The Key Steps to Take After a B2B Event [Infographic]

Your post-B2B event checklist

Momentum can be an uncommonly powerful force. Rarely will the opportunity to leverage it in the business world be greater than in the aftermath of an inspiring corporate event that your company has hosted. If all has gone as envisioned — and why wouldn’t it? — your team has bolstered relationships with established customers, and your brand has made a favorable initial impression on prospects.

Returns on this marketing investment can only increase with some strategic and timely follow-up outreach. This is where there’s a disconnect between potential and reality, however: Industry research shows that 75 to 80 percent of leads are not followed up on after an event or exhibition.

This failure to capitalize is catastrophic to marketing objectives. Time and effort have been expended without maximizing the benefit, and legitimizing an investment in similar future events becomes a more substantial challenge.

Here’s the fix: Make sure follow-up strategies are discussed whenever corporate event planning takes place, and include them when an event-planning checklist is put together. Although these post-event steps can prove beneficial and profitable, they are not complex undertakings. Technology and social media will facilitate the processes for collecting data, evaluating how successful the event was, and further engaging attendees so the event has a lasting impact. The data also could help develop relevant event management tips for future events.

Active Engagement: Valuable and Vital

Experiential events continue to represent prime opportunities for brand engagement, even as they compete with the many new communications channels for your target audience. Consider some statistics:

• 87 percent of consumers who bought a product or service at an event also bought a product or service at a later date.

• 74 percent of attendees report that they feel more positive about a company, brand or product that was promoted at an event.

• 67 percent of business-to-business marketers and 62 percent of business-to-consumer marketers consider events effective marketing.

The infographic below includes post-event planning tips that will help you keep the buzz going, stockpile customer and prospect data, and more effectively plan future events.

Claire Holland is Director of Marketing Communications at agencyEA in Chicago, a brand experience agency specializing in experiential, digital and traditional engagement. She guides the strategic vision of the company’s brand, messaging and voice, while supporting and evolving brand strategies for clients. Holland also oversees agencyEA’s internal and external marketing communications, including digital marketing and public relations.