The Bulletproof Marketer

Episode 05: Maximize Your Conference ROI: Pre, During, and Post-Event Strategies That Actually Work

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If you think showing up to a conference with a fishbowl, a giveaway, and zero game plan still works, this episode is your reality check.

Christopher’s back—and this time he’s unpacking the real ROI of event marketing (spoiler: it’s not in how many branded pens you hand out). Whether you're walking a trade show floor, manning a booth, or prepping your CEO for a keynote, this episode walks you through how to actually make conferences convert.

You’ll learn how to stop treating events like expensive visibility plays and start turning them into lead-gen machines—without blowing your budget or burning out your sales team. Christopher covers everything from pre-event outreach using LinkedIn Sales Navigator, to smart on-site engagement tactics, to what 99% of marketers forget post-event (and why that’s killing your ROI).

What’s Inside:

  • How to craft a magnetic conference angle (and why “free LEGO sets” won’t cut it)
  • The cold hard truth about email lists, badge scans, and why most event follow-ups fail
  • Strategic LinkedIn outreach that warms up leads before you even land
  • What to say at the booth that doesn’t sound like a pitch deck in human form
  • Why your post-event reflection should be as detailed as your dinner party recap
  • The exact plan to stop wasting money and start building momentum before, during, and after the show

    • From the Episode:

    Exposure without engagement isn’t marketing—it’s just travel.

    If you're tired of conferences being a budget line with zero payback, this is the episode to rewrite your event strategy and make every trip count.

    Need more brutal marketing truths and tactical brilliance?

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    Episode Highlights:

    • Welcome to Conference Season (and the chaos that comes with it) [00:00]
      • The Costly Myth: Exposure ≠ Engagement [02:45]
        • The Real First Step: Know Your Angle [05:30]
          • Pre-Conference Power Moves (LinkedIn Edition) [09:15]
            • The Sales Navigator Blueprint [17:50]
              • Your Old Email List Isn’t Dead… Yet [20:40]
                • Why No One Follows Up (and Why You Must) [24:45]
                  • On-Site Strategy That Doesn’t Suck [27:00]
                    • QR Codes, Giveaways, and Real Engagement [32:15]
                      • Post-Conference Follow-Up: Do It. Do It Fast. [35:45]
                        • Reflect, Adjust, Repeat [37:30]

                          •  

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                            The Bulletproof MarketerBy Christopher Tompkins