I read an article from eConsultancy a few months back and I’ve been meaning to add it to the news section for some time! Coming from a marketing background in events and conferences, I was intrigued. So here’s a useful set of questions to think about when considering attending a conference/event:
Is it pay to play?
Most events companies work hard on ensuring they create an agenda packed with industry case studies – that’s what delegates really want to see. There’s nothing worse than seeing a programme filled with sponsors and consultants – they may well be experts in their field but case studies will always fair better and provide more of an educational, learning experience. So definitely a good tip here – it’s always best to ask how many of the speakers are actually commercial partners.
Marketing techniques above board?
What sort of marketing techniques were used to spread the word. Were you spammed? If so, is this a company you really want to be dealing with?
Ask previous attendees?
If you get the opportunity to speak to past delegates and attendees, it’s always great to get unbiased customer insight on the company.
Why are you going?
Specialty event or broad?
Who are the speakers?
Could you be a speaker?
Maybe you can save on the conference fee and instead offer to speak if appropriate – great for the budget and great for brand awareness and self promotion.
Are you disciplined enough to not go?
There are events that people go to just to be seen and to participate in the annual buzz! But taking 2 or 3 days out of the office, air fares and hotel expenses doesn’t always justify the upside. Contact the organisers and see if live streaming will be available! A great solution to not missing out whilst being kinder to the budget.
What’s the ROI?
This is a tricky one to be honest. Sometimes we don’t see the ROI from an event immediately – for example that one killer idea you got from the event might take months to implement. Or those great contacts you made require follow up meetings before business can be done.
A good list of pointers from eConsultancy. One thing’s for sure – Events, whether traditional, virtual or hybrid are thriving and still very much an effective way of learning and networking within your industry.
Long Live Events!
