Smart Companies Using Event Marketing to Accelerate Brand Awareness

Looking to accelerate brand awareness faster than your competition?

If you work for a smart company you know trade show marketing budgets aren't going anywhere. As spending on digital advertising plateaus the brands thriving right now are the ones showing up in person at trade shows, expos and live events.

But here's the thing…

While every smart company knows they need to spend money on trade show stands few understand event marketing.

Event marketing isn't going anywhere. In fact, it's the fastest way to showcase your brand to your target audience.

Research from CEIR found that trade shows are responsible for a massive 70% of all lead generation. They're also how the smartest companies increase brand awareness quicker than their competitors.

Attendees are 77% more likely to trust a brand they've had an in-person interaction with. Source: Freeman Research

Why? Because event marketing works.

So if you want to learn how smart companies leverage trade shows to build their brand faster than their competition then read on…

You'll learn:

• Why Event Marketing Is Essential for Brand Awareness
• The Importance of Trade Show Stand Solutions
• 5 Event Marketing Strategies Used By Successful Brands
• How To Get The Most Out Of Every Event

Why Event Marketing Works for Brand Awareness

Ok so maybe you know that event marketing helps with brand awareness. But do you know why?

Event marketing allows you to place your brand physically in front of your target audience. Human to human interaction.

This matters.

Most of the audience you're trying to reach have incredibly short attention spans. You have less than a second to grab their attention online. Events let you do something different. They give you the chance to meet your prospects in person.

Research found that 77% of event attendees trust a brand more after meeting them in person. That's right. In this day and age people trust brands more when they're physically in front of them.

Combine that trust with live product demos and interactive displays and you're well on your way to winning at event marketing.

Simply put events are how smart companies get in front of their target audience and generate leads.

Trade Show Stands Are Critical To Your Success

Here's what most companies think…

“You're telling us trade shows are important but the booth doesn't matter?”

Wrong.

Your trade show stand is the single most important part of your trade show presence. Period.

Here's the thing, if you walk up to a booth and it looks cheap and self-built how likely are you to stop? Be honest with yourself. You won't.

Know who does stop? Everyone else.

That's why smart companies work with a UK exhibition stand company to deliver trade show stand solutions that WORK.

48% of exhibitors report that visually impactful stands are the most effective way to entice attendees to their booth. Professionally designed stands attract attendees. They stand out on the crowded exhibition floor and convince booth visitors you're worth their time.

Your trade show stand should…

• Represent your brand in a physical environment
• Look amazing from 10 feet away
• Include interactive elements that engage visitors
• Make it easy for your team to have awesome conversations

Once you have that locked down you're ready to nail it at your next event.

5 Event Marketing Strategies Used By Winning Brands

Great! So you know that events work and your trade show stand matters. But what else do the best in class brands do to dominate at trade shows?

Simple. They focus on the little things. Spending all day and night screaming into the abyss might get you seen. But if you don't plan, prepare and follow-up you're wasting your money.

Create An Experience They Can't Resist

Forget booths and stands. It's all about creating memorable experiences.

Here's the thing…

Stuffy presentations won't cut it. Modern consumers prefer experiences they can see, touch, feel and hear.

This is especially true for Millennials and Generation Z. These groups value authenticity over everything else.

To win with these audiences (and everyone else) you need to create an irresistible experience that activates all five of the attendee's senses.

Do that and you'll generate leads like nobody's business.

92% of trade show attendees attend events to see new products. Now think about your booth space. When was the last time you nailed every visitor's senses?

Professional exhibition stands let you do things that sticky poster boards and memory foam cutouts CAN NOT.

Pre-Event Is The New Event

The best companies in the industry show up to events already winners.

How do they do it?

They spend time marketing to their target audience BEFORE the event even starts.

Here are a few of their favourite tactics…

• Send targeted email campaigns to their database
• Advocate the stand location on social media
• Schedule meetings with key attendees before the doors open

Pre-event marketing is how smart companies get the right people in their booth. Better yet, it allows the sales team to skip gatekeeper conversations and focus on high-quality discussions.

Stand Design Is Non-Negotiable

There's a reason UBER appears at every industry event…

They understand professional stand design is non-negotiable.

Think about your booth space as the environment customers enter when they first look at your brand online. If your website was pink and covered in cat memes would people take you seriously?

Of course not!

Sell Short On Your Stand Design and You'll Do The Same Thing To Your Brand.

Event SMART: Staff Must Be Remarkable & Ready

It's shocking how many brands ignore this.

Beautiful stands attract foot traffic. But if your staff aren't prepared to interact with booth visitors you could be leaving sales on the table.

Smart companies train their teams to:

• Communicate the brands key messages
• Qualify leads FAST
• Know when to pass conversations to senior team members

Follow Up Quickly To Solidify The Relationship

Wait…

You went to all this effort hanging stands, QA'ing your demo presentations and training your team JUST to follow up with prospects later?

Unacceptable.

Lead follow-up is how smart companies secure sales. While most companies wait 2-3 days to reach out post-event the fastest growing brands follow-up within 24 hours.

Leading clients said it takes them 38% LESS TIME to convert a lead from a trade show than an outbound sales call. Don't let that number go to waste by emailing prospects weeks after you met them.

Secrets To Getting The Most Out Of Every Event

Now you know why event marketing works and some of the insider secrets smart companies are using to dominate at trade shows.

Before you go here's one more pearl of wisdom. If you want to succeed at trade shows you have to plan for them.

Plan for events like…

• What events will you attend? Choose wisely.
• How will you market the brand before the event?
• What interactive elements will you include on your stand?
• Who do you put in charge of training the team?
• How will you follow up with leads?

Trade shows won't do themselves. You have to prepare months in advance to get the most out of every event.

Are you ready to get started?

Recap: How Event Marketing Supercharges Brand Awareness

You made it! Congrats on finishing another great guide.

Before you bounce let's recap everything covered about growing brand awareness faster with event marketing.

• Event Marketing Drives Brand Recognition
• Live Events Allow You To Physically Place Your Brand in Front Of Your Ideal Target Audience
• Trade Show Stands Are The Foundation of Your Brand Identity At Events
• Pre-Event Marketing Will Dramatically Increase Traffic To Your Booth
• Train Every Team Member To Qualify Leads and Educate Booth Visitors
• Follow Up Quickly To Improve Your Trade Show ROI

Event marketing is awesome.

You show up in person. Create a memorable experience. Meet potential clients face-to-face. And win.

If you're going to do it though you have to do it right.

That means investing in a professional exhibition stand. Promoting your presence before the doors open and following-up quickly.

Other companies are out there dominating at events.

Will you be one of them?