Strategies for Marketing Team Networking Events

Steal our event playbook to drive a 7x ROI on events. Events are a critical part of our GTM at Brij. Why? They cut through the noise, and are an efficient way to see and build credibility with multiple stakeholders in your business. If I were to guess, National Retail Federation will dramatically outpace that average. What works so well? 1. Preparation is critical We’re starting outreach weeks if not months before the events. We’re pulling lists and scraping LinkedIn to see who is speaking and who is attending. Outreach comes from every channel, email & LinkedIn…but especially LinkedIn. 2. Connect with Partners We’re pinging all of our partners to understand who is attending, who is hosting, and how we can collaborate. Partners are such a rich part of this ecosystem and building those relationships is critically important to our success. 3. Host something around the event This time, it was a coffee. Sometimes we do dinners. Other times we’re being a bit more creative. Hosting an event allows you to extend an invite to prospects where you can “give”… instead of just effectively asking to let them sell to you. I can’t stress enough how important it is to lead with giving. 4. Schedule check ins with customers Events are just as important to meet with and strengthen relationships with existing customers. This is a great opportunity to find out what is next for them, get any feedback, and 5. Take detailed notes You are meeting hundreds of people in such a short period of time. It’s easy for conversations to slip you mind. I’m taking detailed notes of every conversation in my apple notes - and pairing it with a selfie that I take with someone. 6. Rigorous follow up This is absolutely key. All of those amazing conversations are meaningless without follow up. And don’t stop at just one ping - people are busy catching up on their jobs. Follow up immediately…and then follow up again. The TLDR: - Prepare  - Outreach - Host - Follow up This has been such a successful playbook for us. A few highlights from NRF: Catching up with friends, founders, customers, partners & investors: Rachel ten Brink, Grace Gould, Michael Ludwig, Nate Rosen, Nancy Gurd, Jess Cervellon, Shane Pittson, Michael True, Andy Cloyd, Zena A., Laura Colagrande, Conner Sherline, Neal Goyal, Aman Advani Megan Blissick Theresa Cowing Meredith Glansberg, Gina Lombardo, Arturo Rodriguez, Rishabh Jain, Sarah Nesheim, Jeff Magill PS - check out the behind the scenes snap 📷 of our every own Sarah Davidson being interviewed. Being honored for the RETHINK Retail award & celebrating alongside some incredible individuals in the industry — special shout outs to Melissa Minkow, David Polinchock, Melissa Tatoris, Nancy Rhodes, Laura Meyer, Dianna Antlocer #NRF #Events

Events are about connection, but most networking events suck. It's because those connections are left up to chance. Here’s why—and how to fix them. I used to hate networking events, a lot of it was my own mindset. Because I put way too much pressure on myself to “meet the right people.” And when you walk in with that mindset, you’re not building relationships—you’re hunting prospects. People can feel that energy, and it’s not great. Stephanie Menashe, CMP and I were talking about this before an MPI event at Top Golf. She’s in the middle of a career transition and wasn’t sure what to put on her badge: “Independent Event Professional” “Looking for My Next Home” One feels neutral, the other carries judgment. The reality is that everyone in the room is looking for something—a job, a client, an idea, or just good conversation. So how do we make networking events feel less like a sales pitch and more like real connection? Here are three ways to instantly improve any networking event: 1. Rethink the Name Badge Ditch “Name, Title, Company.” Instead, use prompts like: - Ask me about… - I’m looking to connect with… - My big idea is… This simple shift turns badges into conversation starters. The conversation starter was always the part I overthought the most! 2. Create Connection Zones Instead of a bunch of wandering aimless zombies, set up spaces based on interests. - Creative Thinkers - Tech Innovators - Event Strategists When people know where to go, they don’t have to struggle with who to talk to. 3. Facilitate the First Move The hardest part of networking is breaking the ice. So, make it easy. - Have event hosts or “connectors” introduce people - Place conversation starter cards on tables - Start with a short speed-networking session At the end of the day, networking should be about what you can give, not just what you can get. When I started focusing on meeting interesting people—rather than landing my next big deal—these events became a whole lot more fun. -------------------- Hi, I'm Jay Designing experiences for events that drive ROI for our clients. #business #branding #sales #marketing #eventprofs