7 Tips for Channel Partners Hosting Events

Hosting events for clients can take a channel partner's business to the next level. But it will take patience, partnerships and attention to detail.

Channel partners, including technology advisors (agents), are upping their marketing game. In an industry where referrals have typically instigated the sales process, some partners are hiring and investing in marketing to expand their pipeline and build stickier client relationships. Channel Futures' latest survey of technology advisors found that cross-selling and upselling to existing customers is the highest priority go-to-market enhancement for partners. And as the pandemic-related boom of digital transformation dies down, partners are learning that they need marketing to sow the seeds for new customers.

And events are a key cog of a marketing strategy.

Hosting Events: A Worthwhile Endeavor

Seth Marsh, vice president of sales and marketing at TMG, is one of the many partners that has seen significant return on investment from hosting both an annual summit and other smaller events.

TMG's Seth Marsh

However, partners who commit to hosting events need to commit to it 100%, he said. His tip: "Plan, plan and plan some more."

"These events take time, creative energy, and a whole lot of planning. Our large event takes about a whole year of planning while our smaller events take a couple of months to get right. To get [more than 100] people in attendance does take a lot of effort, but the real key is making sure that they see the value in coming so they want to come back the following year," Marsh told Channel Futures.

In the slideshow above, partners share key considerations for planning and hosting client-centered events.