Event Marketing Strategies
What are the best event marketing strategies?
No single strategy is best for every event. The strategy that works is the one that matches your audience, your goal and how much lead time you have. This guide lays out the choices you make in each phase, before, during and after the event, and the trade-offs between channels, so you can build a strategy instead of copying a list of tactics.
It sits between two other guides. The event marketing plan guide gives you a template to write everything down, and the event marketing examples guide describes individual tactics. Here the focus is on the decisions behind them.
Updated by the Eventdex team
4.7/5 from 39 reviews on each
Choices that come before any strategy
Three decisions shape everything else. Settle them first:
Decide what the event is for
Registrations, pipeline, member renewals, sponsor revenue and brand awareness need different strategies. Choose one main goal and put a number and a date on it.
Describe the audience in one sentence
Who they are, what they care about, and where they already spend time. A strategy for existing customers is not the same as one for strangers.
Choose the one reason to attend
A specific promise, such as a speaker, a topic, a chance to meet someone or a skill taught, beats a general invitation to a great event.
Strategies before the event
Before the event, you are choosing between reaching people you already have and finding new ones.
| Choice | Option A | Option B | How to decide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audience | Your own list and past attendees | New audiences through partners and ads | Use your list first; it costs least and converts best |
| Message | Lead with the speakers | Lead with the outcome or the topic | Use whichever your audience recognizes faster |
| Offer | Early bird pricing | A group or colleague ticket | Early bird suits individuals; group tickets suit teams |
| Timing | Long campaign, light touch | Short campaign, heavy touch | Long lead time suits large events; small ones can be short |
| Reach | Owned channels (email, website, social) | Borrowed channels (partners, speakers, sponsors) | Combine them; borrowed reach is where new people come from |
Strategies during the event
During the event, the strategy is to give attendees and partners something worth talking about and a way to take part.
Make participation easy
A clear agenda in attendees' hands, a visible hashtag and reasons to scan, vote or play make activity part of the event, not an extra.
Give sponsors a role beyond a logo
A hosted session, a branded prize or an activation they run is easier to talk about and to report on.
Capture content as it happens
Decide who records and posts what, before the event, so the best moments are not lost and the event keeps reaching people who are not there.
Collect the data you will need later
Attendance by session, leads captured and survey responses become the evidence for next year's strategy and for sponsors.
Strategies after the event
After the event, the choice is how long to keep the audience warm and what to ask of them.
Follow up quickly and specifically
A short recap within days, with a next step matched to the person: a recording for attendees, a meeting for leads, a renewal offer for sponsors.
Reuse content for months
Sessions, talks and photos become articles, clips and email content that keep promoting the event brand until the next edition.
Learn from the numbers
Compare registrations by source, show-up rates and survey answers with your goal, and write down the three changes for next time.
Open the next edition to past attendees first
Early access for people who already came is the cheapest registration campaign you can run.
Choosing channels
Every channel has a role. Choose a few and do them properly instead of spreading thin:
| Channel | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Email to your own list | Registrations from people who know you | Stale lists and sending too many messages |
| Partner and speaker sharing | Reaching new people with borrowed trust | Partners need a ready-to-use kit and a tracked link |
| Social media | Awareness, speaker spotlights, live coverage | Slow to convert unless paired with an offer |
| Your website and registration page | Turning interest into registrations | A page that does not answer what, when, where and why |
| Paid ads | Reaching a defined audience you cannot reach otherwise | Spending without a tracked registration source |
| Content and webinars | Building interest over time | Content that does not point to the event |
| Onsite and in-app messages | Directing attendees during the event | Over-messaging; send only what is useful at that moment |
A strategy checklist to copy
Use this as a final check before you commit budget or time to a strategy.
Event marketing strategy checklist
EVENT MARKETING STRATEGY CHECKLIST Event: [Name], [Date] FOUNDATIONS [ ] One main goal, with a number and a date: [Goal] [ ] The audience in one sentence: [Description] [ ] The one reason to attend: [Reason] BEFORE [ ] Own list contacted first, with a countdown of at least [number] messages [ ] Partner, speaker and sponsor kit sent, each with a tracked link [ ] An offer with a clear deadline (early bird, group ticket or promo code) [ ] Registration page answers what, when, where, who and why DURING [ ] A reason for attendees to take part (game, poll, scan, hashtag) [ ] Each sponsor has an activation or session, not just a logo [ ] One person owns live content and posting [ ] Attendance, leads and survey data are being captured AFTER [ ] Recap sent within [number] days [ ] Recordings and photos scheduled for reuse [ ] Sponsor and exhibitor reports sent [ ] Next edition offered to past attendees first [ ] Review held: results against goal and three changes for next time
Where Eventdex fits in your strategy
Eventdex supports the registration, onsite and data parts of an event marketing strategy. It does not replace a marketing email tool: Eventdex email campaigns are for event communications to registered attendees, not promotion.
Track which channel brings registrations
Promo codes with a promo code report, and affiliate ID links with orders filtered by affiliate.
Event registration softwareShare the registration page
A short URL, social share buttons and an embed or popup widget for your own website.
Event ticketing softwareRecover unfinished registrations
The abandoned order report lists registrants who did not complete payment, so you can follow up.
Give sponsors visibility
Sell banner and splash ad space in the mobile app, and include sponsor branding on badges and in trivia.
Event sponsorshipCapture leads and attendance
Exhibitors scan badges to capture leads, and attendance is tracked by session as it happens.
Lead retrieval app
The Eventdex platform
Put your event marketing strategy to work
- Registration and promo codesTicket types, promo codes and affiliate links with reporting.Learn more about Registration and promo codes
- Event ticketingA short URL, share buttons and embeddable widgets.Learn more about Event ticketing
- Event sponsorshipSponsor visibility in the app, on badges and in games.Learn more about Event sponsorship
- Lead retrievalExhibitors scan, rate and qualify leads on their phones.Learn more about Lead retrieval
- Event mobile appAgenda, push notifications and sponsor placements.Learn more about Event mobile app
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FAQ
Event Marketing Strategies: common questions
What is the difference between an event marketing strategy and a plan?
The strategy is the set of choices: goal, audience, message, channels and timing. The plan turns those choices into dates, owners and a budget. Decide the strategy first, then write the plan.
Which channels should an event use?
Start with the ones that reach people who already know you, usually email and your website, then add partner and speaker sharing for new reach. Add paid ads or other channels only when you can track registrations from them.
What is the best strategy for a small event?
Focus on your own list, personal invitations, speaker and partner sharing and a clear registration page. A small event rarely needs paid advertising, but it still needs a tracked source for every registration.
Is marketing after the event worth the effort?
Yes. A recap, reused content and early access for next year reach people who already have a reason to care, and the numbers you collect improve the next event's strategy.
How do sponsors fit into event marketing?
Sponsors can extend your reach by sharing the event with their audience, and the event gives them visibility in return. Agree what each sponsor will share and what you will report back, early in the process.
Run your event marketing strategy on Eventdex
Start with a free interactive floor plan, or talk to an event specialist on +1 (866) 434-5088.