1
State of B2B Event Marketing
Perception vs. Reality and
the Future of Event Marketing
December 2011
sponsored by:
BOB FELSENTHAL Publisher BtoB Magazine
OUR SPONSOR
CHRISTOPHER HOSFORD East Coast Bureau Chief BtoB Magazine
TWEET
#B2BWC
Our Panel
Maria Pergolino
Senior Director of
Marketing
Marketo
John DiStefano
Research Director
BtoB magazine
BtoB magazine
7
Outline
I. Introduction
II. The State of B2B Events
III. Challenges and Opportunities
IV. What Marketers Want
V. Value Propositions
VI. Exploring Possible Solutions
IV. The Event Management Marketing Automation Value Proposition
V. Triggers & Obstacles
BtoB magazine
8
Introduction
BtoB magazine
9
•In a 2011 study the true population of B2B marketing professionals in
the US was researched via a 30 question online survey.
•A representative sample of the BtoB marketers audience was invited to
participate in the survey via email.
•A sample of 309 completes was achieved.
•Confidence Interval: 95%
•Margin of Error: +/- 5.6%
Methods and procedures adhere to the standards and ethics established
by the Market Research Association (MRA-net.org). Individual
participant or participant company names are not disclosed. Results are
reported in aggregate only.
Fair Use Policy
All rights reserved. Crain Communications BtoB magazine. BtoB magazine grants the right to use when attributed to Crain
Communications/BtoB magazine. The opinions expressed herein are subject to change without notice.
Methodology
BtoB magazine
Poll Q #1
As We Enter 2012- What Does Your Event Marketing Budget Look Like?
A) Increasing
B) Decreasing
C) Remaining the Same
D) Not Sure Yet
BtoB magazine
11
The State of B2B Events
BtoB magazine
12
Key Statistics
Live and Virtual
Company Events Per Year: 14
Third Party Events Per Year: 12
Live Events: 16 Events Per Year
Virtual Events: 12 Event Per Year
Dedicated Events Sales Team: 35%
Responsible for
All Events: 71%
Offline Events: 29%
BtoB magazine
Events Share of Marketing Budget
Question: What percentage of your marketing budget, including all costs (e.g. salaries, advertising, overhead,
etc), do you allocate to events?
N=309
Source: BtoB magazine: State of Event Marketing, July 2011
Percentage of Marketing Budget Allocated to Events
1%
15%
18%
14%
13%
10%
7%
6%
7%
4%3%
3%
0%
1%-5%
6%-10%
11%-15%
16%-20%
21%-25%
26%-30%
31%-35%
36%-40%
41%-45%
46%-50%
Greater than 50%
Average: 20%
BtoB magazine
Highest Revenue Activity All Events
Question: In thinking about your events (i.e. physical and virtual), which category most accurately describes
your highest revenue activity?
N=309
Source: BtoB magazine: State of Event Marketing, July 2011
Highest Revenue Activity of All Events
44%
61%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Self-produced events
Third party events
BtoB magazine
Sales Lead Funnel for Events--Trends
Question: How would you describe your organization's trend of involvement with measuring the sales leads
funnel in reference to events? Participation ...
N=309
Source: BtoB magazine: State of Event Marketing, July 2011
Trend toward Measuring Sales Lead Funnel for Events
65%
28%
2%5%
Increasing
Remaining the same
Decreasing
None
BtoB magazine
16
What Marketers Want
BtoB magazine
Event Program Goals
Question: What are the goals of your event programs? (Check all that apply).
N=309
Source: BtoB magazine: State of Event Marketing, July 2011
Event Program Goals
83%
72% 72%
57%
46%
32%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Generate
leads
Customer
engagement
Build brand Product
education and
training
Drive demand Customer
upsell
BtoB magazine
Marketing Automation Tools
Used for Events
Question: Which of the following tools do you use for the marketing automation of event management? (Check
all that apply).
N=309
Source: BtoB magazine: State of Event Marketing, July 2011
Tools Used for Events
11%
16%
24%
85%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%
Virtual event softw are
(e.g. INXPO, On24)
Payment softw are (e.g.
RegOnline, Cvent)
Marketing automation
softw are (e.g. Marketo,
Eloqua)
Webinar softw are (e.g.
Webex, Gotow ebinar,
ON24)
BtoB magazine
Top Ranked Value Proposition
Question: Please select the ONE most important reason you would you consider using a marketing automation
program applied to events?
Source: BtoB magazine/btobonline.com: State of B2B Event Marketing, July 2011
Top Ranked Value Proposition
25%
18%
11%10%
8%
8%
7%
7%
5% 2%
Measure ROI
Drive attendance (i.e. lead
generation)
Deploy post-event campaigns
Integrate w ith CRM softw are
(e.g. Salesforce.com)
Increase aw areness
Streamline logistics
Scalability
Personalize communication
Manage registrations
Integrate w ith w ebinar softw are
(e.g. Webex)
BtoB magazine
Poll Q #2
On a scale of 1-5-How likely are you to use a marketing automation tool to facilitate your event and marketing programs?
(low) 1-2-3-4-5 (high)
BtoB magazine
21
Exploring Possible Solutions
BtoB magazine
22
Measuring Sales Lead Funnel for Events
Question: Please select which stage your company is at in reference to measuring the sales leads funnel for
events.
N=309
Source: BtoB magazine: State of Event Marketing, July 2011
18%
38%
27%
12%
5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Stage One: No
integration. We do
not measure the
sales leads funnel
of our events.
Stage Tw o:
Somew hat
integrated.
Stage Three:
Moderately
integrated.
Stage Four: Very
integrated.
Stage Five: Fully
integrated. We
center our events
on sales leads
funnel
measurement from
aw areness to
conversion.
BtoB magazine 23
Marketing Automation Applied to Events-- Value
Proposition
Email Triggers (invites, reminders, post-event
deployments, tracking, etc.)
Measure ROI
Drive Attendance (Lead Generation) Enabler: CRM:
Salesforce.com
•Marketing Automation Has Become Mission-critical For B2B Firms
(Forrester Research, April 2011)
BtoB magazine
Marketo Example
BtoB magazine
25
Value Proposition for Marketing Automation for
Events
• Measure ROI --#1
•# 2 Drive Attendance
•Tied for #3, #4
•Deploy post-event campaigns
•Integrate with CRM
BtoB magazine
26
Marketo Example
26
Go
od
B
ette
r B
est
BtoB magazine
Marketo Example
Screenshot: Marketo Revenue Cycle
Analytics
First-touch allocation, multi-touch
allocation, investment, volume, etc
BtoB magazine
28
Role of Automation in Events
Question: How do you use automation to prepare for a successful event?
N=309
Source: BtoB magazine: State of Event Marketing, July 2011
How Automation Contributes to Successful Event
6%
27%
31%
32%
35%
40%
42%
52%
53%
65%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
Cloud-based lists
One-to-one invitations
Prospect targeting
Social media
Tracking invitees
Event landing pages
Tracking registrants
Event reminders
Event invites
Email invitation campaigns
BtoB magazine
29
Role of Automation in Follow-up after Events
Question: How do you use automation to follow-up after events?
N=309
Source: BtoB magazine: State of Event Marketing, July 2011
How Automation is Used to Follow-up After Events
19%
21%
27%
30%
50%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%
Nurturing
Prioritizing sales follow
up (lead scoring)
Tracking attendees
Not at all
Event follow ups
BtoB magazine
30
Obstacles to Marketing Automation for Events
--Cost Issue
• Resources or cost primary obstacle
•Inability to find trained staff non-issue
BtoB magazine
31
Maria Conclusions @Inboundmarketer
BtoB magazine
32
Thank You!
December 2011 sponsored by:
Top Related