Event marketing can generate high-quality sales leads if done properly. There are 10 critical success factors for lead generation through event marketing: 1) Give yourself enough time to plan the event, 2) Set realistic targets based on your contact database, 3) Plan your budget with a 10% contingency, 4) Choose the right venue, 5) Deliver valuable content for your audience, 6) Plan audience generation effectively using various communication tactics, 7) Create a project plan with tasks and deadlines, 8) Plan your lead capture mechanism, 9) Ensure smooth execution through planning and team preparation, and 10) Follow up on leads effectively and prioritize feeding them into your sales pipeline.

1. Lead Generation through Event Marketing:10 Critical Success FactorsFor more ideas visit:www.klaxonmarketing.co.uk

2. Q. Why Events for Lead Generation?A. The quality of a sales lead correlates to the effort the prospect has gone through to interact with your company

3. I.e. If you convince someone to take a day out of the office to attend your event, there’s every likelihood they will present themselves to be a warmer sales lead.

4. 1. Give yourself enough timeQ. What’s involved in event marketing?

5. 1. Give yourself enough timeSet objectives, plan your goals, identify your target audiences, plan your communications tactics, develop your registration infrastructure, define delegate management process, find a venue, determine budget, brief agencies, research topic area, create your agenda, invite speakers, create marketing email, define sponsor / exhibitor involvement, sell sponsorships, organise media partnerships, research competitive events (third party and competitors), organise audio visual, build event microsite, prepare presentation template, brief telemarketing agency, broadcast marketing emails, send direct mail piece, brief your sales managers, create running order sheet, prepare master slide deck, audience generation progress check, organise speaker rehearsals, conduct site visits, book catering (don’t forget the tasting session), create delegate packs, order speaker gifts and giveaways, confirmation calls to registrants, organise shipping and logistics, book hotel rooms for executives, print name badges, manage cost control, organise lead capture, brief sales teams for follow-up...

6. 1. Give yourself enough timeA. plenty

7. There’s a lot to organising events and you should plan at least 16 weeks to execute a successful eventCSF 1. Create a realistic time plan for executing your event

8. “If you build it, they will come”

9. Is good for baseball fan Kevin Costner, but not for your average event marketerPlan your event objectives around your contact database. Be prepared to either: Run a series of smaller events and build your audience gradually

10. Aggressively market to your existing contact data

11. Spend budget on buying new dataCSF 2. Set realistic targets based on your contact database

12. CSF 3. Plan your budget with a contingency

13. Events are generally not a cheap marketing tactic. Factor in the following...Venue hireCateringAudio visualPrintingSignageTransport / shippingAccommodationAgency feesMedia buysSpeaker feesDelegate packsGiveawaysThe list goes on and on...

14. CSF 3. Plan your budget with a contingency Don’t forget to build contingency into your budget, say 10%(things can and will go wrong, so plan for this in advance)

15. CSF 4. Choose the Right VenueThe choice of venue is vital, not only for the smooth running on the day, but also for securing speakers and generating an audience. Consider...

16. Word Art courtesy of Wordle.com

17. CSF 5. Deliver value for your audienceDon’t be tempted to run an event just about your product Think more what your target audience wants to hear or learn and provide valuable contentThe more value you add, the better the engagement with your audience = warmer sales leads

18. CSF 6. Plan your Audience Generation EffectivelyYou need a mix of communications tactics throughout your event production cycle to attract an audience.There are a lot of options. Plan an integrated mix, measure their effectiveness and be prepared to try something different if your promotions aren’t working.

19. Consider...

20. Email Marketing

21. Print brochure

22. Telemarketing

23. Social Media: Twitter, facebook, Linkedin, blog, YouTube, Xing, Ning, stumbleupon, digg, delicious, vimeo, plurk, Jaiku, Wikipedia, Tumblr, Posterous, Foursquare, MySpace, Meetup, Upcoming, Eventful, Flickr, Ustream, Slideshare, Reddit... and so on

24. Press release

25. Media Partnerships

26. Advertising : online and printViral campaignGuerrilla Tactics...

27. CSF 7. Create a Project PlanSpend time at the outset to plan a project management timeline. Set tasks against realistic deadlines and define the “critical path” i.e. the order in which things must happen for your project to work

28. A GANTT Chart will help

29. CSF 8: Plan your lead capture mechanismThere are lots of solutions for capturing leads and it will depend on your event format as to which you employ.Consider: exhibition stand, name badge scanning, prize draws, competitions, networking, technical demos...

30. CSF. 9: Smooth ExecutionThe smooth execution on the day will require proper planning, a well briefed team and a bit of luck.Prepare a Running Order Sheet – a briefing for all of your team on who needs to do what and when – be precise. Talk your team through this and answer any questions before the day of the event – don’t forget to delegate effectively.

31. CSF. 10: Follow Up EffectivelyThe value you achieve from the leads you generate will depend on your follow-up strategy.Speed is important i.e. don’t wait to follow-up, your competitors will not.Prioritise and feed the leads into your sales pipeline for nurturing.