How to succeed at events: Maximising your PR and marketing impact at RSA

The RSA Conference is just a few short weeks away, bringing together thousands of industry leaders, innovators, and decision-makers. Events like these are some of the most important points in the industry calendar, presenting a powerful opportunity to be seen and make an impact.
But with so much happening, simply showing up isn’t enough. Here are four tips for getting the best results at industry events.

1. Set clear objectives. What does success look like?
Everyone would like to leave an event like RSA with hundreds of new leads to pursue when they get back home. But that’s rarely the reality, unless your company has achieved the status of global household name in the industry.
While it’s good to aim high, it’s important to define achievable goals for the event. Events can help further many different objectives.
Are you there for brand awareness, primarily aiming to boost your visibility through PR engagements with journalists and analysts, social media, and your on-site presence and booth?
Or maybe you feel ready to the chase and focus on lead generation, booking targeted meetings with key prospects?
It will usually be a mixture of all of these, so it’s important to work out how much time and resources are going towards each area. Set realistic metrics for success based on what your time can achieve.

2. Work out who you are sending
On that note, it’s crucial to work out who will be attending the event and why. A common mistake is sending too many people without a clear purpose. While attending an event can be a great experience, it will also be unnecessarily costly if you send more people than you need.
Ensure everyone attending has a clear and defined role. Sales personnel should be busy with meetings with key prospects, while spokespeople should be on hand for press interviews. In both cases, there should ideally be a good schedule of pre-booked meetings ahead of the event. The last thing you want is your team lingering around aimlessly. We have seen many vendors only allow people to attend if they have pre-arranged a certain number of meetings before the event.
If you have a booth, it’s also important to send the right amount of sales and marketing personnel to support it without accidentally creating an intimidating mob.

3. Be ready to stand out from the crowd
With thousands of companies vying for attention, you need to have a plan to stand out. If you have a booth, think about ways to make it memorable. Use eye-catching branding, live demos, and interactive content to draw attention and stick in the mind.
If possible, look to host a side event. A private dinner, VIP briefing, or networking event can create meaningful connections and stick out beyond the usual brief one-to-ones.
Consider coming armed with some relevant and interesting giveaways. Everyone leaves industry events weighed down with swag, so think about something more valuable like exclusive research that will resonate more than another branded pen or fidget toy.
For PR, the key is offering something newsworthy. Journalists typically haven’t made the effort to attend just to receive product pitches. Give them exclusive insights, research, or bold industry opinions that will be more likely to lead to coverage or help build your relationship.

4. Quality not quantity
RSA isn’t just about meeting as many people as possible – it’s about fostering the right relationships. On-site face-to-face meetings can create stronger connections than an email exchange or Zoom call.
For PR, think beyond securing short-term coverage at the event and look at building long-term journalist relationships that lead to future opportunities. Likewise, sales teams should aim for quality conversations that lead to real follow-ups rather than collecting as many emails as possible.
Off-site meetings can be just as valuable as those on the show floor. Consider inviting key prospects, journalists and analysts to a coffee or dinner. These informal settings often lead to better discussions than you’ll achieve dodging the crowds on the show floor.

Plan now, win later
The worst thing you can do at RSA is show up without a plan. With the right preparation, RSA can be a game-changing opportunity to boost your brand, secure media attention, and build lasting relationships.
For more insight and advice on winning at industry events, check out our free eBook.