Often times when working with a VAR business I will pose the question, ‘What does marketing mean to you?’ Needless to say, the responses are all over the board. One of the most common responses is “events”. When most VARs or channel partners think of marketing strategy they think of events. This is certainly one of the most widely accepted tactics. So, if this tactic is the bread and butter to most reseller marketing, then why do we spend so little time planning such important events? 30 days seems to be the general time frame for planning, but I’m here to tell you 30 days is setting yourself up for failure. 60 days at the least, should be spent on putting together an event. 90 days is optimal.

When planning for a current customer event, isn’t the goal to WOW your clients and get them to partner with you for more business? If the goal of the event is to drive demand generation, why wouldn’t you spend at least 2-3 weeks profiling who you want at the event and creating a fine-tuned list of VIP customers? The money being spent might be marketing development funds from a vendor partner, and if you prove the value with a high ROI, you are more likely to get funding for similar events plus other tactics in the future.

The time spent in the planning and execution shows and will be recognized by those that attend the event. Details are paramount in events and take time to organize. Give yourself enough time to make sure all the planning is thorough – including how you will follow up with attendees and how you will measure the effectiveness of the event.

Take 60-90 days to plan and on the day of the event, you can relax and enjoy the networking opportunity you have put together - and close some business!