Event Marketing: How to Host a Successful Event, Every Time

Oh, the excitement of events. The thrill that today holds something different.

You leave the office, step away from your computer, and step out into the real world. Events open up a world of possibilities of what you can learn and who you can meet.

Events are also full of inspiration - maybe a speaker will spark an idea that catapults your career. You may meet a new mentor who will impact your life for years to come. You can strike up a conversation with a fellow marketer whose business is complementary to yours and decide to host your event together.

A corporate event offers a certain level of excitement. There's food, the chance to meet new people, and hopefully a little laugh along the way! Even when it comes to a business, remember that a corporate event is just that: an event that will need its unique kind of marketing.

What is Event Marketing?

Event marketing is how businesses organize, plan, and run an event when promoting a product, service, or brand.

So, if your business has an event marketing strategy, you show up at events. You could attend a trade show or something smaller, like an open house at your office. You can also organize or sponsor a conference that lasts several days.

Event marketing holds immense potential for your overall marketing strategy, especially when you use the right event marketing software. These tools can help your team get organized in planning and hosting all types of events, but they streamline the entire process from start to finish.

It is undeniable that event marketing requires time and organizational skills. In addition, depending on the type of event, this may require a substantial budget.

Who can use event marketing?

Businesses of all sizes use event marketing. It is also a marketing strategy for B2B and B2C companies. It makes sense when you think about it - every business, by definition, has customers. Customers are all people: human beings to connect with at an event.

Companies engaged in B2B marketing often focus on educational events, such as roundtables and conferences. Besides the marketing department, sales people also often attend events. Sales teams use events as an opportunity to reach prospects or renew current customers. Their pre-event job is to call and email to arrange meetings.

B2C companies often focus on events related to people's hobbies and passions. Think of a wine company at a food festival or a sports drink company sponsoring a half marathon. The sports drink company may have a booth to hand out free samples, knowing that their target sports audience is there.

It is common for marketing teams to work with an agency or PR firm when executing an event strategy.

of respondents believe in-person events can have a significant impact on achieving business goals.

Source: Bizzabo

10 types of events

There are many events to consider when executing an event marketing strategy. Here are the most common types.

1. A guest speaker event

A speaker presentation is one of the most common forms of B2B event marketing. When it comes to your time and budget, you usually don't have to invest that much when inviting a single speaker to present. If you're just starting out, ask an industry-leading speaker to present on an interesting topic to your clients and prospects.

If someone is an expert in their field and has the knowledge your audience is looking for, you have the foundation for a speaker session! You can find the right person through colleagues, friends, family members or even clients.

2. Networking event sessions

All business professionals know the importance of networking. It can benefit your current job or your career as a whole. A networking session does not require the educational element - no guest speaker required! This means you only need space and a little catering on the day of the event! Remember, if you're nervous about meeting people, having a drink to sip can make all the difference!

3. Conferences

B2B marketers often use conferences. They require a lot of work and usually have a large budget, but larger events also offer the possibility of a bigger payout. People plan to attend conferences well in advance and are often factored into a manager's education and training budget. Conferences feature multiple speakers, which means attendees have multiple potential leaders and topics they can learn from and learn about.

As you can imagine, the costs add up...