Event Marketing Techniques

How you leave an event is AS important as how you are welcomed. 2025 will be the year we move from event planning to moment planning. What does that mean? Successful events will obsess over every moment of the attendee’s journey. Great events are stepping up the welcome. They offer: - Airport badge pick-up - Registration areas with music and food - AI-powered chatbots for key info - Hotel reception and registration What about the goodbye? In January I was in beautiful San Diego for PCMA Convening Leaders and they had a wonderful event person at the airport waving goodbye at the TSA lane. It clicked for me. The way you bid farewell to attendees matters. Quite a lot. Here are some starting points: - I remember attending the first Cvent Connect at the Peabody in 2015. They gave be a bagged lunch for my trip. It’s been almost 10 years, and I still remember it. - When you attend a Boldpush+ event, we provide the video recording, the slides, an audio-only version of the session to listen to podcast style, an executive summary, and key takeaways. I attended the Event Leadership Summit at Connect Marketplace, and we had a very useful Zoom call one month after the event to discuss key industry challenges as a group. A community can be as heavy as a follow-up call. - The video recaps events like MPI’s WeCon, C2 Montreal and Connect Marketplace you can find on my LinkedIn profile are more than brochures with people drinking champagne, they provide practical takeaways I attended AdWorld last year, and as soon as the event was over, I received a sizeable discount for next year. I used it. Can you share any more ‘goodbye’ items from events you planned or attended?

Fred Again is a masterclass in building fandom. Every artist, brand & company should pay close attention to how he's doing it: - Direct engagement - Community over everything - Building from the ground up Here's 7 ways he's built an insanely loyal fanbase: (and what we can learn) 𝟭. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽𝘀 Fred has prioritized personal interactions & lean-in locations like Discord & Whatsapp chats from day 1. → It creates genuine community → A true understanding of his fans → The ability to activate them in real time Everything is built on top of this. It’s not just about big numbers. It’s about deep interactions. 𝟮. 𝗣𝘂𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 He asked his most engaged Discord fans to host 18 Actual Life 3 launch parties across the globe. → Superfans became the central nodes → Fans connected more deeply IRL → All with Fred as the context First, feed the community. Then, the masses. 𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗙𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗺 Before his LA coliseum show, he hosted a secret listening party for 150 fans he found & invited who went to his first LA show in 2021. → He greeted each personally → Handed out mugs of tea → Previewed new songs Show fans they're seen. Show fans they're valued. 𝟰. 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 Fred consistently includes fans in his process. → Voting on tracks to release → Asking fans to suggest venues → Video recaps from the dancefloor → Cultivating community-generated content Don't serve fans content Make them part of the journey 𝟱. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 Fred is the king of pop-up shows. → No rollout → No pre-hype → Fans find out first Fans band together on Discord to help each other get in. Every event feels like you’re lucky to be there. They’re marketing through magic. Through fomo. 𝟲. 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 It all works because it feels authentic. → He's pouring you pints of Guinness → Sharing facetimes with collaborators → Attending quiz night with fans There's no pretense. It’s not about being slick or coming across as bigger & more famous than you. 𝟳. 𝗕𝗲 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 Fred finds ways to bring people together. → Massive community bike rides across London → Facilitating proposals on the dancefloor → Turning everything into a social event People are craving human connection. This is the dopamine Fred delivers. (and it's what this is all about, right?) 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗡𝗼 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮 But there are lessons: 1. Build Direct Fan Relationships 2. Put Community First 3. Get Fans Involved 4. Reward Fandom 5. Create FOMO 6. Be Authentic 7. Be a Connector If you lean all the way in, your reach will grow. And it will last. ___________________ If you like this, you'll love my newsletter. Insights & tools to navigate music's future: https://lnkd.in/ePEK5vdd What did I miss? I've got 1 extra lesson in this week's edition.

Yes, every startup is a beautiful, unique snowflake, but here is how I'd approach the stages of marketing for most orgs. Marketing is about building a layered, connected ecosystem where each channel supports and amplifies the others. Here’s how I think about the foundational sequence of channels to create a scalable, efficient, and impactful marketing strategy: 1️⃣ Start with Paid Search & Organic Content Why: Paid search (Google Ads) captures high-intent, in-market traffic—people actively searching for solutions you offer. -Shorter sales cycle and amazing fuel for all your other efforts. Organic content (e.g., thought leadership videos) builds trust and authority over time, setting the foundation for long-term success. This style of content (TL Videos) also makes great ads and improves the impact of other channels like LinkedIn, Meta, and Programmatic. 2️⃣ Activate LinkedIn Ads (start with retargeting) Why: LinkedIn is unparalleled for B2B targeting. You can layer on company size, job titles, and industries to reach decision-makers directly. Impact: Use LinkedIn to qualify and convert paid search traffic (or traffic from any source), leveraging retargeting frameworks to make your entire ecosystem more efficient. Doing LinkedIn ads before you have paid search, organic content, and SEO is going to result in a very expensive experiment. 3️⃣ Enhance with Website Visitor Identification Why: You don’t need to wait for prospects to fill out forms. Identify companies and individuals visiting your site, enrich the data, and turn anonymous traffic into leads. (I recommend DemandSense - ask me for free trial form.) Impact: Get more value from existing marketing efforts and create "nearbound" flows. 4️⃣ Launch Nurture + Outreach Campaigns Why: Most B2B sales cycles require consistent, personalized touchpoints. Combine LinkedIn and email to warm up leads and build trust over time. Impact: A well-orchestrated nurture sequence ensures no lead slips through the cracks, while outreach activates high-potential accounts. 5️⃣ Expand with Meta + Programmatic Ads Why: Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and programmatic platforms extend your reach, ensuring your message follows your audience wherever they go. Impact: Create omnipresence and retarget warm audiences from LinkedIn and search, converting them faster and more efficiently. Why the Sequence Matters? Each channel is more than a standalone tactic—it’s a building block in a larger framework. The foundation of paid search and organic content ensures you have an engine for consistent visibility. Then, LinkedIn ads and website visitor IDs provide a direct path to your ideal buyers. Finally, nurturing and omnichannel expansion amplify and accelerate conversions. This approach creates a flywheel effect where channels complement each other, increasing overall efficiency and ROI. What do you think?

What makes an event valuable? Takeaways, takeaways, takeaways. With marketing hiring constrained in many markets, and events being the huge commitment they are for the average attendee, attendees have to walk away with an armful of takeaways that they can put to use the day they're back in the office, to show the team that the event was worth their time. How many useful takeaways did the last event you attended provide? And how many were provided by the event? I did a webinar recently for associations and one of the things I emphasized is that they should ALL be using generative AI with their events to summarize speaker sessions into one-page takeaways for each session that form basically a mini-book that's in the attendees' inbox the Monday after the event. When the boss says, "So what did you learn at X event?" you can hand them the literal playbook derived from the event. Imagine the value of that, and the relatively low cost. Obtain permission from the speakers (or make it a requirement of the speaking fee) to record and transcribe talks, then use generative AI to summarize the talks - or give the speaker the option to provide their own. Would an event that provided you such tangible benefits be on the list for consideration next year? It certainly wouldn’t hurt. And when the boss looks at what the team brought back from an event, if there’s a bespoke book from the event? That’s a clear value. The power of generative AI makes this possible today, right now. At a recent event, I had my keynote video produced and takeaway summary ready within 3 hours of getting off stage, adding value to the event and setting myself apart as a different kind of speaker (I do this for full fee keynotes). Your event could do this and set itself apart as a different kind of event. #AI #GenerativeAI #GenAI #ChatGPT #ArtificialIntelligence #LargeLanguageModels #MachineLearning #IntelligenceRevolution

WeAreLATech has close to a zero percent flake rate at our Los Angeles tech events. Here’s how… 1) a strict “no LA flake policy” What this means… understand the culture of the city events are being organized in. For example in San Francisco people usually bring a plus 1, in New York an RSVP is typically respected, at SXSW in Austin people sign up for literally everything and then attend whatever pops up last minute. 2) plus 1s need to RSVP individually When a guest signs up a plus 1, they probably haven’t asked yet if the person is available. They’ve only claimed an extra spot in hopes someone can join them. So have guests send their plus 1 the invite link and have everyone sign up individually. 3) send a personal message to each guest There’s no better growth hack than being human. Everyone wants to feel seen so showing that their existence matters makes a huge difference. When we as attendees feel we’re just arbitrary numbers on a spreadsheet, we act accordingly. So by personally acknowledging each guest they’re more likely to respect the invite. 4) make the event start time clear Is it a casual happy hour to show up to whenever, or does the event have a prompt start time… most people think showing up any time between start to end time is fine, so it’s important to clearly state when people need to arrive. 5) curate community culture In WeAreLATech respecting one another’s time is part of our core values. It’s mentioned on calls, it’s publicly posted and in event notifications. Curating a culture that fosters powerful relationships is something that participants are proud to be part of. Years ago, one time, in another city outside LA - I didn’t do any of these things thinking there’s no city worse than Los Angeles for flaking. The flake rate for that event was so high I couldn’t believe it. Just about everyone (most who begged for an invite) cancelled morning of. It was after that let down I understood just how vital these steps were. And for it to work all points needed to be done, not just step 1 or step 5. All steps work together in creating a vibrantly well attended event. — What suggestions come to mind for you that would encourage having a flake free event?

Here’s my 4-step playbook for creating incredible marketing events (especially if you’re working with a 12-person team, like us): 1. Secure a game-changing keynote anchor Why it's critical: Compiling a mind-blowing marquee speaker talent lineup fast tracks early credibility better than any other leverage point. How I executed: • Constructed my fantasy speaker list spanning modern marketing luminaries like Salesforce’s Colin Fleming and Marketo founder Jon Miller • Crafted custom pitches aligning their trailblazing backgrounds with my event vision and goals (comment if you want an example of my pitch!) • Secured verbal holds from Colin plus 2 other unmissable headliners 1. Scout a inspiring, unexpected venue location Why it's critical: Pushes the norm, and highlights an undervalued community How I executed: • Researched vibrant cultural epicenters beyond boring hotel ballrooms • Prioritized talent travel convenience above broader attendee geography perks if required • My cousin lives in Brooklyn - so I fell in love with artsy Williamsburg energy and waitlisted The William Vale overlooking Manhattan skyline • Aligned flexible deposit dates once marquee talent formally committed 1. Confirm optimal calendar alignment Why it's critical: Cement dates overlapping with availability of any immovable VIP speakers before paying venue deposits. How I executed: • Checked target timing against industry event conflict calendar once speakers tentatively committed, cutting out other conf dates competing for my audience • Knew I had room to adjust venue if speaker schedules ultimately shifted 1. Throw some branding on it Why it's critical: Distill your distinct experience into evocative event name, messaging and aesthetics that generates hype. How I executed: • As Hopin's CMO, I created this event concept, inspired by New Year’s Eve. I envisioned the future of events as intimate in-person gatherings, multi-site, with a global digital broadcast. • Once we landed on Goldenhour, the website copy clearly positioned our value proposition and focus • Began producing graphics and content to promote the event on social and through email I’ll be posting more details about event prep and logistics (including some BTS footage of a documentary we’re filming!) — what questions do you have for me? 👇

Stop Sponsoring Events Just for glossy photos — Start Demanding Real Data Too many brands are throwing money at events without a clue about the ROI. They’re happy with a slick reel, a few polished photos, and a flashy logo plastered across the venue. But the real question isn’t how good it looks—it’s whether it’s actually working.  Shiny Content Isn’t ROI   Here’s what brands should be asking for: hard data. Who exactly is attending these events? Where are they from, what age group are they in, and—here’s the kicker—how many of them are even familiar with the brand? If brands only care about surface-level content, they’re missing the whole point. Data-driven sponsorship means diving into the demographics, geographics, and psychographics of event attendees, which tells you if you’re actually reaching your target audience or just the most conveniently available crowd. Brand Awareness and Perception  Knowing how people feel about your brand matters more than a photo op. Events should be providing detailed analytics on brand awareness and brand perception—both before and after. If you’re a CPG brand, it goes further: are people even trying your product? Do they like it? Do they care? We’re talking about behavior metrics. Events shouldn’t just be content factories; they should be a platform for tracking real engagement and gauging whether your product is making a memorable impact. The Problem with Just Showing Up Here’s where many brands fall short: they’re okay with just “being there.” They put their name on a festival banner without any plan to dig into the details of what that exposure means. A big logo on a stage is nice, but if it’s not moving the needle, it’s nothing more than an expensive placeholder. If you’re not taking the time to measure how attendees actually interact with your brand, you might as well be invisible. Demand Data or Don’t Bother   To fix this, marketing leaders need to make data a non-negotiable part of any sponsorship deal. Before signing on, get specific about the analytics you expect. Whether it’s demographic insights, behavior tracking, or post-event follow-ups, know exactly what you’re getting and make sure it aligns with your goals. It’s time to prioritize substance over appearance and demand data that tells you whether your sponsorship dollars are really working. What to do about this nonsense? In today’s world, event sponsorship without data is just noise and wasted cash. It’s time to demand more than glossy photos. Get the insights, understand your impact, and make sure your brand is getting more than just a fleeting spot on someone’s Instagram feed. When done right, event sponsorship can be transformative—but only if it’s backed by data that actually means something.

The world preaches loyalty, but how many brands actually live it? Last month, I got an invite to something called Summer Smash, 1st Phorm International's invite-only community event in St. Louis. Think three days of HQ tours, private pre-parties, high-energy workouts, rides, and live music from artists like Ludacris, Lil' Jon, Pitbull, and Steve Aoki. The whole thing sells out in under a minute each year. Pure community building at it's finest. I couldn't make it due to personal obligations, but here's what blew me away: they still sent me a surprise box packed with over 10 of their top products (proteins, apparel, energy drinks, protein sticks), plus a handwritten note that felt genuinely personal, not like a marketing ploy. We've gotten so caught up in digital tactics that we've forgotten about the power of high-touch moments that forge actual emotional connections. This kind of follow-through is almost unheard of in today's brand world. Most companies would've moved on to the next person on their list. But 1st Phorm gets something that a lot of brands miss: real loyalty isn't built through campaigns or offers, it's built through experiences that make people feel like they belong to something bigger. That's where lifetime value really takes off. Summer Smash is far beyond just an event; it's the kind of experience that flips the loyalty script entirely, where customers don't just buy, they simply belong. Here's what I think other brands can learn from this approach: ➟ Send unexpected value for no reason. A surprise product or handwritten note shows customers they matter beyond their purchase history. ➟ Build exclusive communities around shared values, not just products. Whether it's in-person events or virtual experiences, give your best customers something they can't get anywhere else. ➟ Create moments people actually talk about. A few hours with A-list talent or behind-the-scenes access beats another discount code every time. ➟ Lead with gratitude, not growth metrics. When thank-you moments drive your strategy instead of the other way around, authenticity follows naturally. The bottom line: loyalty is earned through emotion, experience, and belonging. If your brand isn't building that, you're just another transaction in someone's day. When did you last surprise your customers with something that wasn't even on your roadmap?

If your LinkedIn and Instagram feeds are being flooded 🌊 by Think Tank posts and wondering how BIG this event was, it was only 50 people. Pound for pound, the sheer volume of LOVE and enthusiasm for what happened at this event is sure to translate to massive marketing VALUE that is disproportionately greater than traditional conferences. And here’s the thing… Not only is everyone cool with it, they’re IN on it! 🤩 How do you create an event like this that people love so much that we spend $0 in marketing every year and yet keep growing? Rule # 1 - Foster BELONGING ✅ be clear about who it’s for (Head + Heart leaders who are dissatisfied with the status quo) and who it’s not for (people pushing for sales) ✅ we do prework, group work, and virtual meet ups BEFORE the event ✅ find like-hearted people with shared or complimentary motivations (their WHY) ✅ mix up seating, create small group exercises and discussions, and give enough reasons for people to talk together about things that matter. Don’t leave it to “networking” (most people hate it). Give them real things to discuss. People bond over IDEAS not bios. Rule # 2 - Be Transparent ✅ Let them know the cost upfront, the agenda, the role of sponsors, the way you’ll create content, what parts are experiments and everything else about your goals of the business. Rule # 3 - Deliver the Goods! ✅ Surprise and delight your audience that begins with EMOTIONS and ties together practical solutions to help them achieve success ✅ Work with your facilitators ahead of time. Rehearse. Practice. Improve. MOST conferences allow speakers to basically wing it up there. 😳 We didn’t. Rule # 4 - Make the small details count ✅ Venue, food selection, music, workbooks, swag bags, soft t-shirts, name tents and every other little detail should let them know one thing very clearly —> you value their time and appreciate them. ✅ We didn’t wear our shirts or do group photos until the last day when we’re at PEAK trust and rapport. When people seek out your branding so they can take photos with it, you’ve captured their hearts. Rule # 5 - Be Human ✅ Show your fun side, your vulnerable side; your professionalism; the REAL you. People care about the people behind the brands. Our group members are sharing long form posts, multiple posts, videos, photos and more. They’re sharing what they learned and more importantly how they FELT. They’re commenting on and sharing each others’ posts and supporting each other. THEY are generating a huge deal of curiosity and interest by people for next year’s event(s)! Here’s the not-so-secret SECRET: Give them your full preparation. Your full heart. Your full measure. Not only will they reward you with their appreciation, they’ll share it with anyone who will listen. 💜 #thinktank2024 #headandheart #lighttheway Think Tank 2024 Sponsors 🫶: Markentum Angie Gray Viking Pure Solutions Dash Media KARE Bella Groves Dual Path Connected Solutions

"Connection Inside, Business Outside" If you're looking to build a community, listen up! 👂 This is a key differentiator for our #culturefirst community and honestly one of my favorite principles. There are so many companies out here trying to start advocacy communities, but they can get caught up in the short term game. Meaning they want the advocates and champions for their brand, but they really want to hard sell their community members or they want to even charge their community members. 🚨 Newsflash - No one wants another 'networking' group AND no one wants to feel like they are being sold to at your events. *cringe* What this principle means is that in the context of a Culture First chapter gathering, we are here to connect as humans first and if that leads to folks doing business later outside of the gathering, cool. The primary purpose is to come together to learn and grow. Do we want people to hire one another and do business together especially if they are like-minded? Yes! Do we want more people to know about Culture Amp? Yes! But at no point do we want people asking one another to sign up for a demo or to hear their elevator pitch even from the company that sponsors these events. Our community won CMX's best growth marketing community of 2024 and this is a piece of what makes our community truly unique and special. This is a photo of our 5 core principles to our chapters community which is required by our volunteer chapter leads to share at every single one of our gatherings. It's the glue that holds us all together. What do you all think about this principle?