How to improve event objectives

There’s no doubt that events are back on track and serve as an effective strategy for lead capture and brand showcasing. A 2024 report from Gartner highlights that third-party in-person events are the second highest-performing marketing channel for generating marketing-qualified leads. So, how can you maximize the benefits of attending an event? At gig marketing, we are committed to helping you navigate this process. The key is to approach events methodically and logically, starting with a top-down strategy—beginning with the big picture and then focusing on the finer details. At the very top of the event planning pyramid is the objective. Without clearly defining the purpose of attending an event, the methods used to engage become irrelevant.

What is an Event Objective?

An event objective is a specific, measurable outcome that you aim to achieve by hosting or attending an event. These objectives guide the planning and execution of the event, ensuring that all efforts align with the desired results. They can vary significantly depending on the type of event and its purpose.

Here are some common examples of event objectives:

• Increase Brand Awareness: Enhancing the visibility and recognition of your brand among the target audience.

• Generate Leads: Collecting contact information and interest from potential customers or clients.

• Drive Attendance: Maximizing the number of participants or attendees at the event.

• Engage Attendees: Creating interactive and memorable experiences that keep attendees involved and interested.

• Promote Products or Services: Showcasing and demonstrating new or existing products or services to potential buyers.

• Build Relationships: Strengthening connections with existing customers, partners, or stakeholders.

• Educate and Inform: Providing valuable information, training, or insights to attendees.

It’s essential to recognize that an event can have multiple objectives. However, without documenting these objectives and setting clear targets, it can be difficult to assess the event's success or identify ways to enhance future results. It's also crucial to avoid overloading the objectives; having too many targets can dilute focus on the key goals, causing efforts to be spread too thin.

How to Set Measurements?

Once you know the reasons, it is important to apply some form of measurement.

Here’s a working example:

Wignuts, a fabricated metal company that attends MACH every year. It is their showcase event in the marketing calendar and represents their largest budget expenditure. When asked why they attend each year, the typical response is, "We always attend; our competition is there, so we have to be there."

Within that statement, a few objectives can be identified, although they haven't necessarily been quantified:

• Consistency of Brand Presence

• Positioning themselves directly against their competition

But how can these objectives be measured? Furthermore, while these objectives are common, are they the best ones to have for an event?

Here are some alternative objectives and how they can be measured:

• Improve brand recognition among our top 100 target accounts: This can be determined by analysing improved brand intent on LinkedIn Sales Navigator and gaining 25 new account subscriptions to the company newsletter, measured through new subscriptions collected on an iPad at the event.

• Increase on-stand sales of the newest product through a "show price" offer: Set a target of 10 new on-stand customers, measured through on-stand sales data from a POS system.

While these objectives may seem straightforward, the important part is that they involve defined goals and measurable targets. With this clarity in mind, you’ll notice an immediate change in on-stand behavior. Everyone at the stand will know what they need to do—not just collecting business cards from passersby, but actively screening conversations and driving actions into a specific system.

To further enhance results, you can introduce on-stand incentives for the team. This could include prizes for the highest target account subscriptions or the most on-stand sales. However, it’s crucial to incentivize quality over quantity to prevent your lead lists from being cluttered with noise rather than genuine prospects.

There are various nuances to setting up these objectives, and our team would be happy to have a 30-minute chat about your upcoming event goals. If you would like to schedule a free 30-minute event goal check, please book a meeting here.

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