Industry conferences and events took a different shape as nearly everything went remote earlier this year. MERGE has had a number of conversations with our clients about how these changes have initiated both a reset of expectations and new strategies when it comes to events. Three key themes have emerged that we explore through anecdotal feedback and experiences from organizations that have attended virtual conferences in the past six months. For each challenge, MERGE has suggested a strategy pivot for marketing pros to help evaluate the role of virtual events if keeping them a part of the budget and strategy this year and beyond.
NETWORKING → ENGAGEMENT
Challenge:
In the pre-COVID world, using conferences as a networking tool was an effective way to get face time with customers and prospects in a single location. Now, with virtual conferences, engagement has become the #1 challenge. Removing the face-to-face element often limits interactions, making them less personal and impactful. According to one client, “While sessions we’ve spoken at have been well attended, there have been few questions during the Q&A portion and little to no follow-up for our speakers. This is a far cry from our experience at live events where audience members will typically visit our booth just to connect 1 on 1 with our speaker. As for virtual exhibiting, we’ve found that engagement has been primarily from vendors. Without an incentive to visit your booth, most attendees do not voluntarily want to walk through a virtual exhibit hall.”
Even in the cases where some national conferences have intended to model the in-person experience with online exhibit halls and meeting rooms, powered by the most sophisticated platform, the experience could not drive the same level of attendee engagement as in-person events. As a result, while opportunities to engage virtually are still available, it’s no longer typically going to be centered around one large, core event.
Pivot:
Conference organizers survive and thrive on the idea of connecting people for a greater purpose. Many have gotten creative with sponsorship packages that offer opportunities to engage directly with a predetermined number of attendees. Consider a pivot to identifying pre- and post-show connection points. With many sessions recorded and offered on-demand for these events, not all attendees are online for the full duration of the conference. Rethinking the broader time frame and various channels to connect with your target audience will be key to virtual event success. This can include looking for ways to engage with attendees on social channels such as online Q&A sessions and tweet chats, or making downloadable resources readily available with educational insights and learnings from the conference. Event sponsorships should also be considered to boost engagement and break through the sponsor-driven activity that has been seen to drive event hashtags.
LEAD GENERATION → STAKEHOLDER EDUCATION
Challenge:
For many of our clients, relying on virtual events for lead generation has proven to be ineffective. As a result, we’re seeing some elimination of events from planned 2021 budgets and marketing efforts. However, many have instead zeroed in on educational opportunities as a key conference objective to support stakeholder development efforts.
Pivot:
First and foremost, it’s critical to reset expectations with sales and marketing teams and adjust conference goals accordingly. Consider using conferences in a different way, shifting from a sales-focused approach to a stakeholder education and development strategy as a means to strengthen client relationships, support their efforts, and learn about the latest developments in the industry. By shifting objectives and goals toward relationship building with both prospects and customers, you strengthen existing connections and build trust with the insights and education provided to prospects to continue moving them through the funnel toward stronger future customer relationships.
MEDIA COVERAGE → RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
Challenge:
While virtual conferences remove many of the barriers that allow media to more easily attend and participate in these types of events, the reality is that members of the press are now inundated and can’t keep up with the volume of virtual shows and events. Although more reporters are attending, they often produce less content tied to the event because the show is one of a whole roster of events on their calendars on a given day or week.
Pivot:
Brands need to offer fresh ideas, exclusive conversations, or unique opportunities to successfully engage reporters and yield coverage. A personalized approach to media relations has always been paramount to strong, ongoing earned media programs. In the current market, building a sense of timeliness around the event in combination with tailored outreach is key to generating interest and ultimately securing high-value coverage.
Conclusion
Additionally, outreach to media reps who have covered events in the past (virtual or not) can and should still be considered a part of a conference media relations strategy. This approach offers a natural invitation to engage media targets about event participation and coverage, while demonstrating a keen understanding of their work and focus. Keeping virtual events on the radar and maintaining direct outreach to reporters who might be participating and covering major announcements, competitors, etc., offers opportunities to enhance and maintain relationships and open a dialogue about industry news and implications through direct contact and conversation.
If 2020 has taught marketing professionals anything, it is agility. The key to a successful marketing strategy isn’t to set it and forget it, but to treat it like a living, breathing road map that can shift and adapt to the evolving market and the opportunities it presents. To learn more about how to pivot your marketing plans to adapt to the current environment, contact us at mergecomms@mergeworld.com.
*A special thank-you to Heather Dixon, Marketing Lead, CareAllies and Judy Racino, Marketing Manager, InformedDNA for sharing their insights, experiences, and feedback.