Planning Events with Ummph

Events. Love ’em or hate ’em, if you’re an AEC marketer, event planning and execution are bound to fall under your role at some point in your career. Luckily, I (Kate) fall into that category of “love,”  Laura, not so much. Today we’ll be chatting with Jen Newman, CPSM, CEO at Ignite Coaching & Consulting and some of the amazing and value-driven events she has pulled off in her 20 years of AEC experience.

CQ: According to Forrester Research and BtoB Magazine, 30% of the average B2B marketing budget is spent on tradeshows, events and webinars, and the #1 reason for hosting these events is to generate leads. But 1 in 3 marketers have no idea what their event ROI is. Are you surprised by this statistic? Why do you think there is such a disconnect?

JN: I’m not at all surprised. Rather than return on investment (ROI), I prefer to use the phrase return on relationships (ROR). It’s an important investment. While you may not be able to tie specific project wins to an event, you can determine the number of client touches, and the number of relationships enhanced by an event.

CQ: What role have events played in your marketing strategy?

JN: Events have played a huge role! As my career has progressed, events have taken a more important role because they have become strategic. Events that have come as a result of capture planning have been extremely successful. It allows for strategic and specific client focus, while also bringing in other clients who would benefit from attending.

CQ: How would you describe a good event from a marketing perspective?

JN: Client touches. How can you get the best client touches and enhance the relationship? I like events that stand out – it doesn’t have to be big or bold, but it should stand out. This mindset even carried over into my wedding recently – it turns out that the smaller, personal touches are the things that our guests remember most. But aside from client touches, it is most important to know your audience and plan accordingly.

CQ: Did you run into any hurdles in engaging technical staff in networking based events?

JN: Of course! My life for four years was teaching technical professionals how to network. It started out as a battle, but ended as a competition among them! Keep in mind, it took training – I was the mama bear that had to teach networking skills including asking questions like: Who should you talk to? What do you want to know? How do you uncover the type of information that fosters relationship building? What are their challenges? Once they understood that they didn’t have to flat out ask for work right away, it became much easier.

CQ: What mistakes do you see other marketers making in relation to events?

JN: Underestimating or overestimating the results, and of course: not knowing you audience. Always remember, it is All. About. Strategy.

CQ: Have the events you’ve coordinated affected your professional credibility?

JN: Absolutely! You HAVE to build credibility, and you HAVE to show results to do that!

“To me, there is no greater satisfaction than watching someone succeed and having a part in helping them achieve their goals.  I founded Ignite so that I could do just that every day.” – Jen Newman, CPSM.