When it comes down to it, there’s a reason why certain industries invest in certain types of events — and a few crucial variables (i.e. goals, business, and audience) will often be the difference in results between, say, a conference thrown by a B2B tech company versus a conference thrown by a B2C retailer.
As event marketers, we know the importance of aligning our events to both our goals (everything from brand awareness, to driving pipeline, to customer retention, etc.) and our business (b2b, b2c, or both). And as our newest event marketing report of 739 global companies shows, events are dynamic and nuanced — and most importantly, never one-event-fits-all.
In the charts below (pulled from the Harvard Business Review results), see the top event types for financial services, tech, retail, healthcare, energy/telecoms, consulting, and manufacturing, and how they differ across the board.
On the flip side, these companies spend most of their sponsorship dollars on industry trade shows and conventions, entertainment events, and fundraisers/philanthropic events.
Companies in tech (software products, IT consultancy, and internet services, to name a few) host customer-focused educational events the most — including one-day conferences or seminars, partner events, thought leadership workshops, and product trainings. These types empower customers and prospects to share ideas, network, and collaborate, as well as enable brands to showcase their latest product features and services.
VIP meals are also popular, and provide a more intimate setting for brands to connect with their high-value accounts. The Harvard Business Review report found that VIP events (like VIP dinners) are more popular in B2B companies (48%) versus B2C companies (34%) — this makes sense since B2B technology tends to cost more, and have longer sales cycles (making these intimate touchpoints key to the sales process).
For sponsored events, there is a clear winner: tech companies most commonly sponsor industry trade shows/conventions. B2B trade shows help put their product in front of as many relevant consumers and industry professionals as possible.
The retail industry includes any company that sells consumer goods to the public. Not surprisingly, they focus their event strategy on product events like in-store experiences, product launches, and product sampling activations.
The most popular hosted event in the retail industry by far is in-store events, which can both drive new customers into the store (boosting foot traffic), as well as cater to loyalty members.
Retailers also rely on event sponsorships to drive brand awareness — the most popular events they sponsor are entertainment events and press or influencer events.
The healthcare sector is made up of all the goods and services related to patient care at every stage, from hospitals to health insurance firms to pharmaceutical manufacturers. For these companies, the most common type of hosted event type is lectures and one-day conferences.
This isn’t surprising, since companies in the always-evolving healthcare industry host educational lectures (as well as one-day conferences and thought-leadership events) to share the latest advancements, ideas, or research in the medical industry.
Healthcare companies tend to sponsor these types of events, too, but the most popular type of sponsored event are fundraisers and philanthropic activations.
The energy and utilities sector includes power, gas, and water companies, which can range from anything like electric power and mining to water supply or waste collection. Telecommunications is made up of telephone companies and internet service providers.
These companies focus on product-related events (product launches, trainings, and partner events) that aim to drive sales and exposure of their product or services to consumers and the rest of the industry.
For sponsored events, industry trade shows/conventions, multiple-day conferences, and entertainment events are among the most popular.
The professional and business services sector includes companies that provide a service to others (e.g. tax services, advertising and PR, consulting, as well as professions like architects and interior designers).
The most popular hosted event types for this industry are one-day conferences, thought-leadership workshops, and VIP breakfasts/lunches/dinners. Larger educational events are key for companies to connect with their large customer base, while VIP events cater to driving customer engagement and prospecting in a more intimate setting.
When it comes to sponsoring events, these companies aim to get their brand in front of as many people as possible through sponsorships at industry trade shows and conventions and one-day conferences or seminars.
The manufacturing industry is made up of all the companies (both consumer and industrial) involved in the process of manufacturing and processing everyday products like textiles, cars, and foods.
For hosted events, the manufacturing industry invests the most in their products, with product trainings and product launches coming in at the top. One-day conferences are also popular.
Want to see more insights on the budgets, challenges, and event strategies of the fastest-growing brands in the world? We got you: read the full Harvard Business Review report.
