Why Fun Virtual Events are a Key Pillar in Aprimo’s Marketing Strategy

B2B events are at an interesting inflection point. While everyone assumed that as soon as mask mandates were lifted people would rush to attend conferences and events, we’re seeing something different. Big trade shows and conferences do seem to be making a revival but smaller, more personal in-person events don’t seem to be bouncing back as quickly. I spoke to some peers about why and received some interesting responses.

“When you worked in an office, it was fun to pop by a happy hour event downtown before you returned. Now that most people are working from home, it’s harder to get them to commit to leaving the house (and changing out of yoga pants) for a short event.”

“While mask mandates have been removed across the country, Covid-19 is still spreading and people are being careful.”

To better understand the changing events landscape, we sat down with an expert, Dina Otero, Sr. Director, Demand Generation and Growth for Aprimo, an enterprise B2B SaaS company that develops marketing resource management software and digital asset management technology for marketing and customer experience departments.

Efficiency and ease of virtual

While Dina acknowledges that in-person events are back, she sees virtual events as a key pillar in bringing personalized event experiences to attendees, across the entire funnel. Of the benefits of virtual events, she says, “Virtual events allow companies to be as targeted or broad with their audiences, without having to account for in-person event expenses such as meeting rooms, AV, and F&B. They provide flexibility with time zones and schedules, and give audiences immediate access to resources, presentations and data.”

“They [virtual events] provide flexibility with time zones and schedules, and give audiences immediate access”

As an example, she shares her experience from Aprimo’s customer event, Aprimo Sync! 2022, which was totally virtual: “We planned it for 3-half days to minimize virtual fatigue, allow free time in schedules and ensure our EMEA customers were able to participate live. It included the social and engaging elements of a live event, like networking, happy hour, and exhibit halls, while providing the latitude of a virtual event.”

Don’t forget the fun!

Fun is a key element of Aprimo virtual events. Unlike companies that think of virtual events as a series of webinars, Aprimo focuses on making their events engaging and social in order to keep their attendees logged in. The team has showcased their fun side by incorporating DJs, photo booths, yoga breaks and wine tastings.

Key success metrics

But, at the end of the day, virtual events are about more than fun—they’re about driving business. When it comes to metrics, Dina shares that she measures a few key KPIs across the journey of an account, including attendance, meetings scheduled, opportunities created and closed deals.

If you’re looking to incorporate fun and flexibility into your virtual events, like Dina, reach out to us at purple cork. We would love to help plan your next event!