1. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 1, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Event Marketing
Pre-Event, Onsite and Post-Event Marketing
Strategies to help you connect and engage your target audience
UBM Technology Marketing Research
Jan 2016
POP
2. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 2, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
POP Event Marketing Research
UBM Technology Group’s 2nd Annual POP Event Marketing Research was
developed to help marketers gain critical insight into the habits and
preferences of technology decision makers before, during and after an
industry event.
Pre-Event
• Why tech professionals attend industry events
• What they do to prepare prior to an event, and how event marketers can
get ahead of the game
Onsite
• Why attendees stop and visit you
• Types of content and speakers they want to see and hear about
Post-Event
• Things to avoid as a tech marketer: reasons why tech professionals would
or would not engage with you
• Types of follow-up attendees want from you
This survey of 403 business technology professionals provides tech
marketers with comprehensive data and insight to enhance and improve their
event marketing strategies.
METHODOLOGY
• In the late fall of 2015, UBM
conducted an online survey
of business and technology
professionals to understand
their actions and preferences
around industry events.
• Final data is based on a total
of 403 qualified IT and
business respondents in
North America.
• The margin of error for the
total respondent base
(N=403) is +/- 4.8 percentage
points.
• UBM was responsible for all
programming and data
analysis. These procedures
were carried out in strict
accordance with standard
market research practices.
3. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 3, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
• Marketers need to seize every opportunity to start a relationship, generate goodwill
and earn the trust of prospective buyers
• Event marketing is not just about logistics
• An integrated marketing mix that is critical to the success of your overall strategy –
to generate maximum ROI, you need a mix of paid promotions to get the biggest
bang for your buck
• Significant spend: B2B marketers allocate between 15–20% of their overall budgets
to events
POP Event Marketing
Why It’s Important To Your Overall Marketing Strategy
4. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 4, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Common Goals
Whether you’re in corporate, field or event marketing, your goals are the same ─
working together will only serve to increase your results across the board.
• Branding and awareness
• Generating leads
• Engaging with prospects and existing customers
• Educating prospects and existing customers
UBM. All rights reserved; pg 4, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016
POP Event Marketing
Why It’s Important To Partner with Event Marketing
5. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 5, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Pre-Event Marketing
• Ensures your company is top of mind to get on attendees’ “must-see
exhibit” list
• Helps target the best prospects to visit your booth
• Side benefit: pre-event content marketing can serve as a means to
check the pulse of your target audience
Onsite Marketing
• Reinforces your overall marketing message and gets your marketing
materials in the hands of engaged prospects
• Fills your sales pipeline
Post-Event Marketing
• Extends the value of the face-to-face event
• Enables your company to nurture relationships with top prospects
POP Event Marketing
The Overarching Benefits
6. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 6, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Why Your Pre-Event Marketing is Critical
Attendees’ Pre-Show Preparation
50%
Schedule time
to meet
with vendors
prior to the
event
What do you do to prepare for an industry show before you attend?
56%
Create schedule
based on sessions
most relevant to me
51%
Research exhibitors
by visiting their
website
46%
Review the
floor plan
45%
Prepare a list of
sponsors I would
like to visit
36%
Download the
trade show’s
mobile app
34%
Research exhibitors
by visiting a
technology media
website
24%
Get advance
access to content
7. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 7, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Make Your First Impression
23%
Interviews with
speakers who will
be at the
exhibitor booth
54%
Access tech
vendor
content
on independent
third-party sites
Prior to attending trade shows, what types of information from exhibitors
(technology vendors) would make you more likely to stop at a tech vendor's booth?
82%
More likely
to visit your booth if
they’ve heard or read
or connected with
you before
the event
23%
Editorial coverage on
technology websites
11%
Digital radio
or podcasts
31%
Webcasts
42%
Website content
(e.g. sponsored content on a site)
52%
White papers
26%
Video
Have a Strong Pre-Event Content Marketing Plan
8. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 8, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Your Onsite Booth Strategy
Content Connects
POP Best Practice
“I like ‘the stuff’ but without the experts I just move on.”
What makes you more likely to stop and visit a vendor’s booth during a trade show?
64%
Subject matter
experts at booth
57%
Presentation or
live demo being
conducted at
the booth
47%
There was an
incentive offered
at their booth
43%
I read about
them on business
tech sites
41%
Vendor
communicated
with me prior
to the show
34%
Vendor speaking
at the event
32%
I have seen ads or other
content from them on
business technology websites
20%
Games or activities
20%
A large booth
9. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 9, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Engaging Booth Visitors
Do’s
POP Best Practice
“At large conferences,
make it more obvious
what product/market
you support.”
What kinds of information or content do you find most valuable
or would make you likely to actively engage with the vendor at their booth?
69%
Tech demos
43%
New product
announcements
or new launches
57%
Technology specs
or other “how
to” materials
51%
Industry-specific
information
45%
Business case
information
28%
Opportunity to speak
with an executive
or other key person
from vendor
25%
White papers
23%
Case studies or
peer-perspective
10. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 10, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Engaging Booth Visitors
Don’ts
What would make you less likely to actively engage with a vendor at a trade show?
63%
Too much of a sales
pitch or only sales
people were available
to engage with
46%
They only had
product brochures
available; content
was not robust
enough
44%
Content did not give
me a clear indication
of how the technology
could help with the
business
46%
It was not obvious
to me what the
vendor’s solution was
50%
Lack of demos
53%
Lack of subject
matter experts or
no one there to
answer my questions
Lack of
industry
specific
information
Lack of case
studies
No ROI and/
or TCO
information
I was not
familiar with
the vendor
Content
was not
validated by
third-party
35%
22%
22%
10%
8%
11. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 11, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Staffing Your Booth
Product Managers and Customers Are Most Useful to Tech Pros
What types of vendor representatives at exhibitors’ booths
provide the most useful information for you?
77%
Product managers
43%
Customers who
provide world
examples
or case studies
18%
Sales executives
22%
Executive leadership
13%
Marketing executives
12. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 12, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
The Expo Floor Plan
Focused Areas Make It Easy for Attendees to Find You
Thinking about the show floor, does having
technology zones help you to organize
your time at the show?
Yes
86%
No
14%
13. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 13, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
An Integrated Approach to the Event
Leverage Your Event Presence With Additional Activities
POP Best Practice
Leverage your booth for broader reach by hosting or
sponsoring breakout sessions and other activities within
an event for deeper engagement.
87%
Would attend a vendor
sponsored breakout event
76%
Would participate in
a vendor-sponsored
focus group
85%
Would consider attending
smaller, more targeted
events within a larger
trade show
14. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 14, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Keeping Your Presence Social
Top 5 ways attendees
share trade show content
while onsite
Top 5 ways attendees
follow exhibitors and the
trade show producer
LinkedIn
Twitter
The trade show app
Facebook
Google+
LinkedIn
Twitter
Facebook
The trade show app
YouTube
15. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 15, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Evaluating Your Impact
Why Tech Pros Would Continue to Engage With You Post-Event
Now thinking about after you return from the trade show, what would make
you more likely to engage with a trade show exhibitor (tech vendor) post-event?
59%
They demonstrated
how the technology
could help with
my business
58%
The vendor
demonstrated that
they understood
my specific
business challenges
51%
The vendor was
knowledgeable about
my industry and
industry-related challenges
37%
Networking with a
fellow attendee of
the trade show piqued
my interest/curiosity
in the vendor
44%
I heard from subject
matter experts at their
booth and wanted
more info
29%
The vendor supplied
valuable marketing
materials
27%
The vendor provided
information to show
ROI of their solution
16. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 16, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Evaluating Your Impact
Why Tech Pros Would NOT Engage with You Post Event
POP Don’t
“They talked too much and listened too little.”
What would make you less likely to engage with an exhibitor after the show?
They gave too much of a sales pitch
The vendor did not demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of my specific business challenges
They were not knowledgeable about my industry
The representatives at their booth were not knowledgeable
They did not demonstrate how the technology could help with my business
They didn’t provide sufficient content
The vendor’s marketing materials didn’t demonstrate the value of their solution
They didn’t have subject matter experts speak
They could not show the ROI of their solution
The vendor spoke at the event, but they did not demonstrate a value to me
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
17. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 17, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Keeping the Connection Alive
Relevant Information Tailored to Their Needs; Nurture the Relationship
What are the preferred ways for a company to follow-up with you after a trade show?
41%
Additional
research or
information
41%
A link to a
website for
more
information
37%
An invitation
to a
webinar
or virtual
event
32%
Information
following up
on specific
event
content or
discussions
27%
An email
from a sales
person
27%
Call or email
from a
product
Manager
discussions
18%
An invitation
to another
face-to-face
event
14%
An invitation
to join an
online
community
related to
the show
14%
I prefer to
take
info away
with me
from
the event
5%
A call
from a
Sales
person
18. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 18, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Building the Case to Attend
Are Your Materials Meeting These Requirements?
What types of information do you need to return from a trade show with in order
to justify your expenditure?
62%
Information
that can help
me in my job
51%
Solution
to a
business
Problem
information
46%
Information
where I
learned
something
41%
Information
that
helped me
make
a decision on
a vendor for
an upcoming
purchase
37%
Learned
about
tech problem
that I did not
realize I had
35%
Content that
focuses on
my business
pain
points
16%
A vendor
short list
15%
Anything as
long
as it’s more
than just
Business
cards
19. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 19, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Actions Taken Post-Event
What actions have you taken as a result of a trade show visit?
80%
Visited an
exhibitor's
website
56%
Contacted
an exhibitor
55%
Purchased a product
or service based on
information I gathered
at the show
43%
Set up a post-
show meeting
20. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 20, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Pre-Event Onsite Post-Event
Expose Your Brand Profile
• Be “present” consistently
• Review your media strategy to ensure
that your brand and products are
getting exposure across all platforms
• Content connects – no matter the
platform, relevant content is your
brand’s biggest attraction
• Audit your content – make sure you
have ample, up-to-date content that
addresses different information needs
• Syndicate your content
• Remember: 82% of tech professionals
are more likely to visit the booth of an
exhibitor they’ve heard/read/engaged
with beforehand
Focus on Your Customers’ Needs
• Sales pitches always fail; do less
talking and more listening
• Have knowledgeable subject matter
experts at your booth
• Ensure you have the right content at
your booth: customer testimonials,
business case builders, etc.
• Attendees want to see your solution at
work; have demos to share and make
your discussion as hands-on as
possible
• Attendees want to hear from you!
Consider hosting a smaller breakout
session in addition to your booth at an
industry event
Keep Conversations Alive
• Again: content is your biggest
attraction; keep attendees interested
and engaged with relevant, targeted
content
• Attendees go to industry events to find
solutions: almost half want exhibitors
to send them a post-event email with
additional research or information –
continue to educate prospects until
they are ready to buy
• Nurture relationships with localized in
person or web-based events with
attendees that stopped by your booth
Recap: POP Event Marketing
Strategies to Help You Connect and Engage Your Target Audience
21. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 21, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Event Marketing
Best Practices
UBM Technology Marketing Research
Jan 2016
POP
22. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 22, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Target: IT Buyers Target: Economic Buyers
Call to Action
Continue the conversation at
the booth. These kinds of
pre-event assets are ideal for
email marketing and the
early phases of a lead
nurture program. They help
highlight subject matter
expertise, add personality to
the conversation, and offer
up an opportunity to meet
face-to-face in the booth.
Best Practices: POP Marketing
Pre Event – Q & As
23. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 23, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
eBook: Securing Cloud
Connections
This kind of content can be used to
follow up with event attendees who
visited the booth. Clients can keep the
conversation going by delivering a
valuable piece of content to the visitor
instead of a sales call that does little
to nurture the relationship.
Best Practices: POP Marketing
Post Event – EBook
24. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 24, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Infographic: Wi-Fi for
Business
This is a great way for a
client to showcase research
and invite people to learn
more at their booth.
Call to
Action
“This infographic was great
because it had a call to action to
encourage booth traffic but also a
version we can use throughout the
year in promotions.”
– Client
Best Practices: POP Marketing
Pre Event – Infographic
25. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 25, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Focus Group: Business Wi-Fi
The client was very happy with the discussion
and excited to present key takeaways to others
at Comcast.
“We have a lot of great info to share with the broader team.” –
Client
Best Practices: POP Marketing
Onsite – Focus Group
26. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 26, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Focus Group Executive Report and
Video
eBook
An ideal asset type for a client to send to everyone who
visited Comcast’s booth.
Best Practices: POP Marketing
Post Event – Focus Group Executive Report & Video and EBook
27. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 27, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Executive Q & A
Interview with CA Exec
Aruna Ravichandran
Infographic: Mastering the
Digital Transformation
Research:
DevOps
Survey
Best Practices: POP Marketing
Pre Event – Infographic, Q&A and Research
28. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 28, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Video Q-A: Aruna Ravichandran
UBM conducted a video interview
with a key CA executives on site at
CA World. It is a great way to
showcase thought leadership and
engage new customers.
Co-branded
White Paper
An ideal way to
reconnect with
attendees and
offer up objective
content along with
CA messaging.
Best Practices: POP Marketing
Onsite – Video & Post Event – White Paper
29. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 29, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Partner Perspectives
Tenable launched a Partner Perspectives Program in time for the start of
Black Hat so that they could blog from the show and then continue providing
thought leadership after the show.
Best Practices: POP Marketing
Pre and Post Event – Native Advertising: Partner Perspectives
30. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 30, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Event Marketing
Appendix
UBM Technology Marketing Research
Jan 2016
POP
31. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 31, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Respondent Profile
32. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 32, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Respondent Profile
33. UBM. All rights reserved; pg 33, POP Event Marketing Research, Jan 2016UBM Technology Portfolio l CreateYourNextCustomer.com
Launching Your Pre-Event Marketing
Where Attendees Find Out About Industry Events
Where do you go to find out about and get information about
technology events?
66%
Alerts emails
or e-newsletters
51%
Peers or colleagues
49%
General search engines
49%
Business technology
websites
29%
Webinars from the
trade show sponsor or partner
16%
Social media
(e.g. Twitter, Facebook,
YouTube)
43%
Vendor
websites