PRECISION DEMAND MARKETING STRATEGY How Events Will Look in a Buyer Driven World Confidence is slowly but surely returning to in-person events. According to Freeman Future So, be careful. Don’t fall into the old way of working in which event teams used their o wn Forecast, 78% of event attendees expect to attend in-person events in the fall of 2021 and 94% tools and tech, gathered their own data, and then churned out generic follow-ups before by the winter of 2021. At the same time, three out of four attendees expect digital to play a moving on to the next event. Instead, think about events as a critical touchpoint on a bigger role in events post-pandemic. Event strategies will combine physical and digital channels. multi-channel buyer’s journey—a touchpoint that event, digital, and demand mark eting teams must work on together. Of course, buyers won’t act the same way at virtual events and webinars as they do at in- Reinvent the way your field and event marketers work. Put digital first, stay tuned-in to the person ones. Virtual attendees are less engaged. They’re passive and often are relying on this omnichannel buyer journey, the role of other teams and channels and the importance of a channel as part of their research, data gathering, or discovery. Many times, they’re early in the buying process and are using the event to perform research and hear from a keynote speaker connected, consistent experience for buyers. Your new approach will not only be eff ective, or learn your story. it will also enable you to further defend your event spend to your organization. Even as in-person events return, expect buyers to be digital-first. It’s critical to connect the in-person and digital channels to accommodate this shift. As a marketer in this evolving world, you’ll also need to accommodate buyers who simply aren’t ready to attend full-scale conferences again. Some won’t be comfortable with the idea at all. Others may prefer smaller, local gatherings. Be ready to meet them on their terms. 78% 94% Reimagining the Event Marketer Role Event marketers must not only adjust to balancing an event mix that includes in-person, of event attendees of event attendees hybrid and virtual events and webinars, they must also change the way they work within their expect to attend expect to attend own marketing teams. in-person events in in-person events in Event marketers can no longer be lone wolves. Webinars and other digital programs are the fall of 2021 the winter of 2021 no longer owned exclusively by demand gen and marketing ops. Today, everyone must be invested. Together. Collaboration is to the key to a better event experience, stronger pipeline, and better qualified leads.