Participation in B2B trade fairs and professional events: what is the benefit for your company?
Posted: Sun Feb 16, 2025 9:08 am
It must be said that participation in trade fairs, whether via a stand and/or speaking engagement, allows the company to unlock several advantages along the entire marketing value chain , from LeadGen to awareness, including loyalty and benchmarking.
Decryption…
1. Public speaking, a triple-digit ROI on acquisition
A study conducted between 2018 and 2023ii on thousands of B2B companies ranked lead generation channels according to the return on investment they generate in the long term.
With a record ROI of 856% , public speaking at events is in first place. In short, for every €100 spent, the company generates an average profit of €856, provided that participation is prepared according to the rules of the art:
A speaker who masters his subject and who provides feedback, new data and/or new ways of doing things, beyond empty speeches and theoretical presentations;
An engaging format that is “long” enough to allow the speaker to develop an argument and provide value (Keynote, round table with reasonable speaking time, Masterclass, etc.);
An event whose audience matches the company's ideal customer profile or at least comes close to it.
According to the same study, speaking at events results in a very competitive acquisition cost (€518), less than SEO (€647), SEA (€802) and podcasts (€1,472).
2. Humanize the brand and bring authenticity to its communication
Participating in trade fairs, whether through a stand or a speech (or both), helps to humanize the brand and breathe authenticity into its communication.
Physically going to meet your audience will allow you to deploy natural storytelling, to singapore telegram data mobilize the paraverbal to give substance to your speech and to personally embody the company's value proposition .
In the era of infobesity and the flood of generic content created by AI, face-to-face exchanges bring freshness, even conviviality, to the marketing effort. Authenticity is also a key expectation expressed by audiences . We see this in several signals:
On LinkedIn, first-person posts perform best;
Prospecting emails that include a video of the salesperson speaking generate a 19% higher response rate than text emails ( we talk about it here );
Decision-makers consume more so-called subjective content , such as feedback, columns, mood pieces and interviews.
3. Fuel brand awareness
With a strategically placed booth, active involvement in workshops and round tables, and a few well -timed elevator pitches , you will be able to position your brand in an ultra-qualified microenvironment and anchor its image in the minds of participants.
The presence of your visual elements in the event, the relevance of your interventions and possibly your prizes and/or nominations for sector awards will provide you with social proof with your prospects .
Beyond the impact on the moment, participating in professional events can generate content that you can use several weeks or even months after the event: a filmed speech, on-site photos to promote on LinkedIn, insights to integrate into your future content, etc.
The lead-up to the event is also interesting, as the organizers will distribute posts and emails that mention your brand and promote it to a targeted audience (generally) looking for new partners.
4. Invite your best customers to build loyalty
Inviting customers to trade shows you attend is a particularly effective loyalty technique . Take charge of their access and logistics and build a tailor-made itinerary that includes both:
An enriching and enjoyable experience for your customers : networking, participation in interesting sessions, gala evening, etc.
Marketing benefits for your business : presentation of a common business case, customer testimonial to your prospects who want it, social proof, etc.
5. Benchmark and take the market pulse
The macro environment of marketing and sales has never been so dynamic: new generation of AI tools, emergence of the B2B super-buyer, disappearance of third-party cookies, turbulence in the Google algorithm…
Taking part in trade fairs also means challenging your ideas , drawing inspiration from the best practices of your peers, staying up to date with the latest innovations and leaving with actionable ideas to refine your strategy and stimulate your growth.
But to capitalize as much as possible on your participation in professional events, you will have to avoid certain common mistakes that limit the ROI of this marketing channel . This will be the subject of the second episode of this report.
Decryption…
1. Public speaking, a triple-digit ROI on acquisition
A study conducted between 2018 and 2023ii on thousands of B2B companies ranked lead generation channels according to the return on investment they generate in the long term.
With a record ROI of 856% , public speaking at events is in first place. In short, for every €100 spent, the company generates an average profit of €856, provided that participation is prepared according to the rules of the art:
A speaker who masters his subject and who provides feedback, new data and/or new ways of doing things, beyond empty speeches and theoretical presentations;
An engaging format that is “long” enough to allow the speaker to develop an argument and provide value (Keynote, round table with reasonable speaking time, Masterclass, etc.);
An event whose audience matches the company's ideal customer profile or at least comes close to it.
According to the same study, speaking at events results in a very competitive acquisition cost (€518), less than SEO (€647), SEA (€802) and podcasts (€1,472).
2. Humanize the brand and bring authenticity to its communication
Participating in trade fairs, whether through a stand or a speech (or both), helps to humanize the brand and breathe authenticity into its communication.
Physically going to meet your audience will allow you to deploy natural storytelling, to singapore telegram data mobilize the paraverbal to give substance to your speech and to personally embody the company's value proposition .
In the era of infobesity and the flood of generic content created by AI, face-to-face exchanges bring freshness, even conviviality, to the marketing effort. Authenticity is also a key expectation expressed by audiences . We see this in several signals:
On LinkedIn, first-person posts perform best;
Prospecting emails that include a video of the salesperson speaking generate a 19% higher response rate than text emails ( we talk about it here );
Decision-makers consume more so-called subjective content , such as feedback, columns, mood pieces and interviews.
3. Fuel brand awareness
With a strategically placed booth, active involvement in workshops and round tables, and a few well -timed elevator pitches , you will be able to position your brand in an ultra-qualified microenvironment and anchor its image in the minds of participants.
The presence of your visual elements in the event, the relevance of your interventions and possibly your prizes and/or nominations for sector awards will provide you with social proof with your prospects .
Beyond the impact on the moment, participating in professional events can generate content that you can use several weeks or even months after the event: a filmed speech, on-site photos to promote on LinkedIn, insights to integrate into your future content, etc.
The lead-up to the event is also interesting, as the organizers will distribute posts and emails that mention your brand and promote it to a targeted audience (generally) looking for new partners.
4. Invite your best customers to build loyalty
Inviting customers to trade shows you attend is a particularly effective loyalty technique . Take charge of their access and logistics and build a tailor-made itinerary that includes both:
An enriching and enjoyable experience for your customers : networking, participation in interesting sessions, gala evening, etc.
Marketing benefits for your business : presentation of a common business case, customer testimonial to your prospects who want it, social proof, etc.
5. Benchmark and take the market pulse
The macro environment of marketing and sales has never been so dynamic: new generation of AI tools, emergence of the B2B super-buyer, disappearance of third-party cookies, turbulence in the Google algorithm…
Taking part in trade fairs also means challenging your ideas , drawing inspiration from the best practices of your peers, staying up to date with the latest innovations and leaving with actionable ideas to refine your strategy and stimulate your growth.
But to capitalize as much as possible on your participation in professional events, you will have to avoid certain common mistakes that limit the ROI of this marketing channel . This will be the subject of the second episode of this report.