Nothing beats human connection. Whether you’re trying to sell a product or service, bring leaders of industry together, or encourage greater bonding among your internal team members, face-to-face interactions can do the trick.
Today, we’re discussing why in person events still matter to your marketing efforts, which industries benefit from in person event engagement ideas, whether you should consider blending in person event production with virtual services, and more. Read on to level up your business events now!
The Impact of In-Person Events on Marketing
The impact of in person events is undeniable. For instance, research shows that 68% of B2B marketers and 63% of B2C marketers reported that they hosted live, in-person events in the last six months of 2021, and 81% planned to host live events in 2022.
Moreover, according to the same source, in person event marketing is critical to the public, business, and internal image of a business: “75% of B2C marketers said that in-person events are crucial for their brand’s success” and “Experiential marketing now ranks as one of the top five marketing strategies companies currently leverage.”
Other benefits of an in person event include:
- Companies deliver memorable, engaging experiences that keep their brands top of mind for attendees, partners, and the public
- Organizations sidestep the Zoom fatigue affecting many since the pandemic began
- Sales teams can take advantage of a physical venue to demonstrate products, engage in face-to-face sales pitches, networking, and more
- Companies can facilitate hands-on learning to easily train or explain new products or services
- Event attendees can capitalize on in-person interactions to reconnect with industry peers or meet new people
- Sales teams have an opportunity to accelerate prospects through the pipeline by scheduling meals, entertainment, etc. in tandem with the event
Of course, these are but a few of the most beneficial perks to an in person event. Now let’s take a look at why in person events are truly essential to your business.
Why In-Person Events Are Essential to Marketing
So we’re all in agreement: in person events are great.
But can you really not live without them? Are they truly essential to your business’s success and good standing in the industry? Many experts argue yes, and here’s why.
1. You Cannot Replicate Human Bonding Virtually
As the pandemic taught us, Zoom is not a replacement for real human interaction. Sure, it has its upsides, like being able to work from any location, but is this really contributing to anyone’s bottom line? (Unless the bottom line is your sanity.)
The thing about virtual events is that, while they’re extremely beneficial in many ways, you miss out on the human element. Far fewer relationships get forged over the ether. Humans prefer to form friendships, partnerships, and client-provider relationships on the basis of in-person conversations and handshakes.
Also, there’s simply no substitute for face-to-face interaction when you’re trying to encourage bonding among team members. Whether you’re just showing everyone a good time at the holiday party or are training a large segment of your organization on a new technology, in person is the way to go.
While virtual events are a great accompaniment to in person interactions (see below), they don’t actually replace them.
2. You Can’t Replicate A Physical Opportunity to Build a Brand
Just as you cannot recreate human relationship-building over the internet, you can’t replicate physical brand-building online.
There are a number of reasons for this:
- A lot of in-person events rely on physical collateral, such as brochures, business cards, and (hopefully environmental, sustainable) swag, and you can’t recreate these well online.
- You don’t have the ability to advertise your logo and business name as prominently in a virtual environment. For example, at an in person tradeshow, you can brand staircases, coffee sleeves, snack bars, and more that tell people who you are and help them remember you.
- People aren’t able to handle physical items online, so brand association with your products becomes more difficult.
- You have fewer opportunities to schedule private meetings with attendees such as lunch or a round of golf and put a face to your brand.
3. Data Isn’t Everything
One of the best ways to increase your industry standing and market share is to first understand the market itself. Yes, you can look at data. Gobs of data. Data will make you turn blue in the face. But it won’t actually give you a real impression of what the people who comprise the marketplace think and feel.
When you hold an in person event, on the other hand, you have an opportunity to bring all people together and take a real census. The kind of information you’ll gather is invaluable, including:
- How do people react to your products and services?
- Which of your prospects are visiting competitors’ booths?
- Why did an attendee visit your booth?
- How do they feel about current challenges and opportunities in the market?
- How do they feel about the event agenda and speakers?
- What other industry events are they planning to attend?
All of these bits of information combine to create a qualitative opinion sample that a survey may miss. While data-based surveys are also very valuable, don’t get us wrong, it’s important to have real interactions with people to take the temperature of your industry’s waters once in a while.
Industries that Benefit from an In Person Event
No matter in which industry you specialize, you can make a big difference by holding the occasional – or even not occasional – in person event.
For example, you can create amazing live or hybrid events for use cases such as:
- Marketing and sales: If you want to make a big to-do about annual sales kickoffs, conferences, webinars, sponsorships or trade shows, live events can be great.
- HR, recruitment, and benefits and job fairs: When it comes to every aspect of the employment industry – think HR meetings, job fairs, community fairs, lunch and learns, and more – nothing beats face to face.
- Education and training: From graduation and commencement ceremonies to employee training, certification courses, and more, in-person events work well, especially when you have top-notch in person event production technology at your fingertips.
- PR, media, and entertainment: Fun and in-person just mix, whether you’re talking about professional sporting events, festivals, parties, concerts, or corporate announcements.
- Event planning services: If you offer event planning for clients, then throwing your own event is an amazing way to show them what you can do. From a trade show that welcomes other suppliers to a floor show hawking your own wares, an in person event could be the ticket to greater sales and success.
- Philanthropy, non-profit, and fundraising: Do good with great in person event engagement ideas that will breathe new life into charity events, fundraising galas, and community service.
Consider a Hybrid Component
One of the best ways to make an in person event as profitable as possible is to turn it into a hybrid event. By using virtual event products, you can turn your office or trade show floor into a virtual venue that welcomes people from around the world.
Granted, you will need a virtual event platform and virtual event solutions to make sure this is a success. The key components of a good hybrid event include:
- A well thought-out and compelling in-person event component, complete with a live setting, attendance technology, good speakers and guests, and a great theme
- Engagement tools that help you bring both your in-person and virtual attendees to the table
- Recording technologies that can ensure both in-person and virtual seminars, panels, talks, and shows are available to attendees long after the event’s conclusion
- Event tech integrations so virtual and live components blend seamlessly
- Tools to send invitations, sell tickets, track engagement and attendance, check people in to the show, run webinars, record events for later use, and more
If you decide you’d like to learn more, feel free to request a virtual event platform demo at any time.
Get Professional In Person Event Support Today
Whether you’re interested in live event production or hybrid approaches, we would love to tell you more about our many tools. As the leading provider of in-person, hybrid, and virtual event technology for enterprises worldwide, we guarantee 6Connex has a solution to bring more magic and value to your in person event.
Our broad portfolio of cloud-based products leaves no stone unturned when it comes to creating your perfect production, including webinars, learning management, event apps, tools for event invitations and engagement, and more. From sales and recruitment to fundraising and tradeshows, we can help you transform powerful ideas into events that make a difference in the real world.
Want to learn more? Get in touch today or request a demo here!
