Event marketing should begin as soon as the audience, proposition, objectives and route to market are clear enough to build a credible campaign. For many events, that means planning starts well before public launch.

There is no single ideal lead time. A new international exhibition, established annual conference and smaller paid event will have different sales cycles and levels of audience awareness. Speaker announcements, exhibitor sales, partner activity, content production and registration targets also affect the schedule.

Starting early creates time to test the proposition, build demand and learn from performance. Starting late does not mean giving up; it means prioritising ruthlessly. TEMBO works backwards from the event date and commercial targets to create a practical campaign plan for the time available.

Marketing Agency, event marketing training and strategy resources.