Conferences are a magic kingdom of authentic engagement for executives. Within the conference walls, is a live stage beckoning executives to come and share their unique stories.
You may ask, “How does one get the key to unlock such kingdoms and their engagement potential for executives?” It’s simple. The key is a robust on-site amplification plan. Once the conference has been selected based on criteria like business opportunity, audience, and message relevancy, it’s imperative to develop a strategic plan that maximizes opportunities for onsite engagement and offsite amplification.
The plan should include a mix of:
- Recommended meetings with influencers, peers, and potential customers
- Suggested reporters for onsite interviews
- Social media strategy for the executive to share event participation and insert their messaging into the conference conversation
- Content for internal channels to share news of the executive’s participation with employees
The next question you likely have is, “What’s the value of an amplification plan for an executive who will deliver a few key messages and then leave as soon as the talk ends?”
That’s the old, wrong, way to think. Gone are the days when executives should arrive just before their speech and leave minutes after. Conferences have evolved to a live media model where speeches and thought leadership reach far beyond attendees in the room via live streams and repurposing of content through traditional and social media channels. The value that the right plan delivers is turning every moment and interaction at a conference into a new stage.
My team secured a panel opportunity for a CMO client at Fortune Brainstorm Tech. By following the amplification plan we created, the CMO was quoted in a Fortune.com article, invited to the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, given the opportunity to create a post for Fortune’s MPW blog, and invited by another panelist to participate in his company’s onsite SXSW activation.
Remember that the keys to unlocking the engagement potential of conferences are not one size fits all. Amplification plans can take any shape, but they must be customized to the conference’s media environment and developed within a framework that supports the executive’s engagement and business goals. So, really, don’t forget your key – a magical kingdom of engagement waits within conference walls.