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

 

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?
Subscribe to The Bulletproof Marketer wherever you get your podcasts.

 

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]

 

🔗 Resource Links

Stay connected and dive deeper:

• 💥 Subscribe to The Bulletproof Marketer Newsletter
  Get weekly insights straight to your inbox — zero fluff, all strategy.
  https://gosalesandmarketing.com/bulletproof-marketer
• 🚀 Explore The Go! Agency
  Discover how we build bold marketing strategies that actually deliver.
  www.thegoagency.com
• 👥 Follow The Bulletproof Marketer on LinkedIn
  Join the conversation, catch episode drops, and get behind-the-scenes takes.
  https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bulletproof-marketer/
• 🎙️ Connect with Christopher Tompkins on LinkedIn
  Thought leadership, unfiltered opinions, and daily digital insights.
  https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgomedia