Event Marketing Insights: Lessons from Nerdio, Macrobond, and Industry Leaders
Purple Cork VIP Roundtable Participants
Purple Cork’s latest roundtable brought together marketing leaders across leading organizations to taste Oprah’s favorite sipping tequila and share their expertise on strategically using events—both virtual and in-person—to drive late-stage pipeline acceleration, deepen customer relationships, and prove ROI.
Below, we’ve rounded up the most valuable strategies and insights from the discussion.
🔑 Key Takeaways
1. Audience Segmentation is Everything
Nicole (Nerdio): Focused on late-stage pipeline prospects tied to a “competitive takeout” motion. Inviting customers who’ve recently switched from competitors created relatable, high-impact stories.
Marisa (Macrobond): Uses a 60/40 prospect-to-customer mix. Customers serve as powerful advocates for peer-to-peer credibility.
Recommendation: Consider segmenting invites into:
Late-stage opportunities
Closed-lost (3–6 months)
Stalled leads
SDR-assigned MQLs with low recent activity
2. In-Person Events Must Be Experiential
Finance audiences (Macrobond) aren’t used to being “wined and dined,” making experiential, casual formats highly effective.
Success formula: no slides, great speakers, premium touches (champagne, cocktails), and intimate networking.
Insight: Attendees crave connection, not content overload.
3. Feature Customer Stories
Nerdio’s Valentine’s Day-themed event with G2 reviews + customer stories led to 10 out of 15 opportunities closing quickly.
Winning Format: Tasting + Customer storytelling + Peer Q&A = Authentic, high-conversion experience.
4. Post-Event: Empower Your Sellers to Follow Up
Templates, copy, and coaching empower sellers to follow up effectively.
Use Salesforce campaigns or tags to attribute ROI and reinforce event value to leadership.
5. Creative Incentives Improve Attendance and Engagement
Uber gift cards boosted in-person attendance (Colleen @ ExtraHop).
Thoughtful kits (e.g., magnums, branded chocolate, custom cocktail glasses) enhance perceived value—and delight.
Consider dividing up the tasting gift into two sends–sending one bottle pre-event and the second bottle post-event to attendees only.
Run a competition during the event for best attire, best background and more. Have some fun with it!
✅ Actionable Ideas for Your Next Events
Test prospect/customer ratio (start with at least 60/40 for pipeline acceleration events).
Test gifting price points (higher-cost tasting sets for deal closing events, lower-cost per person for pipeline generation).
Create repeatable templates for sales.
Log campaign attribution to prove impact.
If you need white-glove support creating memorable experiences like these for your customers and prospects, please reach out to Plan an Event!
