It can be difficult knowing where to start and what to prioritise when it comes to creating an unforgettable experience for a B2B audience. Here are five key things to consider for designing and executing a successful B2B experience!
Know Your Why
As Simon Sinek says, “people don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe”. But in the context of events the impact of understanding your why goes way beyond the benefits of influencing an external perspective.
Understanding why you’re delivering an event or experiences will help you achieve an outcome that is complete in line with your business goals. Are you trying to increase revenue, generate leads or gain feedback on your products and services? Knowing this will give you the blueprint for what to do next. Establish clear goals for your B2B experience and ensure everything moving forward is working toward them.
Measure Everything
Where possible, measure everything. Having goals and purpose is one thing, knowing whether you achieve them or understanding how close you came to is another. Embracing technology can greatly assist in creating integrated systems that can collect data and measure results from pre-registration to post-event content distribution.
Going digital can be as simple as using an online ticketing platform or as complex as building an app completely tailored to your event that tracks attendees engagement and response to different event elements.
Personalisation
Personalisation is another area where technology is your best mate. As with measurement, personalising experiences can be a simple adjustment, or an intricate and thorough system. The app idea makes for a great experience.
After 12 months of closure, Sydney Living Museums was reimagined and reopened as a multi-sensory experience that immersed visitors in the exhibition by using an app and audio. The custom application engaged different segments of audio sharing historic information and ambient sounds by tracking where the guest was in the building and queuing the sounds dependent on where the person was at the time.
Add Value
Why should your guests attend? Understanding your audience and what they would like to get out of this experience is paramount to engaging an attractive amount of attendees, whether it be the opportunity to make valuable networks or access industry information that wouldn’t otherwise be accessible.
We’re constantly fighting for the attention of our audience in a world oversaturated by information and content. Be unique, creative and eye-catching with your invites and visual assets. Consider using a 'draw card' (speaker/entertainment) as a way to add value to the guest experience.
The Follow Up
Having now considered ways to digitise, integrate, and measure your B2B experience, you’re equipped with the resources to follow up and create a conversation with your guests post-event. Be clear about why you’re following up and have a concise call-to-action.
Collecting emails (and the right permissions) during registration will allow you to email guests after they’ve attended your event. You can then continue to nurture your business leads to the desired conversion. This will be an even stronger and deliberate path if you’ve been successful in personalising guest experience throughout the process.