In the post-Covid era, a CEIR study argues, event organisers will need to craft personalised messaging in order to gain rousing response from prospective attendees. Photo Credit: GettyImages/Auris
In recent months, several surveys have pointed to a resurgence in the
global B2B exhibitions market, driven by trends such as the use of new
technology.
A
report from the Centre for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) released
last month, titled "Omnichannel Marketing Insights: Who to target for
attendee acquisition" also points to strong forecasts for the B2B
exhibition industry, with 87% of those surveyed planning to attend
exhibitions throughout 2022.
So what are the best ways to ensure you are effectively targeting the
right participants, and moreover, that they have a positive experience
at your event?
1. Take a personalised approach
With CEIR’s research pointing to more senior people/decision makers
expecting to attend B2B events in 2022 and beyond, personalised
marketing can turn a 'maybe' into a confirmed 'yes'.
Start trickling information by providing a downloadable guide to the
event, with enough information to engage potential attendees and spark
their interest. If you have industry guest speakers at the event, get
them to spread the word across social channels.
“Shape stories that speak to these overall objectives,” says the CEIR
report. “Craft the messaging in their language so that the content is
personalised.”
2. Consider the target personas of attendees
CEIR’s report outlines four different target exhibition ‘personas’:
those who are product-focused, those who value networking, those who are
buying-focused and those who attend to increase their knowledge -
‘learning-focused’.
Send out a survey pre-event to gauge what ‘persona’ attendees may
fall into - segmenting attendee data in this way can also help you
tailor the event content to these personas.
3. Make the case for attending your event
Post-Covid, the decision-making process to attend B2B exhibitions and
trade shows may be more rigourous. Event organisers will need to help
prospective attendees gain approval to attend by helping them make the
case for the value of attending, relative to their objectives for doing
so.
4. Proactively target Gen Z and Millennials
This demographic is far less likely to have loyalty to a particular
brand or business so you will need to make a concerted effort to get
them on board and motivate them to attend. Promote the more entertaining
aspects of the exhibition and highlight opportunities to network, share
knowledge and try new tools.