Stop Treating Events as a Box-Ticking Exercise
For many agencies, events happen simply because they feel they should happen. People say things like “it’s good for awareness” or “we need to get our point of view out there.” But often, when you look a little closer, there’s no real strategy behind it. No clear theme, no defined audience, no speakers lined up, no KPIs or goals. Just a date in the diary and a vague hope that something valuable will come from it.
The truth is, many agencies treat events as something that simply sits on the marketing calendar — a box to tick rather than a tool with a clear commercial purpose. At Illuminate, we take a very different view. We see events as a strategic vehicle for lead generation and meaningful engagement, designed not just to attract an audience but to spark real conversations with a targeted audience.
For us, an event is fundamentally a prospecting exercise shaped through a lead generation and sales lens. It should work like a funnel: something that pulls in your target audience, builds genuine interaction, and ultimately creates qualified one-to-one conversations afterwards.
That starts with setting clear KPIs before anything else. How many registrations are you aiming for? What level of attendance will you need to reach that number once you factor in drop-off? And most importantly, how many post-event meetings do you want to secure?
“We see events as a strategic vehicle for lead generation and meaningful engagement, designed not just to attract an audience but to spark conversations with a targeted audience.”
1. Plan before you pick a date
First, plan the event properly before you set the date. Define the theme, decide on the venue, and identify the guest speakers who are best placed to bring the topic to life. Reach out to them early, get a sense of their availability, and set your event date around when they can join. Once speakers are aligned, sort the logistics. AV, team support, catering and any technical requirements so everything is locked in well before you start promoting the event.
2. Choose a topic that actually matters
Your audience doesn’t need another generic trend session. Choose a topic with edge, relevance and a clear point of view that speaks directly to the challenges your target brands are dealing with right now. If other agencies have already saturated a particular theme, look for a fresher angle or a topic you can truly own. A sharper, more distinctive theme not only makes your event more compelling, it also boosts attendance because people feel they’ll gain something genuinely new and useful.
3. Give yourself real lead time
Give yourself enough runway to build momentum. Don’t start inviting people three weeks before the event and hope for the best. Strong attendance comes from steady, consistent outreach, so aim to begin promotion at least six weeks out. This gives you the time you need to contact the right people, follow up properly and build the volume of sign-ups required. Registrations grow gradually, not instantly.
4. Design the follow-up before the event happens
The event itself isn’t the goal. It’s the catalyst. Decide in advance how you’ll follow up, what additional content or takeaways you’ll share, and how you’ll move attendees into warm 1-to-1 meetings. Without a clear plan, the opportunity fades the moment people walk out of the room.
5. Treat events like a commercial investment
Good events require time, thought and resource. When done well, they’re one of the most effective ways to build trust and move prospects toward meaningful conversations. When done half-heartedly, they generate noise instead of value and drain your team’s attention.