Comprehensive Guide to Field Marketing Events

Welcome to the new era of field marketing where customer experience takes center stage!

Field marketing events once involved companies inviting speakers while attendees observed everything passively. Hosts occasionally used sales tactics like product demos or promotions, often neglecting the attendees’ experience. 

Today more people demand personalized experiences that resonate with them. 

This is why, brands are shifting focus to create interactive events that foster genuine connections and conversations. Simply put, field marketing has shifted from focusing on sales to prioritizing the customer experience.

In this guide, we will explore how you can adapt your field marketing strategy to today’s context and dynamics, all while winning potential customers and building real connections with your audience.

So, without further ado, let’s get into the details.

Chapter 1: What is Field Marketing?

Field marketing is a powerful experiential strategy for building brand awareness and driving sales through direct, personal interactions. It covers a range of onsite marketing activities, such as product demonstrations, free samples, giveaways, merchandising, direct sales, and guerilla marketing efforts. 

These activities are carefully designed to capture the target audience’s attention, pique their interest, fuel their desire, and ultimately encourage them to take action.

By combining these elements, field marketers maintain the perfect balance between push and pull marketing. The push aspect connects you with your target audience in an intimate setting, while the pull aspect engages them with a personalized approach as they move through the subsequent stages of the purchase journey. 

What are Field Marketing Events? 

Field marketing events are powerful tools for engaging potential and current clients. They are typically organized in real-life, on-the-ground settings and provide an immersive opportunity for consumers to interact directly with brand ambassadors and experience the products firsthand. 

Activities such as trade shows, conferences, and product demonstrations are intentionally designed to leave a lasting impression on attendees.

Unlike mainstream marketing techniques that rely heavily on mass media or digital channels, field marketing events focus on meaningful, personal connections. This allows businesses to develop more meaningful relationships with their audience.

Field marketing has also evolved significantly in recent years, thanks to advancements in event technology. While traditionally centered on face-to-face interactions, businesses can now complement these efforts with interactive virtual events. 

These digital extensions allow brands to expand their reach, engage broader audiences, and provide immersive experiences regardless of physical location.

Why are Events Good Field Marketing Tools?

Events are ideal for field marketing as they offer the creative freedom to address your target audience’s specific needs and desires. 

For instance, your product or service users in Los Angeles may have different desires, pain points, or aesthetics compared to those in Chicago—that’s where field marketing comes in. 

You can adjust your marketing strategy to fit each region’s demographics and psychographics, increasing your chances of success. However, it’s essential to thoroughly research the local market and plan the event in a way that connects with potential consumers on a personal level. Here are a few examples: 

  1. Personalized Event Swag: Lakers vs. Bulls jerseys or partnering with local artisans for unique regional gifts.
  2. Targeted Marketing: Surf-inspired imagery in California vs. vibrant street art in Brooklyn.
  3. Region-Specific Cuisine: Tex-Mex in Houston, seafood in Boston, or BBQ in Nashville.
  4. Cultural Sensitivity: Consider Ramadan observances in Middle Eastern markets or Diwali celebrations in Indian communities.

What are the Benefits of Field Marketing? 

Are field marketing services worthwhile for your business? Here are six benefits to convince you: 

1. Boosts Sales Team Efficiency

Sales reps are often busy handling qualified leads brought in by the marketing team, and they might not always have time to sustain customer relationships as they get familiar with the product or service. 

That’s where field marketers step in. 

They take the pressure off the sales team by guiding potential customers until they’re comfortable on their own. This allows sales reps to focus on qualified leads and close deals faster.

To boost the sales team’s efficiency, field marketing should be considered part of the sales operations. Closing the gap between the two teams ensures a satisfying customer experience.

2. Better Customer Experiences 

To build brand loyalty, offering a consistent customer experience at every touchpoint is essential, and that’s precisely what field marketing delivers. Today, it’s  table stakes for customers to expect recognition and personalized communication after they purchase a product or service. 

For example, attendees expect personalized communication and event recommendations based on their interests and past attendance after attending an event. Field marketing reps help maintain this connection by responding to their questions and concerns. 

3. Improves Brand Perception & Loyalty

When you interact directly with the audience during an event, you build on brand loyalty and values, keeping your offering at the top of their mind.

Brands use field marketing to personally engage with their target audience, allowing consumers to experience the brand firsthand. 

Field marketing typically yields the best results during sales or events like webinars, roadshows, exhibitions, and conferences. These are ideal moments to capture the prospect’s attention, build brand values, and enhance loyalty until they become customers. 

4. Engages Cynical Customers 

Customers seek instant gratification rather than prolonged negotiations. Today’s tech-savvy customers are better informed than ever, which fuels their cynicism. Field marketing is effective in such situations, offering instant responses and product clarity during demos, POS interactions, events, and onboarding sessions, allowing you to address skeptical customers immediately.

5. Offer Accurate Targeting

Field marketers curate the ideal attendee experience by conducting thorough audience research. Based on this, they carefully select the format, location, activities, and marketing collateral, to meet the target audience’s needs in a focused manner.

6. Provides Measurable ROI

A successful field marketing strategy delivers tangible and quantifiable results. You can collect information about your customers, gather feedback through surveys, and capture behavioral insights in real-time.

The good news is that you can easily measure your campaign’s performance using good marketing reporting software. These tools are compatible with mobile devices, allowing quick access to progress reports on phones, tablets, and laptops. 

With real-time insights available on dashboards, you can get an overview of how your field marketing campaigns are performing at any time.

Examples of Field Marketing Events for Increased ROI

Different events have a different impact. Here’s a list of the most effective field marketing events for maximizing return on investment.

1. Product Launch Events

Product launch events invite prospects and existing customers to experience your latest product features first-hand. This creates excitement and boosts return on investment. 

Combining field marketing with influencer marketing strategies can further increase the social buzz. Selecting the right venue, hiring a professional event production team, and partnering with reliable caterers–all contribute to creating a memorable experience. 

Inviting current customers and prospects promotes positive brand associations and encourages more people to talk about your brand.

online product launch event
Virtual product launch event

2. Educational Workshops

Educational workshops are an excellent way for brands to showcase their products’ opportunities and capabilities to their target audience. The primary goal of field marketing is to build trust that drives sales, and value-based educational content helps achieve precisely that. 

Once you’ve demonstrated the worth of your product or service, you can then introduce a limited-time offer or discount to create a fear of missing out.

Virtual education workshop hosted on the vFairs platform
Virtual education workshop hosted on the vFairs platform

3. Distributor or Channel Partner Meetings

It’s essential to collaborate closely with distributors and channel partners to ensure local market success. One practical approach is to hold quarterly or bi-annual meetings to share product demos and success stories with your channel partners. 

This helps them gain trust in your product. In turn, they can organize their own field marketing events for their audience, helping to amplify your reach and drive third-party sales.

4. Networking Events

Most customer relationships that lead to high-ticket sales begin in the marketing phase. To start building those connections with your target audience, you should hold monthly networking events.

Here are some creative ways you can go about networking events:

  • Gourmet dinners with expert panel discussions
  • Private art gallery viewings with industry insights
  • TED-style talks with Q&A sessions
  • Wine and Wisdom
  • Coffee chats with CEO Q&A
  • Sunset seminars overlooking the city skyline

5. Community Engagement Events or Pop-up Shops

Local fairs, events, and festivals are high-traffic opportunities to connect with your target audience. These events can be game-changers for local marketing. If your ideal audience will be there, consider setting up a pop-up shop whenever a community engagement event happens.

Photo booth for community engagement
Photo booth for community engagement

You can hook your audience by:

  • Introducing interactive elements like product demos and presentations
  • Offering giveaways and free samples
  • Using eye-catching displays with visual merchandising techniques like lighting, signage, and décor to draw prospects in
  • Sharing teasers and sneak peeks of what locals can expect pre-event on social media

6. Customer Appreciation Events

Sometimes, converting a prospect into a regular customer is as simple as saying thank you. You can do this by organizing customer appreciation events and making them part of your field marketing strategy. When customers feel respected and valued, they often become loyal. Try holding these events regionally at least once a year for the best results.

7. Guerilla Marketing Events 

Guerilla marketing is an unconventional field marketing strategy that is typically unexpected and highly interactive for consumers. Simply put, it is a low-cost solution that delivers high-impact results.

Guerilla sampling offers smaller brands a unique opportunity to interact with consumers face-to-face. In comparison, larger brands with bigger budgets can apply it to create memorable experiences and generate buzz.

By definition, guerilla marketing is unannounced and does not seek approval from municipalities before activation. This allows brands to market their offerings to consumers wherever and whenever they live, work, play, or shop. 

Whether it’s inside or outside established events or in high-traffic areas like busy commuter hubs and tourist attractions, brands can engage their target demographic wherever they’re most open to this form of brand interaction.

Subway train decorated by IKEA in Tokyo
Subway train decorated by IKEA in Tokyo

For example, IKEA transformed a subway train in Japan by furnishing it with its products, creating a cozy and unexpected environment for commuters. This subtle approach allowed passengers to experience IKEA’s offerings in a real-life setting, effectively promoting the brand without traditional advertising methods

8. Sponsor Charity or Fundraising Events

Who doesn’t love a party, especially for a good cause? 

Organizing a fundraising event that benefits a foundation or charity not only lifts your brand image but also helps build authentic connections while giving back to the community. 

Although this form of marketing may initially seem like a risky investment, it works wonders for your company’s long-term reputation. Adding branded materials to swag bags and benefiting from sponsor signage can further improve your brand’s visibility.

Charity events offer the opportunity to connect with community leaders and taste-makers. The key to success in this form of marketing lies in informal and personable communication. These events position you as a business leader with genuine intentions to help the community, which, in turn, strengthens your company’s reputation.

The Great Celebrity Bake Off hosted by Stand Up to Cancer
The Great Celebrity Bake Off hosted by Stand Up to Cancer

A great example would be The Great Celebrity Bake Off, hosted by Stand Up to Cancer. It was a charity talent show where celebrities showcased their baking skills to raise money for cancer. It served as a platform for self-expression, community connection, and philanthropy.

9. Webinars

Webinars serve various purposes, from raising brand awareness to nurturing customer relationships and generating new leads. Like their in-person counterparts, these field marketing events have the potential to offer significant revenue-focused benefits. 

However, it is important to approach them with the right mindset and strategy. Your focus should be creating real opportunities for attendee engagement, leaving the pitches and product pushing at the door.

online field marketing event example
Webinar hosted on the vFairs platform

Here are some tips to drive the most value out of your webinars 

  • Educate your customer about your latest feature, demo your new product, or host a myth-busting Q&A. 
  • Deliver an unforgettable brand story. 
  • Don’t wait until after the event to interact with your prospects and customers.
  • Use attendee-level insights to prove your webinar’s value.

Chapter 2: How to Plan and Execute Field Marketing Events and Campaigns?

Organizing a successful marketing event and campaign requires months of planning and research. Here is a step-by-step guide to executing field marketing events:

how to execute field marketing events

1. Establish Clear Goals 

Clearly defining your objectives provides a roadmap for your campaign. This clarity ensures effective planning and allows you to measure the event’s success.

List what you aim to achieve with your field marketing campaign, as your objectives will shape the event’s direction and format. Whether your goal is to generate leads, boost brand awareness, or drive sales, defining these targets will help you plan and measure success afterward.

For example, if your goal is lead generation, you can host webinars with registration forms to capture contact information or offer downloadable resources (e.g., e-books, whitepapers) in exchange for email addresses.

For engagement and conversion, you can implement AI-powered chatbots to qualify leads, schedule follow-ups, or design immersive experiences (AR/VR) to showcase products/services. Similarly, for customer retention, you can host exclusive customer appreciation events.

2. Set a Budget and Allocate Resources 

Playing along with your budget is crucial to your event’s success. 

Determine the event budget needed to achieve the goals of your event. This includes expenses such as venue rentals, promotional materials, staffing, and technology costs. Moreover, investing in data collection and networking tools, like digital business card services, is also necessary.

3. Select the Right Venue and Timing

Choose a convenient venue for your target audience to reach. Make sure to consider factors like accessibility and relevance to your industry. Timing is also crucial when planning a field marketing event—avoid scheduling it during major industry events or holidays, as this can negatively impact attendance.

4. Promote Your Event

Targeted promotion is essential to drive attendance to your event. You can achieve this by combining both digital and traditional marketing strategies. Use social media and email campaigns to spread the word, and consider partnering with industry influencers to create excitement around your event.

For instance, you can share event updates on Facebook and utilize targeted groups to reach niche audiences or connect through X’s event targeting to reach attendees interested in specific hashtags.

Being creative around your event marketing strategy goes a long way. Here’s an event marketing guide that can help you ace it.

5.  Engage and Interact

Engaging and interacting with your audience should be your primary focus during the event as it helps customers remember you. Provide them with a memorable experience through interactive activities like product demonstrations, Q&As, gamification, or various networking opportunities.

Gamification is a great way to keep attendees engaged. Some ideas include leaderboards, scavenger hunts, and spin-the-wheel, etc.

Other than that, including different networking can also engage the attendees during the event. 

For example, Dreamforce, a major conference by Salesforce, set up an interesting networking activity called Braindates where people can connect one-on-one with peers to exchange ideas or solve big problems.

6. Collect and Analyze Data

Deploy digital tools to collect event data, track attendee interactions, gather feedback, and analyze the effectiveness of your activities at any time. Utilize event management software like vFairs that automates these processes, saving time and effort. Carefully analyze this data to assess event performance and determine areas for improvement for your future events.

7. Follow Up

Your field marketing efforts will be wasted if you don’t follow up after the event. This step is important for converting prospects and leads into customers. Following up is simple yet essential and can be done through personalized emails, thank-you notes, and exclusive offers to attendees. Use the insights from your data to plan your follow-up communication and strengthen relationships.

8. Measure Success

Compare the outcomes with the objectives you set before the event. This step is key in determining the success of your field marketing campaign. Evaluating metrics like lead generation, sales conversions, and brand engagement will provide an overall picture of your event’s performance. Carefully analyze the results to refine and improve your future field marketing strategies.

Best Practices for Executing Memorable Field Marketing Events 

The cornerstone of any successful field marketing event is creating engaging and memorable experiences. They help capture attention and build lasting relationships with your target audience. The following tips will help make your field marketing event impactful: 

best practices for field marketing events

1. Personalization 

Personalization makes interactions memorable. You can achieve your desired outcomes more quickly by tailoring your event marketing strategy to your attendees’ specific needs and preferences.

For example, when hosting regional workshops, provide attendees with personalized agendas and resource packets relevant to their business challenges. 

When utilizing mobile marketing, tailor the messaging to recipients’ geographic locations and demographic profiles. This small step will give your brand image a significant boost.

2. Interactive Experiences

To maximize the impact of your field marketing events, prioritize interactivity as a core strategy. Building opportunities for your audience to engage directly with your brand helps build stronger connections and lasting impressions.

Whether it’s a small pop-up event or a large-scale conference, always include elements that allow attendees to actively participate. This can range from interactive product displays to feedback stations.

For example, A travel agency could set up a virtual reality destination experience, transporting visitors to exotic locations, or a gaming company could host interactive tournaments, engaging attendees in competitive gameplay.

3. Storytelling and Emotional Connection

Humans love stories, making storytelling a powerful marketing approach for brands. It helps you connect with your target audience on an emotional level by crafting narratives they can relate to. You can make your brand feel more relatable by building a deeper connection with your audience. 

You can achieve this by sharing customer success stories, behind-the-scenes insights, your CEO’s journey, or how your company came to be.

4. Strategic Use of Visuals and Multimedia

Make your field marketing activities stand out with eye-catching visuals and multimedia elements. HD videos, interactive features, animations, and vibrant graphics that align with your branding not only convey your message but also capture your target audience’s attention.

For example, using holographic displays or Pepper’s Ghost technology to showcase products from unique angles can captivate while also educating visitors.

5. Exclusive Offers and Incentives

There is no better way to encourage immediate action than by offering exclusive deals and incentives to event attendees. You can make attendees feel valued by promoting limited-time discounts, VIP access to new features, or free trials. This initiative creates a lasting positive impression that enhances customer loyalty.

6. Create Shareable Moments

Your field marketing event should provide a memorable experience that attendees will want to share on social media. You can turn them into brand advocates by setting up photo booths with branded backdrops and encouraging the use of specific hashtags for event promotion. Incentivize social media posts by rewarding the best ones. This practice will boost your brand’s visibility beyond just the event attendees.

Successful Field Marketing Examples 

Now that we’ve covered field marking best practices let’s analyze a few of these strategies in action: 

1. M&M: Flavor Rooms

The passion people have for candy is clear from the ongoing debate between peanut M&Ms and regular M&Ms. So, when the manufacturers decided to launch a new flavor, they did so with an immersive pop-up in New York City. 

M&Ms Flavor Room
M&Ms Flavor Room

They created “flavor rooms,” each filled with decor and fragrances unique to a specific flavor, offering M&M-themed snacks and drinks. They successfully hooked their audience by adding a fun factor to their marketing campaign. 

Similarly, to make your field marketing campaign successful, consider an experiential idea that brings joy and excitement to your audience.

2. Rick & Morty: Rickmobile

Cartoon Network promoted the return of the Adult Swim series Rick & Morty by sending a Rick-shaped car, the “Rickmobile,” across the country. The campaign quickly went viral on social media. 

Rickmobile
Rickmobile

The official Adult Swim website featured live updates of the Rickmobile’s location, encouraging fans to follow along and snap pictures. When it reached major cities, fans flocked to take photos with Rick’s face for social media, while also having the opportunity to enter the mobile and purchase show-related merchandise.

The key takeaway for marketers is to combine social media with your field marketing strategy to create anticipation around your pop-up, just like Adult Swim did, to make your event impactful.

3. Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup VR Experience

During the FIFA World Cup in Zurich, Coca-Cola set up a VR experience in front of a train station, allowing people to stand in front of a screen and see a popular soccer player beside them. Participants could practice soccer moves with the player or even have their own mini-soccer tournament.

Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup VR Experience
Coca-Cola FIFA World Cup VR Experience

Coca-Cola cashed on a major event in a populated city, using the excitement of the game to engage the crowd. You can adopt a similar field marketing strategy by tapping into your audience’s sports or pop culture interests and creating a meaningful connection.

4. Barbie Dream House on Airbnb

The real-life Barbie Malibu Dreamhouse was a field marketing success because it was available to rent on Airbnb, unlike red carpets or movie premiers. Warner Bros connected with Barbie fans on a personal level, inviting them to be part of the phenomenon, which created a significant buzz. 

Barbie Dream House on Airbnb
Barbie Dream House on Airbnb

Major publications like Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour magazine, House & Garden, and CNBC covered the campaign, with over 14,000 media articles featuring the activity in some way. This demonstrates that you don’t always have to rely on social media to create hype. Sometimes, all you need is a unique field marketing idea and great execution.

5. Maggie 2-Minute Cup Noodles

Maggie targeted the youth by launching their 2-minute cup noodles through a field marketing campaign, distributing free noodles in schools and colleges. They engaged young children by showing them they no longer had to rely on their mothers to cook noodles – they could prepare it themselves in just two minutes. 

Maggie 2-Minute Cup Noodles
Maggie 2-Minute Cup Noodles

The campaign connected with youth by highlighting how they could quickly make a bowl of noodles when running late for school or work, catering to their busy lives.

Chapter 3: Applying Technology in Field Marketing Activities

To succeed in today’s marketing industry, you must familiarize yourself with modern technology. Event technologies can amplify your field marketing efforts, making them more data-driven and interactive. Here’s how you can enhance your field marketing strategies using modern technology:

1. Lead Capture App

A Lead Capture App simplifies contact exchange among attendees. You can collect attendee data instantly by scanning their QR codes or business cards. On top of that, you can categorize the leads based on their status. For example, are they cold, or warm leads? You can also add necessary notes that can help you follow up after the event ends. 

2. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR)

Emotionally charged events are more memorable, and that’s precisely what AR and VR technologies provide. Using these immersive and engaging tools, you can innovatively showcase your offerings, fascinating your audience and leaving a lasting impression.

For instance, destination marketing companies can offer VR experiences of tourist attractions, and festival organizers can create immersive previews of performances.

A visual representation of VR in an event

3. Mobile Apps 

Custom mobile apps significantly enhance the event experience for attendees. These apps offer everything from networking tools and floor maps to personalized agendas, quick check-ins, and more, making them ideal for field marketing events. This means you provide attendees and exhibitors with a digital companion that helps them make the most of the event.

vFairs Event App
vFairs Event App

Organizers can post questions during Q&A sessions and collect real-time feedback through live polls and surveys. Attendees can stay connected via the live event feed, share content, and interact with others through live chat. Plus, all event content is easily accessible in one place.

When choosing an event management platform, choose one that allows you to design your app quickly. The vFairs Mobile App, for example, features an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, enabling organizers to customize branding elements, toggle features on or off, and adjust the menu to fit their event needs.

4. NFC and QR Code Technology

With the rise of digital solutions, event organizers are seeking new ways to enhance the event experience. QR codes have become a standard in the industry, while NFC technology is gaining more traction. 

Event Check-in with QR codes
Event Check-in with QR codes

Not only does contactless technology enhance the attendee experience, but it also simplifies the event registration process behind the scenes. These solutions work for various event formats, including professional conferences, conventions, festivals, and concerts. With so many benefits, these digital tools have become essential for organizing secure events.

When integrated into an event-centered mobile application, contactless technology serves multiple purposes—from registration to payments, access control, and beyond. Attendees can pre-register for an event online or scan a QR code at registration areas. Organizers can issue credentials like badges, wristbands, or mobile passes. 

NFC technology speeds up check-ins, offering attendees a secure, contactless way to access venues. Booth personnel can efficiently manage leads using NFC readers paired with a mobile app.

This technology also helps organizers track who enters the venue and when ensuring safety protocols are followed. Attendees can leave their wallets at home and enjoy quick, secure transactions through Apple Pay, Google Pay, or similar platforms.

5. Onsite Badge Printing

At field marketing events, smooth check-in, and quick badge printing keep things moving and make a great first impression. Custom badges with your logo, colors, and QR codes make the branding feel personal right from the start. 

Attendees get their badges on the spot, and branded kiosks create a welcoming atmosphere as soon as they arrive. For larger events, bulk printing gets badges ready ahead of time, with extras on hand for any last-minute changes.

You can handle walk-ins, sync updates, and keep everything organized. CRM integrations make sure contact info is up-to-date, while real-time analytics lets you keep track of attendance. 

6. AI-Powered Tools for Field Event Marketing

AI-powered tools can help you streamline diverse aspects of your field marketing events. Marketers can use various AI tools to:

  • Create Social Media Posts: Tailor posts by platform, tone, and event stage.
  • Generate Video Scripts: Get video-ready scripts with just the title and tone.
  • Draft Event Landing Page Copy: Generate full-page text, event details, and FAQs.
  • Write Speaker Bios: Pull from LinkedIn to create polished bios.
  • Brainstorm Panel Questions: Generate Q&A questions with a quick prompt.
  • Generate Press Releases: Draft press releases for any stage of the event.
  • Craft Polls & Surveys: Engage audiences by customizing polls and surveys.
  • Analyze Event Data: Delivers instant answers to event questions and generates post-event reports for actionable insights.
  • Encourage Networking: Use smart matchmaking tool to connect people with similar interests.

By leveraging AI, field marketers can save time, reduce costs, and deliver more impactful events. vFairs offers a suite of AI tools that simplify everything from content creation to post-event analytics, making it easier to engage audiences and maximize ROI.

7. Real-Time Analytics

Thanks to real-time analytics, you can keep an eye on your event attendees’ every interaction and engagement before, during, and after the event. Heatmaps help spot the booths or spaces that got the most attention. With this data, you can improve your strategy on the fly. 

vFairs analytics dashboard
vFairs analytics dashboard

For example, real-time heatmaps show high traffic near a demo station, you can send an in-app notification encouraging attendees to visit similar exhibits.

8. Customized Digital Venues

Customized digital venues bring a brand’s physical space online, letting attendees feel right at home, no matter where they’re joining from. These digital setups recreate key areas like lobbies and exhibit halls, so the experience feels familiar and connected to the brand’s identity. 

Attendees can easily find branded booths, access the information they want, and explore resources that match their needs. This setup not only keeps the brand front and center but also makes it simple for people to interact and connect in ways that stick.

digital venue

All in all, it is recommended to use an all-in-one event management software (EMS) that provides you with all these features instead of going for a fragmented tech stack. 

A comprehensive EMS supports every aspect of event management, from registration and ticketing to attendee tracking and feedback collection. This helps you complete tasks efficiently.

If you are looking for good field marketing software, consider the vFairs Event Management Platform. It can enhance your event planning process and create engaging on-site or online experiences. It offers the tools and solutions needed for every aspect of your event. 

Chapter 4: How to Measure the Success of Field Marketing Campaigns? 

Understanding the ROI of field marketing can take a lot of work to track. However, it becomes a breeze if you have the right data architecture in place and focus on the right key performance indicators (KPIs). 

With these two elements in place, you can proactively measure ROI and optimize your field marketing strategy rather than reactively reporting on the performance. Here are some methods to assess the impact of your initiatives:

1. Define Relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The field marketing KPIs you measure will differ based on your campaign’s objectives. However, in each case, they should allow you to report on the overall performance and effectiveness of field marketing. They should also provide insights into opportunities to make improvements. Here are the common KPIs for field marketing:

Measuring Brand Awareness

  • Recall: How many people remember encountering your brand at events?
  • Brand Awareness: What percentage of people know your brand exists?
  • Brand Perception: How many people view your brand favorably?

Generating Demand

  • Leads: Number of contacts generated from events, webinars, and roundtables.
  • Marketing Qualified Leads (MQLs): Leads likely to convert based on engagement.
  • Sales Qualified Leads (SQLs): MQLs approved for sales follow-up.

Sales Acceleration

  • Conversion Rate: Percentage of leads that become customers.
  • Deal Velocity: Speed at which opportunities become customers.
  • Win Rate: Percentage of opportunities converting to customers.

2. Build a Strong Data Collection Framework

Once you’ve defined your KPIs, the next step is gathering the right data to measure them effectively.

You can collect data at every stage of your field marketing event.  Here are the data points you can collect at each step of your field marketing event: 

Pre-Event

  • Registration data (name, email, company, job title)
  • Lead source (how did they hear about the event?)
  • Interest indicators (specific topics or products)
  • Consent data (opt-in for follow-up communications)
  • RSVP/decline tracking

Event Promotion

  • Email engagement (opens, clicks, conversions)
  • Social media engagement (likes, shares, comments)
  • Paid ad metrics (impressions, clicks, conversions)

At-Event

  • Attendance tracking (check-ins, scans)
  • Engagement metrics (session attendance, interactions)
  • Lead scanning/capture (QR codes, business cards)
  • Survey feedback (on-site or mobile)

Post-Event

  • Follow-up survey (overall experience, satisfaction)
  • Lead qualification (MQL/SQL conversion)
  • Sales outreach engagement (emails, calls)
  • Conversion tracking (opportunities, deals)

3. Leverage Post-Event Surveys

Post-event surveys are a powerful tool that field marketers have available for gathering insights and feedback to review what attendees thought of them during the run-up to a field marketing event. 

Tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms can help you create surveys that gauge attendee experience, satisfaction, and likelihood to purchase. If you use an event technology like vFairs, you can host it on your mobile app as well.

Your post-event survey can include questions like: 

  • How would you rate your overall experience at our event?
  • Would you recommend our events to colleagues or peers?
  • How likely will you be to attend another event we organize in the next 6 months?
  • What topics or speakers would you like to see at future events?

4. Attendance and Participation

The success of a field marketing event can be measured by tracking both the number of attendees and their participation levels. Using modern event technology, you can monitor registrations, check-ins, and involvement in activities like workshops or demos. 

High participation rates show strong engagement, indicating a successful field marketing event.

Gamification and polls for attendee engagement
Gamification and polls for attendee engagement

5. Analyze Social Media Performance

Social media is a powerful tool for determining the success of your field marketing event. It lets you connect with a broader audience, share event content, and easily gather attendee feedback. You can track conversations, trends, and sentiments related to your brand and industry by promoting your events and campaigns across all four major social media platforms.

social media event marketing
vFairs social media integration support

Through social media data analysis, you can gain real-time insights into the opinions and behaviors of your target audience. Tracking hashtags, mentions, and engagement metrics helps you measure your campaign’s reach and impact. 

Tools like Hootsuite and Sprout Social offer detailed analytics to help you evaluate your social media performance.

6. Track Sales and ROI

It’s important to track the conversions or sales generated by your field marketing efforts. You can measure campaign ROI by evaluating how many leads turn into paying customers. CRM software helps track these conversions, linking sales data to specific campaigns. 

This approach makes it easier to calculate ROI and identify the activities that drive the most revenue.

Chapter 5: How can vFairs Event Tech Support your Field Marketing Events? 

1. Registration and Ticketing

With the vFairs event management platform, you can create custom registration forms and fully branded event sites that can collect payments and provide real-time analytics. You can easily set up custom registration forms and workflows tailored to your specific event needs, allowing you to collect relevant data with custom fields. 

The platform also enables you to build forms using a drag-and-drop builder and create workflows with conditional (and/or) logic. To enhance efficiency, registration data can be synced with integrated CRMs and Martech solutions. 

Other than that, you can manage essential logistics like airline tickets, meal preferences, and accommodations through pre-defined form fields, ensuring a smooth experience for attendees.

  • Easy Website Setup 

Building a branded event website becomes simple with the vFairs self-serve website builder. You can quickly set up a multi-page event site designed to attract, engage, and delight your audience. Customize the site’s colors, fonts, and branding elements, and either choose from various website templates or build your own from scratch. 

You can also host the website using a unique branded URL for a professional touch. With user-friendly, multi-lingual, and WCAG-compliant websites, you ensure accessibility for all attendees. 

  • Payment and Ticketing 

You can easily manage payments, ticketing, and pricing through the vFairs platform. It supports multiple custom ticket types, tiered ticketing options, group discounts, promos, and coupon codes. 

vFairs event registration & ticketing
vFairs event registration & ticketing

It secures checkout with a PCI DSS and GDPR-compliant website. With access to over 30 payment provider options in the Payment Marketplace, including global and regional payment gateways like PayPal and Stripe, you can assure safe, reliable, and flexible payment capture for attendees.

2. Event Marketing Features 

You can expand your audience and enhance the success of your field marketing events through vFairs strategic marketing features designed for today’s needs. These features include: 

  • AI Content Creation

You can use vFairs AI writing assistant to quickly develop content for landing pages, social media, press releases, and email campaigns. All you need is to write a basic prompt, select a few categories, and generate content in no time.

  • AI Content Repurposing

vFairs AI content repurposing tool allows you to transform your event marketing collateral like a webinar recording into various content formats that fit different platforms and audiences.

For example, your event had an amazing session that everyone loved during the event. You can use the repurposing tool to convert it into content for a LinkedIn carousel. This helps cast a wider net without much effort or time required. 

The tool also allows you to segment webinars into chapters and summaries, enabling users to navigate to topics they prefer. You can also save time by transcribing sessions from your Vimeo library and repurposing webinar content for various marketing purposes. 

Moreover, identifying frequently asked questions will help you create a comprehensive FAQ document for future reference.

  • Email Marketing

You can craft custom emails using a user-friendly drag-and-drop builder. By selecting from action-optimized templates, you can save time and add custom branding and personalization tokens to your promotional emails. 

You can also streamline your email marketing by setting up specific triggers to run automated campaigns for your lists. You can ensure timely communication by preparing predetermined emails for each stage, including promotional messages, registration confirmations, invoices, reminders, and post-event thank-yous.

  • LinkedIn Community Builder

The vFairs LinkedIn Community Builder helps you build a vibrant online community around your event while boosting engagement and attendance. When attendees register through the vFairs platform, they are prompted to join your LinkedIn Event Page, where they can confirm their attendance, view other participants, and follow key profiles like your company or speakers. 

Attendees can also easily share the event with their LinkedIn network, organically expanding its reach. This integration increases visibility and encourages higher attendance rates as people are more likely to join when they see peers or industry connections attending. 

3. Real-Time Analytics 

vFairs event management platform makes tracking the success of your event easier with real-time analytics. You can monitor registration, attendee data, payment, and ticket sales all in one platform. 

vFairs event management dashboard
vFairs event management dashboard

These insights help you make data-driven decisions and maximize ROI for your field marketing campaigns. With a centralized dashboard, you can monitor overall event performance. 

You can gain instant insights into event performance with the vFairs AI chatbot. This tool allows you to measure event performance efficiently and collect valuable attendee information and interests, which can enhance your targeted marketing efforts. Analyzing attendance rates and event performance data will help you refine future campaigns.

4. Event Networking

To promote real-time networking, the platform offers features enabling exhibitors and attendees to connect at the event, whether onsite or online. These user-friendly event networking and chat functions streamline interactions and enhance attendee engagement: 

vFairs innovative networking tools
vFairs innovative networking tools
  • Live Chat 

You can promote dynamic discussions and instant idea sharing with real-time chat features. An intuitive chat bar embedded in the virtual platform and mobile app makes it easy for users to engage. 

The chat bar shows different information about the attendees. For example, who’s online, their company name, their position, and finally, how relevant they are to you. Attendees can also filter people out based on different categories like industry to find people who are relevant to them.

The live chat feature allows attendees to share files and contact cards. Moreover, chat threads, pinned messages, and replies to specific messages in the chat module help keep conversations organized and easy to follow.

  • 1:1 and Group Audio/Video Calls

You can let attendees start group and individual audio/video calls right from the virtual event platform or mobile app. Enhancing these video calls with a screen-sharing option means users can showcase presentations or visuals.

  • QR-Based Contact Exchange

You can simplify the process of contact exchange among attendees by integrating QR-based contact exchange options in the event app. People can exchange contact information by simply scanning the QR code of the relevant person mentioned in their event app or badges. 

QR-based contact exchange
QR-based contact exchange
  • Enable Attendees to Schedule Meetings

You can let event attendees and exhibitors book appointments using a user-friendly meeting scheduler. Navigating through the scheduler is a breeze, and selecting meeting rooms and tables on the mobile app is a cakewalk. To ensure no opportunity slips through the cracks, attendees receive timely reminders for their scheduled meetings.

  • Connect Users with Smart Matchmaking

You use the smart matchmaking tool to connect attendees with similar backgrounds and interests based on their responses to custom questions. Potential matches can be presented to both users, who can accept or decline the suggestions. Attendees can connect via timed video calls, with the option to extend the duration or request a new match.

  • Roundtables

You can set up roundtables for users to share ideas on particular topics in a more intimate group setting. This approach helps attendees engage in focused discussions and collaboratively solve problems via video chat. To create excitement for these roundtables, you can implement a first-come, first-served selection system.

  • Spatial Connect

You can create a dynamic virtual environment that mimics the spontaneity of in-person networking. By allowing users to move their avatars in a virtual space, they can easily strike up conversations with others nearby. This flexible and interactive setting provides attendees with a welcoming space to connect freely.

  • Maintain the Context of Conversations

You can take notes right within the chat window to capture key points and insights as discussions unfold. Adding tags to conversations makes it easy to categorize and reference them later. 

By viewing attendee profile data without leaving the chat, you can stay informed. Plus, you can export notes and tags along with chat transcripts to keep comprehensive records.

  • Chat Moderation

You can create a safe space for attendees to engage and foster valuable connections through effective chat moderation. By publishing chat messages for public viewing only after they’ve been vetted by moderators, you help ensure a respectful and constructive environment.

5. Lead Capture App

With a lead capture app tailored to diverse needs, exhibitors and event organizers can swiftly gather information and facilitate lead generation during the event day. With vFairs event lead capture app, you can: 

  • Simplify Onsite Contact Capture

You can scan QR codes or business cards, or just enter details manually. You can also use handy search and filter tools to find leads, categorize them, and jot down notes.

  • Measure Event ROI

You can get real-time insights on your leads. See how each exhibitor or team is doing, and pull together visual reports to highlight top performers.

  • Contextualize Data

 You can track booth visits, clicks, downloads, and chat activity to see what’s resonating with attendees. Spot which exhibitors are attracting the most attention and understand what interests your audience.

  • Export Leads

The lead capture app syncs with popular CRMs and marketing platforms. You can import all the leads captured directly into your CRM for prompt follow-up. On the other hand, you can export lead information in CSV or PDF format as well.

6. Dedicated Project Management Support

vFairs provides dedicated project management support to help you from concept to curtain call. This means you’ll have a dedicated project manager who’ll help you set up the event website, streamline badge printing and check-ins, analyze data, and so forth. Don’t get us wrong, you’re the captain of the ship. We’ll provide the assistance that enables you to win.

Wrapping Up! 

Field marketing has evolved from a sales strategy to a means to build rapport with your prospects and customers. Regardless of the event format, the goal is the same: to allow brands to interact with their audience. 

You can reap the best results by aligning your company’s sales, marketing, and product marketing efforts. You must also select a featureful field event marketing software to bring your campaigns to life and achieve impactful results. vFairs does precisely that by helping you run custom in-person and virtual field marketing events your audiences will love. 

It’s your all-in-one event management companion to host conferences, trade shows, job fairs & more. From event registration to analytics, vFairs has got you covered. Book a demo now to learn more. 

FAQs

What is the field marketing definition?

Field marketing is an experiential strategy built on the principle of AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action) and covers a range of onsite marketing activities, such as product demonstrations, free samples, giveaways, merchandising, direct sales, and guerilla marketing efforts.

Field marketing vs event marketing: What’s the difference?

Event marketing focuses on generating leads rather than nurturing those leads or sales enablement. On the contrary, field marketing creates a vision, sets objectives, and develops strategies to enable the sales team to meet or exceed their leads or sales figures.

What is B2B field marketing?

B2B field marketing promotes products, services, or brands directly to businesses or consumers in a specific area. It aims to drive revenue, growth, and demand by aligning marketing strategies with local sales priorities.

Field marketing vs demand generation: what’s the difference?

Field marketing builds brand interest through experiential events and demos, while demand generation attracts and nurtures leads through targeted content and campaigns.

Comprehensive Guide to Field Marketing Events

Shehar Bano

Shehar Bano is a content writer and research analyst with 8 years of experience. She has a passion for storytelling and a curiosity for innovation , particularly event tech and SaaS. Years in GBM industry have given her a broad range of experience across multiple businesses and niches. But it’s not all work! She loves unwinding with some Shoujo or Josei anime when she's off the clock.

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