This document provides best practices for planning and executing seminars and trade shows. It recommends focusing on defining the audience and objectives, choosing an appropriate venue and timing, developing engaging content, acquiring delegates through targeted marketing campaigns, and following up with leads after the event. Data sources like past attendees and engagement should be used to personalize outreach. Onsite logistics like branding, registration, and networking opportunities are also important to consider for delivering a successful event.

1. Event Best Practice
(Seminars and Tradeshows)
Our partners’ face-to-face events are generating a high volume
of quality leads and opportunities but they require more resource
and planning than other types of marketing activities.
Presented by Outsourced Events Ltd
February 2012

2. Industry Trends
More than 90% of delegates believe business events help
share new knowledge, with 85% going on to apply these
new insights in their professional lives
So, what is the secret to delivering a successful event?
The devil’s in the detail!
Source: Beyond Tourism Benefits: measuring the social legacies of business events report, University of Technology, Sydney October 2011

3. Seminars

4. Best practice: planning for seminars
• Venue
• Timing
• Define the audience
• Set objectives
• Content

5. Best practice: planning for seminars
• Guest/Customer speaker
• Technology
• Timeline
• 140% pre-registration
• Lead follow up

6. Best practice: marketing
Delegate acquisition campaign
Save the Agenda Last chance
Full invitation
date email update to register
11 weeks out 10 weeks out 9 weeks out 8 weeks out 7 weeks out 6 weeks out 5 weeks out 4 weeks out 3 weeks out 2 weeks out 1 week out Event date 1 week post
Latest Joining
news instructions
SMS reminder
1 day out
Reconfirmation
calling Post event “Thank
you” email within 1wk
Delegate retention campaign

7. Best practice: data sources
• Sales team relationships - personalised OFT files
• Opened or responded to a previous campaign
• Downloaded a white paper on the content
• Attended trade shows, webinars, other events
• Social media

8. Best practice: audience acquisition email
• Maximum of 3 CTAs per email
• New content in each distribution
• Subject titles
• Recommend a colleague
• Add to outlook calendar
• Incentive
• Show me you know me!
right person right time right message

9. Best practice: on the day
• Brand template for PowerPoint
• End to end experience
• Registration is the first F2F
touch point
• Personalised agenda
• Signage
• Networking

10. Tradeshows

11. Tradeshows: set objectives
A. B. C.
Quality Lead Awareness Build Your
Generation Building Database

12. Tradeshows: shout about it
• Advertising
• Call to actions
• Email footers
• On your website

13. Tradeshows: planning your presence
• Positioning
• Tailor your message
• Stand out from the crowd
• Maximise your time out of the office
• PR
• Get people to your stand
• Lead management
• Investigate additional opportunities

14. Tradeshows: at the event
• Appoint a stand manager
• Lead form
• Onsite stand briefing
• Stand rota
• Body language

15. Tradeshows: post event
• Follow up within days
• Categorise your leads
• Targeted follow up

16. Social media for events
Objectives
Before During After
Registered/Attendees Word of mouth Networking Reviews
Expectations Live reviews Photos
Non- Conversion to
Follow Reviews
registered/attendees attendees

18. Contact
Alexandra Sibley, Director
Outsourced Events Ltd
info@outsourcedevents.com