your spot in ABC’s virtual mixer this Wednesday!”

• Preview text. The preview text (or the first couple of lines of your email if preview text is not set) will display for users before they click through to read your email, so make sure it’s clear, concise, and enticing. This is the place to tease the value proposition of your event or tap into an emotional connection that will compel readers to learn more.

• Action and urgency. Your subject line and main body of your email need to include active language to best connect with readers and encourage them to take the next step. For example, the subject line above includes “claim your spot.” Don’t mislead readers, but do think about your event’s capacity and registration deadline—these are important pieces of information to share with them regardless.

• Social proof. How have others benefited from attending your events in the past? Showing readers that your events are valuable and trustworthy, even in subtle ways, can boost engagement. For example, shout out your impressive attendance numbers from your last virtual conference or include a short testimonial or two from past vendors or attendees.

• Personalization. This is one of the foundational event marketing best practices—take steps to personalize your emails to their recipients however possible. An integrated CRM and email tool makes it easy to auto-fill emails with recipients’ names. An effective segmentation strategy also allows you to develop different email variations for your subaudiences, like previous attendees vs. prospects who haven’t yet attended an event.

Above all, keep your email direct and concise. We all receive spam messages and know what they look like, so don’t let your email get mistaken for one. A direct, eye-catching subject line, compelling body copy, and thoughtful language and personalization choices can make a big difference in the ultimate impact of your emails.

4. Include compelling visuals and calls-to-action

Don’t forget the finishing touches that will drive engagement and more signups for your event—compelling visuals and clear calls-to-action.

Your emails can (and should) include visual elements that reflect the theme or content of your event. These could include:

• Branded letterhead elements
• Your organization’s logo
• Small illustrations or graphics
• Photos from similar past events

Be mindful not to include any visuals that are too large—this will impact the email’s deliverability and load time, which will backfire and reduce engagement. But compelling visuals that reinforce your brand and trustworthiness, add an appealing look, or provide social proof can go a long way to drive results.

You’ll also need to include calls-to-action that clearly direct readers to the target action you want them to take. For an event, this action would be registering to attend. It’s important to have a single call-to-action so that your message doesn’t get muddled, but this request can be repeated multiple times. 

The first couple of lines in your email should clearly state your call-to-action and link readers to your registration page. Then, sign off your email with a prominent button, graphic, or link that also sends readers to register.

With a well-designed registration page, you’ll start seeing registrations trickle (or flood) in. 

But you’ll also need a way to actually track these conversions. Ensure that your registration page is set up to capture and report conversions, in this case sign-up form completions, to Google Analytics. You can then use this data to put the finishing touches on your event plan and learn more about your performance, both in real-time and once the event is over and it’s time to promote your next one.

Email can and should be a cornerstone of your event promotion strategies. It’s one of the most direct ways of reaching potential attendees, and it’s easy to create streams or chains of emails that educate your readers about the event and compel them to take action. Email performance is also extremely measurable, making it a helpful source of event metrics when integrated into your data collection processes and future email marketing strategies.

With a clear sense of who you’re targeting, why they should be interested, how to best design your message to catch their attention, and extra touches that drive engagement and sign-ups, you can see some incredible email marketing results for your next event.