ABM for Digital & Hybrid Events

Section 1: Why Account Based Marketing (ABM) Should be at the Center of Your Digital & Hybrid Events Strategy

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in-person events in 2020. The disruption forced businesses to shift toward digital events to share messaging without physical attendance. Looking forward, hybrid events aim to combine in-person and online experiences. The document argues that account-based marketing should be at the center of digital and hybrid event strategies. ABM focuses on delivering highly relevant experiences across a series of digital events. The approach relies on flexible, rapidly adaptable technology to preserve the impact of in-person experiences. Personalization remains a core challenge of digital events beyond technology. The move to digital invites a reconsideration of the entire events strategy and programs. The section ends with guiding questions about delivering engaging experiences across digital events, tailoring experiences to specific audiences, and preserving energy and momentum from face-to-face interactions in virtual or hybrid formats.

Section 2: The Partnership Between ABM and Events

ABM and events go hand-in-hand. Events provide sales and marketing teams with key insights that can help establish and deepen relationships with prospects and customers. Applying an ABM approach to events concentrates time and efforts on a set list of priority contacts within target accounts. The priority of any event strategy should be to educate and engage attendees and to accelerate the sales pipeline. The section introduces ABM for Digital & Hybrid Events and highlights hyper-personalized micro events or event series as a way to focus attention on target accounts. It notes that while large tentpole events may be uncertain, a path forward exists through smaller, hyper-personalized events that put target accounts front and center. The content emphasizes that personalization and relevance help events stand out in challenging circumstances.

Section 3: Planning

Planning starts with identifying key questions to help design a highly personalized digital experience for attendees. It highlights four dimensions for attendee profiling: Industry, Persona, Role, and Interests, Needs, and Pain Points. The section stresses the importance of setting clear, tangible goals such as number of attendees from target accounts and number of qualified leads. It advises defining event objectives to guide measurement and success criteria. The data gathered should be connected across systems; integration is achieved by working with the event technology partner. It emphasizes syncing technologies to ensure that micro-event data aligns with marketing automation and CRM. The planning phase also calls for alignment between planning, data capture, and post-event follow-up.

Section 4: Execution

After building a comprehensive attendee profile, execution focuses on tailoring the event experience. The section advocates offering custom sessions and tracks based on Industry, Personas, Roles/Job Titles, and Interests/Needs/Pain Points. It emphasizes understanding the audience so demand generation and ad targeting can be more precise. The same understanding informs which content and experiences will appeal to each attendee. The section also describes how demand generation teams can collaborate with marketing to assemble specialized events aligned with pain points and interests. It notes that hybrid events may include simultaneous or adjacent in-person components to augment the digital experience and deepen engagement with target accounts. The overall message is to design experiences that resonate with specific decision-makers and buyers within target accounts.

Section 5: Examples

The section presents concrete examples of ABM applied to digital events. One example describes a national healthcare provider hosting regular town halls via an event mobile engagement app to inform healthcare professionals and support safety for patients. The app enables questions, polls, and surveys relevant to current topics. The organization uses the app as a central hub of communication and resources over time to sustain engagement. Another example features an information technology provider that built a digital event series with a session catalog. Attendees access live and on-demand content and receive timely follow-ups based on observed interests. In both cases, ABM integration increased engagement and improved lead quality, illustrating how event data can drive targeted outreach and content.

Section 6: Sales & Marketing Alignment in Action

The ABM approach aligns sales and marketing around a highly personalized strategy focused on target accounts. The document notes that leads are significantly more likely to convert when sales and marketing collaborate, citing a substantial uplift in effectiveness. It includes a quote from James Huddleston, VP of Marketing at Certain, describing events as catalysts for collaboration between sales and marketing. The section outlines practical steps for hosting events, such as organizing highly tailored micro events focused on specific industries, personas, or roles. For sponsorships or attendance, the section recommends identifying a “most wanted” list of contacts from top target accounts and coordinating cross-team efforts.

Section 7: Tips & Best Practices

The section emphasizes personalizing content and focusing on the attendee experience. It argues that content personalization depends on timing and buyer journey stage, as well as the specific needs of the company and attendees. It suggests matching assets to prospect needs, whether the prospect is an SMB or an enterprise, and aligning content with product knowledge. The section also stresses the importance of storytelling by expert speakers to enhance engagement and content quality. It advocates focusing on the attendee experience by delivering engaging formats, VIP sessions, and customer testimonials to promote trust. It also highlights VIP networking, case studies, and mini testimonials as engagement drivers. The section includes a quote from a marketing leader about the value of professional speakers in attracting attendees and delivering better content experiences.

Section 8: Conclusion

The document concludes that ABM helps build and accelerate pipeline while strengthening relationships with customers and prospects. It asserts that face-to-face interactions remain irreplaceable but that digital and hybrid formats can still deliver personalized experiences. The conclusion encourages delivering smaller, bespoke experiences in which each attendee feels like a VIP. It emphasizes the value of tailoring experiences to each attendee to strengthen long-term relationships. The overall message is that, whether in-person or online, event experiences should remain personal and memorable. The closing pages provide a call to action and contact information for further assistance with event strategy.