The hidden power of eventing in boosting direct business sales

Terena Chetty, head of strategy at 1Africa Consulting. Image supplied

Companies that excel are those who keep customer experience central to business planning and market activities. When it comes to the customer journey, consumers want to feel connected to a brand, including having the opportunity to interact with it in different ways.

A very effective component of sales strategy is hosting or participating in events. Such events could take the form of brand-owned events, industry events, business showcases or general public events that are relevant to the business.

According to the Bizzabo 2024 State of In-person B2B Conferences report, 80.4% of survey respondents indicated that in-person events are their organisation’s most impactful marketing channel.

Why events are impactful on sales results

Reasons why events have such a significant impact on business results are numerous. Some of these factors include:

• Brand awareness and visibility to new customers: Events provide a valuable opportunity for brand awareness and visibility to both existing and new customers.

  2024 research on event attendee intent and behaviour by global events firm Freeman, revealed that for 80% of respondents, in-person events are their top source of discovering new products and services.

  Considering that reaching new customers is a leading struggle for sales departments, this is a very influential consideration factor.

• Events provide the opportunity for instant sales and sign-ups: A key aim for sales executives is to convert a potential sale to an actual sale as quickly as possible i.e. to “close the deal”.

  Events provide the opportunity for an immediate sale while a potential customer is still fully engaged and accessible.

• Market research and insights: Interacting with people on a personal level at events provides brands with an enhanced level of insight. People are able to share their likes and dislikes about the brand’s products and / or services in an informal manner.

  Such contributions from end-users provide valuable insights for research, development and overall improvements to brand offerings.

• Direct engagement and relationship building: According to the Event Marketing Institute, 74% of consumers say that engaging with businesses at branded event marketing experiences makes them more likely to buy the products being promoted.
  People are more likely to purchase a product or service based on direct interaction. Even consumers who are familiar with a brand express a certain positive affinity when seeing a known brand at events, resulting in both immediate sales, as well as increased brand loyalty.

Comic Con Africa – a significant driver of sales for small to medium enterprises

When it comes to experiential events, brand benefits are exponentially higher. This is especially true when the event caters to a highly engaged niche market.

Events that prioritise elevated, high-quality experiences are most effective in delivering successful results to the various stakeholders – including exhibitors, service providers, event attendees and the economies of host regions.

A prime example of an experience-driven consumer event is the Comic Con series of exhibition events.

Comic Con Africa, the continental event leg of the global brand, takes place annually in Cape Town and Johannesburg. This September marks the seventh year of the Johannesburg event since the brand was launched on the continent.

The event is hailed as one of the largest creative industry events in Africa, and encompasses everything from pop culture to gaming to art to live entertainment and more. The convention is a 4-day exhibition comprising numerous showcase “halls” including a gaming hall, general exhibition area, “Kidscon” hall, artist alley and various experiential zones.

Exhibitor stands include niche pop culture collectables, general merchandise, character merchandise and collectable figures, various art-based memorabilia, cosplay (costume) products and a wide range of food and beverage stalls.

Shante Singh, owner of Craftsingh merchandise, collectables and custom design store, confirms the massive impact that Comic Con Africa offers to small and medium enterprises.

“For businesses that are current and on-brand in terms of catering to the event and attendees, there is a potential for profitable sales results. For my business in particular, the Comic Con Africa live event is my highest sales generator. It accounts for a massive 50% of my total annual sales revenue."

Owner of pop culture and anime merchandise retailer Chaos Kraft, Dané Krömker expressed similar sentiments regarding the event’s value to small business owners.

“Generating around a third of my total annual revenue, Comic Con Africa is absolutely the single largest contributor to business sales. The bulk of sales take place during the live event, but I also do notice an increase in custom orders for a month or two following the event. I am looking forward to this year’s upcoming event, and hoping it delivers even higher results!”

Commenting on the impact of the event on small to medium enterprises, Comic Con Africa’s show director Carla Massmann said, “Comic Con Africa strives to offer significant economic value to all key stakeholders, including exhibitors and attending fans. Our research data, sourced directly from exhibitors, reflects satisfaction levels of over 80%, with guest satisfaction levels even higher.

This indicates that the right businesses are showcased to the right customer base. Many small businesses report earning a substantial capital injection over the 4-day event, as well as positive overall brand experiences. We are proud and excited to have created a niche-focused pop culture platform which cannot be found anywhere else in South Africa, and we look forward to hosting the upcoming event.”