For Live Events, “Big Bang” More Than Theory

Is the live event universe seeing an explosion of online and social media tools? Are the ways to use these tools expanding at a faster rate than Moore’s Law? You bet they are!

Why are event-specific microsites, social media, webcast events and more so powerful and popular? In an era of smarter spending, they provide the kind of “Big Bang” that cost-effectively allows marketers to amplify the reach of their tradeshow and event programs.

Savvy tradeshow and event marketers can leverage these tools to “reach the farthest edges of the target audience galaxies”, to “go where no event results have ever gone before” to… well, you get the idea. (And EXHIBITOR Magazine research confirms just how many marketers are adopting these tools.)

So, what are three key ways to use these ever-evolving tools to amplify your live event program?

• Make your event longer:
  Think pre- and post-event PURLs, event-specific microsites, integrated social media Facebook, Twitter & Google+ campaigns, or webcast events. Use these to share special updates, follow-up with relevant content, gather information from surveys, and offer cool incentives, and you can turn a 4-day event into a 4-month amplified experience.

• Make the live experience more engaging.
  With over three-quarters of the world’s population mobile, and projections indicating mobile Internet should take over desktop Internet usage by 2014, attendees don’t go far without their mobile device. Enrich and amplify the live event experience by integrating QR codes, social media, video, and mobile-optimized microsites in your marketing program. Think about how you can use these tools for continual dialog and to amplify engagement with attendees while they’re at the event.

• Turn 5,000 attendees into 50,000 attendees.
  Use online and social media strategies to make your live event available for every relevant prospect or customer you can think of – whether they’re attending the event live or not! Thanks to video, photos, live streaming and social media, even non-attendees can participate in an event. Come up with innovative ways to use these tools to amplify your event audience.

A final thought: When brainstorming ways to use these “Big Bang” strategies, include others in the office that travel the web at warp speed and have their smartphones glued to their hands. They might just help you make a bigger “Bang” in ways you never considered.

Looking for other ways to increase your tradeshow and event success? Download the 2012 Event Marketing Trend Report.

 

(Photo credit: Mike Warot)