It\u2019s crunch time: eight weeks until your flagship conference. <\/p>\n
- \n
- Sales and events aren\u2019t even on the same page. <\/li>\n
- Customer success is scrambling to find reference customers for panels.<\/li>\n
- Product marketing wonders why their shiny new features aren\u2019t getting more of the spotlight on the agenda. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
It\u2019s a familiar scenario for any company that\u2019s ever hosted a large event.<\/p>\n
The dirty little secret? Most conferences still happen in silos, squandering potential collaborations and, ultimately, watering down the impact. What could be a dynamic, company-wide opportunity becomes a fragmented, one-team show. And when the lights go out? Thousands of dollars in valuable event content are often left on the cutting room floor.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t have to be this way. Bringing the right players together early can transform your event into a cohesive, well-practiced machine that drives value long after the last attendee heads home. Here\u2019s why those first 90 days of planning are critical \u2014 and how to make each count.<\/p>\n
First 90 days: Your playbook for a winning strategy<\/h2>\n
A few months ago, a global tech company was planning its annual user conference for 3,000 attendees. Traditionally, the events team owned the planning process, only looping in other teams about four months before showtime. But this time, we tried something new: nine months out, we gathered every team \u2014 from field marketing and web to PR, community and customer success.<\/p>\n
The result? A unified event strategy where each team had clear, tangible roles and saw their unique value.\u00a0<\/p>\n
- \n
- Field marketing aligned incentives with their territory goals.<\/li>\n
- Customer success mined quarterly business reviews (QBRs) for speakers.<\/li>\n
- The community team planned pre-event meetups to drum up excitement.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
This wasn\u2019t just about getting \u201csupport\u201d \u2014 it was about investment. When teams see how the event can drive their goals, they\u2019re in it to win it.<\/p>\n
Building your dream team: Every player counts<\/h2>\n
Think of event planning as assembling a championship team. Everyone needs a role and they need to know it from day one. Here\u2019s your roster:<\/p>\n
- \n
- Field marketing<\/strong>: Your ground game experts who know local dynamics.<\/li>\n
- Web team<\/strong>: The digital home base for all things conference-related.<\/li>\n
- Content and integrated marketing<\/strong>: Storytellers creating the narrative arc.<\/li>\n
- Social media<\/strong>: The play-by-play commentators.<\/li>\n
- Brand and design<\/strong>: Identity creators building your visual vibe.<\/li>\n
- Demand gen<\/strong>: The scorekeepers.<\/li>\n
- PR and media relations<\/strong>: Broadcasters extending your reach.<\/li>\n
- Channel partners and community<\/strong>: The fan clubs driving attendance.<\/li>\n
- Customer success<\/strong>: Talent scouts who know who\u2019s got the best stories to share.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Each team brings a unique perspective. If you\u2019re missing even one, you\u2019ll feel the gap. The key is getting everyone in the game early so that every part of your strategy is airtight.<\/p>\n
Dig deeper: 4 keys to digital events planning<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
The workshop framework: Aligning the team for success<\/h2>\n
This transformation starts with a workshop where each team of stakeholders brainstorms its role, developing several options for how they can best contribute (and benefit).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a simple playbook to make it happen:<\/p>\n
\n![\"Event](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Event_Workshop_Template.png.webp?resize=775%2C528&ssl=1\"\/)
![\"Event](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/martech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Event_Workshop_Template.png.webp?resize=775%2C528&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nOpportunity identification<\/h3>\n
Ask, \u201cHow can your team uniquely contribute?\u201d This shifts the mindset from \u201chelp us out\u201d to \u201chow can we all win?\u201d Each team uncovers how the event can help them achieve their own goals.<\/p>\n
Audience definition<\/h3>\n
Different teams have different \u201ccustomers\u201d \u2014 prospects, partners and existing clients. Early audience mapping ensures targeted marketing campaigns and content tracks that resonate with every group.<\/p>\n
Message development<\/h3>\n
What do each team\u2019s audiences care about? Collaborative messaging sessions uncover angles the events team might miss on their own. Great ideas often pop up when you ask, \u201cWhat would get your audience to attend?\u201d<\/p>\n
Success metrics<\/h3>\n
Clear, specific goals create accountability. Define these upfront, so each team knows what they\u2019re aiming for \u2014 whether it\u2019s lead gen, brand visibility or community engagement.<\/p>\n
Next steps<\/h3>\n
Detail the support needed to keep momentum going after the workshop. Identify actions, owners and timelines to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.<\/p>\n
Dig deeper: How small companies make a big splash with event content<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
Real-world results: Customer success and field sales\u00a0<\/h2>\n
Here\u2019s how this framework transformed one company\u2019s approach to events. A workshop with the customer success team uncovered a gold mine of opportunity with several customers using advanced features who could inspire others.\u00a0<\/p>\n
They identified these customers during QBRs and recruited them as potential speakers. These compelling customer stories helped target customers due for renewal in Q3 and Q4. By rethinking their role, customer success became key players, not just supporters.<\/p>\n
Metrics for success<\/h3>\n
They set goals to recruit speakers and track the renewal rates of attending customers within six months. They requested speaker proposal templates from the events team, a small step that saved time and led to better-prepared speakers.<\/p>\n
The result: instead of scrambling to find speakers two months out, they had a pipeline of engaged customers ready to share their stories, creating a continuous content engine for the year.<\/p>\n
And field sales? Initially, they weren\u2019t thrilled about \u201canother marketing event,\u201d which they expressed\u2026 colorfully. However, when it was reframed during the workshop, sales management realized their teams could use the event as a catalyst for prospect meetings and an incentive for accounts showing renewal hesitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
By positioning the event as a way to meet late-stage prospects and accelerate deals in the pipeline, sales went from reluctant participants to some of the event\u2019s biggest champions.<\/p>\n
Sales support tools<\/h3>\n
With customized prospect agendas, email templates and event highlights, they had everything they needed to build anticipation among their accounts.<\/p>\n
Start your winning strategy now<\/h2>\n
Shifting from an event marketing-driven monologue to a cross-functional collaboration isn\u2019t easy. It takes time, coordination and, yes, more meetings. But the payoff? It\u2019s massive. When every team sees the event as their event, magic happens.<\/p>\n
Your event isn\u2019t just another marketing initiative \u2014 it\u2019s a company-wide opportunity to make a lasting impact. Gather your dream team, put these workshops into play and start building something extraordinary.<\/p>\n
Because, in the end, events are a team sport. The best time to get everyone in the game is right now.<\/p>\n
Dig deeper: Beyond attendance: Unlocking B2B growth with event-led strategies<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\n<\/div>\n
Contributing authors are invited to create content for MarTech and are chosen for their expertise and contribution to the martech community. Our contributors work under the oversight of the editorial staff<\/a> and contributions are checked for quality and relevance to our readers. The opinions they express are their own.<\/em><\/p>\n
- Web team<\/strong>: The digital home base for all things conference-related.<\/li>\n
- Field marketing<\/strong>: Your ground game experts who know local dynamics.<\/li>\n