Introduction

Startups are rethinking events as digital marketing gets crowded. But should you host your own, sponsor, or skip them altogether?

What's the problem it solves?

Too many startups waste money on in-person events without a clear plan, goals, or understanding if events are even the right channel. This guide helps you decide if events fit your strategy and how to make them truly worth it.

Quick Summary

In-person events are not a must-do for every company. They're expensive, time-consuming, and often badly executed. Many teams rush into them without asking if they align with their audience, product, or marketing goals. Before saying “yes” to a big trade show or expensive booth, you need to ask: would this work better than other ways to reach our audience?

The MKT1 team explains that events should be treated like any other marketing campaign. Use a framework to match events to your goals, team size, audience habits, and go-to-market model. For example, a company with a sales-led strategy and a strong brand might benefit from events, while a lean, product-led startup might be better off focusing on inbound content.

They also break down how to choose the right event type - from small dinners and workshops to big trade shows - and explain the idea of “coverage” (how much of your target market will be there) and “composition” (how many attendees are a good fit). They advise treating events like full campaigns: prep before, create useful content during, and follow up after. Most importantly, skip events if you can’t do them well or stand out.

Key Takeaways

• Don’t assume events should be in your strategy - compare them against other marketing channels.
• Events should be treated as full campaigns: with planning, creative, targeting, and follow-up.
• Choose events where your ideal buyers are both present (coverage) and make up a big portion of attendees (composition).
• Think beyond trade shows: co-hosted dinners, workshops, or customer meetups can be more effective.
• Don’t hand event execution to junior or disconnected staff - they must represent your brand and know your product.
• Use a rubric to decide which events to join and a GACCS brief (Goals, Audience, Creative, Channels, Stakeholders) to plan each one.

What to do

• Before committing to any event, ask: Is this the best channel vs others like inbound, outbound, or partnerships?
• Build a decision rubric to assess all event requests (e.g. based on fit, goals, and potential ROI).
• Only move forward if you can staff events with people who know the product and the brand well.
• Create a clear plan before, during, and after the event to get value and re-use the content.
• For large trade shows, consider side events instead of big booths to save money and boost impact.
• Launch something (a report, feature, or story) at the event to give people a reason to care.
• Try low-cost co-hosted events with partners before investing in large solo events.
• Set up repeatable “events in a box” kits so your sales or partner teams can run dinners or meetups on their own.
• If you can’t make your event feel different or useful, skip it.

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