Consumers get to have all the fun. Business-to-consumer (B2C) events are festivals filled with entertainment, giveaways and memorable experiences, while business-to-business (B2B) events are all buttoned-up networking and deal-making. But, does it have to be that way?

Most event technology is sold through business-to-business (B2B) channels. However, B2B sales processes can take more time than some planners have for smaller events.  

To help ease the process, etouches is selling its LOOPD Smart Tags and mobile event apps on a new online store and also on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. This new low-touch sales model presents a unique way for event professionals to buy enterprise event technology.

The Corporate Event Marketing Association (CEMA) advances strategic event marketing and marketing communications for senior-level event marketers and industry professionals.  

CEMA strives to offer programs to its members and the industry that help bring the community together through a spirit of sharing information and best practices. One such offering is the CEMA Study Tour program. CEMA Study Tours are truly unique.

Exhibiting is a key part of the B2B marketing mix. However, standardized lead capture and follow-up processes are notoriously challenging for most organizations.

Most events these days offer lead scanning technology, but there is no consistency from event to event. Some smaller events may not even have badge scanners, requiring organizations to fall back on the tried-and-true method of business card collection, or physical lead cards for attendees to fill in.

While planning an event in an industry, show organizers quickly learn the leading voices of that industry. These voices influence large communities and offer a type of credibility brands themselves cannot. As a result, marketers have quickly engaged in “influencer marketing campaigns.”  

“Influencers are a class of individuals who naturally attract emulation by their behaviors, relationships or opinions,” said Tamar Beck, CEO of Gleanin, an influencer marketing platform.  

I hear it all the time: “How do I effectively market my events?” This is one of the greatest challenges meeting planners face. They want to improve app adoption, engage attendees with content and on social media, and increase visibility for their sponsors and exhibitors.

The thing is, many planners who are using event management and attendee engagement software already have the tools they need. Let’s take a look…

What is marketing?

Corporate events are all about brand experiences. However, it isn’t always easy to design a memorable, immersive experience that connects your attendees with your brand.

Helios Interactive, a Freeman Company, is an experience design studio that specializes in building engaging, interactive experiences for consumers in the events and retail channels. One of the ways they deliver these experiences is through augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR).

“Content is king!” The saying has become cliche because content marketing, still a relatively young marketing concept, has quickly become the go-to strategy of marketers in many industries. According to Forrester, U.S. marketers spent more than $10 billion on content marketing in 2016. Additionally, reports from Content Marketing Institute state that marketers increased their budgets in 2017 and plan to again throughout 2018. Beyond dollars, when used strategically, content marketing helps organizations get results.

The Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR) has released its 2018 Marketing Spend Decision Report, new research profiles marketing practices among business-to-business (B2B) exhibitors of all organizational sizes.

Exhibiting remains the largest slice of the marketing budget, but integrated marketing is key to the strategy at most corporations. Sixty-eight percent of exhibitors surveyed also allocated marketing dollars to digital channels. Free or low-cost channels, such as e-mail promotion and social media topped the list.

The European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is designed to harmonize all existing regulations to provide a higher level of security for citizens of the European Union (EU). Slated to take effect on May 25, the GDPR will apply to any organization that does business with citizens of the EU, regardless of that organization’s location.

The GDPR includes regulations on the collection, use, transfer, monitoring, tracking and even viewing of personal data.