As we turn the page on another year, it’s time to look ahead and plan for a successful 2024. At the heart of your strategy should be a commitment to truly understanding your customers and meeting them where they are. This is known as customer-centric marketing, and your events should follow the same general guidelines, but it can be hard to implement if you’re not accustomed to it. Never fear: we give you our best tips below for implementing a new approach to event strategy for 2024.
Strategy Tip #1: The Power of Event Tiering
So, what does tiering your events mean? It’s about organizing events into three categories: large industry events, mid-tier regional events, and small VIP account meetings. Each tier has a specific purpose and helps move customers along their consideration journey. The goal is to meet the shifting expectations of your customers and be present where they are.
- Large industry events are excellent platforms for gaining visibility and reaching a broad audience.
- Mid-tier regional events allow us to connect with customers on a more personal level, addressing region-specific issues.
- Small VIP account meetings provide an intimate setting for engaging deeply with our most valued customers.
The tiering approach enables companies to focus their budget, resources, and effort based on the importance of each tier. As expected, tier 1 events receive the most support, reflecting their critical role in your overall strategy.
However, this doesn’t mean that larger industrial events are tier one, especially if they aren’t producing the results you want, given the same investment. The tiers should be aligned to what your company values most, and help you organize to achieve those goals. This involves questioning the value of large third-party events and considering reallocating funds to multiple smaller experiences that directly engage your customers.
Strategy Tip #2: Understand Your Customers Better
As we move into 2024, focus on understanding your customers better and tier your event portfolio accordingly. This is instrumental in driving the customer-centric focus. Your mission is simple but powerful: understand your customers deeply and tailor your offerings to meet their needs. This will allow you to be more present and effective in your customer interactions.
In an ever-changing industry, it’s crucial to stay nimble and responsive to shifting customer needs and expectations. That’s why a focus on training your teams to think more creatively about maximizing opportunities and stretching budgets can be beneficial. Help them to see that your strategies need to be as fluid as the wants and needs of your customers.
Strategy Tip #3: Make Data-Driven Decisions
Data and feedback are integral to understanding event performance. It’s not enough to attend events based on past habits or vague goals like “brand awareness“. We need to define what these terms mean and use data to answer critical questions like “Why attend this event?”
To this end, we emphasize the importance of both qualitative and quantitative analysis. We’re not just looking at numbers; we’re seeking to understand the stories they tell about our customers and our business. This data-driven approach allows us to challenge long-held assumptions and make cuts where necessary to free up budgets.
Looking Ahead
As we look forward to 2024, the focus is clear: meet your customers where they are. Commit to tiering your event portfolio, analyze event performance data, and use attendee feedback to continually refine your event strategy for 2024. Think more creatively about maximizing opportunities and stretch your budgets. Reassess the value of attending events solely for brand awareness and set clear objectives to tailor experiences more effectively.
Here’s to a successful 2024!