According to Bizzabo, 68% of B2B marketers leverage face-to-face events to drive their lead generation efforts, and 51% of marketers feel that personal interactions and fostering relationships at these events advance a company’s objectives
Making a lasting impression at industry events can be the catalyst for brand growth, networking, and business success. This article will guide you through strategies and insights to ensure your presence at health tech events is not only noticed but also remembered.
The evolving landscape of health tech events
Health tech events, from conferences to expos, offer a unique platform for brands to showcase their innovations, connect with industry leaders, and engage with potential clients.
The rise of virtual and hybrid events
The recent global circumstances have given rise to virtual and hybrid events. These digital platforms offer a broader reach, connecting global audiences and breaking geographical barriers. However, they also pose challenges in engagement and networking, requiring innovative strategies to stand out.
The importance of in-person interactions
While digital events offer convenience, the power of face-to-face interactions remains unmatched. Personal meetings, live product demos, and spontaneous conversations can lead to deeper connections and more meaningful business relationships.
Strategies for impactful booths and exhibits
Your booth is often the first point of contact for many attendees. Ensuring it’s engaging, informative, and reflective of your brand is crucial.
Design and aesthetics
A visually appealing booth can attract more footfall. Using consistent branding, interactive displays, and innovative design elements can make your booth stand out in a crowded event hall.
Interactive demos and presentations
Instead of passive displays, opt for interactive demos. Let attendees experience your product or solution firsthand. Interactive presentations, whether through touch screens or live demos, can engage attendees and offer a memorable experience.
Trained staff and representatives
Your booth staff are the face of your brand during the event. Ensuring they’re well-trained, knowledgeable about the product, and skilled in communication can enhance attendee interactions. Regular briefings and role-plays can prepare them for diverse queries and scenarios.
Harnessing the power of keynotes and presentations
Being a speaker or presenter at a health tech event positions you as a thought leader. It offers a platform to share insights, showcase expertise, and engage a captive audience.
Crafting a compelling narrative
A presentation should not just convey information; it should tell a story. Building a narrative around your topic, weaving in real-life stories and case studies, can make your presentation engaging and relatable.
Engaging visuals and slides
Slides complement your speech. Using engaging visuals, infographics, and minimal text can enhance your presentation, ensuring the audience remains attentive and engaged.
Effective networking at health tech events
Networking is often the heart of any event, especially in the health tech sector. It’s where collaborations are born, partnerships are forged, and business relationships are strengthened.
The art of initiating conversations
Navigating the event floor can be overwhelming, especially with the multitude of attendees and exhibitors. Initiating a conversation, particularly with strangers, requires a blend of confidence and strategy. Instead of diving straight into business talk, consider starting with a light, event-related topic or a genuine compliment about a presentation or product. Remember, the goal is to establish rapport first. As the conversation progresses, you can seamlessly transition into more business-centric discussions, ensuring a natural and memorable interaction.
Leveraging technology for connections
Modern health tech events often come equipped with their dedicated apps or digital platforms designed to enhance the attendee experience. These tools are invaluable for networking. They allow participants to set up meetings, join specific interest groups, or even engage in virtual chat rooms dedicated to particular topics. By making the most of these digital aids, attendees can pre-plan, ensuring they connect with relevant individuals or organisations during the event.
Quality over quantity
In the rush of events, there’s often a race to collect business cards, believing that more contacts equate to better networking. However, genuine networking thrives on depth, not breadth. Engaging in fewer, but more meaningful conversations can lead to stronger professional relationships. It’s these deeper connections that often translate into fruitful collaborations or partnerships in the future.
Post-event engagement: Keeping the momentum going
The conclusion of the event doesn’t signify the end of networking. In fact, post-event engagement can be pivotal in solidifying the connections made during the event.
Personalised follow-ups
A week or so after the event, reach out to the contacts you made. However, avoid generic, templated emails. Recall specific details or discussions from your interactions at the event. Mentioning these in your follow-up not only showcases your attentiveness but also reinforces the personal connection, laying the groundwork for a lasting professional relationship.
Leveraging social media
In today’s digital age, professional networking extends to online platforms, with LinkedIn being a prime example. Engaging with your new contacts on such platforms can keep the relationship active. Sharing insights, articles, or even photos from the event can serve as conversation starters, ensuring the dialogue continues well after the event’s conclusion.
Organising post-event meetups
For particularly promising contacts, consider organising a post-event meetup or a virtual call. This dedicated interaction allows both parties to delve deeper into potential collaboration areas, away from the hustle and bustle of the event environment.
Measuring the success of your event participation
While the qualitative aspects of networking are undeniable, it’s equally crucial to gauge the tangible outcomes of your event participation.
Lead tracking and conversion
Post-event, compile a list of the leads generated. Over the subsequent weeks or months, monitor how many of these leads transition into clients, partners, or collaborators. This conversion rate offers a direct measure of the event’s return on investment.
Feedback and surveys
Constructive feedback is a goldmine for improvement. Consider sending out a brief survey to your new contacts, seeking their input on your event presence, be it your booth, presentation, or any other aspect. Their insights can guide refinements for future events, ensuring you continually enhance your event strategy.
Analysing online engagement
An uptick in website visits, increased social media interactions, or a surge in content downloads post-event can all indicate heightened interest in your brand. Utilising tools like Google Analytics or platform-specific insights can help track these metrics, offering a clearer picture of your event’s digital impact.
Advanced strategies for standout event participation
As the health tech landscape evolves, so do the strategies for event participation. To truly stand out and make a lasting impression, it’s essential to go beyond the basics and embrace innovative approaches.
Embracing immersive technologies
With the rise of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), there’s an opportunity to offer immersive experiences at your booth or during presentations. Imagine allowing attendees to virtually explore a new health tech device or offering a 360-degree view of a facility using VR headsets. Such experiences are not only memorable but also position your brand as a forward-thinking player in the industry.
Hosting workshops and breakout sessions
Instead of just being an attendee or exhibitor, consider hosting a workshop or breakout session. These smaller, more intimate settings allow for deeper dives into specific topics, fostering engagement and facilitating detailed discussions. It’s an excellent opportunity to showcase expertise and engage with a dedicated audience.
Collaborative partnerships
Consider partnering with complementary brands or services for joint presentations or booth setups. Such collaborations can not only pool resources but also attract a broader audience, given the combined appeal of both brands.
Real-world success stories: Learning from the best
There’s immense value in studying brands that have successfully leveraged health tech events. Their strategies, execution, and post-event engagement offer actionable insights.
Interactive booths with gamification
Some brands have successfully integrated gamification into their booth setups, offering interactive quizzes, challenges, or simulations related to their products. Such strategies not only draw attendees but also ensure they spend more time engaging with the brand.
Leveraging influencers and thought leaders
Brands that have collaborated with industry influencers or thought leaders for joint presentations or panel discussions often see heightened interest. The combined credibility and expertise of the brand and the influencer can significantly amplify the event’s impact.
Continuous engagement strategies
Some standout brands don’t limit their engagement to the event’s duration. They initiate pre-event campaigns, teasing product launches or offering sneak peeks, and continue the momentum post-event with dedicated follow-ups, content releases, or even post-event webinars.
Leveraging health tech events for long-term growth
While the immediate benefits of event participation, like lead generation and brand visibility, are evident, there’s a long-term strategic advantage to be harnessed.
Building a community
Events offer an opportunity to initiate or strengthen a community around your brand. Engaged attendees can be nurtured into brand advocates, offering organic promotion and fostering loyalty.
Continuous learning and adaptation
Every event offers learnings – what worked, what didn’t, and what can be improved. By continuously iterating on your event strategies, based on feedback and results, you ensure that each event is more successful than the last.
Positioning as an industry leader
Consistent, impactful presence at key health tech events positions your brand as an industry leader. It’s not just about showcasing products but also thought leadership, expertise, and a commitment to advancing the industry.
Conclusion: Making every event count
In the dynamic world of health tech, events offer a unique convergence of innovation, networking, and growth opportunities. From the design of your booth to the post-event engagement strategies, every detail counts.
If you’re looking to truly harness the potential of health tech events and need expert guidance, consider reaching out to Highland Marketing. Our deep industry insights and strategic expertise can ensure that your event participation not only leaves a lasting impression but also drives tangible business outcomes. Elevate your brand, engage with your audience, and achieve unparalleled success with the right event strategies.
