As you plan your 2025 Event schedule, consider a few things.
As an attendee:
1. Avoid pay to play. If the speakers are sponsors, skip it.
2. Why? To Network, To Learn, to Buy, to Sell, for Fun, convenience to foster existkng relationships … be intentional. Some events are great for networking, a few are good for learning.
3. Is it the peer group you are already in OR the peer group you want to have?
4. How would you define success by attending the event?
5. How does attending this event inform your career 5 years from now?
As a Sponsor:
1. If your goal brand awareness, swap your attenence budget (tickets, flights, hotel and your time) for a premium sponsorship. Everyone will leave the event knowing your brand. Your other choice is to walk around in a gorilla outfit with your company t-shirt on.
2. If your goal is meetings. Do a
great pre-event campaign. Rent a space at the venue and schedule a ton of meetings/demos.
3. SWAG- don’t give it away at the booth. Do premium stuff and ship it 30 days after the event. No one wants to carry it around and you get another brand hit, 30 days later.
4. Invite only dinners. Don’t even attend the actual event. Send a note to prospects.. “Are you coming to?” Let’s grab dinner. I made a reservation for 8 at XYZ fancy restaurant.
5. Talk to conference organizers. Tell them exactly what you are looking for and ask them if they can help.
Please post events that you are considering and why?
Will give you my transparent view.
This morning at breakfast I told a sponsor prospect NOT to sponsor my Summit. Why? He was Atlanta local, my attendees are global, he wanted AEC firms under 100 people, my firms are much larger…
