Introduction
Remember that euphoria about "all remote" and "webinars first"? It's over.
In 2025, the B2B industry is shifting marketing budgets towards in-person events with a force we haven't seen in years. According to the report Bizzabo State of Events and Industry Benchmarks 2025, 78% of organizers recognize conferences andsummitystationary as their organization's most influential marketing channel, with 80% saying they are a key element of their company's success.
53% of companies plan to increase event budgets in 2025, and 66% intend to organize more events than in the previous year. On the attendee side, 54% declare that they will participate in more live events than in 2024. This is a clear signal: offline is coming back not as an "add-on," but a core of B2B growth channel.
Why does offline matter again?
Because 72% of attendees believe that live conferences provide the best networking opportunities, and 71% believe they're the most effective way to learn about new products and services. This confirms something many of us intuitively feel: Zoom fatigue is a reality. We still make business decisions based on trust, and trust is built more easily over coffee than through a screen.
We're also seeing a growing shift in the approach to event effectiveness. In 2025, 24% of organizers cite increasing the sales pipeline as their primary goal for B2B conferences (up from 16% in 2023), and 70% admit they still struggle to measure event ROI. This demonstrates that the market is maturing from "organizing events" to "building sales processes around events."
But there is a catch here, just showing up at the event is not enough.
I've seen hundreds of founders spend €5,000 attending a conference, hand out 200 business cards, and return with... nothing. Zero follow-up, zero structure, zero ROI.
On the other hand, I know companies that generated a pipeline worth half a million euros from a single three-day event. The difference? Systematic. Consistency. And a conscious approach to every stage - before, during, and after.
This article is a complete playbook for anyone who wants to stop wasting time and money on events and start extracting measurable business value from them.
Whether you're a founder looking for an investor, a VC scanning the market, a salesperson hunting for enterprise deals, or a marketer responsible for brand awareness, you'll find specific strategies here that will work in 2025.
Why Go to Events at All? Perspectives from Different Players
Before we get to tactics, we need to establish a foundation: why are you going there? Because if you don't know why you're at an event, the chance of actually getting anything out of it diminishes. Different roles mean different goals.
Startup founder
For you, an event is a place where you can do more to develop your company in 48 hours than you can in a whole month sitting in front of your laptop. You're looking for: potential investors (even if not now - networking will pay off in a year - of course, if you nurture these relationships), first enterprise clients (one contract with a large company = game changer), strategic partners (integrations, distribution, co-marketing) and talent (a good CTO or Head of Sales is a treasure). The event is also an opportunity to see how your pitch sounds live, how the market receives it, and whether your value proposition resonates.
Venture Capital
For an investment fund, an event is a pure market scan. You see who's doing what, who has momentum, who's just looking good on LinkedIn, and who's actually delivering. You observe who's talking to whom, where the traffic at the booth is congested (meaning something's working) and where it's empty. You listen to pitches, check in with founding teams to check team alignment and execution. And most importantly, you build deal flow for the next 12-24 months. The best investments often come from meetings that began over coffee at a conference in Lisbon.
B2B salesperson
For you, an event is a pipeline accelerator. One good event can generate 6 to 15 qualified leads that would take a quarter to cold-promote. But remember, it's not about the number of business cards. It's about the quality of the conversations. Your goal: identifying decision-makers, understanding their pain points in a natural conversation (without the pressure of a cold call), scheduling specific next steps (demo, ROI workshop, pilot), and building a relationship that will ensure that in three months, when the customer is ready to buy, they'll call you instead of your competitors.
Marketer SaaS
Your perspective is the broadest. You don't just look at individual leads; you also have a branding perspective on how the market is receiving your communication, what are the trending topics and pain points in the industry (this is gold for content strategy). The event is your source of content for the next three months: case studies from clients you've met, insights for your blog. Plus, if you have a booth or sponsorship, it's a test to see if your communication is actually working or needs iteration.
Regardless of the role, one thing is common: an event is an investment, not an expense. And like any investment, it requires a strategy to generate a return.
Before the event: this is where ROI begins (or ends before you even enter the arena)
The biggest mistake companies make? Treating an event as "maybe something will happen."
Meanwhile, 80% of the ROI from an event is created before you even scan your ticket at registration.
If you don't know how many conversations you need to conduct to see a return on your investment, you're acting blindly.
Start by calculating the break-even point
You have two key parameters:
- X - cost of generating one conversation in a standard sales process
- Y - cost of participating in the event
Your first goal is not "networking", but a simple formula:
ROI baseline = Y / X → this is how many conversations with ICPs you need to conduct for the event to make sense.
If the event is full of your ICPs, this is your counter.
If not, there should be twice as many conversations, because you are playing for visibility, not direct sales.
Define your goals not in business terms, but in numbers
Instead:
"I want to network"
Determine:
“The event pays for itself in 12 calls to ICPs.
I make 8 appointments before the event, and I catch 4 on site.”
It is operational, measurable and directly linked to ROI.
Record your goals in a matrix that reflects business value
Tier 1 - ROI Drivers (3–5 people)
Contacts that directly impact event reimbursement (your ICPs).
You need to talk to them because each of them lowers the cost of SQL.
Tier 2 - Pipeline Builders (10–15 osób)
People who are not ICPs but can enter your pipeline or raise your visibility.
Tier 3 - Awareness / Opportunistic
Hallway conversations – they don’t count towards ROI, but they can increase the marketing value of the event.
Event ROI Calculator
Use your real acquisition costs to see how many conversations and SQLs this event should generate to pay off.
Prepare CRM and communication
Before you go to the event, make sure your CRM is ready for the influx of new contacts. Create a dedicated campaign or tag (e.g., "WebSummit2025") so you can segment and measure ROI later. Prepare follow-up templates - NOT to send them automatically (that's the death of conversions), but to have a backbone that you personalize.
Important: If you have a team, establish who is responsible for what. Who collects business cards? Who takes notes? Who sends follow-ups? Chaotic communication = lost leads.
Participant research and proactive appointment scheduling
This is a game changer that 90% of people ignore. Most events publish the list of attendees, speakers, exhibitors, and sponsors two to four weeks before the event. This is your golden list. And this is where the magic of proactive networking begins.
Our client, a medium-sized software house from Central Europe creating B2B solutions for the defense, aviation, and fuel industries, faced a typical challenge: how to make the most of MSPO in Kielce, one of the most important events in Central and Eastern Europe for their industry.
The goal was clear: to reach technical and development directors of companies exhibiting at the fair, build relationships with decision-makers and generate real sales leads, but not during the event, but before it started.
The biggest challenge? Time. The client expressed a need just three days before the trade show. During that time, we had to:
1. Build a database of targeted contacts based on the list of MSPO exhibitors, we created a database of 365 contacts – all decision-makers: technical directors, research directors, IT managers.
2. Launch a minimalist communication sequence:
- First message: Invitation to a meeting at a trade show with reference to common technological topics (not a generic pitch, but a value proposition tailored to the industry)
- Follow-up: Reminder and highlight calendar availability for the interview
Result: 9.1% of qualified leads interested in meeting
What did this give the customer?
- Time Structure: They knew who they would meet, when and for what purpose
- Quality of conversations: The other party came prepared, knowing the offer
- Maximized ROI: Instead of "fishing" for contacts randomly at booths, they were guaranteed to meet the right people
- Competitive advantage: While other exhibitors waited for their booth to be busy, the customer carried outscheduled meetings
Additionally, such pre-booked meetings provide something invaluable: structure. You know you have a meeting with the CTO of XYZ company at 2:00 PM on Thursday, so you can prepare a case study, technical documentation, or a reference from their competitor in advance. You don't improvise; you work with a set plan.
{{cta}}
How to do it practically?
- LinkedIn Sales Navigator: If you have access, use filters to find event attendees (they often tag themselves in LinkedIn posts or events)
- Event Attendee List: Most large conferences have an app or website with a list of attendees - go through it systematically
- Outreach: LinkedIn InMail or email. Personalization and a specific value proposition are key.
- Coordination Tool:Calendlywith a dedicated event or simply a Google sheet with time slots that you can propose
Remember: The goal isn't to schedule 50 meetings. The goal is to schedule 8-12 meetings with the right people. Quality will always win over quantity.
During the event: Maximize every minute
You're already there. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of people are around. The noise and chaos are there, and this is where the amateurs get lost and the professionals execute the plan.
Sell with class - don't be "that guy"
We all know "that guy." The one who comes into a conversation with a loaded pitch, doesn't listen, just waits for his turn to swipe his business card and say, "Check out our website." The one who talks 80% of the time and listens 20%. The one who sells a solution before understanding the problem.
Don't be that guy.
The best B2B salespeople at events act like advisors, not salespeople. They ask questions. They listen. They look for pain points. And only then, if they can actually help, do they mention their product. But not as a "buy this," but as a "listen, we had the exact same case with [a similar company], I can show you how they solved it."
Framework for a sales conversation at an event:
- Context (30 seconds): "What do you do? What are you doing at this event?"
- Pain point hunting (2 - 3 minutes): "What are the biggest challenges in [their area] right now? What hurts you the most?"
- Value alignment (1 minute): "I understand, this is actually a big problem. We at [your company] are working on [solution], mainly for [similar companies]."
- Soft close (30 seconds): "Sounds like we could be helpful. Got 20 minutes next week for a quick call? I'll show you how it works, no strings attached."
Note: You are pitching a product. You identify the problem, demonstrate your understanding, and propose the next step. Entire conversation: 4-5 minutes. Long enough to get to know the other side, short enough not to kill momentum.
Manage your time effectively
An event is a marathon, not a sprint. If you try to be everywhere, you'll end up nowhere. Have a plan for each day:
- Morning (9:00 - 12:00): Scheduled meetings and keynote speeches (often the most valuable knowledge + networking after)
- Afternoon (12:00 - 16:00): Stands, spontaneous conversations, workshops
- Evening (6:00 PM+): After-party and dinner are gold for building deeper relationships
If you have meetings scheduled, treat them as hard deadlines.be lateDon't cancel at the last minute. It shows how seriously you take business.
Pro tip: Schedule breaks. Every two hours, set aside 15 minutes to:
- Review notes from previous conversations
- Sending quick follow-ups (e.g., LinkedIn connect with a note saying "thanks for talking about [topic]")
- Recharge - eat something, drink water, go outside for 5 minutes
Burned-out salespeople at 4 p.m. are a common sight. Don't be one of them.
Who are you at the event?
Your strategy depends on your role in the event:
Speaker
This is your moment topositionPosition yourself as an industry expert, but be warned - people won't remember your slide 37. They'll remember one good story, one insight they can use on Monday morning. Give them that. After the presentation, stay for Q&A and networking. This is your prime time to talk to people who are already "warmed up" (they've seen you on stage, they know your topic).
Exhibitor
A booth is a trap. It's easy to sit at a table throughout the event, waiting for someone to approach. Don't do this. Rotate: one person at the booth (so there's someone to take orders from), the rest circulate, chat, and attract people. Your booth should have a clear value prop visible from 5 meters (not a logo, but a benefit:
"We increase conversion rate by 40%" works better than "AI-powered analytics platform").
Participant
Your strength is mobility. You're not tied to a booth or a speaking slot. You can be anywhere. Take advantage of this. Visit different booths, approach people after presentations, join conversations in networking areas, but always have an elevator pitch ready: 15 seconds of who you are and what value you provide. Not the entire company story - your value.
Notes, notes, notes
After 30 conversations, people start to blur together. "That guy with the beard who was talking about AI in HR... was that Błażej? Tomek?" Don't fall into this trap. After every key conversation (even if it's only 5 minutes), write down:
- Name, company, role
- 2-3 key pain points they talked about
- Follow-up action (demo, intro to someone, sending a case study)
- Context (where you met, what triggered the conversation)
You can do this in your phone's notes app, in a dedicated spreadsheet, or even on the back of a business card. Without it, your follow-up will be generic and ineffective.
If you want to see how to create notes more effectively, check out our case studies and a dedicated framework for reading business cards!
After the event: This is where most people give up. You didn't.
The event is over. You're tired. You have 50 business cards in your pocket. And now comes the moment of truth: will you turn these contacts into real business?
The statistics are brutal: according to research Bizzabo, 80% of event leads never receive follow-up within the first week. And those that do receive it often get a generic "it was nice meeting you" - which is as useless as no follow-up.
48-Hour Follow-Up - Why It's Critical
There's a window of time during which you're (still) in the other person's memory. This window lasts 48 hours. After that, you become one of dozens of people they've met at the event, and your chances of a response drop by 60-70%.
Your follow-up cannot be a template. It must include:
- Personalization: Specific Context ("It was great to talk about the challenges of churn rates in a freemium model")
- Value: Something you promised or that might help them ("As promised, I'm sending you a case study from a similar company")
- Clear CTA: Specific next step ("Got 20 minutes on Wednesday or Thursday for a quick call? I can show you how this works in practice")
Measure what worked - post-event analytics
An event is an investment. You have to measure ROI. Simple metrics to track:
- Number of conversations: How many meaningful conversations have you had (not hello-hello, but 5+ minutes)
- Scheduled vs. Spontaneous: What was the conversion rate from proactive outreach?
- Tier 1 target hit rate: How many of your must-have contacts have you actually met?
- Follow-up response rate: What percentage of people responded to your follow-up?
- Pipeline generated: After 30 - 60 days, how much value in the pipeline comes from this event
- Closed deals: After 90 - 180 days, how many deals have you closed from event leads?
If you don't measure, you learn randomly. If you measure, you get better with every event.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about B2B events
How to choose an event that actually makes business sense?
Event selection starts with ICP, not hype.
A good event is one where:
- 30–50% of participants are your ICPs,
- are decision-makers (Head/Director/VP/Founder),
- the agenda or list of exhibitors matches your industry,
- you can prepare pre-booked meetings before take-off.
If the event does not meet these conditions, ROI will be more difficult to achieve, but still possible with the right strategy (e.g. ×2 calls).
How many conversations do I need to conduct for the event to pay off?
It depends on the industry, but the foundation is constant:
ROI baseline = Y / X
- X → the cost of generating one conversation in a normal sales process,
- Y → total cost of participation in the event.
If your ICP is at the event, then this is your target.
If not → target ×2 (you are going for recognition, not conversion).
What to do before the event to avoid wasting time on site?
Three things have the greatest impact on the outcome:
- Pre-booked meetings- goal 8 - 12 meetings with ICPs.
- Goal Matrix (Tier 1–3)- clear contact priorities.
- Prepared CRM and follow-up templates -so that you can act quickly after the conversation.
80% of the event's success comes from before entrance to the hall.
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