WARNING: Publishers are invading your territory! Are you prepared for the battle?

Just as we have our challenges in the B2B events space, B2B publishers are also feeling the pinch. The old model of B2B publishing just isn’t working anymore. Not only are publishers seeing a reduction in advertising revenue, but their readers no longer want to pay up. With so much freely available information online, paying subscribers are declining in numbers. As a result, B2B publishers are encroaching on conference territory. And why shouldn’t they? 

B2B publishers' strengths

There is a relatively low barrier to entry for publishers entering the conference industry thanks to:

• In-depth knowledge of their market and ready access to an engaged audience. Their readers already recognise their brand as a trusted source of content, and may be more inclined to attend their events as a result
• Established brand identity - if their brand is strong, a B2B publisher’s conference will probably succeed even without B2B event marketing or conference management expertise, meaning they can save on time and financial outlays
• Existing agreements with partners - B2B publishers are also likely to have long-term contracts or commitment from advertisers and sponsors, which makes extending their scope into conferencing a tempting proposition

With an already engaged audience and sponsor support, B2B publishers can expect to see their events generate high margins and profitability – and with delegate sales declining, the last thing event companies need is more competition for their hard won takings.

3 ways B2B conference companies can fend off publishers

Attention B2B conference companies; it’s time to become a publisher. To compete with these pesky organisations, take on board the following three tips and eliminate the competition.

1. Become a publisher

You don’t have to go about producing a weekly magazine (phew), but you could start creating industry reports, buyer guides, top 10 lists...

2. Publish frequently

Become adept at producing and disseminating quality content and industry news on a regular basis. We’re not saying you need to be the next BBC or Reuters, a simple and well-managed blog will suffice. See our recent post on inbound marketing for more insight into content.

3. Use existing content to engage your audience

As B2B events organisations, you are fortunate to have access to a wealth of content generated by your events. Maximise this for your lead generation. For example, repurpose conference footage as a source of high value video content – but be wary of producing amateur videos, as these may negatively impact your brand. We recommend investing in film production to ensure consistently high standards.

However you decide to provide content, think about how you are adding value for your audience. Stop focusing on selling your event and start thinking about audience benefits.

Can conference organisers and publishers work together?

In the future it may be hard to find a pure B2B conference company or a pure B2B publisher at all. We’re all merging into one big happy (slightly competitive) family, so perhaps it’s time to work together with our publishing colleagues and focus on industry knowledge-sharing. By doing so we’ll be able to produce better events, create better content and increase delegate and sponsorship revenue at the same time.

Image credit: toffehoff