In-Person Events Top The B2B Budget Chart Of Popular Marketing Tactics
Expected to consume 14% of B2B program dollars, absolute spending on conferences, trade shows, and seminars will likely surpass 2014 levels due to higher overall spending and put events at the top of the marketing budget stack. Despite retaining this lofty perch year after year, marketers don’t treat events as strategic marketing assets.
As Standalone Activities, Events Fail To Earn Equivalent Returns
Business buyers don’t rate events highly as sources of purchasing information, so marketers must update event experiences to make them more engaging and valuable. Digital technologies that help leverage event content and gather attendees’ data are essential to reaching broader audiences and amplifying the brand through event-specific experiences.
Integrating Digital Helps Turn Events Into Durable Marketing Assets
Digital capabilities help marketers capture event data and assets and convert those into post-event insights and value. New mobile event applications — and emerging technologies like augmented reality — can better capture participants’ activity, analyze interests, and help connect sales with those attendees who exhibit purchase potential during the show.