Mastering Event Management, and the One Thing Marketers Forget
Planning for a trade show or conference is no small feat. You've booked your prime corner spot six months in advance, nailed your social media ramp-up, and equipped your sales team with everything from handouts to the perfect elevator pitch. You've even remembered the tchotchkes, because what's a conference without a stress ball shaped like your logo?
But even with all your preparation, prepare for the curveball.
I'll never forget the time my booth didn’t arrive. Yep, lost somewhere in the ether. I still haven’t given up the hunt. I know somewhere in the deep hallows of Chicago’s Navy Pier, there is a 10x10 booth collecting dust.
The point is, conferences can be stressful. But even when everything goes perfectly, there's one thing marketers often overlook: having a plan for what happens after the event.
The Power of the Debrief
The most critical part of any conference isn’t just showing up, it’s what you do once you’re back in the office. A solid debrief is essential. Think of it as your event report card. It lets you know what worked, what didn’t, and where it's worth your time and money to invest again.
I keep a debrief template on hand. I’ve used a similar version as far back as 2017, and it still does the job. In it, I track both quantitative and qualitative data:
Quantifiable Metrics: How many face-to-face conversations did we have? How much website traffic did we generate? Did we hit our goal of marketing-qualified leads based on total attendance?
Qualitative Insights: This is where your business development team comes in. Ask them questions like:
How do you feel the conference was managed logistically?
Did the attendee count match expectations?
Was the caliber of attendees what you expected?
Would you want to attend again in the future?
Follow-Up is Non-Negotiable
Within 48 hours of returning, your team should:
Send LinkedIn connection requests.
Add new contacts to your CRM.
Have a follow-up plan to nurture leads.
Set another follow-up a few months out to check in on leads again.
Don’t let the momentum generated at the conference fizzle out because everyone’s too busy catching up on email when they get back. Have the follow-up plan in place and talk about it before the conference.
Data Drives Future Decisions
All the pre- and post-planning effort is only worth it if you can measure the return you’re getting. I always use a Channel Performance Report to help me analyze every event, because an event is a marketing channel.
For example, say you have generated 49 new contacts. Eight of those turned into sales-qualified leads, and one resulted in a $161,000 proposal. The cost of the event? Ten thousand dollars. Knowing those numbers made it clear that investing in that event again was a no-brainer.
Conversely, when our data showed that referral partnerships consistently delivered our highest-value deals, we shifted our focus and budget accordingly. And yes, I still say 'whatever it takes' when it comes to nurturing that relationship.
The Takeaway
Conferences aren’t just about showing up, they’re about showing up strategically. Be deliberate in your planning, measure your results, and stay disciplined with your follow-up. That’s how you turn a corner booth and a box of branded stress balls into meaningful business growth.
Oh, and if you see a rogue trade show booth out there with my name on it? Let me know. I’m still holding out hope.
