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Written by: Joel Crampton
This week, I'll be at Future Proof meeting with RIA and fintech leaders, recording podcast conversations, and reconnecting with people across the industry.
Like any conference, the value won't just come from simply showing up, it will depend on what happens before, during, and after the event.
The same applies to your next client event, prospect workshop, seminar, or webinar.
ONE BIG IDEA — Extend the Life of the Event
Events require a meaningful investment of your time, money, and attention.
There's the venue, speaker, technology, food, travel, presentation, and time away from the business. Yet many firms treat marketing as a last-minute invitation followed by a generic thank-you email.
That leaves a lot of value on the table. A well-planned event creates MULTIPLE opportunities to reach people:
- Before they register
- After they register
- During the event
- Immediately afterward
- During the weeks that follow
- Through content created from the event
The event itself may last an hour or a few days, but the marketing campaign around it can last several weeks or months.
ONE FRAMEWORK — The 3-Part Event Marketing System
1. BEFORE the Event
Begin with the audience and the next step you want them to take. For a client or prospect workshop, that could be inviting a friend or scheduling a planning conversation. For a seminar or webinar, it may be completing an assessment, requesting a resource, or booking an introductory call.
Then, build the promotion around the desired outcome:
- Create a focused registration or event page
- Send a series of emails instead of a single announcement
- Personally invite high-priority clients, prospects, or referral partners
- Share several social posts featuring the topic, speakers, and questions you'll address
- Give partners and team members ready-to-use copy for sharing the event
- Use tagged links to identify which channels drive registrations
- Schedule reminder emails and texts to improve attendance
The most valuable conversations usually don't happen by accident.
2. DURING the Event
Make it easy for someone to take the next step while their interest is still high. That could include:
- A QR code leading to a resource, assessment, or calendar
- A short poll that identifies what attendees care about
- A clear invitation to schedule a follow-up conversation
- Photos, short videos, and observations for social media
- Notes about questions that could become future articles, emails, or podcast topics
You also need a reliable way to capture who attended, what they engaged with, and whether someone from the firm should follow up personally.
HighLevel is one platform I regularly recommend for connecting registration, reminders, contact records, and follow-up. Whatever system you use, the important part is making sure attendee information and activity are captured in one place.
3. AFTER the Event
The first follow-up should usually arrive within 24 hours, while the event is still fresh.
Attendees and no-shows should receive different messages. Someone who participated may need the promised resource and a next step, while someone who registered but missed the event may want a recording, recap, or invitation to the next session.
Your post-event plan could include:
- A thank-you email with the presentation, recording, or related resource
- Separate follow-up for attendees and no-shows
- Personal outreach to people who asked questions or showed stronger interest
- A short email sequence that expands on the event topic
- Social posts featuring key takeaways, photos, or clips
- Articles, videos, podcast episodes, and newsletters created from the discussion
- A review of registrations, attendance, meetings, opportunities, and eventual revenue
A webinar recording can become several short videos. Audience questions can become future content. A strong presentation can become a guide, article series, or follow-up workshop.
This is where an event starts producing value well beyond the original date.
ONE RESOURCE — The Event Marketing Guide
ONE NEXT STEP — Bring Me Your Biggest Marketing Question
Future Proof brings a lot of growth-focused people into one place, but the most productive conversations I have usually begin with a real challenge.
If you'll be there, bring me the marketing question your firm hasn't been able to resolve. We can talk it through over coffee, a drink, or a break from the boardwalk.
If you're not attending, or you'd rather have a more focused conversation, let's schedule a call. Schedule a Conversation