As an attendee at last month’s Sam Lippman’s Attendee Acquisition Roundtable (AAR), I couldn’t help but notice the depth of insight to be found amongst marketing professionals within the events industry. Unlike salespeople, under most circumstances marketers often don’t readily divulge what they’re thinking. But once engaged, their perspectives are enlightening, reflecting both expertise and experience.
This led me to wonder why the role of marketing professionals often is relegated to tactical execution – to do what others have determined needs to be done. Why aren’t they engaged by event managers in helping make the strategic decisions? After all, marketers hold the crucial responsibility of attracting the audience, and frequently being the most knowledgeable of, the lifeblood of any event.
Reflecting on a recent post where an event exhibitor lamented the lack of intentionality in audience curation, I find myself asking:
This led me to wonder why the role of marketing professionals often is relegated to tactical execution – to do what others have determined needs to be done. Why aren’t they engaged by event managers in helping make the strategic decisions? After all, marketers hold the crucial responsibility of attracting the audience, and frequently being the most knowledgeable of, the lifeblood of any event.
Reflecting on a recent post where an event exhibitor lamented the lack of intentionality in audience curation, I find myself asking:
- Why aren’t marketing staff consulted in choosing event locations?
- Why aren’t they directly engaging with exhibitors to understand the exhibitor target audiences?
- Why aren’t marketing professionals deeply attuned to the attendees they attract, beyond mere data analysis?
- Why aren’t they provided with training opportunities to enhance their effectiveness, akin to sales staff?
- Why aren’t they harnessing AI for audience cloning and predictive analytics, especially considering exhibitors’ growing interest in such capabilities?
Our marketing teams possess untapped potential. By involving them in strategic decisions including prioritizing direct communication with exhibitors, we can ensure the continued success of our events. Let’s agree to leverage their expertise and maximize their impact.