Tailor your story to the event. Not all events are created equal. A flagship industry conference requires a higher-level, thought leadership narrative compared to a smaller, product-specific workshop, which may require a more technical perspective.

• First, understand the event’s purpose and target audience. Is it about establishing thought leadership, launching products and educating consumers, or driving collaboration with your partners?
• Once you have this foundation, tailor your story to align with the purpose of the event.
• For example, when showcasing a new security solution at a cybersecurity conference, you’ll want to craft a narrative that highlights the ever-evolving threat landscape, security challenges faced by your target audience and how your solution leads to real-world benefits and resilient outcomes.

Tell a unified story across all touchpoints. Imagine that you read an email promoting an upcoming event that shares a captivating story about the company’s commitment to sustainability. Imagine your disappointment when you visit their booth at the event and encounter a generic sales pitch and no mention of sustainability in any of their collateral. For maximum impact, ensure that your enterprise story is consistent across all content touchpoints.

• For your pre-event marketing materials like website landing pages, email invitations and social media teasers, you’ll want to include the same narrative thread, building anticipation and excitement.
• For content used on-site at your event like presentations, booth displays and interactive elements, you should reinforce your core story, providing different ways for attendees to engage with your brand narrative.
• After your event ends, you’ll want to remind attendees of your continued commitment and further developments that customize your story to their needs and challenges.

Put your audience at the center of your event story. Tech buyers and partners are looking for solutions that address their specific needs. Focus on the impact and benefits your products or services have on your audience, always connecting your offerings back to your target audience to build their trust and win their confidence.

• Consider how your story addresses their challenges, and how your solutions and offerings improve their work or fuel their success.
• For example, at a manufacturing conference, your story might focus on empowering attendees to achieve efficiencies through automated workflows and data-driven insights.
• Success stories from satisfied clients woven into your presentations and interactive demos at your booth personalize the benefits of your solution to each attendee’s use case.

Create an immersive experience. Don’t limit your storytelling to static presentations. Your booth can host dynamic content that creates an immersive experience for attendees.

• Interactive touchscreens, augmented reality experiences and other UX capture attendees’ attention and bring your story to life.
• Infographics, data visualizations and videos communicate complex information in easily consumable, memorable ways.
• Hosting fireside chats with industry leaders, customer panels or interactive workshops helps attendees — and potential customers — delve deeper into your narrative and learn about your solutions first-hand from trusted experts.

Don’t forget about post-event attendee engagement. Your event doesn’t end with your closing keynote. Extend the life of your enterprise story by following up with attendees to continue growing your relationship.

• Share presentations, session recordings and follow-up resources that reinforce your narrative, keeping your brand top-of-mind for attendees.
• Strategize additional ways to make the most of your event content, such as repurposing your event sessions into blog articles, videos and social media tips.
• Leverage data collected during your event to send personalized emails, offering more information on your attendees’ interests and geared toward their needs to nurture them along the buyer’s journey.