Roadshows are rebounding as one of the hottest trends in the corporate events world, and for good reason. When done right, this event style has proven to be an effective way of promoting your products and leaving a lasting impression on prospects.
In this comprehensive guide to corporate roadshows, we are sharing our top picks for the roadshow tips for success. From identifying your target audience to planning engaging roadshow activities, our Brightspot team is covering everything you need to know to host a roadshow that generates leads and helps your sales skyrocket.
What is a Roadshow?
In layman’s terms, a roadshow is essentially a series of in-person marketing events meant to garner interest in what a company has to offer.
Most roadshows are multi-city events that take place in large cities or cities near a company’s client-base to maximize the potential for lead generation. Roadshows can take on many faces —more on that later— and are highly effective ways of introducing prospects to the company.
For this reason (and many more), lots of companies seek the help of corporate event planning teams to guide them through the process of planning the ideal roadshow for their brand. When you plan your corporate roadshows alongside an experienced meeting planning agency, your company can achieve far greater success than it otherwise would. Basically, investing in roadshows will help you reap the benefits later.
Returning to Events in a Post-COVID World
We are all well aware in-person events came to a screeching halt in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The world as we knew it changed at that moment, and social distancing and virus prevention measures became the norm. As time has progressed, vaccinations have increased, and thankfully fewer people are being hospitalized, a renewed push for in-person meetings has begun.
Roadshows and smaller in-person events are rebounding in full force. As a bonus, multi-city Roadshows also allow you to interface with remote clients and employees – giving them the much-desired facetime!
Types of Roadshow Events
Now that you know what a roadshow is, let’s talk about some of the various types of corporate roadshows you might come across. Each of the different types of roadshow events comes with its own unique benefits and are best suited for different purposes. In other words, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to roadshows.
When choosing the right type of corporate roadshow for your company, consider your intentions. Are you looking to network and build rapport with investors? Are you launching a new product? Are you trying to gain new customers? No matter your intention, our team here at Brightspot can help you determine which roadshow is the best fit for your needs.
Below you can find a simplified breakdown of the main types of corporate roadshow events.
- Customer Hospitality: Relaxed events that serve as relationship building opportunities to develop rapport with partners and customers.
- Sales Blitz: One-day sessions meant to engage local sales professionals and channel partner representatives to promote new products.
- Demand Generation: Informational presentations focused on building sales pipeline opportunities with prospects, typically through a business meeting followed by a social event.
- Product Launch: Brings a new product to the market to create interest and generate new leads through face-to-face interactions.
- Product Training: Allows companies to simultaneously announce a new product and train sales reps and partners face to face to increase understanding and optimize sales.
- Lunch-and-Learns: Events that provide customers, partners, or prospects with a catered meal while learning about the ways they can benefit from the offering.
Benefits of Corporate Roadshows
Nowadays, event marketing is so much more than a couple balloons and some free barely edible cookies. In recent years, brands all over the world have majorly stepped it up—so it’s more important than ever to do what you can to stand out from the crowd.
Corporate roadshows offer a fantastic way of doing just that. If you’re considering hosting your own, here are a few of the top :
- Gives your brand valuable exposure and gets your name in front of customers
- Easily tailored content to meet the needs of each local audience
- Meeting prospects face to face often shortens the sales cycle
- No fighting for mind-share at trade shows—you are the sole presenter
- ROI is easier to measure than with other types of events
- Lower cost-per-lead than many larger events and trade shows
- Roadshows create tons of PR and integrated marketing opportunities
Roadshow Tips for Success
Now that you have learned more about the types of roadshows and the many benefits that come with corporate roadshows, it’s time to get down to the good stuff. Let’s talk tips. If you want to host successful corporate roadshows that get the job done (aka generating leads and increasing sales), then it’s essential to do your research and consider your goals. If you’re reading this blog post, then you’re already halfway there!
At Brightspot, we have a proven track record of success because we’re passionate about what we do. Today, our corporate events planning team is sharing some of the best advice we have learned along the way to help you stand out from your competitors.
Here are the top 5 roadshow tips for success:
1. Define your objectives.
So, you’ve decided to host a corporate roadshow. Whether you’re a first timer looking to learn as much as you can or an event planning pro looking to knock your next roadshow series out of the park, we have you covered. The first step to a successful corporate roadshow series is defining your objectives.
The way you move forward with the development of your roadshow depends first and foremost on your objectives, aka what you seek to achieve. Are you looking to tap into a new market? Are you launching an exciting new product? Maybe you’re hoping to find success in a new territory? Define your objectives, then go from there.
2. Put the audience first.
Who is your target audience? How will they benefit from what your company is offering? What themes and content would resonate with them? Arguably the most important step of planning a successful roadshow (other than starting early) is considering your target audience.
By identifying the people you hope to reach, you can tailor every aspect of your roadshow series to help you achieve your goals. If you’ve hosted an event before, then you already know how vital it is to curate your content towards the audience. Once you’ve identified who that is and how you’re going to reach them, you are on your way.
3. Choose your locations wisely.
When planning field marketing events for your brand, the locations you choose can be the difference between great success and a disastrous flop. While corporate roadshows are typically based in major cities for maximum potential, it’s essential to consider more than just which cities have the largest populations.
Consider the goal of your roadshow and determine which locations your brand needs to connect with prospects or customers in. Are there any specific cities that you feel your company needs to reinforce its presence? Where are you most likely to achieve the goals of your roadshow events? Consider these factors before deciding where to go.
4. Plan original and engaging roadshow activities.
Perhaps the worst thing you could do for your roadshow would be to halfheartedly plan the event activities. Before you even begin planning your corporate roadshows, bear in mind that the planning process takes time, patience, creativity, and commitment.
Regardless of who your target audience is, many of your guests have likely attended roadshows before. The goal is to stand out from any other roadshow your guests have ever been to—and not because of how lackluster it is.
Be prepared to put your all into the development of your roadshow event activities. Or, better yet, partner with a top-tier corporate event planning company who knows a thing or two about how to plan a killer roadshow.
5. Create a buzz.
What’s the point of putting your blood, sweat, and tears into an amazing corporate roadshow if nobody knows about it? Once you’ve got all the logistics in place, it’s time to promote your roadshow on all available channels so your target audience can get excited. Social media is your best friend, so use it—and use it wisely.
Create shareable content across all social media channels: Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok. Make sure the content is fun, engaging, and geared towards your target audience. Don’t forget to localize the content to ensure that you reach people in the cities your corporate roadshow will be hitting.
Corporate Roadshow Planning Services
By incorporating these roadshow tips for success into the planning process for your next corporate event, we know you’re going to achieve your goals. Don’t want to go it alone? That’s what we’re here for! Contact our corporate event planning team for a quote or to learn more about the services we offer.
– Special thanks to Hayley Hutson for her contributions
